Fear and Addiction Recovery: What to Expect and How to Cope
Recognizing and understanding the role fear plays in recovery is crucial for effectively managing and overcoming it. A therapist who specializes in addiction and recovery can offer invaluable support. This might include providing strategies to manage fears related to sobriety and sensitively addressing underlying issues. Surround yourself with people who support your sobriety. This could include friends who understand your journey, family members who encourage your choices, or support groups like Alcoholics Anonymous or SMART Recovery. A strong support network can provide encouragement and reduce feelings of isolation.
What percentage of people who get sober stay sober?
- There’s the chance that they might not make it through it, they could fail, and then there’s the pressure to succeed.
- They have to relearn how to eat healthy meals, to exercise, and to develop coping mechanisms to overcome their fears, as well as to avoid triggers that could cause a relapse.
- It’s not okay to be dishonest with yourself about where you’re headed.
- According to Merriam-Webster, being sober simply means abstaining from alcohol and drugs.
- But that’s how we grow and learn, and how we learn to cope better when the next challenge presents itself.
Our brains are hard-wired to become uncomfortable in the face of the unknown. Simply the anticipation of a potentially unpleasant or stressful circumstance causes the brain to go into flight or fight mode. And since fear is always about something that might or could happen but hasn’t happened yet, it is a reaction to an imagined, fear of being sober rather than a real, event. Discover a better life and call our recovery helpline today. Once you are comfortable with exercising 20 minutes and with the current set of exercises, then you can add another 10 minutes and more challenging exercises. By taking this approach over a longer time, you are more likely to stick with it.
- The types of professional help available include therapy, counseling, and outpatient treatment programs to help you achieve your desired outcomes.
- Engaging in these activities can help redirect attention away from triggers and promote overall well-being.
- Besides, allowing the fear of failure to completely influence big decisions like this is a cop-out.
- Surrounding yourself with understanding friends, family, or members of a support group will contribute to finding healthy coping mechanisms.
- This is because there is comfort in the familiar even when the familiar is far from ideal.
- Attending meetings can be a great way to stay on track and get support.
Specific Fears in Recovery
They don’t know when or how, but they trust that it will happen. In the meantime, they do what they must to survive the day. In fact, this fear personally led to a dozen failures in my own sobriety journey.
Strategies for Maintaining Sobriety
Mark, a 35-year-old recovering alcoholic, struggled with addiction for years. After hitting rock bottom, he sought help and enrolled in a rehabilitation program. Through therapy and support groups, Mark gained a deep understanding of his triggers and learned healthier ways to cope with stress and emotional pain. He cultivated a strong support system, leaning on his family and attending regular AA meetings.
This is because so much of their identity has been wrapped up in their addiction. It can be impossible for people to imagine a life where substance abuse is no longer so important to them. The idea of a person who is happy and sober can be a bit frightening. It is so different to the individual’s current circumstances. It can feel like they need to give away their current identity in order to become a stranger.
- Part of your recovery treatment program will include helping you identify what coping skills and mechanisms will work best for you to help you maintain your new sobriety.
- Whether from drugs or alcohol, the benefits of becoming sober are often overshadowed by fear about what life will be like when all the mind-altering substances and parties have stopped.
- You are afraid that being sober will simply be too hard.
- They can share tips, strategies, and insights to help you navigate difficult times.
- Dr. Deena is a doctor of psychology and licensed clinical social worker since 1993.
Yet, once they are ready to push aside the fear and start rehab treatment, they have just taken the first major step on their road to recovery. Practicing mindfulness and meditation are powerful tools for managing fear in recovery. These practices help cultivate present-moment awareness and promote a sense of calm and clarity [1]. By focusing on the present moment, individuals can reduce anxiety about the past or future, allowing them to better cope with fearful thoughts and emotions. Yes, meditation and mindfulness can be beneficial in managing the fear of being sober.
I feel like a lot of people fear they will like sobriety and then will have to deal with the repercussions of telling everyone in their life they no longer drink. Recognizing the signs of relapse is crucial for maintaining sobriety. By being aware of these indicators, individuals can take necessary steps to prevent a relapse and seek support when needed. For those in recovery, creating a relapse prevention plan is paramount. This plan should encompass various strategies to steer clear of or combat situations that may pose a risk to one’s sobriety. By being attuned to the warning signs of relapse and taking appropriate actions, individuals can effectively maintain their progress on the road to recovery.
Sobriety Fear #9: You won’t be able to handle your feelings without alcohol.
- Define your purpose and use it to motivate yourself to seek help.
- Feeling like you need to rely on alcohol or drugs for enjoyment can be scary.
- Alcoholism had me 100 percent convinced that life was not fun without the presence of alcohol.
- Sobriety is often tied to the extreme stereotype of addiction, the old homeless man that lives under the bridge, the heroin addict who shoots up in the bathroom.
- Mind-body relaxation techniques, such as mindfulness and meditation, can help individuals manage stress, cravings, and negative emotions.
Setting goals provides a sense of direction and purpose, motivating individuals to take small steps towards overcoming their fears. By breaking down larger goals into achievable milestones, individuals can experience a sense of accomplishment and build confidence along the way. A supportive network can include friends, family, support groups, or professionals in the addiction recovery field. These individuals can offer valuable insights, share their own experiences, and provide a safe space to discuss fears and concerns. By leaning on this network, individuals can gain strength and confidence to face their fears head-on. It may lead individuals to question their ability to maintain sobriety or to face the challenges that arise during the recovery process.