When you’re recovering from an alcohol addiction you might look around and feel like everyone else is doing better than you. We may feel like everyone else has it easier than we do. They’re having more fun, seem more financially secure and must be a lot happier too. This questioning and sense of dissatisfaction with the way our lives seem to be going can be a trigger for relapse. We need to tell ourselves that the grass isn’t always greener on the other side because it isn’t rational to think that everyone else is better off than us!

Jealousy in Addiction Recovery

One of the most damaging emotions that humans can experience is jealousy and it’s a dangerous emotion in recovery so you need to find ways to deal with it. People who have an addiction can find it hard to deal with negative emotions like jealousy in the recovery process. Addicts in recovery are often emotionally immature which means that they struggle to deal with their own emotions and can be what lead to the substance abuse in the first place. During the addiction, the person can’t mature emotionally and when they do get sober they will still face problems with feelings like jealousy. Stop the jealousy. You do not know what anyone is going through even when they seem like they don’t have a care in the world. Those happy go lucky people may be going through a divorce, they might have cancer or have lost a parent. Everyone has ways they deal with stressful situations and we all go through stressful times.

Thinking Errors in Addiction Recovery

1. Be grateful. It’s important to remember how much progress you’ve made, just a while back you were suffering with an addiction. Be proud of all you’ve achieved and remember you are not perfect and either is anyone else!
2. Be positive. When that feeling of “everyone else has it all” creeps in, have a list of tricks you can turn to and take some positive action. Smell a candle, take a walk, read a book or call a friend. Do the things that bring you back to seeing how good your life is now as opposed to before.
3. Learn from the past. Life is not good when you’re addicted to alcohol, remember that. Just because you have problems now there is no comparison to the problems you and when you were addicted. You have learned skills to deal with the problems that will come up rather than getting drunk.
4. Talk to a trusted friend. Friends you can call night or day gives you access to a support system. People who have been there have experience and wisdom that is very helpful.
5. Be proactive. Proactive activities will be different for everyone. It can be finishing a book, applying for a job or taking a class. Whatever the activity is it will go a long way in fighting off feelings of inadequacy. These feelings can have a negative effect on long-term sobriety.
6. Don’t give up. Life in recovery truly is better…and it truly is worth fighting for! Remember that when you think others’ lives look better than yours.

Addiction Recovery Help in Greater Los Angeles, California

It’s important to learn how to cope with emotions for a strong and fulfilling life in sobriety. If you find yourself suffering with irrational feelings during your recovery you can contact Meehab Addiction Recovery for help.