When I was drinking, it never occurred to me that I was an introvert. I would have classified myself as someone who loved to be around people and go out with them at night. Thinking back to before I was sober, I usually had to drink to be around people. I recharge when I’m by myself, and I deplete when I’m with others—especially big groups. So if all of your friends drink alongside you, then there’s no issue, right? Well, there’s a concept in psychology known as “confirmation bias,” and it means that we often look for evidence to support something that we already believe to be true.
- Letting other people down is a common fear even if you don’t have close bonds with others.
- You’ll know you will be taught the tools to prevent a relapse and to deal with one if you do relapse.
- They cover up all of that “stuff” that happened that you don’t want to deal with.
- It’s been over six years since I first started seriously questioning my relationship with alcohol and considered a life without it.
- If people press that response, I’ll either stare at them and hold an uncomfortable silence (this is enjoyable at some point), or just change the subject.
When you start the road to recovery, you fear that you may never get sober. You also may fear that you will lose family and friends, or that you will become a different person. Additionally, you may fear relapsing after all the hard work you put in during treatment. Fear is a powerful emotion that can significantly affect your life–but you can learn to overcome it if you stop and take a deeper look. You may have started using substances because you feared being left out or not fitting in with a social group.
Addiction Destroys Dreams, We Can Help
For the time being, try to envision a life full of promise, where there are no limits to what you can achieve. 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. And, when going to rehab demands stepping back from your life for a https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/why-we-have-a-fear-of-being-sober-5-fears-about-it/ temporary period of time in order to focus on getting well, recovery can seem more like regression than moving forward. After detox, it’s easy to come to the realization that there are people who are still standing by your side that probably should not be. You recognize what you’ve put them through, you’re ashamed of it and you wish you could take it back.
- They will be ineligible for any retirement benefit.
- You will start to feel better about yourself, making you more comfortable engaging in conversation with others.
- During treatment, you will be working on achieving balance in your physical and mental well-being through nutrition, exercise, counseling, and activities.
Our individualized treatment approach gives you the tools and support you need to find lasting sobriety. Call our Colorado Springs therapy center today and make a change in your life. One major fear in recovery is the fear of actually being sober. Without the crutch https://ecosoberhouse.com/ 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.
Sobriety Setbacks
But many people use the excuse that they are cowards just so they can keep on using the substances. If you truly want to live a clean and sober life, you are already ahead of the game. Intention and commitment are crucial to having a successful recovery. 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.
You may also have started using drugs because you feared anxiety or depression caused by unresolved trauma. You know that substances are running your life, but you continue to use because you fear facing the consequences that are tied to your use. If you are new to recovery, it is a big, bold, brave new world. You may feel like you are ready to hit the ground running in creating a new life for yourself. On the other hand, recovery can be filled with anxiety and fear.