Overcoming the 90-Day Sober Hurdle

I meet many embarking on a journey to sobriety with enthusiasm and determination. Initial improvements in sleep, productivity, and emotional connection often fuel motivation. However, the 90-day sober hurdle can be a treacherous period, often marked by relapse and thoughts of failure.

I vividly recall my own struggles when I first quit drinking in 2018. It was then that I began to recognise those feelings of anxiety and fear when meeting up with friends and the thoughts that others would be judging me because I was not drinking alcohol. Other thoughts, “I am not fun and outgoing when I am not drinking”, and “I am boring”. I placed so much pressure on myself through my thinking mind. The fear of social judgment, feelings of isolation, and relentless internal critic create a perfect storm of anxiety. These challenges are common among those seeking to overcome addiction.

Those thoughts have never been the truth. I was and still am as naughty and fun sober as I was when I was in the throes of an alcoholic blur. The difference was I did not wake up with those awful feelings of sickness, the head hurting, and all the thinking around, oh my god! Did I really say that, do that, or upset someone? Or worse.

 I am sure some of you recognise those thoughts and feelings of absolute lethargy and sickness the morning after. I have shared some funny stories about going to work during a hangover. But because they are honest and comical, it doesn’t mean I enjoyed those feelings or am proud of those tales.

But life is so much freer now. I no longer have those old emotions, and anxious thinking is far less present. 

It is interesting when you understand that it was the alcohol withdrawal that was creating those feelings in the body that I named anxiety and depression, along with my dark glasses, that only saw the doom and loneliness that surrounded me.

As alcohol withdraws from the body, dopamine lowers, the chemical that tells us we have got to have it! Alcohol, nicotine, sugar, and a myriad of other things trick the brain and make us think that we need the substance habit or behaviour.

 It also lets us know when we are hungry and drives lust. These are fundamentals required for the human species to continue, so it makes sense that evolution gave us a way of surviving.

It is all beginning to make sense.
There are also emotional needs that we humans require. Tony Robbins talks about them, and in Human Givens, training is at the core of their therapy model.

These are:
Security, attention, control, meaning and purpose, privacy, community, intimacy, status, and achievement.

When emotional needs are unmet, we look for something outside ourselves to fill the void; this can be emotional/over-eating, shopping, recreational drug use, alcohol binges or even self-harm. I am certain that some of you can think of more ways to self-soothe.

What I know to be true is that we humans are creative thinking animals that often put on the wrong thinking glasses and believe so strongly that what we are thinking and seeing at the moment is truth. Or is it?
Have you ever been somewhere where everything was wrong, including customer service, food, cleanliness, price, and everyone else around you? I have!

Now, if you return and you are in a different mood or frame of mind, you and those around you will suddenly have a whole new experience.

For help with quitting or taking up the alcohol-free month challenges, download my free 7 strategies for preventing a relapse.

Hypnotherapy can be a powerful tool in overcoming addiction and anxiety. By accessing the subconscious mind, hypnotherapy can help individuals identify and reprogram negative thought patterns, reduce cravings, and develop healthier coping mechanisms.

Are you struggling to stay sober beyond the 90-day mark? Hypnotherapy can provide the support and guidance you need to break free from the cycle of addiction and anxiety.

Book a free consultation today to explore how hypnotherapy can help you achieve lasting sobriety and improve your overall well-being.

Remember, you are not alone. With the right support and tools, you can overcome the challenges of sobriety and create a fulfilling, alcohol-free life.