The thought that many people who get sober have is now that I am sober, everything will be great. While this may be true in different ways in their lives, the truth is that getting sober is a process. Sobriety is not a magic result that turns everything that was once bad automatically into something grand. Fixing all the problems that have been created from drug and alcohol addiction takes time and effort. The body also goes through a physical shift from withdrawal and chemical imbalance that can actually make someone feel sad for a time even if they are active in their recovery.
Vexation
Once drugs and alcohol are taken away, a person may actually start to grieve their “old friends.” The underlying issues that made a person start drinking and using in the first place will still be there to resolve which can make them even more sorrowful. They begin to realize that either they will have to resolve these issues for long-term success in sobriety or they could be too close for comfort with relapse making them feel utterly hopeless.
Shame
When the mental fog wears off, the reality of their situation most likely will hit them like a ton of bricks. Knowing that have hurt the people that they love along with lying, cheating, and stealing can often be too much for them to handle. For many people, they would never do the things that they do under the influence when they are sober. Looking back on what they are capable of doing drunk or high can be hard to swallow.
Mental health
Although a person’s problems will not instantaneously vanish as soon as they get sober, they may experience depression in their early sobriety due to the cessation of drugs and alcohol. Depression often occurs as a co-occurring disorder along with substance abuse disorder. If they had a preexisting mental issue or one that comes directly from the mental effects that drugs and alcohol have on the body, their anxiety and depression could resurface in sobriety. “Coming down” from drugs and “coming off” of alcohol is difficult on the brain which can have a significant impact resulting in depression and making someone extremely sad.
Do not let your sadness take you out of your sobriety. Ask for help immediately because taking up drugs and alcohol again will just make you even more despondent. Use the resources that you have to help make your sadness go away so that you can celebrate your days in sobriety.
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
