When Can You Trust Yourself to Date Again after Rehab?

Not all low cost rehab centers will offer the same opinion when it comes to dating. This is a highly personal decision that each individual has to make on their own. However, there are certain guidelines you can use to assess your ability to date in a healthy manner. Just be careful not to compare yourself to anyone else. Each person has their own journey to navigate, including but not limited to the dating scene.

12 Step Guidelines

The 12 Step guidelines are just that, a set of guidelines to help you make tough decisions. The 12 Step program suggests that you avoid dating until you have a year of sobriety under your belt. This gives you time to make it through each season sober, without any of the pressures involved in intimate relationships.

Along these lines, you also want to avoid dating your counselors, and you may even want to avoid dating another addict who has spent a minimal time sober. This is because you could risk your sobriety as well as their own. If you do date another addict, consider dating someone who has been sober for a number of years.

Measuring Readiness

Start out slow and make sure you are ready for the responsibility that comes with dating. Get a plant and tend to it. If that makes you feel anxious, you may not be ready to consider the intimate needs of a person. If not, move on to a pet. Again, if tending to a pet stresses you out, you may want to put off dating for a while longer.

Keep in mind that, even in an affordable drug rehab, you can’t avoid stress altogether. The key is to limit the occurrences of stress so that you have a better chance at a successful recovery. Dating can be very stressful, so it’s best to ease into it. You may even find that you start dating and realize you aren’t ready for it. Don’t be afraid to express this to the person you’re dating. Being successful in your recovery isn’t just about being accountable, but about considering your own needs and health, and expressing that to others.