We are committed to providing exceptional, compassionate care to every individual we serve. Your recovery has the potential to help you be a better friend, partner, sister or brother, professional, volunteer, and more. As long as you allow yourself to take the necessary steps forward, you can take this growing opportunity and newly found free-time to improve your life in all areas. You may find that to grow, you have to take inventory and release unhealthy habits from your past. That is expected, and a sponsor or close friend in your program is a great source of support for you in doing so.

Getting Sober Comes with a Tidal Wave of Anxiety

Relapse rates for substance use addictions are around 40% to 60%. Setbacks don’t erase progress, though, and they don’t mean you’ve “failed” to stay sober. Remaining sober over time is about much more than willpower. If you’re scared of becoming sober, that’s okay.

The Psychological Impact of Substance Abuse

You may be able to fix some of what’s lost and damaged. Staying sober requires a person to analyze the reasons why they were using the substance, identify their personal triggers for relapse, and avoid falling into a pattern of use again. Sobriety can be a fixed-term goal like staying sober for a set period (such as Dry January), or a lifelong goal of staying sober from all substances. Living with anxiety and maintaining sobriety doesn’t mean that you’re just trying to survive. It means you need to adopt strategies that foster resilience and strengthen your emotional well-being in the face of challenges. Those with anxiety and addiction can feel like there’s no other way to regain power over their mental states than to turn to substance abuse.

• Most people will need ongoing support groups for some time after detox.
• Also, your treatment center’s team will be able to provide you with the most effective medication to help you manage your withdrawal symptoms.
• The idea of getting sober in rehab only to relapse on the outside is a frightening thought.
• Regularly remind yourself of the positive changes that sobriety has brought to your life.

Boo! How to Overcome the Fears of Sobriety

Talk through the things you are facing or the worries you have with someone who has experience or can provide you with insight. Getting support doesn’t have to mean going to rehab, although that is an option. Support can also look like joining in-person and online support groups. One 2020 study found potential benefits of combining in-person and online support methods. Depending on the severity of the addiction or substance being used, a medically supervised detox may be necessary to safely help you. It’s often a complex combination of these and even underlying health conditions that can contribute to anxiety.

• My first few months of recovery went fairly smoothly.
• You always rush to get that next drink or hit before withdrawal really sets in.
• And, to be frank, many times that reality is downright hard to swallow.

Many times, social events and outings center around drinking alcohol. The fog lifts, the poor behavior stops, and people generally become happier and easier to https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/10-celebrities-who-died-because-of-alcoholism/ be around. The mind clears, there is more peace, more clarity and a better ability to function. All of which are just some of the many reasons why being sober far outweighs being addicted to drugs or alcohol.

• People with co-occurring mental health conditions are even more likely to develop an addiction.
• Non-addicts may proclaim, “Of course addicts should want to get sober—why wouldn’t they?
• Dealing with setbacks or relapses is a common part of the recovery process.
• There are various strategies to assuage fears during the journey to recovery.
• If you try to stop using and fail, you’re disappointing them all over again.

Nifaliophobia is the irrational fear of being sober. However, discussion of this mindset shouldn’t be limited to its literal meaning. As soon as I got some sobriety time under my belt and actively worked a fear of being sober 12-step program, I’ve found that I have freedom. This freedom allows me to do whatever I want.