Seven Common Fears in Recovery and Why Sobriety Is Still Worth It Promises Behavioral Health
Without the crutch 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. For some, being sober means dealing with painful memories, powerful emotions, and incredibly stressful thought patterns. While some people fear the physical pain of getting sober, others are more concerned about having to face emotions they’ve long avoided.
“I Am Afraid I will Actually Feel Something”
Sobriety means having to face uncomfortable truths about ourselves and others and having to stand up and be who we are. We may have to face all kinds of adversities Top 5 Advantages of Staying in a Sober Living House and personal challenges while we come clean. If you’ve developed an identity tied closely to the drug scene, you might fear losing yourself outside that world.
- Fear arises when there is a conflict between what you want, need or love and what might happen if that want, need, or love is not fulfilled.
- There are people for which sobriety is a deal-breaker.
- Research drug and alcohol treatment centers in your area, and be sure to ask questions, so you will be able to find a treatment center that meets your needs.
- Eventually, other people will know you have a problem.
Steps for Managing a Fearful Mind

When you stop using drugs or alcohol, you will experience a range of withdrawal symptoms. This can include physical withdrawal symptoms (e.g. aches and pains) and psychological withdrawals (e.g. strong cravings). Many addicts worry that withdrawals will be too painful to cope with.
Recovery Support
If you’re addicted to drugs or alcohol, you’ve likely used them to cope with difficult situations in your life. However, sobriety doesn’t mean you won’t be able to cope with life’s challenges. In fact, sobriety can help you to learn new and healthier ways to deal with difficult situations.

“I Do Not Want to Feel the Pain”
- In some cases, it’s more complicated than that.
- With friends, if they aren’t on board with your sobriety, you’ll have some tough choices ahead.
- Real sexiness comes from within, from who you are and how you display your real self to others.
- This is an opportunity to assert for your needs, and therefore assert your worth.
Many people drink and do drugs precisely because they don’t like who they are and want to dull the sensation of their shame, self-loathing—even self-hatred. The prospect of being without the one thing that relieves their sense of low self-esteem and lack of self-love can be very scary. When you are facing these challenges and downright fear of recovery, just focus on what is happening right now. You’re post-detox and ready to take that first step into recovery. Just focus on talking to your therapist, working through today’s challenges and making it another 24 hours without using. One major fear in recovery is the fear of actually being sober.
What It’s Like to Be Deathly Afraid of Feet
- You probably feel ashamed about your struggles with addiction.
- The new you, clean and sober, will have so much more to offer that you will be amazed at the quality of friendships you will attract.
- The fear of being sober is often about dealing with your loss of a coping mechanism for “real” life.
This fear is rooted in the insecurity and feelings of worthlessness that addiction causes an individual. Part of the treatment you will receive will be to help you discover what is good and loveable about yourself. It is common for people to have a fear of sobriety, especially if they have been struggling with addiction for a long time.

With all of this chaos surrounding you at that moment, you’re just starting to acknowledge what’s happening to you. The thought of pulling your life back together or improving it can seem impossible. In those early days, it’s always possible to find yourself experiencing emotions you don’t know how to deal with well. https://thefremontdigest.com/top-5-advantages-of-staying-in-a-sober-living-house/ Yet, with the help of your team of professionals, you can work through them and find yourself in a much better place. As you work through the detox process, you can start to feel the overwhelming frustration and anxiety build around being sober. Post-detox, you may have a wide range of emotions flooding your mind.
How to Address Your Biggest Fear In Recovery
What began as a drink here or there after work soon wound up being much more than that, to the point where you could not wait to get home and get drunk. Maybe you even tossed back a few at work, in the car on the way home, or in the morning to get you going. Fear itself is a scientific, physical occurrence in the body.
