Are You Afraid Of Being Sober?

In her recently-published memoirs, Blackout: Remembering Things That I Drank To Forget, Sarah Hepola laments about the unfairness of her friends’ being able to “stay at Captain Morgan’s pirate ship party while [she] was drop-kicked into a basement with homeless people chanting the Serenity Prayer.” In this one brief sentence, Ms. Hepola captures a fear that alcoholics feel when they first contemplate sobriety: no more fun, no more fun friends, and judgment.As your mind gets clearer, you gain back physical strength and coordination that may have been absent when you were drinking. You may surprise yourself with how much more you enjoy socializing with your friends when you have a clearer perspective on events around you. Moreover, if you are not spending your money on liquor, you will have more of it to use for things you never had the money to do or buy. When you stop drinking, you might fear that friends and family will cut you out of their lives if you no longer imbibe with them. More frequently, the opposite is true. Your drinking likely harmed your relationships in ways that were not apparent to you when you were drunk. Friends and family who care about you will support your commitment to recovery. Your newfound sobriety will lead to stronger and deeper relationships.Lastly, opinions that other people may develop when you stop drinking are wholly irrelevant to your efforts. Apart from your family and close friends, most other people will not care one bit about your drinking or your sobriety. Simply put: the people encouraging you to come back to drinking are not the people you need. The people who encourage your recovery are the ones to keep close. If you are still afraid of the consequences of your decision to get sober, staff and counselors at Last Resort are ready and able to support you through this monumental moment. Call 512-750-6750 for more information on overcoming your fears and taking action to make recovery part of your life.