For those new to recovery, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed with, well, feelings. You know, those things we avoided, pushed down, and ran away from for so long in our addiction? As appealing as running away from feelings sounds, we cannot do that in recovery. We have to learn how to sit with how we feel, and we have to be okay with not always feeling good. Addicts and alcoholics like instant gratification, and if something doesn’t feel right, we’ll do or take whatever we can to feel better. Sobriety is different because no matter how terrible something has made us feel, we can’t pick up a drink or a drug to numb it.
Learning how to not reach for those instant feel-better chemicals is incredibly difficult for people like us, but we do recover. You may have been going along, and everything seems to be working out well, when all of a sudden, your significant other decides they don’t want to be in a relationship any longer. This hurts, and it hurts a lot. Maybe you also have some abandonment issues from childhood, and the termination of your relationship brings all of that stuff back up. You may want to reach for your drug of choice—more than anything—but just hold on. The only thing you have to do, is not pick up a drink or a drug. It’s hard, and there will be times in your life where not using or drinking feels unbearable, but you can get through anything sober. Anything.
Remember this: feelings won’t kill you. Sometimes, it may feel like they will. Your heart may ache, and your soul may feel broken, but these feelings will pass. Feelings won’t kill you, but they will give you strength. As you ride out the storm, and slowly emerge on the other side, you may be a little bruised, but you are far from broken. As long as you don’t pick up a drink or a drug, you will be okay. You will be able to look back at experiences like this in your sober history, and know that you can make it through anything, sober.
If you want to find your way out of addiction, call us at The Lakehouse Recovery Center. We will help you through the biggest change of your life, and see you through to the other side. You are not alone. Give us a call, we are available 24/7, toll-free at (877) 762-3707. You can do this, because we do recover. Call now.