Sobriety is Not Boring NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
And that’s the reality of sobriety. You still have your “shit” to deal with and maybe that never ends, because well, life. For me, I always thought that not drinking Twelve-step program was the hard part. If I could tamp down the riot in my brain and stay sober, then everything after that would be easier. So long as you don’t drink, you’re still headed in the right direction. People I’d hung out with and felt close to often faded away.
What is nifaliophobia? Understanding the fear of being sober
(Or so they say? Who knows if they’re telling the truth?) Sarah Hepola has a whole book on the subject, and when I was still drinking, I really fucking hated hearing what she had to say. After having similar experiences, I still really don’t know what to do with that information, but I get it. I so get it, and most sober women I’ve talked to do, too. It’s nuts how many of us have been through something in that lovely neighborhood of the human experience. It conflicts with how I feel about consent to say that I don’t want to get drunk anymore so that I’m less likely in that situation again, but here we are.
Be proactive in seeking help to reduce fears of relapsing
Many people like to drink occasionally as a way to relax or socialize, but for others, the habit is rooted in anxiety and fear. If this is the case for you, you may want to dig deeper. 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. This is certainly a common view for many who spend time in AA. Why do people, who have been sober for years, behave inappropriately with alarming regularity?
- Educating yourself about the benefits of sobriety and the recovery process can demystify what sobriety entails and help alleviate some of the fear.
- You will have days when you don’t necessarily make the strongest choices to improve your well-being or strengthen your recovery.
- But you have to go forward, and that’s not an easy direction.
- It’s like a screwed-up deductible you have to meet, but instead of money it’s blackouts, and instead of co-pays it’s meetings in church basements.
- Unfortunately, for someone in recovery, feelings of discontent are dangerous.
How to build a support system for sobriety
I regularly blog about sobriety and normally choose to focus on the benefits I’ve experienced since quitting drinking. That’s because sobriety has been overwhelmingly a positive https://ecosoberhouse.com/ experience for me. It truly is one of the best choices I’ve ever made. Getting support doesn’t have to be. 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. Yes, meditation and mindfulness can be beneficial in managing the fear of being sober.
Plus I think they actually motivated me to do healthier things. They made food better, so I ate more. I would go on walks a being sober sucks few times a week because getting high and walking is super fun.
MBE for fundraising teacher with terminal cancer
- Yes, but also, it’s usually the case that fresh faces are sober faces.
- But…I dont want kids, and im not an angry drunk, so it’s not really the same.
- Lots of women get sober for reasons that aren’t really talked about in the general conversation about sobriety.
- Part of the reason this statement bothers me is because I used to think this way too.
- When you abuse alcohol, you become the center of the universe and can’t imagine for a second why anyone might want to escape your orbit.
- Sometimes you must put your needs first.
- In fact, it’s the deeply UNCOMFORTABLE aspects of sobriety that help you grow the most.
Before you know it, a lousy day in sobriety can quickly turn into your last day in sobriety if you turn to drugs and alcohol to ease your emotional discomfort. You can make up your own mind about what you think about all this. But what I’ve heard, and what makes sense to me, is that everyone has their own bottom based on who they are. For me, it was throwing up out of a black Toyota Camry on the BQE and missing my best friend’s birthday. Much less marketable, but it was the moment I realized that alcohol was making my life harder.
Farrukh Shahzad is a dedicated professional blogger with a passion for spreading global news, including politics, fashion, news, and sports. I work hard to keep my audience informed and engaged by covering a wide range of issues.