Will you still be popular and able to make jokes? There are a lot of unknown answers and some people do not want to know themselves without this toxic substance. My biggest fears in life include being in large groups of strange people, standing at parties by myself, and really just people in general. Drunk me didn’t have to worry if I was alone at a party because drunk me didn’t abide such things. Drunk me didn’t worry if she belonged, or said the right thing, or had to have small talk because drunk me just handled that.
Develop new hobbies to find joy and fulfillment without the need for substances
” until my husband and I either brought her out to watch the Daily Show or I fell asleep on the stuffed lamb chair in her bedroom, where I would wake up stiff and tired the next morning. So if all of your friends drink alongside you, then there’s no issue, right? Well, there’s a concept in psychology known as “confirmation bias,” and it means that we often look for evidence to support something that we already believe to be true. If you’re like most drinkers, you’ve likely surrounded yourself at some point with a group of people who also drink. I’d argue that many of us gravitated to a group of friends who have drinking habits that align with our own, and we did this because we didn’t want sober friends. With proper counseling and/or a good recovery program, you’ll learn important tools for navigating these relationships.
Reflect on the benefits of sobriety to maintain your motivation
Most importantly, maintain a compassionate attitude toward yourself and recognize that recovery is a journey with ups and downs. Pain is what we’ve always tried to avoid by drinking and drugging. Feeling pain is not ideal for those of us who are in active addiction and part of sobriety is feeling everything, even the pain. This can scare people to the core, but pain can be worked through. It is a part of life and if you numb your feelings all the time, you won’t feel the good or the bad.
Emotions In Early Sobriety Are Tough. Here’s How To Tackle Them.
Our hopes and dreams may have gotten stuffed down along the way during our descent into drugs or alcohol, too. It can be scary to confront ourselves and our dreams, and putting them off or procrastinating fear of being sober on them is a way to avoid putting the work in or fear of failure. When we’re sober, we may find those desires and dreams come to the surface again, prompting us to pay attention to them once again.
- Practice and plan your responses so that you feel confident and prepared in these environments.
- But seeking a professional opinion on where to get started can help alleviate and address your particular fears.
- Your addiction rehab team will always endeavor to treat you with respect and without judgment.
- A common misconception of rehab is that by following the rules and going along with the program, you will be abandoning yourself and turning into a mindless drone.
- The fear of being sober is often about dealing with your loss of a coping mechanism for “real” life.
- Finding an addiction treatment center with aftercare planning services can help you overcome your fears of long-term sobriety.
Job loss anxiety: How to handle the stress of losing your job
After all, you’ve probably spent months or years avoiding the first hint of withdrawal symptoms. You always rush to get that next drink or hit before withdrawal really sets in. When you stop using drugs or alcohol, you will experience a range of withdrawal symptoms.
From detox to sober living, our comprehensive and individualized programs are tailored to meet your unique needs. If you’re worried about what other people will think if you become sober, then it’s likely that you’re scared of becoming sober. However, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to please everyone. Sobriety is a personal decision, and you should do what’s best for you, not what other people think is best for you. Withdrawal symptoms can be uncomfortable, but they are not always dangerous.
Sobriety Fear #9: You won’t be able to handle your feelings without alcohol.
- Don’t use words like recovery or relapse as they suggest a struggle.
- The first thing is that sobriety can be a really hard thing to face for a lot of addicts.
- There is no doubt that getting sober is a daunting prospect — it’s terrifying.
If these emotions become excessive, they can hold you back from recovery. If you are trying to maintain a sober lifestyle, those feelings can become toxic and contribute to relapse if you don’t deal with them properly. You may also experience what is commonly called sobriety fatigue, which refers to the overall exhaustion that may occur as a result of the emotional and physical stress of staying sober. So, it’s extra helpful to have a support network available to you when you need it.
Within the safety and supports of a trusted rehab program and sober peer community, many people come to like and love the person they are when drugs and alcohol aren’t in the picture. In this sense, recovery is a bit like falling in love with yourself and then learning how to love yourself—another feel-good aspect of being sober. If you believe that sobriety is going to be boring, then it’s likely that you’re scared of becoming sober.
The Experience Blog
For with changes comes adjustments, which can be challenging. So it may take some time before you truly feel content in your new life. But the following insights may ease your journey and improve your outlook. So understanding and addressing these fears is paramount.
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There is no doubt that getting sober is a daunting prospect — it’s terrifying. I’m here to listen and help you get clear on your next steps for creating the life you deserve, a life of freedom from alcohol. One https://ecosoberhouse.com/ to one coaching is the most powerful way to access deep transformation and long lasting change. My gift is turning what is often seen as difficult, and shameful, into a positive, loving, expansive experience.
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