One of the important aspects of becoming free of addiction is being able to control your emotional state, especially when life doesn’t go the way you think it should. A lack of emotional maturity brings unhappiness and can prevent a normal person from progressing. It can also mean a greater potential for addictive behavior as a means of escape from the pain caused by wild emotions. And with addictions like drugs and alcohol, there’s not much emotional improvement that can occur. Here are some helpful tips from Foothills Centre for Change you can follow to gain emotional sobriety and maturity in your journey.
What is Emotional Sobriety?
An emotionally sober person can be described as someone who can deal with feelings both positive and negative in an overall positive way. An emotionally sober person can face their problems without turning to mind-altering chemicals because they have an inner strength they can rely on to see them through the hard times. Small annoyances don’t affect them, whether those annoyances come from other people or from the circumstances of life. Fortunately, for those suffering from addiction, you can earn emotional sobriety with practice and diligence.
Dangerous Emotions in Recovery
One of the most important tasks to handle in learning sobriety is how to handle emotions. Early sobriety can be a very rocky road, as without the dampening effects of alcohol and drugs, strong emotions can bubble up more powerful than ever. The temptation to return to addiction comes from failing to manage them effectively. It may seem counterintuitive, but any unmanaged emotion can impede a person’s recovery, such as fear, disappointment, loneliness, boredom, guilt, anger, and even excessive joy.
How to Develop Emotional Sobriety
Here are a few ways anyone can develop increased emotional strength:
- Mindful meditation can be highly effective in helping people see the present and observe how emotions rise and fall within them. It can help the meditator see how impermanent emotions can be and that they can all be reacted to in different ways. It can teach that a person doesn’t have to be a victim to their emotions.
- Emotional maturity doesn’t happen overnight, no matter how old a person may be. Keeping a recovery journal is a great tool to help record all of the little successes and setbacks and can help you adjust your thoughts accordingly. Don’t become frustrated at what you think is slow progress; a journal can help you see how far you’ve come.
Free yourself from the grip of addiction and live your life again with help from the professional therapists at Foothills Centre for Change. We can help you build strength in your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual centers to help you obtain stability and happiness again. Contact us today at (844) 366-8445 to start your recovery!