The founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, Bill Wilson, created the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous in 1935. Since then, the 12 Steps have played an integral role for people who want to live and enjoy a sober lifestyle.
The 12 Steps serve as a spiritual guide to sober living. They encourage people to turn their lives over to the care of a Higher Power. A recent study has shown that people who are addicted and include spirituality in their recovery are more likely to stay sober than those who don’t.
The basis of any 12-step program is going to meetings, working the steps with a supervisor, and spreading the word to people who are still suffering. Let’s discuss how to overcome any anxiety you may have about attending meetings, the importance of doing so, and building your support network.
Going to a 12-Step Program After Rehab
We strongly advise people who are in recovery to go to group meetings like Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous. As the saying goes, “Meeting makers make it.”
The 12 Steps are a proven program of recovery. Millions of people around the world who were once hopelessly addicted now enjoy a life of freedom because of 12-step programs. For this reason, most rehabs in the United States encourage newly sober people to attend meetings after they get out of treatment.
To familiarize our patients with Alcoholics Anonymous during their stay at New Directions for Women, we introduce our patients to the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous.
The issue is that, after treatment ends, the majority of people become afraid of 12-step meetings. They don’t know anyone, they’re recently sober (or attempting to get sober), and they find the whole thing strange.
What is Fear of Recovery?
During recovery, fear can sometimes surface because the process involves confronting life without relying on substances as a coping mechanism. It deals with the challenge of confronting difficult memories and emotions that may have been suppressed due to addiction. This fear is also driven by the uncertainty and significant lifestyle adjustments that come with sobriety.
Additionally, there’s the worry about potential failure and relapse, which can intimidate even the most determined person. When you acknowledge and understand your fear, you take the first step toward conquering it and moving forward with your healing.
Why is Recovery So Scary?
Feelings of vulnerability and failure can set in during recovery when people are forced to face their addiction and underlying emotional difficulties. Adding to this fear are the substantial changes that will need to be made to your life, including new routines, relationships, and ways of coping.
Also, people may be afraid to seek help because of the stigma associated with it. The first step in conquering these concerns and welcoming rehabilitation is to gain an understanding of what they are.
We’ve All Been There – You Are Not Unique!
If you have a fear of 12-step meetings, you’re not alone. In fact, you are the rule rather than the exception. Every single person who went to their first meeting felt a little awkward when they got there. They felt strange and out of place. This is completely understandable.
So, we want to reassure you. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you because you just can’t seem to muster the courage to go. You’re not strange. You’re definitely not a coward. You are a human being who is simply experiencing fear of the unknown.
It’s scary to walk into a meeting for the first time. But 12-step meetings are your lifeline to recovery. They should not be avoided. Your life depends on it. Let’s talk about how to get over any fears you might have about going to a 12-step meeting.
Don’t Be Afraid to Step Outside Your Comfort Zone
First things first. You simply MUST step out of your comfort zone to take that brave first step on the road to recovery. Addiction has a strange way of making you comfortable with being addicted. Isolating and withdrawing from other people becomes a way of life. Getting high or drunk alone becomes the norm.
Addiction is a sneaky foe, that’s for sure. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that more than 70,000 people died from a drug overdose in 2017 alone. Recovery is a matter of life and death. What has become uncomfortable for you in your addiction to alcohol or drugs is slowly killing you. It’s time to step out of your comfort zone.
Without a doubt, the early days of sobriety are uncomfortable. Meetings are uncomfortable. But, sometimes, you have to get uncomfortable to get comfortable. In other words, recovery makes you comfortable with being sober. It teaches you how to live and enjoy life without drugs or alcohol. But, first, you will have to be uncomfortable. There is no way around it.
Knowing this might make it easier for you to overcome your fears about attending 12-step meetings. You feel afraid. That is okay. Courage does not mean the absence of fear. It is acting despite it. Be brave! Go to a meeting!
How to Deal with Recovery Anxiety
There are a few things you can do to deal with recovery worries. First, it’s important to get support from friends, family, and other people in recovery who understand and want to help you. Going to therapy daily can also help you deal with stress and get rid of emotional baggage. Mindfulness and relaxation activities, like deep breathing and meditation, can help significantly reduce anxiety levels.
Finally, sticking to a regular schedule and engaging in healthy activities can help establish a feeling of stability and normality. These strategies can help you deal with the fears that come with recovery, making the process feel more manageable.
There are Many Benefits to Participating in a 12-Step Program
Another way to overcome your fear of recovery is to recognize that there are so many benefits to attending 12-step meetings regularly. Your life will change for the better if you decide to get sober and reach out for help.
Here are just some of the many benefits of attending 12-step meetings:
- You will make new, sober friends who will support and encourage you on your recovery journey.
- By working the 12 Steps, you will find a new way to live without drugs and alcohol.
- One meeting a day can help you stay clean one day at a time. People who are just starting to heal should go to 90 meetings in the first 90 days.
- You will enjoy an active social life. 12-step fellowships have regular events like BBQs, dances, speaker jams, and conventions.
- By attending 12-step meetings, you learn about the disease of addiction and how it affects you personally.
- You also learn how to treat your disease and avoid relapse.
- You have the chance to make up for mistakes you made in the past and fix ties that have been broken.
- Meetings remind you that you are not alone. Recovery isn’t a “me” thing. It’s a “we” thing.
Remember, you’re welcome to bring a friend or family member to an open meeting for support. Having someone you trust when you go to your first meeting can make you feel safe and more comfortable.
Also, addiction affects women in profound ways. You may feel more comfortable attending a women’s meeting. Check your local meeting schedule to see when and where they are available near you. Some meetings also offer childcare, including one held at the New Directions for Women campuses on Thursday evenings.
Find a 12-Step Meeting Near You
You have so much to gain when you actively participate in a 12-step program and only one thing to lose – the devastating effects of your substance use disorder. Of course, when you break the chains of addiction, you will not mourn the loss of alcohol or drugs. You will say, “Good riddance!”
In the wake of the opioid crisis in the United States, addiction is more prevalent in our country than ever before. You simply overcome your fear of meetings by going to a meeting. Instead of being afraid of sobriety, be afraid of staying trapped in the addictive cycle for the rest of your life. Or, worse, dying from a fatal overdose.
We’ve made it easier to take that first step toward recovery by providing links to help you find a meeting near you. Here are some of the most popular 12-step fellowships:
Alcoholics Anonymous
Narcotics Anonymous
Cocaine Anonymous
Heroin Anonymous
Crystal Meth Anonymous
Opiates Anonymous
Marijuana Anonymous
If you have a problem with alcohol or drugs, we strongly urge you to get to a meeting. You’ll be glad you did.
Need Help Getting on the Road to Recovery?
If you believe you need more help than meetings have to offer, we encourage you to contact us. Depending on what substances you’ve been using, you may need to undergo detox. We also offer residential services, an intensive outpatient program, and sober living.
When you’re ready to get help, we’re here for you.
