On an addict’s journey to recovery from substance addiction, having sober friends is vital for he/she to fully recover.
It helps them remember that they are others who have gone through their experience and came out well. Having sober friends also gives them good support in case of relapse and in times of difficulty.
But it is also important to know how to identify these friends. An addict needs to know the traits to look for in a person that make them a sober friend. Therefore, this article will discuss some qualities to identity in a sober friend.
These qualities include;
- Honesty
If you are spending time with people during your recovery; you do not want friends who do not tell you the truth.
You do not want people who only tell you want to hear. You should go for friends who are honest and would tell you if you are doing something which can harm your recovery process.
- Supportive
You must have supportive friends during your recovery. Sober friends are people who support you and are there to help you through the recovery process. It could be psychological or even physical support because you will need all the support you can get.
- Encouraging
Sober friends are also very encouraging people. This is a vital trait of a sober friend because the recovery won’t always be easy. There could be hard days and possible relapse, but you need people who will continue to encourage you through it all.
These people encourage you to attend therapy, not to skip sessions or medication, and encourage you that the process will be a success.
- Patience
Sober friends are also patient people. To support and encourage recovering addicts through their recovery process you have to be patient with them. There may be times when the recovering addict might lash out or act angrily, but in patience, sober friends continue to support.
- Accountability
Sober friends are accountable people. They have to be accountable in their own lives, for them to be able to hold you accountable for your recovery. Accountability helps to ensure a recovering addict remains on the right track and does not deviate from sobriety.
So, these are some traits of a sober friend, ones you should identify in people around you during your recovery. These qualities are important in helping a recovering addict overcome addiction and remain clean.