There are many obstacles one must overcome in order to maintain a sober lifestyle. One of the most difficult enemies is trust. How can a person gain trust back in recovery? The process is not easy, but it can be done with dedication and commitment. Trust doesn’t just happen overnight, even if you start to make progress right away. If you want to regain someone’s trust, it will take time and patience on your end as well as theirs. There are several steps one can take to regain lost trust in recovery.
Ways on How You Can Gain Trust Back in Recovery
Be Honest
This is one of the most obvious things you can do to gain trust back in recovery. There are times you might unintentionally hurt another person’s feelings, either by your actions or comments. It may be hard to admit you made a mistake when the other person seems so hurt and angry, but honesty is the best policy in any relationship whether it’s with family, friends or strangers.
Be Responsible
Being responsible for your actions is an important quality that reflects on your character. Responsibility can also be applied to addiction and recovery. You should make sure you’re taking care of yourself, whether that means getting adequate rest, not using drugs or alcohol, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Be Willing to Help Others
If you’re taking responsibility for your actions, this can also manifest itself in wanting to help others who are struggling with addiction. Giving back to the community and lending a helping hand may be just what is needed to regain trust in recovery.
Be Honest with Yourself
Reflect on the decision you made when you first decided to go into treatment or seek help for your addiction and try to understand why you made that decision and if it was the right one for you as a person. If you chose to get help for the wrong reasons, such as for your family, friends or it was a last resort, then you might need to reevaluate your decision and consider other options.
Be Adequately Prepared
Regardless of what kind of treatment program you will be going into, there are always certain things you can do ahead of time to help with the transition from addiction to recovery. Whether it’s cleaning out your house or getting rid of any drug paraphernalia or alcohol bottles. You shouldn’t be surprised if your family, friends or significant others try to get rid of anything that you had a part in getting.
Be Committed to the Process
It may be the case that one of the reasons why you couldn’t maintain trust before was due to your addiction. You might have relapsed and go through withdrawals again, therefore causing you to lose trust back in recovery. Be committed to the process and follow through with what you set out to do.
Be Honest with Others
You shouldn’t be afraid to disclose your addiction status and that you’re in recovery, but you shouldn’t divulge all your personal business as well. Referrals from others in recovery can be a great way for you to gain trust back in recovery.
Be Firm, But Fair in Your Decisions
You should have clear, solid reasons when making any decisions regarding topics such as employment and finances. Don’t let your addiction get the best of you by making poor decisions.
Be Considerate of Others’ Opinions
Don’t be surprised if a few people are skeptical when they first hear you’re going into treatment to get sober. Letting someone in recovery have a spare key to your house is a great way to regain trust. However, giving others the right to make decisions who aren’t addicted can also be beneficial.
Be Open to Change
You might realize the reasons you were unable to gain trust back in recovery were due to your addiction and that you’re not what other people may want you to be. You should be open to the idea of changing your behavior, but this might not occur right away.
Be Ready for a Losing Streak
You might hit a few bumps in the road during your recovery and lose trust, but there is a reason you chose this method to achieve sobriety and live a healthy life. Don’t be afraid to ask for advice from other people. Just because you lose trust back in recovery, it doesn’t mean that it’s the end.
Be Honest About Your Feelings
If you’re not comfortable with a certain situation or person, you shouldn’t be afraid to say how you really feel about it. You should feel confident enough to say that if you don’t want something or someone in your life, then don’t let them stay. In a nutshell, those that are trying to gain trust back in recovery should be clear about what they are doing and why it is important for them to live a sober lifestyle. Over time, people will witness the changes and this will help build their trust in your sobriety. To talk to experts who can provide you with advice about regaining trust and other addiction problems. Our hotline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Please don’t hesitate to contact us now at 866-963-7200.
