Overcoming Fear in Eating Disorder Recovery

But many people use the excuse that they are cowards just so they can keep on using the substances. If you truly want to live a clean and sober life, you are already ahead of the game. Intention and commitment are crucial to having a successful recovery. If this is one of your common fears about sobriety, it has probably been a long time since you have been free of alcohol and drugs.

Talking about the fear often helps victims to begin coming to grips with it. Those struggling with fear need help to overcome their fear. The key is to remain truthful about your process and to not spiral down the pathway of negative emotions. Fear is a normal part of the healing and growth process, but it doesn’t get to make your decisions for you. I failed to realize that getting sober was a process and not a single event. We started on my 4th step while I was still in rehab.

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Being at a party or trying to find the perfect romantic partner without alcohol is the stuff of nightmares for many people. Even people for whom alcohol is not a problem experience this. You have to do what is best for you, and you can’t let your anxiety about a sober future prevent you from doing what you need to do. Navigating your existing relationships in sobriety is a huge challenge. The good thing is that you don’t have to worry about that in the beginning.

This distance lets you take a step back and witness what is happening; almost becoming the third party to your own thoughts. Witnessing awareness of your thoughts loosens the hold fear has on you and allows you the ability to work past it. Fear is rooted in the future; you fear and worry about what is potentially coming. Developing a mindfulness practice is how you stay in the present, and not in fear of the future. The first step is being willing to acknowledge your fears and work towards dealing with them.

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It has probably been such a long time since you did that you are afraid you are not capable of it. In fact, one of the many benefits of being clean and sober in recovery is that you are able to both feel and express your emotions. If you fear that you will not be able to talk to people when you are sober, remember the consequences of drinking too much. Alcohol lowers your inhibitions, but it also makes you say things and do things you may regret. Concentrate on learning new coping and communication skills. Another benefit of doing these activities sober is that now they will be much more enjoyable.

• What about old career buddies, friends, family, and others from the victim’s circle?
• Maybe these people have been in your life since childhood, and you’ve all fallen into the same trap.
• I told myself I had to nail sobriety on my first try, or else I was a big failure.
• Every time you (or I) do that, we choose to suffer.
• While you are in treatment, you will learn about accepting responsibility, and you will learn ways to ensure that you follow through on your commitments.
• This means that are unable to think clearly or make good decisions.

My relationships have not only changed, but have improved since I’ve quit drinking. Drinking gave me a one track mind, always seeking more alcohol. Sobriety has made me a better wife, mother, daughter, and friend. Instead of a drunken buddy to commiserate with, I can offer others real support in a crisis. When I first quit drinking I wanted everything in my life to stay exactly the same. The only difference would be that I was no longer drinking.

Fear 3: I Will Fail At This

Change can be scary, but it can also be gratifying. If you’re scared of becoming sober because you’re afraid of change, it’s important to remember that change is a necessary part of recovery. Without change, you won’t be able to achieve sobriety.

Most of the time alcohol abuse will cause a person to be more afraid of what is to come. It is, however a reflection of what typical patients in addiction treatment fear of being sober feel. Because other people have had them – and have overcome them – you can, too. Fear is also irrational when it originates from thinking about the future.

Sobriety Fear #8: People won’t like the sober you.

Coping mechanisms are tough—they work temporarily, and allow us to avoid and put things aside for the time being. We use alcohol to cover up our pain and our problems. We use drugs to numb ourselves and our emotions and to push off thinking for another day. But when we no longer have those devices at our disposal, we’re left with only our minds, our willpower and our inner strength to carry us through the hard times.

My excessive drinking also made people uncomfortable. I now realize that my responsibility is to me, and staying sober is the healthiest choice. I choose it over someone else’s comfort, every time. https://ecosoberhouse.com/ All the energy I was spending trying to please others is now spent on showing up for my health. That is the only thing I can really control, anyway. Fear is a normal part of the recovery process.

I don’t think it’s change that you’re so afraid of. If you didn’t want to change, you wouldn’t bother to get sober. It’s the whole, “You mean I can never drink ever again?! ” Let your brain marinate on words like forever, and you’ll set yourself right up for failure.

• Some of your fears may feel founded, while others may feel irrational.
• It sounds like a weird thing to be afraid of, but it’s very real.
• Repeated exposures to similar situations that create fear allow it to become less intense over time.
• Non-addicts may proclaim, “Of course addicts should want to get sober—why wouldn’t they?

You’re not obligated to drink just to make others feel good about their drinking. So don’t allow anyone to make you feel that way. This is the hard part, but it’s also the most rewarding. When you do start to deal with your problems in healthier ways (and you will), you are going to feel completely transformed and unstoppable. What you do NOT want to do is let your fear about what MIGHT happen with your friends in the future dictate what you do to take care of yourself in the present.