This is one of the most common fears of sobriety. It is natural to wonder whether you will be able to complete treatment, especially if you do not have any idea what it entails. The best solution is to find out more about the kinds of treatment available to you and choose the one that best suits your needs. Research adderall drug and alcohol treatment centers in your area, and be sure to ask questions, so you will be able to find a treatment center that meets your needs. It is true that you may lose your old drinking and drug-using buddies. However, you should embrace this as a positive sign that you are on the right track.
Refer a loved one
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.
(NOT DRUNK)
- They can help you work through them and explain more about how you can recover more fully.
- True friends do not enable each other to poison their existence in an endless cycle of drinking and drugs.
- The abyss isn’t going to open at your feet and swallow you up.
- You may feel as though failure is inevitable.
- In the early days, I felt that it was my responsibility to answer the question, “How come you aren’t drinking?
- But seeking a professional opinion on where to get started can help alleviate and address your particular fears.
It hurts to think of what you have given up or lost for drugs and alcohol. One major fear in recovery is the fear of actually being sober. Without the crutch of drugs and alcohol, you actually need to face your issues and problems head on. While it may be tempting to escape through the use of substances, sobriety is an excellent time to find ways to overcome obstacles through healthy coping skills and problem solving.
Mental Health Treatment
You will be surprised at how much courage you have inside you. What you need to do is give yourself a chance. The first step is to admit you have a problem with alcohol or drugs and then genuinely commit to seeking treatment.
You should embrace the possibility of again being able to feel strong emotions like love, joy, pride in yourself, hope for the future, and belief in your inner goodness. It has probably been such a long time since you did that you are afraid you are not capable of it. In fact, one of the many benefits of being clean and sober in recovery is that you are able to both feel and express your emotions. While you’re in active addiction, the life you imagine without drugs seems awful. Sobriety seems like a lot of hard work, boring, and downright miserable—not to mention impossible.
It’s understandable that you might feel fear of withdrawal. 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.
The thought of pulling your life back together or improving it can seem impossible. In those early days, it’s always possible to find yourself experiencing emotions you don’t know how to deal with well. Yet, with the help of your team of professionals, you can work through them and find yourself in a much better place. I’ve spent the last seven years researching and understanding alcoholism, addiction, and how people get sober. Additionally, I examine the way mental and physical health as well as our relationships with others impact the reasons people drink and their role in maintaining sobriety long-term.
Just focus on talking to your therapist, working through today’s challenges and making it another 24 hours without using. Soon, that will become a week and then a month. For some, alcohol and drug use creates issues itself.
Setbacks don’t erase progress, though, and they don’t mean you’ve “failed” to stay sober. Remaining sober over time is about much more than willpower. Sobriety is a general term for staying away from mood- and mind-altering substances, though there is no commonly agreed-upon medical can i drink alcohol with cymbalta definition in terms of what sobriety means. People in recovery generally agree that abstinence is necessary but remains just a starting point for a new, sober life. Even though you know the health complications drug use has brought to you, it’s not uncommon to fear life without it.
Fear is a big part of what drives addictive behavior, and it’s also one of the biggest obstacles in recovery. Whether you’re considering entering a treatment program or are already enrolled in one, fear is a normal part of addiction. Getting sober means replacing your primary coping mechanism – drugs and alcohol – with new, unfamiliar ones. The process can be uncomfortable, particularly for someone who is afraid of feeling in general.
Most people will need ongoing support groups for some time after detox. This is a very good time to speak to your counseling team about these fears and the emotional struggles you are having. They can help you work through them and explain more about how know the difference between ethanol and alcohol you can recover more fully. When you are facing these challenges and downright fear of recovery, just focus on what is happening right now. You’re post-detox and ready to take that first step into recovery. Don’t think about what could happen later.