Blog post by: Alumni Relations Specialist

I can remember at the end of my active addiction, my run was lonely and depressing. I only had friends that wanted to use substances with me or sell them to me. My other friends from childhood that had good intentions for me told me to get help or leave them alone. When I finally decided to get help, they were the first ones to pick me up, unlike the “friends” surrounding me at the bar or my using partner. When I went away for treatment my genuine friends were there to encourage me and they even wrote me letters. And was I really that surprised I never had a missed call, voice mail, text message or letter from the friends I was using with? No, they had moved on to their next victim and I was free. After treatment I began to go to 12 step fellowship meetings and met more people that were trying to recover. There were men and women who cared about me and helped me without looking for anything in return. This was a great feeling and it also gave me a chance to start to release my old behaviors. I could then become the person inside I once was. Making friends in recovery can take time but is well worth in compared to where I came from. I now have people that will help me and go through stages of my recovery with me. I never have to feel as alone as I did when I was using again.