You’ll find your way, and you’ll be even more you without substances controlling your mind. Another common fear in recovery is rejection from friends and family. You may think that your loved ones will think less of you or not want to be around you. The truth is they probably already know you have a problem. And if they care about you, they will support your choice to get help. Make a commitment to go to rehab and to get sober and impress upon your loved ones that you will need their love and support.
It’s what you use to check out of everything else. But I want to offer a different question to you. Every cell in your body might not know this, but a strong piece of you that is battling for airtime in your brain knows it. Here’s the thing about the word “fail.” So long as you dust yourself off and keep trying, you haven’t failed at all. People go into these big personal transformations expecting a linear progression from start to goal. It’s not okay to be dishonest with yourself about where you’re headed.
However, your choice to get clean may one day be a part of their decision to do the same. Another common reason people may be afraid to get sober is that they think life might become “boring” once they’ve quit all their vices. Many times, social the textures of heroin events and outings center around drinking alcohol. The fog lifts, the poor behavior stops, and people generally become happier and easier to be around. The mind clears, there is more peace, more clarity and a better ability to function.
Fear of Failing at Sobriety
That’s one of the primary reasons people decide not to become sober. Although they often feel it, but do not really realize it. Similarly, there are many people who drink and use drugs because they feel more fun, daring, likable, and interesting when under the influence. Look what I’ve done to my life.” This is a very common thought process. After detox, your brain begins to piece together the problems you now have with relationships, work, school or other important aspects of your life.
- Drinking is a legitimate coping mechanism, even if it’s not very healthy.
- The process can be uncomfortable, particularly for someone who is afraid of feeling in general.
- To outsiders it might sound like a fear of success, but the fear of sobriety is more about your feelings without substance abuse.
Overcoming fears in any situation is difficult, but when it involves a life change, it can be especially challenging. Face your fears of recovery, and talk about them with your loved ones. Then be prepared to work hard and to have setbacks. You will be ready to start your new, sober life. After months or 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.
Losing your personal identity is a common fear in recovery. 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 14 celebrities in recovery 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.
That’s not going to be easy, but the alternative is to continue slowly destroying the one life you’re given. Fears about sobriety are common, even for people who desperately seek it. If there are any concerns about content we have published, please reach out to us at
Finding Happiness in Sobriety
The prospect of changing your habits completely can, indeed, seem quite daunting. However, addiction treatment involves support in this respect. During rehab, you can take up fitness classes, as well cocaine illicit use 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.
Being afraid to quit drinking is not something unnatural. Drinking is a legitimate coping mechanism, even if it’s not very healthy. This fear is also not unconquerable, and the first step in stopping the drinking addiction is getting rid of your sobriety fears. While you’re in active addiction, the life you imagine without drugs seems awful.
Recovery Support
Sobriety seems like a lot of hard work, boring, and downright miserable—not to mention impossible. You’ve battled this far through detox and made the decision to get help. They worry about the process and pain of detox. They struggle with the thought that they need to open up about their past scars.
I failed more times than I can count before I finally got it right, and I assure you there is nothing special about me that you can’t find within yourself. Those who are overly pessimistic and say, “I’m going to be miserable forever,” will inevitably fail. You make it up to everyone you ever hurt by never being that person again. Besides, your current idea of fun usually involves holding your hair while you throw up discounted tacos and cheap margaritas.
Feels Like Success
The fear of being sober is a very common fear in recovery. To outsiders it might sound like a fear of success, but the fear of sobriety is more about your feelings without substance abuse. After all, it’s been a long time since you were sober, and maybe your last experiences of sobriety were traumatic. That’s why you started using in the first place. The truth is, you have been using drugs or alcohol to cope with your feelings and maybe even symptoms of mental illness. If you give substance abuse up, you’ll have to face those emotions and find a new way to cope.
Sobriety Fear #5: You won’t know who you are anymore.
Depending on how deeply ingrained alcohol is in your life, you may be staring down an entire life makeover. Every day, week, and month that you let slip by without tackling your drinking problem is time you can’t get back and more damage you must undo. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of Sober Recovery’s “Terms of Use”, “Privacy Policy”, “Cookie Policy”, and “Health Disclaimer”. Discover the solutions you’ve been seeking with this new guide to living free of alcohol. In other words, success is the blissful absence of all of the devastating consequences of a previous drug or alcohol habit. Take a look at our state of the art treatment center.