The pain of watching a loved one cycle in and out of drug abuse, lying, and treatment is highly draining for a loved one to endure. Watching their trust in you and your word diminish over time damages the relationship. Now that you are serious in your commitment to sobriety, you want to restore your relationships as part of living a more connected, happier life. However, you may notice that their trust in you doesn’t just return overnight, and you will have to earn it back.
4 Ways to Restore Trust In Relationships:
- Trust yourself first. The first step to earning trust back from others is mending the relationship you have with trusting yourself. If you don’t trust yourself, then how can anyone else trust you? Commit yourself fully to staying sober. Spend time getting to know yourself in recovery and decide specifically what your goals are and how you will achieve them. Don’t ignore your mental health in the process, do what you need to get mentally strong and determined so that if a loved one doubts your resolution to being sober, you won’t doubt yourself and can prove it otherwise to them.
- Actions speak. Backing up your words with your actions is the only way that others can see you mean business. Start with small acts to earn your accountability, like always showing up to meet loved ones on time and being proactive in attending meetings and therapy. Being actively involved in recovery will show that recovery is your priority and that things are progressing for you. Create a healthy routine for yourself and stick to it, which benefits you, but also your loved ones will begin to trust you through your consistent patterns of behavior.
- Keep open and honest communication channels. This way, loved ones will feel secure knowing how you are doing and won’t have to worry about you. Confiding in your loved one about how you are feeling and what is going on in your life helps your loved one begin to trust you. They will feel more connected to you, more involved in your life, and like they are doing their part to support you.
- Let time heal. Some things take time to repair, and trust is one of those things. In the meantime, by focusing your time and care on building the best life for yourself and being your most honest and true self in relationships, your relationships will grow healthier with time.
Be proactive to salvage your relationships by letting your actions show your intentions, developing a trusting relationship with yourself, and having open communication, which will help lay the foundation for having strong, healthy relationships in your life again. If you or a loved one is struggling to get or remain sober, call Avalon Malibu. Avalon Malibu is a California state-licensed mental health and substance abuse treatment center that can help you in your addiction recovery and mental health struggles. With our help, you can overcome the challenges facing you, and you will be on the road to feeling joy and connection in life again. To find out more about our services, call us at (844) 857-5992.
