Everyone is prone to fear, and there are various reasons to feel afraid. Some fears are legitimate, while others prevent you from moving forward in life. Recovery is an essential part of life that comes with fearful emotions at one point.
How To Overcome Fear in Recovery
Identify the Causes of Your Fears
Identifying your fears is the first step to dealing with them. Fear makes you confused, and you may lose focus. Instead of giving in, take your time and identify the things that make you anxious. If you experience fearful thoughts often, pause and ask yourself which fear is real and which is not. Sometimes you may fear illusions.
Share Your Fears
A problem shared is half solved. Stay in contact with your friends and family members. If you experience fears, inform them and read more about how to cope with fears. Anxiousness worsens when you are lonely. So, seek the company of those who love you.
Connect with Positive Influences
Always stay in the company of sober and positive influencers. Avoid hanging with addicts or people who aren’t interested in your recovery. A good environment and caring people will play a significant role in overcoming fears.
Revisit Your Goals
Sometimes all you require is a reminder of why you started recovering. Most people quit addiction due to the health, mental, and physical impacts. Remind yourself why you chose to live a sober life, and this will help you stay on track. Compare your addicted life with present life and determine which one is better.
Practice Mindfulness
Breathing exercises can help to calm down your mind and help you focus on your recovery. Relaxation techniques can also help prevent fear from turning into a panic.
Learn To Love Yourself
Addiction may lead to self-hate and blame, which may lead to emotional instability. The quicker you realize you are responsible for your happiness, the easier you’ll overcome fears during recovery. If you don’t love yourself, you’ll likely suffer fear of rejection as you will feel everyone else hates you. If you think you are a failure, that’s what you will become.
Tackle Your Fears One at a Time
For a person who has been in addiction, the thought of staying sober can seem too much. Such a huge task can make you feel the possibility of failing. The best way to tackle issues is to make small efforts and have faith in the process. With this attitude, you’ll not let fear stop you from recovering. Making small efforts, again and again, will definitely add up to something noticeable.
Join an Aftercare Program
Aftercare is crucial in recovery. You can join a group of recovering addicts and share your experiences. Through various testimonies of patients who have overcome fear, you can also learn fear coping mechanisms. Ask your peers for guidance and get a close member who you can contact when overwhelmed by worries.
Seek Professional Help
If your fears progress to the point of getting panic attacks and difficulties in performing daily tasks, it’s best to seek counseling. A professional will help you manage your fears and determine if you have a co-occurring mental condition.
Practice Self-Care
It is essential to practice self-care during recovery to deal with anxiety. Your body responds better after meeting its needs. You feel anxious, worn out, stressed, and exhausted because you aren’t taking care of yourself. When practicing self-care, you love yourself and serve your needs, which brings a sense of love.
Recovering from addiction is not easy. You’ll experience fears, relapses, and anxieties along the way. However, you will overcome addiction with determination, self-care and self-love, support from groups, and seek professional help.
