Addiction affects three important aspects of a person’s life: mind, body, and spirit. Mentally, a person can be greatly influenced by the disease of addiction through fear. While it can be stressful to realize that drugs and alcohol have take control of your life – there may also be many worries about getting sober. Because there are often so many fears, ranging from fears about admitting a problem, addiction treatment, detox, and life in recovery – we decided to break down some of the top fears, and explain how to face them. Because these fears are connected to the psychological aspect of addiction, they’re rarely easy to conquer. By identifying these six worries, and processing how to cope with them, you’ll have better clarity for your recovery from drugs or alcohol.
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Afraid I’ll Disappoint Family & Friends If I Admit To Having An Addiction Problem
Are you worried that you may be rejected by your spouse, children, or family for admitting that you have a drug or alcohol addiction? So many people would rather try to hide what is really going on, than get the help that they need. This is how the disease of addiction thrives: denial and isolation. If you’re afraid to admit to family and friends that you need help with an addiction, you should know that they probably already know – or at least have an idea about what is going on; your behaviors have probably been troubling for them. Don’t worry that you’re going to let down your family by admitting a problem, because the sure-fire way to let them down is by continuing on the path of substance addiction.
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Afraid of Withdrawals and Detox
You know what it feels like to be without your drug of choice. It’s unpleasant and uncomfortable. And usually, you can crush those feelings by consuming your next dose of the substance. You’ve also probably seen or heard horror stories about detox via movies, TV shows, or even friends. Fearing what withdrawals will feel like when that option isn’t available can be overpowering. The good news is that most treatment centers offer medical detoxification options, where you will be made as comfortable as possible while coming off of drugs or alcohol. Detoxing from certain drugs and alcohol WITHOUT medical supervision can be dangerous and even fatal. However, medical detox can eliminate these difficulties, and even make the most challenging aspects of withdrawal more comfortable. Detox won’t be comfortable – but it’s a much less painful option than staying addicted to drugs and alcohol.
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Afraid I Will Lose My Job (or Afraid I Don’t Have Time for Rehab)
This excuse to skip rehab has been around for ages; it’s an easy out to say that you don’t have the time or money for rehab – that you’ll lose your job, or can’t leave your kids. In fact, this excuse probably tops the list for keeping millions of people in active addiction. Think about how much of your time and resources are dedicated to seeking out your drug of choice, using your drug of choice, being high or drunk, and then being hungover – and planning your next fix. Your physical and emotional dedication to addiction takes up a significant amount of your life, and other areas are likely already suffering. Living a life defined by substance will ultimately destroy relationships and careers. The time you take to go to treatment and get healthy will be well worth it.
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Afraid of Failing
Regardless of how many times an individual has been to treatment, almost everyone enters drug addiction rehab with some fears. Most people also leave rehab full of worries: What will happen when they get home? Will they be able to stay sober around family or friends or during stressful times? In recovery, especially early recovery, it’s common to have times of doubt and experience events outside of your comfort zone. You won’t always hit your goals, you won’t succeed at everything you do every time you try it. That’s why you try again.
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Afraid of Succeeding
If you’ve ever had the fleeting feeling that you don’t deserve to be happy and healthy has ever crossed your mind – you know the fear of success. You may not be consciously self-sabotaging, but you may also be holding back from giving it your best effort. In reality, no matter where you have been or what you have done, you do deserve to have a life free from substance and addiction. You deserve to be healthy, and the opportunity to build happiness
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Afraid of Losing Friends
Do all or most of your friends drink or use drugs? If you’ve gravitated towards friendships and relationships with people who use, you’ve probably moved on from those who don’t. If your friends drink and use drugs, chances are they’re not going to want to see you succeed and get sober, because they will want to have encouragement in their own self-destruction. However, the people who truly care about you and your well-being will want to see you healthy – not sick with addiction. If you lose any relationships over getting sober and on the road to recovery, those relationships are toxic and not worth keeping anyway. Although it may take some time, in sobriety, you will develop (or redevelop) healthy friendships and relationships.
According to a nationally representative survey from The New York State Office of Alcoholism and Substance Use Services (OASAS) and The Partnership at Drugfree.org, over 23 million Americans are in recovery from alcohol and drug addictions. We can assure you that those 23 million people have likely all faced fears at some stage in their recovery – and you will, too. However, those fears can be overcome and a healthy life can be had. Don’t let worries or excuses keep you from getting help and living a life of recovery. Recovery is possible, and you are strong enough to do it.
