Emotions are scary in recovery. Feelings are not always going to be enjoyable or easy to deal with. More often than not, being able to speak about emotions is difficult. What makes it easier is having a group of people that can listen to you and in whom you can confide. Perhaps you are comfortable with this person and you can share anything with them. Don’t let your emotions take you down. All people are living in difficult circumstances and stressful times. It is how people process and with whom that makes a difference.
Denial and Substance Abuse
When you have emotions that are unexpressed, they back up in a bottle and keep you from being successful in processing what you need to move forward. It is harder to let go than to deal with it. Things happen when you don’t let your emotions go and keep them in check. It’s okay to feel. It’s okay to be emotional. Self-expression is healthy and healing. Without walking in a person’s shoes, you never know what a person is experiencing. Most people choose to be a certain way but you can work on being a healing presence for people if you so choose.
Freeing Yourself
Feeling everything in sobriety is a blessing and a curse. Imagine if you were able to feel all the things you couldn’t when you were addicted. As an act of grace, love, and kindness, you found recovery and are able to feel those things now. It is freeing to be able to find a way to feel all those emotions at the moment. It takes boldness and hope to live a life that is focused on recovery.
Dealing with Emotions
When coping with different emotions, you can focus on some tools that help with various feelings that come up for you:
- Fear: when you return to the workplace or home, it is common to have fear and anxiety about reactions from others. Treatment aims to address fears and help you learn ways to cope with them when returning to your normal routine
- Guilt: strong feelings of remorse can keep you stuck. Part of addiction recovery includes facing guilt you feel about physical, emotional, or financial damage you caused
- Forgive yourself: try to make amends with loved ones that give you a chance to start with a fresh slate in your recovery
- Shame: a powerful emotion that can keep you isolated from others because you feel unworthy. It damages your self esteem and causes you to retreat from support when needed most. Treatment and trauma-based care focus on root causes of shame to develop techniques to end it
- Breathing exercises, journaling, meditation, exercise, and physical activity helps you burn off extra mental energy by focusing on your body. It will help focus the mind where it needs to be so you can heal in recovery
A Step in the Right Direction provides quality care for clients seeking support for addiction recovery. We teach people how to live a sober life through programs, therapeutic support, and evidence-based therapies. Our recovery program is staffed by people who understand the power of addiction. For more information sober living programs for men and women as well as recovery programs, call (877) 377-3702.
