Early recovery is full of pitfalls. Primarily why things can sometimes feel worse instead of better. You take the brave step to get help, and instead of immediate relief, you feel like you’re falling apart. Healing isn’t always linear, and growth rarely feels good while it’s happening.
At Monument Recovery, we talk openly about this phase (and it is just a phase), because expecting recovery to feel amazing right away is setting yourself up for disappointment. In reality, early addiction treatment can stir up everything you’ve been avoiding for years—and that emotional rawness can be overwhelming. But it’s also a sign that you’re on the right track.
Starting the recovery process involves more than just quitting substances; it’s about digging into the reasons you used in the first place. Those of use who struggle with addiction use drugs and alcohol as a shield - something to dull the noise in our head, silence the pain in our hearts, or avoid the uncomfortable. When you take that shield away, what’s left can feel intense.
It’s not uncommon to feel sadness, anxiety, anger, or even numbness. These emotions have likely been buried for a long time. As Clinical Director Bradley Wagner puts it, “A huge misconception is that treatment will immediately feel great. Clients often feel emotionally raw at first.” That emotional rawness is not a sign something is wrong—it’s a sign something real is happening.
Recovery asks you to stop running and start sitting with what’s been chasing you. You might find yourself crying for no reason, feeling easily irritated, or swinging between hopelessness and anger. You may start to question why you ever thought recovery was a good idea in the first place. That’s normal. When you remove the numbing effects of substances, you start to feel things in full force.
“They learn to sit with their emotions instead of avoiding them,” says Wagner. “The goal is to process feelings in a safe, supportive space.” Emotions, even the uncomfortable ones, aren’t dangerous. They’re messengers. And learning to face them instead of avoid them is what builds long-term emotional resilience.
There’s also a very real, very physical reason early recovery feels hard: your brain and body are recalibrating. Addiction affects your nervous system and hijacks your brain’s reward circuitry. When you stop using, your dopamine levels drop. Your body doesn’t yet know how to feel good without the substance, so you might feel emotionally flat or unusually low. Your sleep might be disrupted. You might feel foggy, anxious, or exhausted. This is your brain starting to heal.
“Discomfort is part of growth,” Wagner reminds us, “and it doesn’t last forever.”
The good news is, this hard season doesn’t last forever. As your brain begins to stabilize and your nervous system finds a new rhythm, things start to even out. Your moods become more manageable. You start to sleep better. You have more energy. You begin to experience moments of real joy, peace, and clarity—and over time, those moments stretch out. You build confidence, gain insight, and start to create a life that doesn’t require escape.
When you’re in the thick of it, it’s easy to feel discouraged. But here’s what we hope you will hold onto: Feeling worse before you feel better doesn’t mean something’s wrong. It means something important is happening. You’re waking up. You’re healing. You’re building something real. Something solid. And you don’t have to do it alone. Give us a call; we’re here for the hard days, not just the highlight reel.