Addiction recovery is an incredible time. Most people will experience a range of emotions, often intensely. Fear is one of them. The future is unknown, your ability to navigate healing is never promised, and there are many other “what if” moments moving through your brain. How can you be confident and deal with fear in addiction recovery in an effective manner so it doesn’t take over?
The good news. Fear is a normal, healthy emotion. It may even help you to achieve more than you realize is possible.
Why Are You So Afraid During Recovery?
Think about what you’re facing right now. As you navigate the recovery process, you may be worried about many things, including:
- The fear of failing. What if you can’t pull it off? What if you are one of the 40% of people who relapse?
- The fear of the unknown relationships and risks. You may not have friends standing by you. You may be unsure how you will navigate responsibilities.
- There’s also the fear of losing identity. This is what you have known for a long time. This is who you have become. Change is never simple or straightforward.
With so many factors to consider, you may be unsure where to go from here. Your first step is to take a deep breath. Realize that you could be experiencing lots of good things, too.
How to Overcome Fear in Addiction Recovery
To help you navigate the complexity of addiction recovery, let’s focus on three of the most common and impactful stressors people have, and what you can do to overcome them.
Facing Everything
One of the most impactful fears people have during addiction recovery is the fear of facing everything. You will see short-term lifestyle changes that will be emotionally and physically challenging. However, to overcome addiction long-term, you will also need to face triggers.
Learning what your addiction triggers are and how to avoid them can be an important step. Triggers are the experiences, people, and places that remind you of your addiction use and may encourage you to use again. You may need to understand, for example, the work-related triggers that could impact your long-term wellbeing. Having a strong foundation in recovery will help you identify these triggers and build a way around them when they become impactful.
Fear of Sobriety
Living a “normal” life may seem scary in itself. There are a lot of expectations on people today, and it may seem like it is impossible to hold everything together. It may seem like it is easier to just deal with life as it is now because that’s what you know.
Over time, the fear of sobriety gives way to confidence, especially as each passing day comes and goes and you maintain your commitment to yourself. One of the most powerful ways to navigate this fear is to talk about it. Open up about the addiction anxiety you feel to someone you know and trust. Attend a support group that “gets it” with people who are facing the same type of apprehension. During your addiction recovery process with us, you’ll learn how to find confidence and motivation in the recovery journey.
Fear of Relapsing
It’s the biggest fear of all. What if you do all of this work and find yourself facing the cravings and intense desires again? You will face those experiences again, but you will also be armed with the tools and resources you need to navigate them with confidence.
Understanding factors that contribute to relapse, such as emotional and mental health, financial difficulties, and relationship challenges, can help you see past them. You will need support, and with that support will come people who want to help you navigate this process.
You do not have to relapse. You should not assume it will be you who finds themselves in these situations. Building a healthy lifestyle, one that offers emotional, physical, and mental well-being, can help you avoid relapse. Our relapse planning strategies are designed to empower you through these challenging moments with confidence.
Is Fear Holding You Back?
It is not uncommon to be afraid. Recognize that this is a very powerful and meaningful type of emotion. It means you care about your future. You deserve to have it. With the help of a strong foundation and a team dedicated to supporting you, you may find that those fears do not have to control your actions.
Seek out the help of our team at The Ranch at Dove Tree now. Let us work with you to address the fear you are facing and create a plan to eliminate it. We are available 24 hours a day at our treatment center in Lubbock, TX.
