Dallas Bragg argues that a relapse doesn't erase your progress in recovery. He says success should be measured by relationships, physical health, and mental wellbeing, not just days sober. Many long-term sober people are miserable because they only count clean time.
Okay, you had 3 months without the substance and you used again. Who told you that you have to start over, that you have to forget those 3 months that you worked so hard not to use? Do you realize the amount of energy it takes every day to just not use? Who told you that you have to start over at zero? And let's also consider the other metrics involved here. How are your relationships? Did they improve? Your physical health, did it improve? Your mental health, did it improve? Your spiritual health. You need a long list of metrics for success in recovery, or you're going to keep yourself in this shame. and guilt spiral that at the end of the day, abstinence from the substance is not gonna really mean recovery. How many people have you met who can brag about 15 years in recovery, clean, but they're horrible people? They're miserable people. That's because they are looking at the wrong set of metrics to measure success in recovery. And they're going to tell you that you lost all that time. You didn't. You didn't lose anything. If anything, you've gained something. You've gained the knowledge, the experience, the learning from that lapse to help you move forward with newfound knowledge, drive, and incentive. I want you right now, I invite you to release The need to start over. You are the executive of your own recovery and the executive of your own life. You run your recovery, no one else. You decide what's a measure of success, only you. I hope that you can feel the empowerment in what I'm saying and stop the cycle of shame. You are enough. Your recovery is enough. And just because you used after 3 months does not mean you're starting over.
