Content
These are valid questions that may come up before deciding to make a change in the lifestyle you live. Try to be mindful of the present and allow yourself to feel the fear instead of running from it. At JourneyPure, we will work with you to help ease these fears and find ways to overcome them. Gateway Foundation can be your partner in addiction recovery. We provide evidence-based treatments that work, and we have a caring staff of professionals ready to address your concerns. We practice addiction medicine to treat the real physiological and psychological effects of addiction, and our methods produce lasting results.
When sobriety loses its priority?
When sobriety loses its priority, or you “slip,” you're beginning to walk the road that leads to relapse. You're not focused on recovery. Often, you find yourself in high risk situations. You may be picking up your old, bad habits or hanging out with friends that you know don't support your recovery.
The fear of getting sober is more common than we may think. Of course, on the surface, asking if there is such a thing as a fear of being sober might seem like a rhetorical question. Non-addicts may proclaim, “Of course addicts https://ecosoberhouse.com/ should want to get sober—why wouldn’t they? ” But the problem runs deeper than just simply being able to quit and stay sober. If you do not think you can handle responsibility, you may have used drinking as an excuse.
They’re Afraid to Open up
Finally, it’s important to remember that you don’t have to do this alone. Many professionals can help you through the process of becoming sober. These professionals can help you understand your fears and provide the tools you need to overcome them. Second, it’s essential to reach out to a support system. If you have friends or family members who are sober, they can be a great source of support and information.
Are you better off without alcohol?
Abstaining from alcohol for even a short time can have incredible benefits. From better quality sleep to improved complexion to better finances, going three weeks without alcohol can make a big difference in your overall well-being.
Even though it may feel like the process is agonizingly slow, there is no substitute for taking the time in the first year to focus exclusively on recovery. 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 fear of being sober rational. This means that are unable to think clearly or make good decisions. It is usual to view fear as a negative emotion, but it can also be highly beneficial, as it helps to keep humans out of danger. The system isn’t perfect, and some insurance companies only pay for 30 days when 90 days is more beneficial.
Why Good Nutrition Matters In Sobriety
It’s understandable to be concerned that you’ll be unhappy once you’re sober. After all, you were likely using drugs and alcohol to hide from the sadness and unhappiness you were feeling in the past. If you have a drug or alcohol problem, it’s likely that the people you hang out with will, too. If your friends aren’t ready to give up a toxic lifestyle, it can be scary to think that they won’t approve of your new, sober life.
- The fog lifts, the poor behavior stops, and people generally become happier and easier to be around.
- Gateway Foundation can be your partner in addiction recovery.
- If you are afraid of being sober, the first step in overcoming that fear is stepping outside of your comfort zone and doing something that you don’t necessarily want to do.
- Our clinicians use many different detox protocols so that your detox will be safe and pain-free.
- Recovery isn’t about making you look better or improving your reputation — it’s about making you feel better.
After using drugs and alcohol or misusing medications to cope, the idea of facing reality full-force can be overwhelming. About 43% of those in substance use disorder treatment for misuse of prescription painkillers have symptoms or a diagnosis of a mental health disorder, such as depression or anxiety. Stopping the use of drugs or alcohol, in addition to the symptoms of withdrawal, can cause suppressed emotions to flood to the surface. The fear of what will happen when these emotions resurface leads people to avoid treatment.
Five Signs You’re Scared to Become Sober
The good thing is that you don’t have to worry about that in the beginning. Maybe these people have been in your life since childhood, and you’ve all fallen into the same trap. Sober movements are redefining what it means to have fun and challenging alcohol’s role in our social lives. After a while, you’ll be enjoying life on entirely different terms. Don’t expect to accomplish any big self-realizations in the beginning.
Drinking or using drugs doesn’t make the pain of any of this go away — at best you may numb your feelings, but they’re still there when you sober up. Grief and loss are painful, but using doesn’t help it just prolongs the agony. When people imagine entering an addiction treatment program, they often picture some remote facility, not unlike a prison, where they’ll have to spend 30 to 90 days among strangers. In other words, they feel like they’re going to have to endure this ordeal alone.
Sobriety Fear #9: You won’t be able to handle your feelings without alcohol.
Whether through emotional support or financial assistance, friends and family are often instrumental aspects in recovery. For those who may not have access to strong support structures, treatment centers can create one by introducing them to many people who share similar struggles. The longer people commit to their recovery, the easier sobriety becomes over time. In general, the first weeks to months are the hardest, but after a few years of hard work, it definitely pays off. Facing emotions without drugs or alcohol can be a scary prospect when it’s been your coping mechanism, but there is so much hope and healing that comes with recovery. Confronting your emotions head-on during treatment can be a healing and therapeutic process, and you might even find forming close bonds with others much easier once you do so.
What does it mean when I hate being sober?
The fear of being sober is often about dealing with your loss of a coping mechanism for “real” life. You're afraid you don't have the tools and resources to help you to maintain your sobriety. You are afraid that being sober will simply be too hard.
A separate study published by the CDC and the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2020 found that 3 out of 4 people who experience addiction recover. With full-blown addiction, drug users often spend much time thinking about how to obtain the next high. At this point, they may not be able to quit even if they want to. At this stage, the drug has become a reward for the body, and it starts to crave it with greater intensity. The psychological craving combined with biological needs can result in addiction or dependency. As you use drugs more and more regularly, you may find that what once helped relieve stress or boredom is now one of the factors that contribute to it.
The idea of going through the process of getting sober only to relapse back into drugs and alcohol is common and realistic fear that you may have. I remember when I first got sober, I was concerned about giving up drugs and alcohol forever. That meant that no matter what, no matter what I was going through, how bored I was, or how I was feeling, I had to completely abstain.
This prevented me from being able to see that I had a dangerous relationship with booze. I did not want to admit to a drinking problem and that kept me drinking. Like I mentioned earlier, alcohol was part of my identity. I didn’t realize how deeply embedded it was until I got sober.
Of those motorcycle riders, 1,624 (29%) were drunk (BAC of .08 g/dL or higher). In 2021, the highest percentage of drunk drivers (with BACs of .08 g/dL or higher) were the 21-to 24-year-old age group and 25-to-34-year old age groups. Men are most likely to be involved in this type of crash, with four male drunk drivers for every female drunk driver. Alcohol is a substance that reduces the function of the brain, impairing thinking, reasoning and muscle coordination. All these abilities are essential to operating a vehicle safely. Desloover asks her clients, “Would you want to date you right now?
While you may not realize it, you could be afraid of success. Success still means there’s a long road ahead of you, and it’s natural to feel worried about what will happen on the other side of addiction. You may even experience grief for the way your addiction seemed to help you cope with certain issues and traumas.