It was my jumping-off point into a life I knew I had buried inside of me. I got out of debt, started a company that provides digital recovery, launched a podcast, and am in the middle of writing a book. The fear of the unknown is a common thread that runs through all the other fears. Recovery requires stepping into unfamiliar territory, and this uncertainty can be frightening. Questions like “What will my life look like?” or “Will I be happy?” are natural but can also hold you back. It’s important to remember that while the future is uncertain, recovery offers the opportunity for a better, healthier life.
Embrace The Suck: The Uncomfortable Lessons Of Sobriety
Therapy offers a place where you can explore the causes of your fears and learn how to cope. For example, cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is helpful in treating anxiety. It helps identify negative https://ecosoberhouse.com/ thought patterns and replace them with positive, rational ones. Take the time to work with us over the next few weeks. The Ranch at Dove Tree offers the resources you need no matter what your current fears and concerns are. You’re ready to take that step towards recovery.
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But that’s how we grow and learn, and how we learn to cope better when the next challenge presents itself. Over time, our ability to cope and come up with solutions that work for us becomes easier and easier. Addicts will have to face their relationships with people again, with their families, friends, and co-workers. They may have wronged some of these people, or they might be embarrassed about how they once acted. They’ll have to feel emotions again without numbing them with drink or drug and maneuver their way through tricky family and relationship dynamics. Addiction can be a way to avoid the things we don’t want to deal with.
Fear of change
- American Addiction Centers (AAC) offers treatment centers across the United States.
- By understanding your fear, embracing your decision, finding support, and developing coping strategies, you can confidently navigate social situations without the need for alcohol.
- Simply the anticipation of a potentially unpleasant or stressful circumstance causes the brain to go into flight or fight mode.
- This is particularly true for the introverted among us.
- Scary movies often involve gore and death – both topics most people fear.
Strengthening your coping strategies and possibly adjusting your recovery plan can help prevent future setbacks. Most importantly, maintain a compassionate attitude toward yourself and recognize that recovery is a journey with ups and downs. I’ve spent the last seven years researching and understanding alcoholism, addiction, and how people get sober.
Can meditation or mindfulness help with overcoming the fear of being sober?
You get to define yourself from here on out, and there won’t be any regrettable drunk shenanigans doing that on your behalf. The truth is, you have no idea what success will look or feel like. Spending mental energy on things you cannot possibly know is useless. Every time you (or I) do that, we choose to suffer. 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.
Gayle is an author, podcast host and sobriety coach
One of the biggest fears individuals face is not knowing what life will look like without substances. But by focusing on your “why”—whether it’s for your health, family, or personal goals—you can stay motivated to continue on your sober path. Eudaimonia Recovery Homes offers a structured sober living environment that helps you manage your recovery step by step. By breaking down your journey into manageable pieces, you’ll feel less pressure and more empowered to stay on track.
Support
There’s a fear of a life without the ability to ever drink or take drugs again. Staying sober means staying clean, and that alone can be a scary thought for many addicts and alcoholics. Ignoring fear or allowing it to fester can lead to negative outcomes, such as relapse or fear of being sober stalled progress.
Fear Change? 5 Reasons Change Is a Good Thing
- Eudaimonia Recovery Homes integrates self-care practices into our holistic approach to treatment, promoting wellness for the mind, body, and soul.
- It’s been over six years since I first started seriously questioning my relationship with alcohol and considered a life without it.
- Whatever your fears may be, they’re valid, and can be addressed and managed in healthy ways.
- With proper counseling and/or a good recovery program, you’ll learn important tools for navigating these relationships.
- And it’s a reason you may be resisting the idea of going to rehab.
” Let your brain marinate on words like forever, and you’ll set yourself right up for failure. On the one hand, you hate what your life has become due to drinking. On the other, you’re scared to death of what sobriety will do to your world. However, others striving for or in sobriety may find themselves asking “Why is sobriety so hard?
Educate yourself about sobriety to demystify your fears
Embracing this uncertainty with an open mind and focusing on the positives of sobriety can help mitigate this fear. The fear of being sober usually has a mixture of root causes, including the discomfort of facing underlying emotional or psychological issues without the numbing effect of substances. It may also encompass concerns about how to cope with stress and social situations soberly if one does not feel they have the proper emotional tools to regulate the nervous system. It is very normal in the early days to feel like you’ve resigned yourself to a life of misery by quitting alcohol. Those early days of sobriety may leave you feeling hopeless. A journey can begin with community mutual-help groups, inpatient treatment, residential rehab, outpatient programs, and more.