Author: James Anderson
White Knuckling in Recovery: How to Overcome It
Linked to this, you also run a heightened risk of depression if you abruptly stop using alcohol without external help and continue to feel aggrieved about your sobriety. Common medications for MAT include naltrexone, acamprosate, and disulfiram. You can also receive MAT while also attending outpatient therapy and support groups. One concept that contrasts white knuckling is mindfulness, a state of active, open attention to the present. Instead of suppressing or battling cravings, mindfulness involves observing them without judgment.
- White knuckling recovery might occasionally yield dividends for some people, but they will often find each day is an ongoing internal struggle to sidestep triggers and avoid substances.
- There are many resources available to help you quit drinking, many of which are free or low cost.
- MAT is most effective when delivered in combination with counseling and psychotherapies like CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) or DBT (dialectical behavior therapy).
- There is no shame in needing additional support to overcome the chemical influence of alcohol.
Seeking support on your sobriety journey can make a big difference in that process. The problem is, willpower — the main “weapon” of the white-knuckling approach — doesn’t work all that well when fighting a habit driven by chemically induced urges. Research shows that alcohol misuse involves a complex interplay of neurotransmitters in our brain — especially dopamine, which plays a central role in reward and pleasure.
Understanding “White Knuckling” in Sobriety
MAT is most effective when delivered in combination with counseling and psychotherapies like CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) or DBT (dialectical behavior therapy). Much like stopping drinking cold turkey or white-knuckling depression, some people may find white-knuckling sobriety is effective. However, it can truly be a dangerous strategy to get sober, especially when there are proven and safe methods such as going to a professional treatment center or sober living home to help with this. The first step in dealing with dry drunk syndrome is the same as it was for quitting alcohol.
Support Groups
This can sometimes manifest by blaming others for being miserable about not drinking like others do. Those who are white-knuckling sobriety, whatever their reasons, can feel like they are just hanging on for dear life rather than moving forward into a new and exciting life substance-free. The good news is, it can be largely avoided by engaging with recovery services. As you’ll see from today’s snapshot of this phenomenon closely related to the concept of the dry drunk, this approach is limited and fraught with pitfalls. While engaging with addiction treatment at an Orange County rehab is no guarantee of achieving sustained sobriety without relapsing, the process will be safer and smoother.
White-knuckling sobriety means using self-control and willpower to get and/or stay sober. However, the intense symptoms of alcohol withdrawal make this challenging and often unachievable. The concept of white knuckle sobriety refers to grasping onto your sobriety through willpower alone, and without working through any kind of recovery program. We are confident that we can help you make a difference in your life and would love to help you on your journey.
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The phrase ‘white knuckling’ comes from the way our knuckles can turn white when we’re gripping onto something extremely tightly. When it comes to sobriety, white knuckling means going through the recovery journey without seeking outside support. While some people find that willpower alone is enough to successfully stop drinking, for others, it may require taking a deeper look into their drinking habits with some external support.
Daily Recovery Routines
If you’re struggling with alcohol addiction, many treatment options are available. Inpatient rehab requires you to live at the center while you receive treatment. Outpatient centers provide recovery services as needed, and people can live at home. This can allow you to treat the symptoms of your mental health disorder without turning to alcohol or drugs. People who abstain from their drug of choice on their own may not have the best motivation for doing so.
Ultimately, whatever course you take will leave you feeling fulfilled and at “at home” in your own mind if you approach it with a sense of curiosity instead of resistance. However, people who have a supportive recovery system such as in an alumni recovery program are far less likely to relapse than people who go at it alone. White knuckling sobriety is lonely and unpleasurable, making the chances of relapse much higher. Additionally, while therapy or rehab require commitment, people white knuckling have little to lose when they relapse, making it an enticing option. The withdrawal symptoms that are an outcome of quitting drugs vary from drug to drug. These symptoms include nausea, vomiting, muscle pain, seizures, confusion, insomnia, fatigue, depression, anxiety, paranoia, and more.
What to Know About Dry Drunk Syndrome
When conducted by a professional, exposure therapy gradually exposes us to the source of our fear in a controlled and safe environment, helping us to reduce our anxiety response over time. There is a big chance that someone white knuckling sobriety will substitute one substance for another. In the best case, the person may become addicted to one substance over another, for example, alcohol instead of heroin. In the worst case they’ll be left with an addiction to both substances – leaving them in a worse position than they were in previously.
Relapsing itself can be extremely dangerous because during the period a person abstained from drug use, their tolerance may have decreased considerably. If they consume drugs in the quantities they’re used to, they put themselves at significant risk of overdose. Understanding what to say to a recovering alcoholic or someone grappling with drug addiction can be challenging if you have not faced these experiences yourself.