Most people don’t like change; let’s face it. But when our bodies have come to depend on drugs or alcohol socially, emotionally, mentally, and physically, then at some point, our jobs, our families, health, our freedom, and even our very our lives may be on the line. Not to mention the lives of others. But recovery is scary. It means change. And our bodies don’t want to change, either. With everything on the line, though, we need to face our fears and step into the life-saving grace of recovery.
Fear of Change
We are creatures of habit. And when we have a drug or alcohol habit, that tends to make us fear change even more. We might have to change pretty much everything in our lives: where we socialize, how we socialize, even our friends and acquaintances. It’s possible that we may even have to make changes with our family members while we are changing. That would be scary enough on our own. But add to it the fact that we would be giving up the one crutch we have been hiding behind – our substance(s).
Depending on how long we have been using, we may not even be able to remember how to live each day without a drink and/or drug. Although that is scary, we have the opportunity to improve our lives for good. Change can mean better, changing our lives for our good and for the people in our lives. Or even changing the people who will be in our lives when we seek the help we need to make permanent improvements going forward.
Fear of Being Healthy
There is usually a reason that people begin using substances, and it is typically because they are not happy with the lives they have. If we were emotionally healthy in the first place, why would we have begun drinking and using, to begin with? But deep down inside of us, sometimes we are scared of being healthy.
Being emotionally healthy means being accountable. It means being present. It means being there for other people and having honest, meaningful relationships with the people in our lives. Many of us have never had that, and it is really scary. But if we set our fears aside, we might see that being emotionally healthy is a reward that pays endless dividends.
There is a saying that “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger,” and not only can we come out on the other side of our addiction, we can be stronger to make a difference for others. By bravely taking the journey of recovery, we can be a light unto other people who have struggled just like us. We can go from fear to empowerment and change not only our lives but the lives of other people as well.
Fear of Being Worthy
Worthiness can be scary. It doesn’t really make sense on the surface, but so many of us have lived lives of pain, abuse, trauma and more, and we have come to believe that we are not worthy. That nagging little voice in our head tells us that we don’t deserve to be healthy, we are not worthy of a rewarding life.
But that little voice is wrong. It comes from the same place as our addiction. It is masking our true voice, which tells us that we are worthy. No matter what we’ve done, no matter how long we have lived this tortured life, we deserve to stand up and find our own power, our true selves. We are worth recovering our lives and we are worth the love and forgiveness of the people who love us, too. If we listen to our true voice, we will know that we deserve life.
Fear of Life
Sometimes we get so twisted in our thinking that we lose sight of what we want most: Life. We have been in pain for so long, and we are so accustomed to suffering that we actually fear truly living. Others may simply be reacting to their quality of life, assuming it won’t ever get any better for them. There are a lot of really hard things that happen in life, some of them a result of our own actions, others through no fault of our own whatsoever. Life can be scary, and it can also be very scary to embrace a life without pain.
It is okay to feel alive. It’s okay to allow ourselves to feel pain because we will also be able to feel true joy. We want to not only survive but thrive. To be alive and to feel and to breathe in the fresh air and feel everything again. It can be scary, but it is also worth it. Our lives matter, and our recovery matters.
Conquer your fears and make the call today. Change can save your health and save your life. You are worthy, and you deserve to feel alive again. Be fearless. To speak to one of our admissions experts, call (805) 719-7954.
