Everyone experiences fear in facing the unknown. Alcoholics and addicts, however, have the general tendency and uncanny ability to take that fear to a whole new level. They can go from zero to 60 in a heartbeat when it comes to projecting the worst possible scenario in any situation.
The depths of those fears may be subconscious and not verbalized, but fear can trigger the urge to drink or use drugs. This kind of impulsive negative thinking can happen in everyday situations, such as misplaced keys. Addictive thinking goes almost immediately to visions of someone stealing the car and, along with it, our wallet and every piece of identification, which we left on the seat. Thinking in fear can send an alcoholic or addict into a tailspin.
The popular recording star Macklemore, who recently shared his journey into relapse in a Celebrity News article, said fear began to overwhelm him, which led him back into negative thinking and destructive habits. Fortunately, he has returned to a program of recovery, but not everyone makes it back. The best relapse prevention is learning how to stay in the moment and avoid projecting fear into unknown situations.
Managing Feelings Of Fear Helps Prevent Relapse
People in recovery soon come to learn and accept that they have no control over other people and over life situations. No one goes through life without difficult decisions, loss of loved ones and other tragedies.
The gift of recovery is learning how to face those circumstances and the fear that accompanies them. Recovery gives alcoholics and addicts the tools to stop seeing themselves as victims and to choose how they are going to react to people and situations.
By staying in the present and by giving up the irrational desire to control other people and life situations, we actually gain power. We gain the power to choose our actions and let the outcome be what it will. Call us today, and our professional staff will be happy to talk with you about the process of letting go of fear.
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