Getting sober and staying sober can be a very difficult process to endure. There are many moving targets to hit in order to keep from relapsing because you may think you can stay sober on your own which is the most difficult way to achieve sobriety. Someone who is dealing with an addiction has an obsession of the mind and an allergy of the body that keeps them from being able to stop without having a defense against that first drink or drug. Willpower is usually not successful with drug and alcohol addiction because addiction is such a complex chemical imbalance that it is hard to combat without knowing the reasons why most people continue to drink and use when their consequences continue to become so high.
The fear of the unknown
Trying to gauge life without the use of mind-altering substances can be daunting. People question how they will get married, how they will have a social life, or how they will be able to go through stressful situations without the drugs and alcohol to buffer whatever they are going through. If you are worried about how you will be able to cope with life without drugs and alcohol in the mix, you will survive. You will find other coping mechanisms that you will discover can fill the void you are searching for. When you start taking care of your needs with healthier avenues, you understand that you do not need drugs and alcohol and when you do, you learn to not pick up no matter what by using the recovery tools you have at your fingertips.
The fear of leaving drugs and alcohol behind
12-Step programs have kept a mantra of “one day at a time” for decades which continues to work. When you got sober you probably envisioned the rest of your life without the use of mind-altering drugs and alcohol. You thought about graduations, holidays, or a Tuesday, and wondered how you would be able to make it through these times without using drugs or alcohol. This is where the “one day at a time” comes into play. If you are not celebrating a holiday or graduating today, then you do not even need to worry about these events. Your recovery efforts will lead through every 24 hours, even a Tuesday, completely sober because you are doing the work and preparing yourself to do the right thing.
The fear of being an imposter
Practicing the principles in all your affairs and working your program together will make a person feel better than they felt using drugs and alcohol. Even though you are working through your pain, there will be times when you will feel like a fake and phony person. You will start thinking things like if people knew what I really did in my past, they would not want to be around me, or I did not get what I deserved doing what I was doing before. These are all lies that your addiction wants you to believe to get you back into the throes of your substance abuse. Imposter syndrome is a real thing that can be combated by being able to believe in yourself through your spirituality, positive affirmations, and being of service. When you start doing these things that make you feel good on the inside, you will show more confidence on the outside ultimately giving you more confidence over drugs and alcohol. You will start to see the changes in yourself over time that are irrefutable and lessen your chances of wanting to relapse any more.
The fear of being sober
Sobriety can be a scary place for someone who has hidden behind drugs and alcohol for so long. Feeling your feelings, becoming vulnerable, not being successful in your recovery, disappointing your loved ones, and the list could on and on as to why sobriety can be difficult for someone who is new. Learning to live a new life in sobriety through working the steps, going to meetings, and attempting to have a psychic change can be viewed as an overwhelming process that you may have already set yourself up for failure with. All you really need is a tiny bit of willingness that can take you into the rest of your life – one day at a time, of course.
Taking into consideration all of these reasons that could keep you from getting sober and lead you into relapse is important to understand. Using your fears as a reason to not get sober would just lead you into more incomprehensible demoralization which you do not need. What you could use is a life of recovery that can guide you into your first step – admitting powerlessness over alcohol and drugs, and that your life has become unmanageable.
Offering a full range of recovery and mental health services, Detox Center of Colorado offers “Expanded Recovery” to enrich our clients’ lives in mind, body, and spirit. Through evidence-based therapy options and the endless adventure of Colorado, Detox Center of Colorado fosters connection, encouraging clients to get connected to themselves, their peers, their families, and their higher power. With the power of recovery, clients are restored to full health and experience life-changing healing. Call us today for more information: 303-536-5463
