Going out into the community and joining activities helps to connect with others. There is no wrong way to do this, and many different things you could try, including: hiking/running groups, gyms, art groups, yoga/meditation groups, education courses, dog meet ups and volunteering clubs.
How could it be helpful?
As Johann Hari says, “The opposite of addiction is not sobriety. The opposite of addiction is connection." People who don’t have strong connection with others are more at risk of their drug use developing into a problem. While going through big changes, community activities help to distract us and keep us engaged in things that don’t involve using drugs. It also gives people something to look forward to and can help their mental health.
How to access?
You can start today. Although things like gyms do have weekly costs, many groups are cheap or free to join. Try things that you wouldn’t normally do. If you show up once and don’t like it, you don’t need to come back. And who knows, you might find something that really clicks with you and ends up bringing a lot of joy to your life.
There are also groups like Speed Freaks and Recovery St that are specifically created for people who are overcoming addiction.
Real experiences
"You're not alone...if you or your life's getting unmanageable, there's thousands of us that know and understand that...connect with groups and people who understand your struggle."
- Dylan
"It doesn’t have to be something big. Just getting out the house and being around likeminded people can make a huge difference."
- Emily