Dallas Bragg argues that recovery from addiction depends on shifting how you perceive events, not achieving perfection. All experiences are neutral until you assign them meaning. Reframing a relapse or setback as a foundation for growth, rather than failure, is what makes recovery stick.
The only difference between someone who has a substantial amount of abstinent time and someone who's caught up in the relapse cycle is the ability to shift perception. Successful recovery is about perception, not perfection. Everything we experience in life is neutral. We get to choose the meaning and the story around it. Our choice either empowers or disempowers. Hence the importance of reframing the way you see relapse, setbacks, mistakes, and what you perceive as negative events. So I want you to listen and integrate this: in recovery, when it feels like you're falling backward, you're actually just reaching the bottom of your next level up.
