Emotions In Early Sobriety Are Tough Here’s How To Tackle Them.

They may be reluctant to seek treatment because they hold certain beliefs about it, or they may not have insurance to cover fear of being sober the costs. Or they may live in an area where treatment isn’t available. I have since learned I am not alone in experiencing this phenomenon. 65% of all those in recovery gain weight, and if you struggle with an alcohol problem, there’s a strong chance you may also be fighting anxiety, depression, mood swings or compulsive behavior.

Enforcing Boundaries for Common Holiday Triggers

I truly believed there was no hope for me and that I was somehow special. Sure, other people could quit drinking and turn their lives around, but they didn’t know what it was like to be me. I had to care about my sobriety more than I cared about my own ego or feelings. To not get all worked up about words like “alcoholic” and find some humility, shut up, and listen to people who were healthier and wiser.

• There are many others on there that also feel like giving up on a daily basis—maybe you could support them on your way and, giving and receiving support, will help you.
• Right now, you’re freaking out about some hypothetical future social life because sobriety is a big change, and that little liquor demon in your brain is trying to talk you out of it.
• 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.

I’m nervous and scared about being sober, and I’m not sure how to live that way.

• Reaching out for support — whether to friends, family, or professionals like therapists or support groups — can provide the encouragement and guidance needed to take further steps toward sobriety.
• Mutual support groups can be just as effective as 12-step programs and may provide you with the extra support you need to reach and maintain your goal of a lifetime of total abstinence.
• It’s the whole, “You mean I can never drink ever again?!
• Financial challenges and difficulty finding and maintaining employment are key triggers for relapse.
• 💙 Explore the importance of Embracing Fears and how accepting what you’re afraid of can help you make changes.

Most importantly, maintain a compassionate attitude toward yourself and recognize that recovery is a journey with ups and downs. 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. Staying stuck in this fear generally means staying stuck in addiction. 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.

• In this blog, we’ll address some of the biggest anxieties about recovery, and how to move past them into a brighter future.
• This strategy tells people not to spend mental energy analyzing how they got addicted, the mess they’ve made, or trying to understand the emotion.
• By seeking professional help and implementing coping strategies, individuals can tackle both conditions simultaneously and pave the way for long-term sobriety.

Why are you struggling so hard to get sober?

Any time I managed to get a week or two of sober days under my belt, I usually collapsed under the weight of boredom. The problem is it’s really hard to take it without proper support systems in place. I didn’t have any because I was too busy not accepting help and half-way trying to get sober. I think we all know by now that sobriety is much more complicated than not drinking. Even if your willpower is substantial and you manage to make it a few months (which I’d done in the past), it’s not enough. And honestly, this is a big one for lots of people.

You’re Afraid of What Other People Will Think.

When alcohol becomes an integral part of your life, it’s scary to think about who you are without it. There are a lot of unknown answers and some people do not want to know themselves without this toxic substance. I was one of the people who actually felt bad for sober people. I thought their lives were boring, routine, and unexciting. Alcoholism had me 100 percent convinced that life was not fun without the presence of alcohol.

Recovery Support

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. Sobriety is not considered for people who black out every once in awhile, or just booze at social events, but the reality is sobriety is possible for everyone. 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. 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.