Recovery is an emotional time as you wrestle with a mix of feelings that may have been kept inside for years during active addiction. One day, you may feel angry and the next lonely – and it’s all perfectly normal. That said, a big part of a successful recovery is to understand and accept these feelings so they don’t jeopardize your hard-won sobriety.
Here’s a look at a few common emotions you may be struggling with.
- Stress and anxiety: Many women battle with stress and anxiety during rehab. You’re going through a big life change and you’re likely experiencing a sense of loss and worry. If your anxiety worsens, you could be struggling with an anxiety disorder and will need professional help.
- Anger: Any time we’re angry and we’re feeling anger, we know that underneath that anger there’s a hurt. There’s something that’s hurting us inside. Typically when we cut ourselves off from anger, we begin to feel depression. In fact, many experts says that depression is nothing more than anger turned inward.
- Fear: The unknowns of recovery and of your new sober life can be downright scary. What’s more, you may be struggling with a fear of failure due to a lack of self-confidence.
- Shame and guilt: It’s natural and healthy to feel shame or guilt over your past behavior or action during active addiction, but know this: Constantly beating yourself up over the past can prevent you from moving forward in your recovery.
- Loneliness: If you feel alone, misunderstood or uncared for, well, you’re not alone. Loneliness is an emotion that can stick with you long after recovery, even when you’re supported by loved ones.
Managing Your Emotions
At Rising Roads, we focus on the unique needs of women in recovery. We help our female clients discover new coping strategies to manage (not run from) their emotions, so they can continue to heal and reclaim healthy, sober lives. To learn more, call today: 866-746-1558.
