that a single, isolated culture of recovery doesn’t exist. People tend to bond over common experiences, whether or not they use drugs. But when they do, these natural connections can result in the formation of a culture that promotes use, the reports added.
The TIP Series suggests that understanding more about different drug cultures is important, as sociocultural elements are often motivators behind initiation and perpetuation of drug use and addiction. “I didn’t use street drugs, and I mainly used drugs by myself — but a lot of people have a community of people they used drugs with,” Matesa said. “People tend to have drinking buddies before they choose to get sober. For instance, my cousins who were addicted to heroin had that experience. It’s very, very hard to get away from these communities.”
Healthy relationships are essential in treatment, but social diversity is also imperative in addiction recovery. A January study found that recovering addicts with homogeneous social networks had a lower quality of life than those who had more diverse social circles (not composed of only other recovering addicts).
“It was hard for me at first to go to weddings or big gatherings,” Matesa added. “So, I started writing about my sobriety, about what it was like trying to get sober. It helped me a lot. Now, I just tell myself I am better off than doing the things I used to do. I used to steal drugs out of people’ medicine cabinets and shoplift petty things. I don’t do that anymore, everything that I have is mine. It’s part of integrity.”
