Recovery and Relationships with Using Friends

Setting boundaries with friends who still use is one of the hardest parts of recovery. You have three real options: stay in contact with clear limits, create distance, or cut ties. Your sobriety comes first, every time.

What Do You Do When Friends Still Use?

You have friends who still use. What do you do?

You can't make them stop. You can't control them. You can only control yourself.

What Are Your Options?

1. Stay in contact (boundaries).

• Don't use with them
• Set limits
• Don't enable
• Share your recovery

2. Distance.

• Reduce contact
• It's sometimes necessary
• Doesn't mean forever

3. Cut ties.

• If they're dangerous
• If they won't respect recovery
• Sometimes necessary

What Doesn't Work?

• Nagging them to stop
• Enabling them
• Using with them
• Expecting them to change

How Do You Take Care of Yourself?

• Your recovery comes first
• It's not your job to save them
• You can love them from a distance

What Should You Do Right Now?

1. Assess the relationship. Is it healthy?

2. Set boundaries. What you'll accept.

3. Don't enable. At all.

4. Distance if needed. Your recovery first.

5. Love from distance. Accept what you can't control.

You can't save them. You can only save yourself.

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