Take Back Your LIfe

Hey there. Dr. Dallas Bragg here. Recovery coach for gay men who want to break free from the addictive patterns of crystal meth and live their best and highest life. That second part is most important. Live your best and highest life. Today I'm going to tell you how to take back control of your life. To wake up out of the autopilot and finally call the shots. To stop being a pawn of the crystal methamphetamine molecule. On this channel, you'll find lots of resources to help you break free from Tina and attain your best and highest self. Also, don't forget to look for my podcast. It's called The Aftermath, here on this channel as well. And I will drop a long-form video just like this one every Saturday. So please turn on the notification bell and subscribe to the channel so you don't miss any. And if that's not enough of me, you can sign up for my newsletter at www.drdallasbragg.com. Click on blog and you will get a newsletter every Monday that is a working newsletter with reflective questions, journal prompts, and actionable exercises for free. By the way, not for free. If you're interested in my one-on-one coaching program, it's called Recovery Alchemy. The link to apply is in the show notes. I take 2 new clients per month through weekly one-on-one sessions, weekly group sessions, and daily accountability. Your life could look much differently than it does now in 6 So guess what? Most of this world is asleep. They wake up, they scroll, go to the gym, maybe they work, they scroll, they Netflix, they sleep. What a life. The average person who grew up in suburbia, they, they graduated from college, they were employed by a corporation right out of college, then they got married and then they have kids. And I often wonder how they could ever know what it's like to smoke a bowl of meth and go on a sex bender for 3 days. To watch helplessly behind a wall of chemically induced paranoia while life crumbles slowly beneath their feet. To wipe away tears with their forearm while tightening the belt around their upper arm. Or to wake up from a bender They find their kids staring helplessly and fearfully at their weak, sullen body. Me. What the hell do those people know about hardship? If you are a meth user or a former meth user, we are the lucky ones. We get to view life through a different lens. We appreciate the light on a deeper level Because we've been deeper into the darkness. But I've been noticing lately that some of you escaped the grip of crystal meth only to find yourself trapped in another prison— autopilot living. You seem to conform to the rest of the world, get into this routine— work, sleep, Netflix— instead of leveraging your experience with meth. And you know what I'm talking about. That feeling when you're going through the motions, days blur together, when you're physically sober but still emotionally asleep, when you're letting old programming run the show instead of consciously creating your life. But here's what I know for damn sure: recovery isn't just about stopping meth. It's about waking up to your own life and taking the pen back to write your own story. So here's the mechanics of mental autopilot. Think about driving a familiar route, right? You arrive home with no memory of the actual drive because your unconscious mind took over. That same mechanism is running approximately 95% of your daily thoughts and your behaviors. Most days you're not making conscious choices at all. You're running programs. The I need external validation program that was coded into you when your worth was tied to performance. The I don't deserve good things program that got installed during your shame-filled using days. The I'm one mistake away from disaster program that kept you hypervigilant during the chaos. And the I can't trust myself program that reminds you of all your past failures. These aren't character flaws or moral failings. They're neurological grooves, default settings that your brain reverts to unconsciously throughout your day. And awareness is not enough. Here's where many recovery approaches fall short. They tell you to be mindful of these patterns without giving you the tools to actually rewire them. Awareness is only the first step. You can be perfectly aware you're on autopilot while the car keeps driving itself to the cliff or to the party, right? I've watched too many people get stuck in this loop. They recognize their patterns, they understand their triggers, they can name their trauma responses, and yet they keep living in the same damn day on repeat, just without crystal meth. That's not recovery. That's sober suffering. So here's a new— here's what we know about the neurological prison. When you're operating on autopilot, you're letting your limbic system, that's the emotional brain, and your brainstem, which is that survival brain, run the show. Emotion and survival. These parts developed early and are lightning fast but incredibly limited. They see everything through the lens of, is this safe or is this dangerous? Have I experienced this before? Do I approach or do I avoid? You're always in that mode. Meanwhile, your prefrontal cortex, this evolved human executive brain capable of creativity and complex planning and conscious choice thinking, sits idle and isolated. This neurological prison manifests as reacting the same way to different situations, feeling stuck in emotional loops. Despite wanting desperately to change. Making the same relationship mistakes with new people. Starting projects with enthusiasm only to sabotage them. Knowing what's good for you but not doing it consistently. Feeling like you're watching yourself making decisions you don't consciously want. And the most painful part is you blame yourself for these patterns rather than recognizing them as an out A dated neurological program. So here's how we're gonna take the pen back today. Here are 5 tangible practices that I've discovered to interrupt the autopilot and become the author of your life right now. Number 1, pattern interrupt ritual. Your brain has carved deep ravines of thought patterns, right, that lead back to that same place— shame, helplessness, cravings, numbness. These neural pathways get triggered Dozens of times a day without you even noticing. So go deeper. Create a personalized pattern interrupt that engages multiple senses. This is what's important. When you catch yourself in an old thought loop, stand up immediately. That's the physical shift. Or rub your paw— rub your temples, your hands together. Say your powerful praise— phrase, sorry— out loud. I'm the author now, or something like that. Like, I'm in control. That's the auditory. Hold something with texture, a stone, a fabric, something cold. That's the tactile. Look at the specific image that represents your future self. That's visual. Bring it up. Who am I in 6 months? Who am I tomorrow? Who am I without meth? And then take 3 deep breaths while imagining cutting the cord to that old story. You do all that at once, you are going to create a new pathway. I promise. The science behind that is pattern interrupts create a momentary Consciousness