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You have to do what is best for you, and you can’t let your anxiety about a sober future prevent you from doing what you need to do. Navigating your existing relationships in sobriety is a huge challenge. The good thing is that you don’t have https://ecosoberhouse.com/ to worry about that in the beginning. 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.
- Sometimes deliberately facing a fear can be an effective approach.
- Probably not going to be a gazillionaire.
- It’s not a reasonable expectation, but more importantly, we shouldn’t live our lives in fear of situations and individuals where alcohol might be present.
- Recognizing that these fears are common and natural is the first step to overcoming them.
A life in recovery gives you the unique opportunity to develop healthy coping mechanisms. These mechanisms will pave the way for overcoming hardship without relying on a substance. These healthy coping mechanisms are more sustainable than numbing pain or trying to drink away your past challenges.
They are Afraid of Failure
Most people dont consciously self-sabotage, but they have a deeply held belief that they dont deserve to succeed and, in so believing, never really put forth their best effort. Feeling doomed from the start, many allow self-doubt and fears of what others think to keep them from trying. Fear can be defined as a distressing emotion aroused by impending pain or danger. The trigger for this emotion can be real or imaginary, and it may or may not be rational. When people feel fear, they may go into panic mode.
This professional will be able to help the individual get to the root of their fears. We’d like to cover some common fears of attaining sobriety, as well as the best ways to overcome them. Everybody is a little scared when they first get sober. Your job is to recognize the fear of being sober fears for what they are – little lies we tell ourselves to keep from changing. Sometimes our fears are logical, but mostly they are not. These people know that the days are hard right now, but they endure because they also know that, eventually, they will come out on top.
Get Ready for Reality
It’s hard out there for a sober person. I won’t lie, being sober in a world full of drinkers is different and sometimes difficult. It’s easy to feel like the media and society promote drinking because they do. That’s why I believe it’s a heroic act to be sober in today’s world. Many people do not like the idea of being “different.” The idea of being a non-drinker is something every sober person must accept and many who are afraid cannot.
That ‘obsession’ that rules our lives completely loses its grip. As difficult as addiction may be, there are thousands of treatment centers, rehab centers, and outreach programs available to help attain and maintain sobriety.
Confronting the Underlying Issues That Drive Addiction
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. Fear of pain keeps people drinking for far too long. It’s rare that anyone ever wants to get sober. Mostly, we are in a great amount of pain and change is our only option.
Additionally, those who haven’t started the recovery process sometimes never get there due to the strong fear of failing. The key is to work to overcome your fear of failing, and realize that it’s okay to be afraid when overcoming alcoholism or substance abuse problems. Detoxing from certain substances such as opioids require medically assisted care. Severe alcohol dependence also requires medically assisted detox. In both situations, it is to help the body avoid going into shock when the chemicals it has come to depend on are no longer available. Most detox is performed in a controlled setting such as a rehab center or an addiction treatment center. Those seeking to recover will be restricted from obtaining their drug or drink of choice while their body slowly works the substance out of its system.