What you should know is that almost all addicts seeking help have relapses. Most will stumble, but that doesn’t mean failure. It just means that you have to get up and try again. Working with a support group and a sponsor after you leave rehab is a great way to keep your sobriety intact.
Why Do I Hate Being Sober, and What Can I Do About It?
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. Another common fear in sobriety is that you’ll wind up alone because no one will want to hang out with you. We are biologically wired for companionship, so this is a very real and instinctual fear to have.
Reality Check
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. However, others striving for or in sobriety may find fear of being sober themselves asking “Why is sobriety so hard? ” Lifestyle modifications can be uncomfortable and perhaps even generate anger and resentment. These are thoughts that run through every addict’s mind.
Develop new hobbies to find joy and fulfillment without the need for substances
The fear of being sober usually has a mixture of root causes, including the discomfort of facing underlying emotional or psychological issues without the numbing effect of substances. It may also encompass concerns about how to cope with stress and social situations soberly if one does not feel they have the proper emotional tools to regulate the nervous system. 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.
Enjoying Your Sober Mindset
The truth is they probably already know you have a problem. And if they care about you, they will support your choice to get help. Make a commitment to go to rehab and to get sober and impress upon your loved ones that you will need their love and support. The ones that might are your drinking and drug buddies.
Evoke Wellness – Begin Your Sobriety Journey
- For example, why are some people afraid of scary movies or roller coasters?
- So here’s a deep dive into the many reasons people struggle on their unique paths to sobriety as well as insights on how to overcome the fears and challenges they’ll likely meet along the way.
- While sobriety is well worth the effort required to achieve it, choosing sobriety is a significant endeavor that requires courage, difficult conversations, and significant life changes.
- I don’t believe you really feel that way because otherwise, you wouldn’t be here.
- If you’re ready to overcome your fear of being sober, reach out to Eudaimonia Recovery Homes.
- A therapist specializing in addiction recovery can offer personalized advice and coping strategies.
- Nifaliophobia is an anxiety disorder focused on sobriety and the fears related to facing a life without alcohol or drugs.
Many drinkers are afraid to quit for all sorts of reasons but when you can learn to replace fear with curiosity life can change. Another common fear in recovery is rejection from friends and family. You may think that your loved ones will think less of you or not want to be around you.
Any big life change naturally brings a sense of fear or unease. So understanding and addressing these fears is paramount. According to Merriam-Webster, being sober simply means abstaining from alcohol and drugs.
