Published January 27, 2021 · Reviewed by Sergey Litvinov, MD · ~690 words

Drinking alone is the part people leave out when they tell you what happened. Loneliness and substance usepull in the same direction, and each one makes the other easier to keep doing. At Pines Recovery Life Detox, our therapists and medical team give you room to clear your body, clear your head, and start building relationships that hold.

How addiction impacts loneliness

The relationship between addiction and loneliness is a chicken and egg question. Maybe the isolation came first and started it. Or cocaine, heroin or heavy drinking changed how you behave, and you pulled away from the people who love you.

Addiction changes your brain chemistry, and that changes your behavior and the way your reward system works. A compulsive gambler cannot stop the impulse. Alcohol and drugs do the same thing to your ability to hold yourself back. Many of our patients start slipping at work or at school, and their social lives go with it. The behavior pushes people away.

That is where the spiral starts. Substance use disorders are mental illnesses, and losing control, feeling hopeless, and reaching for a drug to fix the feeling all belong to the same loop.

Self-medicating loneliness

Some people drink or try drugs to loosen up around other people. In the short term that works. Then the using moves indoors, and lonely, depressed people reach for drugs and alcohol to feel better on their own. In a bar or in your own living room, it is a short-term fix with long-term consequences.

What starts as a social crutch takes on a life of its own. With some substances you can be addicted after the first use. Drugs and alcohol wear down your mind and your body. The sooner you start detox, the sooner you can learn how to open up to people without them.

Social connections and recovery

Even if you are shy, other people give your days a shape and something to look forward to. What sober connections after detox and recovery do for you:

• Develop a sense of purpose through positive associations
• Reverse some of the damage done to your brain’s reward center.
• Reduce stress by building a network of supportive friends.
• Lower your risk of relapse by talking your feelings through instead of acting out.

Defeat loneliness by building relationships

Things you can start before you sign up for our men’s or women’s substance use detox programs:

• Reflect: Ask yourself how deep the loneliness runs. Short spells usually lift when you call a friend or visit family. Opening up also takes the edge off the stress and anxiety that leads to cravings and relapse.
• Connect: Small kindnesses, volunteering for a local organization, or church activities put you around people whose goals look like the ones you want.
• Interact: When you show up somewhere, talk to someone one on one or join the group discussion. If you read, find a local book club or a Bible study. Even watching a movie together gives you something to talk about afterward.

Substance use detox in South Florida

At Pines Recovery Life Detox in South Florida, our inpatient detox treatment programs focus on clearing the substances out of your body. Along the way you will look at the loneliness, the anxiety and the depression that would otherwise pull you back. Stay open to new habits and new skills, and they will be there when you need them. Call us at 800.263.3869, or contact us online today and we will walk you through the admissions process.