Emotional Sobriety: The Golden Key To Addiction Recovery

Emotional sobriety is a set of psychological ‘self-management’ skills that are vital to achieving successful recovery.  It is both the ‘foundation’ and the long term ‘task’ of recovery.  Emotional sobriety includes – but is not limited to – the ability to:

• Be aware of and at ease with a full range of emotions

• Feel calm and resilient during times of stress

• Cope effectively with difficult emotions such as fear, hurt, sadness and frustration

• Cultivate hope and a positive outlook on life

• Attain mood stability

• Develop  satisfying and enduring relationship bonds

Simply put, abstinence is not recovery.  It is merely is the cessation of addictive behavior – the starting point of recovery.  Abstinence can last a day, a week or indefinitely.  What gives abstinence staying power, and turns it into true recovery, is the development of solid emotional self-management skills.

People who engage in addictive behaviors are often out of touch with – and therefore at a loss about – how to care for their emotional needs.  This can be due to some significant loss, neglect, abuse or trauma earlier in life.  When emotions are associated with crisis or pain, people can become ‘emotion-phobic’, and want to escape or avoid feelings through ‘self-medicating’ addictive behavior.  They may turn to alcohol, drugs, food, relationships or the internet to try and achieve a sense of gratification and calm.  The solution becomes the problem however as legitimate psychological needs continue to go unmet, and difficulties escalate into the crisis of addiction.

1. First and foremost, to avoid relapse

2. To be able to recognize and ‘collaborate’ with your emotions as teachers and allies that are there to tell you what your needs are, whether your needs are being met, and what circumstances in your life may require change in order to meet your needs.

3. To develop the confidence, satisfaction and resilience that comes from dealing with your emotions directly and effectively, rather than self-medicating to avoid pain.

4. To become the person you want to be – so your actions are congruent with your values and aspirations for your life.

Emotional sobriety starts with understanding what full recovery means – psychological wellness paired with the end of compulsive, self destructive behaviors.  In other words, learning to experience, understand, accept and be guided by emotions, and to reframe pessimistic thinking, without self-medicating with substances or compulsive behaviors, is the foundation of recovery.  The next step is to channel this understanding into the commitment necessary to achieve success.  People in recovery need to identify their psychological ‘learning curves’ – i.e. areas of their emotional lives that require healing, development and support.  This may involve resolving losses, hurts or traumas from the past.  It might also mean overcoming anxiety or depression in the present.  Emotional recovery is a task that is difficult to achieve in isolation.  Addiction counseling can help recovering people conquer psychological obstacles and gain emotional equilibrium, perspective and healthy coping skills.

Emotional self-management skills are crucial for recovering addicts who want to avoid relapse and achieve greater harmony between moods, thoughts, behaviors and appetites.  The good news is that with the right motivation, strategies and counseling support, pain and uncertainty can be replaced by a sense of peace and fulfillment – a powerful foundation for long term recovery.

Counseling is available online by Video worldwide.

Glynis Sherwood – MEd, Canadian Certified Counselor, Registered Clinical Counselor, and Certified Addictions Counselor, specializes in recovery from Substance Abuse and Addictive Behaviors, Trauma, Anxiety, Depression and Grief.   I look forward to hearing from you and helping you achieve the life you want and deserve!