What Being Sober Really Feels Like FHE Health
Letting other people down is a common fear even if you don’t have close bonds with others. You may feel that way about an employer, for example. In these situations, recognize what Alcohols Role in Gastrointestinal Tract Disorders PMC it means to you, personally, to recover. While it’s easy to focus on what other people think, it’s more important to recognize the opportunities that are presented to you when you improve your dependency.
What Happens During Sobriety?
Most fears that we faced were about our relationships and how they’d change, how we’d cope, fear of failure, and the fear of change itself. Whether you have one day sober or 10 years, recovery presents challenges. There are times when youll doubt yourself and get pushed outside of your comfort zone. There are times when you will fall short of a goal. At this point, you can either conclude that you dont deserve it or have what it takes, or you can try again.
However, the Alcoholics Anonymous “AA Triangle” is one of the most common and recognizable tattoos to represent sobriety. Sobriety is a commitment to a new lifestyle and something that should be celebrated for years to come. Non-alcoholic beer can be a misleading name, as there are still trace amounts of alcohol in these drinks. There is never one path to sobriety, nor is there one strategy guaranteed to work for everybody. If there are any concerns about content we have published, please reach out to us at Take a look at our state of the art treatment center.
In this sense, recovery is a bit like falling in love with yourself and then learning how to love yourself—another feel-good aspect of being sober. Sometimes, a mental health professional may prescribe medications alongside therapy and lifestyle changes. Because some medications carry a risk of dependence, it’s crucial to have honest conversations with your healthcare provider. For many people with a substance use disorder, it’s simply a matter of never having learned the appropriate way to manage anger. Talk to your therapist, other healthcare provider, or sponsor about how to deal with your anger in ways that won’t cause you to harm yourself or others or turn to alcohol or drugs.
In fact, this fear personally led to a dozen failures in my own sobriety journey. Many of us drink because we need something to turn down the volume of the toxic shame parade running through our brains. 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.
Knowing what sobriety is, what it means to “be sober,” and some common challenges can empower you or a loved one to begin your sobriety journey with the right expectations. Take a closer look at these feelings you may be having and what you can do about them right now. During early recovery, you may lose old friends that you were actively using with. You may be unable to patron the same places you once spent time in to have “fun”, and your idea of “fun” and leisure time will completely change. While life in recovery can be challenging, it is infinitely better than staying stuck in the alternative. Again, any fear you may have about sobriety rooted in self-loathing will become a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Nifaliophobia, or the fear of being sober, manifests as a significant and persistent fear related to the absence of alcohol or drugs from your life. 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 events and outings center around drinking alcohol.
- Learn that you have choices and that you can maintain control.
- Post-acute withdrawal syndrome (PAWS) involves withdrawal symptoms that persist past the detox period.
- A sobriety date typically reflects a person’s first full day of sobriety.
- In this situation, it’s important to be truthful with yourself.
- 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.
What Is Sobriety?
Even those successfully living a sober life and overcoming drug or alcohol dependence can still be met with new struggles. After detox, it’s easy to come to the realization that there are people who are still standing by your side that probably should not be. You recognize what you’ve put them through, you’re ashamed of it and you wish you could take it back. Yet, at the same time, it may feel better just to give in and use because that’s what they expect from you.
The FHE Health team is committed to providing accurate information that adheres to the highest standards of writing. This is part of our ongoing commitment to ensure FHE Health is trusted as a leader in mental health and addiction care. Most people will need ongoing support groups for some time after detox.
Fears About Sobriety That Will Sabotage Your Recovery
Those early days of sobriety may leave you feeling hopeless. With friends, if they aren’t on board with your sobriety, you’ll have some tough choices ahead. The good news is that you don’t have to worry about it until you’ve got some solid, sober days under your belt.
What’s included
We’re forced to think and analyze our problems, to come up with solutions, and in doing so we may fail or make mistakes. But that’s how we grow and learn, and how we learn to cope better when the next challenge presents itself. Over time, our ability to cope and come up with solutions that work for us becomes easier and easier. They can help motivate a person to remain sober to reach the next milestone. Some people may find that wearable devices and smartphone apps can support their recovery from alcohol use disorder.