Author: Charles Frank
8 tips to help you overcome the fear of being sober
My first few months of recovery went fairly smoothly. So smoothly, in fact, that I was starting to wonder why I hadn’t committed to this new life much sooner. Especially when I was enduring the witching hour with my eighteen-month-old twins, one of whom gave up sleeping right when I gave up drinking.
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It’s also equal parts wrong and ridiculous. For years, I worried about the impact of sobriety on my social life. I honestly did not know what people did for fun without being slightly or very drunk. Or maybe, on some level, you don’t believe you’re worthy of success. If you’ve done some major damage in your past, you might feel like you don’t deserve to be happy and healthy. I don’t think it’s change that you’re so afraid of.
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They cover up all of that “stuff” that happened that you don’t want to deal with. But, being sober commonly causes people to fear that pain coming back. But you can deal with it and prevent it from hurting you any longer. It’s important to find a mental health professional you trust. Treatment is often a collaborative journey, and you should feel comfortable asking questions, communicating openly, and giving honest feedback on your progress. The temporary calming effect of alcohol or drugs can become a means of coping with anxiety.
- This could include friends who understand your journey, family members who encourage your choices, or support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or SMART Recovery.
- If you give substance abuse up, you’ll have to face those emotions and find a new way to cope.
- This is the hard part, but it’s also the most rewarding.
- In some cases, it’s more complicated than that.
The prospect of changing your habits completely can, indeed, seem quite daunting. However, addiction treatment involves support in this respect. During rehab, you can take up fitness classes, as well as engage in meditation, yoga, cooking, nutrition classes and art. By exploring healthy living during rehab, you will find it much easier to carry on with these positive habits in your regular life.
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Thankfully, things don’t usually turn out that way. There are many ways to create new friendships without drugs and alcohol. This can include meeting people in support groups, adopting new hobbies, going to classes that interest you and pursuing a new career path. Alternatively, you may think following a healthy lifestyle will be too challenging.
What are the Stats On Rehab and Recovery?
And don’t worry, your tastes and style are not actually tied to drugs. You’ll find your way, and you’ll be even more you without substances controlling your mind. The first step in addressing a fear of sobriety is acknowledging the fear itself. Once you recognize and accept that you’re afraid, you can begin to address the underlying causes with specific strategies.
Make a commitment to go to rehab and to get sober and impress upon your loved ones that you will need their love and support. The ones that might are your drinking and drug buddies. Their own addictions may prevent them from being excited about your change of lifestyle.
What is the point of sobriety if you let yourself wallow in self-doubt and pity? I don’t believe you really feel that way because otherwise, you wouldn’t be here. You know, deep down, that you can and should have a better life. Don’t let difficult decisions and conversations with loved ones be the excuse you use to keep drinking alcohol. What you’re really afraid of is the unknown and that you may be unable to handle it. Depending on how deeply ingrained alcohol is in your life, you may be staring down an entire life makeover.
In some cases, it’s more complicated than that. Maybe these people have been in your life since childhood, and you’ve all fallen into the same trap. You’ve got history, but you’ve also got baggage. Another common fear in sobriety is that you’ll wind up alone because no one will want to hang out with you. We are biologically wired for companionship, so this is a very real and instinctual fear to have. If a booked social calendar is important to you, you’ll find ways to be proactive and realign what you do to fit your new lifestyle.