Learning to live life on its own terms is not always as easy as it sounds to the newcomer. In the first place, we hide our feelings in active addiction and numb any pain or worry with drugs and alcohol. So, it’s not surprising when we become sober and emotions arise out of thin air, we feel vulnerable. It’s been said “the good news is you have feelings, and the bad news is you have feelings” So, shutting down our feelings is no longer a choice, but rather dealing with them in a healthy, meaningful way. Of course, this takes time and is an acquired skill and not intrinsic in people who have been living in a fog of drugs or booze for years.

What Can I Do?

The key to this question is community support. While your family loves and supports you, they don’t understand addiction recovery like the people who are actually going through it. Instead, turn to support groups like Alcoholic Anonymous, a church group or by regularly seeing a therapist. As difficult as it may be for some people to accept, creating a sober support system has been shown to be pivotal to achieving and maintaining sobriety. In fact, working with a support group sponsor, in conjunction with addiction therapy has proved to be the most effective method.

There are many approaches for handling the emotional rollercoaster that early recovery brings about. For example, medication assisted treatment (MAT) can stave off acute withdrawal symptoms. In this way, people can normalize their emotions. Also, sharing your feelings with others is the old “standby”. Most importantly, developing coping strategies for stress (imagery, mindfulness, distraction) are keys to affect steadiness and prevent relapse prevention. Cognitive behavioral therapies can also help you develop a healthy relationship with your feelings—rather than turning them off. Ultimately, the goal is to improve through practice and self-awareness.