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Recovery is hard enough with the emotional roller coaster that it entails, but the fear of failure can be crippling. Fear of failure is one of the biggest reasons people relapse. It is important to know where these fears come from and how to combat them.
There are a few ways to deal with the fear of failure during the course of recovery. Help is just a phone call away. If you or a loved one is suffering from an addiction and needs help, call
800-948-8417
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to speak with a caring specialist who can assist you.
A Fear of Failure

When someone recovering from addiction returns to their life, everything will be new and different in their environment. During recovery, the individual was likely told to let go of old friends and acquaintances, which for many means they may be alone a majority of the time. It is still vital to keep them out of his or her life to reduce the chances of a relapse. This feeling of loneliness can cause the individual to feel a fear of failure.
A fear of failure is common among recovering individuals, and it usually involves a fear of the past coming back in the present. A fear of rejection from love or jobs is understandable, and the list of ways to fail may seem endless.
Much of this fear is based on overstimulation, cognitive incongruity, and response unavailability. A recovery from addiction can cause these events, as a person is flooded with information, has difficulty reconciling with their lives after a traumatic experience, and might not know how to handle this difficult situation.
The Solution to the Fear
To get over this fear, it is important to set up reminders that you did achieve your goal of surviving rehab, which gave you the tools you need to remain sober. These reminders will help to solidify your resilience and give you the ability to cope with life’s challenges and to be better prepared for stressful situations.
To overcome the fear of what will be, it’s time to let go of what was and celebrate your achievements in becoming sober.
To combat the feeling of loneliness, most rehabs recommend enrolling in a 12-step program that will allow recovering individuals to jumpstart recovery. You can test out groups to find out which one works best and talk to people who are going through similar situations to theirs.
These groups are made to offer support and help you fight the feelings of loneliness that can occur.
The fear of failure can be terrifying, but it is important to know how to combat these feelings to continue the sobriety in the individual’s life. A fear of failure can make the individual fear the past coming back to haunt them.
However, he or she should join a 12-step group to connect with those who are going through a similar situation and set up reminders of the achievements he/she gained by going through recovery.
If a fear of failure is plaguing you, call
800-948-8417
Sponsored
to get the assistance you need to find someone who can help you to overcome it.
