Understanding Nifaliophobia: The Fear of Being Sober

While you are in treatment, you will learn about accepting responsibility, and you will learn ways to ensure that you follow through on your commitments. You’re not obligated to drink just to make others feel good about their drinking. So don’t allow anyone to make you feel that way.

They all were supportive, and when someone relapsed, they were removed so that there was no temptation for the rest of us. I had plenty of time to get my life together. I had a watershed moment fear of being sober when I attended my first sober hen do (in Liverpool, no less) last spring. The bride-to-be, one of my besties, almost hadn’t invited me as she’d assumed it would be my idea of hell.

How To Break Up With Friends Who Are Bad For Your Sobriety

Many victims may not know how to build a sober life. They will need significant help and support to realize that success, with all its challenges, is totally worthwhile. Your true friends may have to take a short break from you if they are too addicted to drugs or alcohol. But remember that anyone who truly cares about you will always come back.

But, being sober commonly causes people to fear that pain coming back. But you can deal with it and prevent it from hurting you any longer. Enjoy the time you have with friends and family. Try to make the most of this process, and on days where you seem to dwell on the negatives, think of all the good that will come out of your recovery. Fear is sometimes healthy and can get us moving when we’re determined to stand still. However, while some fears have the power to drive necessary change, others are irrational, exaggerated, and promote reckless behavior.

Get Started on Your Road to Recovery

The process can be uncomfortable, particularly for someone who is afraid of feeling in general. Staying stuck in this fear generally means staying stuck in addiction. You might think that quitting drinking also means you’ll automatically forget how to be funny or that you’ll default to boring. Whether or not your personality will change when you quit drinking is a fear many people have. True, alcohol might have made it easier to crack jokes in a social situation, but that doesn’t mean you’re inherently boring. In fact, many find that when they put down alcohol, they have the opportunity to get in touch with their true nature.

On the other, you’re scared to death of what sobriety will do to your world. Withdrawal symptoms can be uncomfortable, but they are not always dangerous. With the help of a medical professional, you can safely detox from drugs and alcohol without worrying about withdrawal symptoms. The fear of getting sober is more common than we may think. Of course, on the surface, asking if there is such a thing as a fear of being sober might seem like a rhetorical question. Non-addicts may proclaim, “Of course addicts should want to get sober—why wouldn’t they?

When the Fear of Being Sober Means Facing Emotion

This is a great time to practice meditation, yoga and exercise as a way to relieve stress. Journaling, eating right and spending time with good friends will also provide an outlet for you. You will be able to deal with an issue and put it behind you.

• In the event, I was having so much fun with her prosecco-popping posse that I happily tagged along; they could barely get me off the mic.
• My life was a juggling act and alcohol was the boss.
• Herman wore a Tyrolean hat every day despite the fact that we were nowhere near the Alps.
• It is part of the natural instinct to survive.
• It’s not surprising that many people are afraid of failure.
• You’re post-detox and ready to take that first step into recovery.

It is a part of life and if you numb your feelings all the time, you won’t feel the good or the bad. Fear of pain keeps people drinking for far too long. Lastly, getting sober can be a scary thought if you don’t want to feel the pain of your problems. Without the numbing effects of drugs or alcohol, many addicts worry about the potential for living a life in constant emotional pain. Next, addicts may be worried about their potential loss of identity once they stop using drugs or alcohol. For many users, they worry about their ability to function without drinking or using drugs.

‘You’re going to freak out’: how to conquer your Foma (fear of missing alcohol)

You may feel as though failure is inevitable. In this situation, it’s important to be truthful with yourself. It hurts to think of what you have given up or lost for drugs and alcohol.

• This means that are unable to think clearly or make good decisions.
• A general rule of thumb in early sobriety is that if attendance at such an activity makes you nervous, don’t go.
• It sounds like a weird thing to be afraid of, but it’s very real.
• You will learn how to deal with painful situations as part of your overall treatment so that pain will not be a scary thing in the future.
• This can make you feel trapped and you might feel like everyone in the room is looking at you.

Or maybe, on some level, you don’t believe you’re worthy of success. If you’ve done some major damage in your past, you might feel like https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/alcohol-and-anxiety-can-drinking-cause-panic-attacks/ you don’t deserve to be happy and healthy. What you’re really afraid of is the unknown and that you may be unable to handle it.

But many people use the excuse that they are cowards just so they can keep on using the substances. If you truly want to live a clean and sober life, you are already ahead of the game. Intention and commitment are crucial to having a successful recovery. However, it is important to remember that sobriety is not something to be afraid of. Sobriety can be an incredibly rewarding experience.