I was inspired to revisit the topic after reading a recent post by Heather Lowe, called Sober is Boring and I Have Lost Friends. đ Those with addiction may benefit from our session on Working with Addiction from the Daily Calm. đ Awaken your potential by exploring the world around you and developing interests outside of substances by Saying Yes to Life. Whether itâs taking up a sport, diving into arts and crafts, or learning to play a musical instrument, new hobbies can provide a sense of achievement and distraction from cravings. đ Take your goal-setting one step further by getting clear on The âWhyâ Behind Your Goals, which not only helps you gain clarity but also helps you stay committed to your aspirations. By calling the helpline you agree to the terms of use.
Educate yourself about sobriety to demystify your fears
Nifaliophobia is an anxiety disorder focused on sobriety and the fears related to facing a life without alcohol or drugs. This may include worries about losing social connections or coping with life’s stresses unaided. This fear may manifest as an intense and persistent anxiety. Feeling like you need to rely on alcohol or drugs for enjoyment can be scary. If drinking is part of your regular routine after work, or if itâs become a habit to share a bottle or two of wine with your friends on Friday nights, you may consider exploring your relationship with alcohol.
Feeling Like Being Sober Sucks? 12 Tips for Feeling Better
All these competing parts have you morphing into a woman who irrationally obsesses over love interests sheâs only just met. The person who drinks herself silly on a Friday night and posts self-deprecating posts on social media, hoping to find validation for the pain sheâs in. This is the version of yourself that allows you to sleep at night, who wants to be a good person and live a fulfilling life. She (or he) is the one with the friends, the one who got the job, or was charming on that date. It was haunting, all the bad, all the missed opportunity to get out of the life I was keeping myself in, and it chipped away at the boost I had been getting from being sober.
There’s always a reason to drink.
And you need to know that you can make it through without relapsing. Being overly polite might seem kind, but it often leads to problems anyway, in relationships, with friends, and at work. Those who have been invested in AA swear these promises are realized. Many newcomers wonder how long-time members can make these claims when sober members are still acting out. Similarly, a reader who commented on my post, “What Recovering Alcoholics Can Teach Us About Happiness,” discussed her negative experience in AA. She described some longtime members as “seething cauldrons of anger.” Another commenter observed that many AA members are caught in a cycle of negativity.
- Locally, it was long waits, after long waits, call after call.
- I guess at that moment, I thought so little of myself, that it didnât matter how the conversation went, I was going to leave anyways, but what I got back after a conversation full of realness was amazing.
- You will have days when you donât necessarily make the strongest choices to improve your well-being or strengthen your recovery.
- You have already accomplished so much by choosing to stop using drugs and committing to sobriety.
- We welcome anyone who wishes to join in by asking for support, sharing our experiences and stories, or just encouraging someone who is trying to quit.
Instead of isolating and giving into feeling bad, reach out and connect with others who might be going through the same thing. Go to a 12-step meeting, find a sober group online, or call a sober friend who understands. We donât talk enough about the fact that sobriety CANâT solve your problems.
It truly is one of the best choices Iâve ever made. The Calm app puts the tools to feel better in your back pocket, with personalized content to manage stress and anxiety, get better sleep, and feel more present in your life. Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous, SMART Recovery, or other local sobriety support groups offer a community of people who are going through similar challenges. These being sober sucks groups provide a platform to share experiences, gain insights, and receive unconditional support. Knowing in advance how to decline alcoholic drinks or drug use in social situations can make it easier to stick to your sobriety.
The process, however, isnât always comfortable. If youâre stuck in a place where you think you arenât worth it, trust me when I say I know how loud that voice is, but let my experience be a voice that speaks even louder. You are worth it, you can what is alcoholism do this, and you are loved.
Schedule regular meetings with a professional to maintain focus on recovery
- It was supportive, someone cared about me more than myself, and the realization came to me, I was so wrong about myself.
- Your feelings will look different in a day, a week, a month, and a year, so look to the future with optimism.
- She drinks so she doesnât have to feel any of it.
- When you abuse alcohol, you become the center of the universe and canât imagine for a second why anyone might want to escape your orbit.
The next morning, the real you has to deal with the carnage while the messy parts sleep it off. You feel like the worst person in the world. In fact, itâs the deeply UNCOMFORTABLE aspects of sobriety that help you grow the most. đ Explore the importance of Embracing Fears and how accepting what youâre afraid of can help you make changes. Calls to any general helpline will be answered or returned by one of the treatment providers listed, each of which is a paid advertiser. Even though breakups, job losses, and an unexpected death of a friend or family member, can be devastating, they will all happen at some point.
Or the newcomer has unrealistic expectations and judges others unfairly. Perhaps some just prefer to behave like jerks. Acceptance of one another and each individual’s right to walk her own path is the solution.
How do I deal with setbacks or relapses in fear of sobriety?
A province away however, it was a different story. I called a friend, told him I was ready to make a change, and the next morning my phone rang, and a bed was waiting for me at Together We Can, I just needed to make it there. Thatâs when I went into work, and opened up to my boss about everything. I guess at that moment, I thought so little of myself, that it didnât matter how the conversation went, I was going to leave anyways, but what I got back after a conversation full of realness was amazing.
