If you give substance abuse up, you’ll have to face those emotions and find a new way to cope. If you have been abusing substances to tamp down feelings, you are in for a boatload of overwhelming emotions as you come clean. Get over your fear of being sober by facing it head on. Let yourself feel that fear, and you are already on the path to getting comfortable with your uncomfortable emotions. Remember that you will have caring professionals to back you up as you take your first sober steps. You will not be left alone to fend for yourself; you will be guided to use healthy coping mechanisms.
Practice Healthy Living
I know that not everyone’s mental health and substance use experiences match mine. If you’re where I was and you’re wondering if you’ll ever feel better, you will. After months or fear of being sober years of being fixated on drugs and alcohol, who are you if you arent an addict? These are some of the most difficult questions in recovery, and the answers may change over time.
Sobriety Fear #9: You won’t be able to handle your feelings without alcohol.
- If you are ready to begin your sobriety journey, Evoke Wellness is available to help.
- We use alcohol to cover up our pain and our problems.
- Lasting recovery requires lasting effort, but relapse is not failure or weakness; it takes more than willpower to maintain sobriety.
- In my mind, sobriety meant Friday nights alone on my couch, watching Netflix and hiding from the rest of the world who was definitely out drinking.
Her parallel lives of partying and reporting culminated in a life-altering moment at a Black Lives Matter protest that catalyzed the protracted and dramatic ending of her relationship. Her boyfriend, injured by police, experienced a manic episode that led Witt to question her own perception of reality. If you haven’t felt what sobriety feels like, you can. The promise of sobriety is that “the way I feel stone-cold sober, even on my worst days ever … I would never trade to feel the effects of a drug and drink again,” our alumna said. She said anyone can have the same experience being sober. The hitch is you have to do it—as in get sober.
Broken and Bleeding: Emotional Trauma and Substance Use Disorder
And it’s a reason you may be resisting the idea of going to rehab. A common misconception of rehab is that by following the rules and going along with the program, you will be abandoning yourself and turning into a mindless drone. You will change in rehab, but only for the better. Find a facility that emphasizes developing individualized plans that meet your particular needs rather than a one-size-fits-all treatment program. And don’t worry, your tastes and style are not actually tied to drugs. You’ll find your way, and you’ll be even more you without substances controlling your mind.
Leave it alone, give it time, and it will go away on its own. Besides, allowing the fear of failure to completely influence big decisions like this is a cop-out. It’s a dysfunctional version of “playing it safe.” You deserve better than that. You will have good days, hopeless days, and every other sort of in-between day on this journey.
These steps, when done with commitment, can result in sustained sobriety and the potential for you to live a healthy, productive, and substance-free life. With help from a healthcare https://ecosoberhouse.com/ professional, you can start looking for a treatment program that meets all of your unique needs. These are only a few of the signs that may indicate a substance use disorder.
Substance Abuse Treatment Programs
- There’s a really powerful passage where you write, “A middle-aged solitude I had always been scared of was happening and I saw the loneliness of the years ahead and it terrified me.
- The hitch is you have to do it—as in get sober.
- Going from abusing drugs to living sober often involves major changes in your lifestyle.
- After you’re more secure in your sobriety, you’ll find that you’re actually MORE charming than “drunk you” could ever be.
- Yet, this is far from the way that drug rehab centers actually operate nowadays.
- In addition, having a support network once treatment is over can ease the transition from rehab back to daily living.
However, addiction treatment involves support in this respect. During rehab, you can take up fitness classes, as well as engage in meditation, yoga, cooking, nutrition classes and art. By exploring healthy living during rehab, you will find it much easier to carry on with these positive habits in your regular life. Addiction still involves a high degree of stigma. You probably feel ashamed about your struggles with addiction.
