4 Tips for Facing Fears in Recovery 2023 UPDATED

I create space for my emotions and I welcome all of them. They usually pass fairly quickly once I pay attention to them. This was something I could never live up to, and I punished myself for it. I expected myself to be able to drink alcohol without consequences. So day after day, I would berate myself for having a hangover — and not to mention, become overwhelmed with embarrassment. I would get heart-pounding panic attacks knowing others had seen me too tipsy, or remembering myself, buzzed in front of my husband and kids.

Bottles of liquor don’t mysteriously appear in the passenger seats of our cars. Bartenders aren’t hiding in the bushes, ready to leap out at us with a funnel and a bottle screaming, “Surprise! ” The taps in our homes don’t magically begin dispensing beer. You can ask questions about our program, the admissions process, and more. More importantly, getting help could mean the difference between life and death, and your life is far more important than what others think of you.

Leaving Fear Behind on the Road to Addiction Recovery

You cannot afford to be around them any longer. After you have been through treatment and are in recovery, you may realize that they were not really your friends anyway. True friends do not enable each other to poison their existence in an endless cycle of drinking and drugs. You will be making new friends in treatment and recovery, as well as through your support group meetings and new activities you will now start to enjoy.

But I made a decision to love and accept myself anyway, even in my deepest hole, and that became my way out. Fear, shame and self-hatred had kept me sinking, and I had to try something different. Now, three years sober, I know to expect imperfection in the process. When I got into sober living, I quickly got through all 12 steps. During that time, I finished my 4th step, talked through my 5th step for hours with my sponsor, made dozens of amends, and started working with others through sponsorship. Sexiness really has nothing to do with drinking or doing drugs.

The Benefits of Breathwork Therapy for Addiction Recovery

Don’t expect to accomplish any big self-realizations in the beginning. More than likely, though, this meaningful journey of self-discovery will be a long, ongoing, and wonderful process. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ You will have good days, hopeless days, and every other sort of in-between day on this journey. Fears about sobriety are common, even for people who desperately seek it.

Repeated exposures to similar situations that create fear allow it to become less intense over time. Remember to go gentle with exposure to fearful situations. It often helps to work with a therapist trained in exposure therapy. fear of being sober The first step out into the new world of recovery is scary. However, as you continue each day after the next, it will begin to feel familiar and natural. Your ruminating thoughts engage your fear and continue the feeling.

Identify what you are afraid of.

Spiritual practices can literally be one breath away. Consider breath as “spiritus” and adopt a deeper, slower spirited breath of life. Another easy spirited practice is to take on an attitude of gratitude and find one thing that you are grateful for every day. Over-coming these pervasive thoughts (or gremlins) can take a lot of self-control – but it is possible by working on calming your mind. Guided meditations to deepen the breath and generate a deeper sense of self-awareness are an excellent way to begin a practice of mindfulness. Simple Mantras such as “I am” or Sanskrit “So Hum,” can also help to keep you grounded and present mind focused.

There are plenty of things people do that do not involve or center around alcohol. You might be a little bored at first, but with time, you’ll discover new and more fulfilling things to do with your time. 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. For years, I worried about the impact of sobriety on my social life. I honestly did not know what people did for fun without being slightly or very drunk. What is the point of sobriety if you let yourself wallow in self-doubt and pity?