Fear comes from many different places, and it can drive people to do things they never imagined. It’s the emotion that can keep you out of a dangerous situation, or prevent you from branching out and trying something new in life. When it comes to addiction and recovery, it can be scary to take that first step. The fear of your friends and family judging you when you come out and admit that you have a problem with drugs or alcohol can be crippling, and the fear of letting people you care about down can be even worse. Fear can be the single greatest obstacle to living a healthy, sober life. The best way to overcome your fear is to lean into it, and embrace it.
It may sound counterintuitive, but there’s no better remedy for fear than leaning into it. Face it head on, and you take away the power it has over you. Hiding from or avoiding what you’re afraid of will only make matters worse as time goes on. By facing your fear, you acknowledge it enough to give yourself the chance to find a solution, rather than continue to bury your head in the sand.
Many times, it turns out that the fears we have are unwarranted. The fears we have when facing addiction and the need for treatment often include admitting that addiction to our families, the fear of failing to stay sober, and even the fear of what sober living is really like are common reasons we avoid getting help when we need it most. Fear of the actual action, and fear of the consequences of doing so are often more exaggerated or out of proportion simply because we’re too afraid to face it, and just embrace it. We’re stuck in a what if cycle that usually just compounds the problem.
The fears we face throughout life can seem overwhelming, especially when you’re battling a substance addiction. It can seem like fear will keep you down forever, unable to move forward. If you take charge and lean into your fear rather than avoid them, the control it has over your life, thoughts or actions is gone. This gives you the freedom to make the choices you want to make, rather than letting opportunities pass you by for fear of failing, and opens the door to getting help for addiction.
Recovery is about making changes. Your first change starts when you make the decision that treatment is right for you. Based on an evidence-based curriculum, our program brings together the best of trusted 12-step principles and proven best practices for treatment. Our holistic approach treats the whole person. The Springboard Center offers you a 5-week program for healing mind, body, and spirit. Call us today for information: (432) 620-0255
