While addiction can be isolating in nature, people in active addiction often surround themselves with others who are actively using substances. Individuals who may drink or use drugs together can also develop deeper interpersonal relationships. Unfortunately, relationships built on mutual substance use are inherently toxic. Maintaining these relationships post-treatment can be harmful to individuals in recovery. Similarly, toxic people, abusive relationships, and dysfunctional dynamics can put an individual’s recovery and sobriety at risk.
Individuals in recovery must make a number of life changes upon leaving treatment. These changes range from finding a new place to live to starting new healthy habits. Another change they should consider making pertains to their relationships. Individuals in recovery may need to consider cutting out toxic people from their lives if they hope to maintain their sobriety. It may not be easy, but cutting out these individuals is sometimes critical, and today we’ll discuss why.
Before ending any toxic relationships, it is first necessary to establish sobriety. Contact West Coast Recovery Centers for further support and guidance in establishing and sustaining recovery from addiction.
What Is a Toxic Relationship?
Toxic relationships can surface in various ways. Healthy relationships – familial, romantic, or friendship – should make you feel good and happy and add value to your life. Toxic relationships, on the other hand, often make people feel bad about themselves, lose self-esteem, or suffer mentally and emotionally. All relationships have their ups and downs, but when a relationship causes pain and makes you feel unsupported or unsafe, then it’s a major problem that needs to be addressed.
Toxic relationships are sometimes associated with domestic violence or abuse. While these relationships are undoubtedly toxic, toxicity can also occur in relationships that aren’t physically harmful and violent. Gaslighting, emotional and verbal abuse, and other toxic behaviors are harmful, and these can be present within all kinds of relationships.
Unfortunately, people can’t always recognize toxicity within their relationships or the individuals in their lives. To know how to best respond to and navigate a toxic relationship, it is important to become familiar with associated warning signs.
Recognizing Toxic People or Signs of Toxic Relationships
When talking about toxic people, our main focus is on friends, partners, or others you once drank or used drugs with. Signs of toxic character traits in others can include:
- Inconsistent and erratic behavior
- Constant gossiping and spreading of private and inaccurate information
- Instigating behaviors that cause trouble and drama all of the time
- Manipulating, lying, and exaggerating to get whatever they want from people
- A constant need for attention without offering you any support in return
- Always exhibiting a negative attitude toward you and other people
- Acting fake and two-faced and twisting situations to make themselves appear as the victim
Similarly, individuals must also be able to recognize the signs of toxic relationships, especially if they hope to maintain recovery. Admittedly, recognizing these signs can be challenging. Some warning signs of toxic behavior can include:
- Being spoken to disrespectfully
- Lack of emotional support from a partner
- Having little to no control over the relationship decisions
- Feeling forced to do something you don’t want to
- Bringing out the worst in each other instead of the best
- Feeling you’re always to blame for things that go wrong in the relationship
Sure, recognizing the signs of a toxic person or relationship can be challenging. Yet, once you can identify the warning signs, it’s imperative to make adjustments accordingly.
How Are Toxic People Harmful to Addiction Recovery?
When you are in recovery from addiction, remaining in a toxic relationship can cause one of two things to happen. First, it may prevent you from seeking treatment for yourself, further complicating your struggle with addiction. Secondly, if you do seek addiction treatment, it can put your sobriety at severe risk.
Sustainable recovery requires a lot of hard life changes. Cutting toxic people out of your life can be difficult, mostly because having feelings for a toxic person is complicated. However, there’s more to it. Sometimes, people exhibit toxic traits without even realizing it. This can make cutting them off even more challenging. Nevertheless, cutting ties is vital if you hope to stay sober.
Cutting Toxic People Out of Your Life
Admittedly, cutting out people may initially seem cold, and saying goodbye to loved ones is never easy. Between setting boundaries and having hard conversations, some relationships can be saved. However, that’s not always the case. To cut toxic people out of your life in an attempt to maintain long-term recovery, consider some of these steps:
- Put space between you and toxic individuals while you sort things out for yourself
- Set boundaries with friends, family, and loved ones, and be sure to stick to them
- Don’t get sucked into mind games, schemes, or other attempts to keep a relationship going
- Surround yourself with peer support, support friends, and positive reinforcements
- Prioritize your well-being and learn to forgive to free yourself
If you’re serious about sobriety, you’ll inevitably have to end relationships to keep yourself from turning back toward a life of active addiction. These tips may help. Meanwhile, to start your treatment journey, consider West Coast Recovery Centers today.
Life post-treatment requires you to make a number of changes if you hope to maintain your newfound life of recovery. Of course, some of these changes will be harder than others, but in any case, they are necessary for sustainable recovery. Some of those changes may require you to cut people out of your life, especially toxic people who can harm or hinder your recovery journey. It’s especially crucial to cut these toxic people out if they’re abusive or if they themselves struggle with addiction and refuse to seek treatment. In any case, we can help you take this step in your recovery journey. To learn more or begin treatment, call West Coast Recovery Centers at (760) 492-6509 today.