There’s still a part of us that wants to come out the other side of this thing not exactly sober, but someone who can have one drink and leave it. Someone who isn’t mucking up their life and relationships. Despite having done this a thousand times, you are giddy!
Tips For Staying Sober Under Pressure
Fear is the motivator of most actions taken by anyone in active addiction. But sometimes the juggling act gets old, the attempt at moderation becomes exhausting, and we just can’t keep all the lies straight. You might have these common fears about getting sober, but the benefits greatly outweigh the risks. At some point in your recovery, you’ll feel stressed out, whether it’s major stress (like losing a job) or minor stress (like running late for an appointment). When things like this happen, find a sober friend or loved one you can talk to for support. And keep your schedule loose enough that you have time for group meetings and other things that can help you through rough stretches.
Common Fears About Getting Sober and How To Face Them
- We wake up the next day feeling emotionally and physically wrecked, determined to make today be different.
- Heavy drinking disrupts the delicate equilibrium of neurotransmitters, particularly affecting the dopamine system responsible for pleasure and reward.
- I was one of the people who actually felt bad for sober people.
- This is the point I would hop online and try to piece together my own recovery plan via blogs and people who lived lives I wanted.
This rebellion manifests in a variety of ways, depending on the substance and duration of use. I was one of the people who actually felt bad for sober people. I thought their lives were boring, routine, and unexciting. Alcoholism had me 100 percent convinced that life was not fun without the presence of alcohol.
- 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.
- If you can’t remember, again, ask someone you love to remind you how horrible life was when you were NOT sober.
- While having a conversation with other people is ideal as they offer new insights and lines of thinking, talking your obstacles out loud to yourself doesn’t hurt either.
- Go for a 15 minute walk and you’ll be better for it.
- Peer support groups, such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or SMART Recovery, offer invaluable opportunities for individuals in recovery to connect with others who understand their struggles.
- In early sobriety, emotions can feel overwhelming and unpredictable.
Your mental and emotional health.
We may have to face all kinds of adversities and personal challenges while we come clean. For some, it means complete abstinence from all substances, while others may focus on quitting a specific substance, like alcohol, while still using others like nicotine or caffeine. What’s important is that sobriety represents a conscious choice to live without substances that negatively affect your physical or mental health. As the fog of early recovery lifts, individuals enter the middle stage, where the focus shifts from merely staying sober to rebuilding a fulfilling life. This stage is characterized by increased clarity and the emergence of complex emotions that were previously numbed fear of being sober by substance use. While much of the focus on combating boredom in sobriety is on individual activities, the importance of social connection cannot be overstated.
Addiction is Expensive
- While we don’t want to encourage pointing fingers, it is okay for you to have a goal of NOT being like someone.
- Surrounding yourself with a supportive environment and accepting setbacks as part of the process can help in stay sober.
- It’s continual treatment to help you get better, continue checking in and isolate why you turned to alcohol in the first place and how to avoid triggers going forward.
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. Addiction often masks deeper emotional or psychological issues like trauma, anxiety, depression, or unresolved grief. In long-term sobriety, it’s important to address these issues head-on, often with the help of a therapist or counselor. By working through the root causes of your addiction, you can reduce the risk of relapse and build a stronger foundation for the future. Boredom is a common experience for many people in early sobriety.
So I got to deflect those feelings onto the word alcoholic. Like it was a hot stove I kept accidentally touching. You mostly want to quit drinking, but you’re in denial about the big picture problem. And then you are hit with the inevitable trigger.
Worrying about it constantly will only strengthen your fears and lessen your resolve to do anything. It’s a convenient cop-out we’re all guilty of using. 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.
This mismatch can lead to frustration and self-doubt during the recovery process. Research has shown that genetics play a significant role in addiction susceptibility. Alcohol use disorder is thought to be about 50% genetic and 50% environmental. If you wish to contact a specific rehab facility then find a specific rehab facility using our treatment locator page or visit SAMHSA.gov. American Addiction Centers (AAC) is committed to delivering original, truthful, accurate, unbiased, and medically current information.
