Once you have made it through your addiction, you must leave the drug rehab centre at some point. One thing you need to keep in mind is that you have likely burned some bridges along the way or said some hurtful things to those that you love. It happens. Many people are quite understanding because they know that you were under the control of your addiction.
Now that you will be leaving the rehabilitation facility, it is time to work on some of those relationships, but how can you once trust has been broken and stomped on? Below, we will go over some ways that you can begin to build trust with your loved ones AFTER you have overcome your addiction.
- Be Proactive in Relationships
One of the best ways to rebuild trust once you have beaten addiction is to be proactive in your relationship with people. This means that you should reach out to them, suggest things for the two of you to do, and show them that you care and appreciate them in your life.
You can confide in your loved ones and you can be there for them as well. One of the reasons why your relationship may have fallen apart in the first place is because of your lack of presence. Make note of this and promise to be different and involved. Remember, actions speak louder than words, so make sure your actions are heard.
- Communicate and Ask for Forgiveness
You should not shell up and bottle everything inside, as this will not get you anywhere. Take some time to sit down and communicate with those that you hurt. Explain to them what happened and how you feel. It is likely that they will open up to you as well and tears may be shed. This is a positive step in your relationship, so do not be afraid to express yourself.
You also want to ask them for forgiveness. Generally speaking, people will grant forgiveness when you do ask, so do not be afraid. If they do not want to forgive you, find out what you can do to earn their forgiveness. This is a critical step in rebuilding trust.
- Know That It Takes Time
Always remember that is takes time and your loved ones and friends are not going to instantly accept what you have to say and return to normal. You do have to prove yourself, so make sure you are prepared to do it.
- Don’t Hide Secrets
Secrets can break trust and they can send you back into a downward spiral with your relationship. Do NOT hide something from those that you love. If you feel like you are going to relapse, reach out to them. If you have relapsed for a moment, reach out. The secrets you kept before are in the past.
- Don’t Fall Through
The last step in rebuilding trust is to always follow through with what you say you are going to do. You do not want to start not showing up or not keeping promises. If you say you will be there, be there. If you say you will do something, do it.
Trust is something that is earned and is not just handed out freely by most people. Once you have broken trust with someone, you need to prove to them that things are different. Overcoming addiction is a HUGE step and if you did that, you can do anything.