gap where your higher brain can step in before autopilot takes over. It's like you're giving it something to do for a minute while the— your actual self takes over. Each time you do this, you're literally rewiring neural pathways. So you can start today. Set 3 random alarms on your phone. When they go off, notice what mental loop you're in and practice your pattern interrupt. Practice what I just said. Track how many times you catch yourself before the alarm even goes off. All right, number 2, voice record your thoughts. Most of us have a constant mental radio station playing the same tracks on repeat. The problem is we've been listening so long that we don't even hear it anymore. It's background noise and it's poisoning our presence. So go deeper. Create a sacred morning voice practice. I love this. First thing after waking, before checking your phone, record yourself speaking for 5 minutes. Start with, what's true for me right now is... and keep talking without filtering. Listen back immediately with compassion, curiosity, but no fucking judgment. Note recurring themes in a dedicated journal. You can write those down. Every Sunday, listen to the clips from different days. Notice the patterns. The voice recording works because it externalizes your thoughts. Gets them out of here and out. You literally hear yourself as others would hear you. That separation creates the space for transformation. You'll be shocked at how many times you say, I can't, or I always, or I'm just not the type who. Start today. Record yourself answering, what stories am I telling myself about my recovery that might not actually be true? Don't prepare. Just hit record and speak. All right, number 3, create a power schedule. In active addiction, your day revolved around using. In early recovery, it probably revolved around not using, right? But now you're in the murky middle where every— anything goes, and that's dangerous territory for our brains. Crave structure. So go deeper. Your power schedule isn't just about productivity, it's about reclaiming your agency. Each night, take a blank index card and map the first 90 to 120 minutes of tomorrow. Include exact times. 7 o'clock wake up, 7:05 make bed, etc., etc. Include one physical activity, one mindfulness moment, and one creative act. Place this card and everything you'll need, which would be workout clothes, your journal, your pen, whatever, in a dedicated space. The next morning, move through the schedule with absolute commitment, like it's a sacred promise. And after completing that morning sequence, Write one sentence about how it feels to honor your word to yourself. The magic isn't in having a perfect morning, Ena. It's in the creating evidence that you do what you say you'll do. That's powerful. So each completed morning rebuilds trust in yourself that was damaged during your active use. So start today. Write your power schedule for tomorrow right now. Do it. Grab a pen and do it. Start small. 60 minutes of intentional living. 5 minutes. It creates momentum. All right, number 4, start a wins jar. Your brain has a negativity bias. It's like Velcro for painful experiences and Teflon for positive ones. This was useful when we needed to remember which berries made us sick in the jungle, right? Or in the woods. But it's terrible for recovery and life in general, where small wins often go unnoticed. So once you go deeper on this, Create a multi-sensory wins practice. Find a clear jar or a box that you can see into. Each night, write one small win on a colored piece of paper— different colors for different types if you can. As you place it in the jar, say out loud, I acknowledge this victory. Once a week, empty the jar and sort the wins into categories: relationship wins, self-care wins, work wins, emotional regulation wins, sobriety wins. Notice which areas have more or fewer wins. Take a photo of your pile of wins at the end of each month. And when you're struggling, physically hold these papers and read them out loud in person. That's the important part. I choose self-care by— the wins jar works by counteracting your brain's negativity bias with tangible evidence. It can't lie to you when you have the truth in front of you. Over time, you'll start automatically noticing wins throughout the day because you've trained your brain to look for them. So start today. Write down 3 wins from today, right now, no matter how small. I opened this email, counts. I took a shower, counts. Anything, everything counts. Number 5, redefine your identity statement. Your brain makes decisions based on your identity. I'm a runner makes getting up for a run easier than I'm trying to run. The problem in recovery is that we often carry outdated identity labels that keep us stuck. So go deeper on this. Create an evolving identity document. Take a full page and draw a line down the middle. On the left, write, I was someone who, and complete it with aspects of your using identity. On the right, write, I am becoming Someone who, with the emerging elements of your new identity. For each was statement, write a directly corresponding becoming statement. Read both columns out loud every day, but read the left column in past tense and the right column in present tense. Each month, update the document, gradually moving items from becoming to I am someone who. So I was someone, I am becoming someone and I am someone. Share this document with one trusted person who sees your highest potential. Identity statements work. Listen, because your brain strives for consistency with how you see yourself. And a belief is just a thought you keep on thinking. So by consciously evolving these statements, you give your brain a new blueprint to follow. The key is using present tense though. I am becoming, which acknowledges the journey rather than demanding overnight transformation. So you can start right now. Write 3 I was statements and 3 corresponding I am becoming. Read them out loud before bed. Listen, there is power in integrating this. These 5 practices aren't separate techniques. They form an ecosystem of awakening. Do them all. I promise you will see a huge difference in your life. The pattern interrupts create the space. The voice recordings bring awareness. The power schedule brings agency. The wins jar reinforces your progress. The identity statements solidify the change, makes it all in a line. Together, they help you move from being a character in a story written by your past to becoming the conscious author of your present and your future. Remember, every moment is a choice point. Every day is a blank page. You escaped Crystal because you're resilient and you're powerful. And now it's time to use that same power to create a life That's not just sober, but awake. You didn't survive everything you've been through to just sleepwalk through the rest of your life. You survived to thrive, to feel everything, to create meaning, to connect deeply, to pursue joy unapologetically. Your past made you strong. Your present makes you free. Your future That makes you whatever you want it to be. Okay, I love you all, and I'll see you next week.