Dallas Bragg explains why some people stay sober while others relapse: the 4-second rule. When an urge hits, pause for four seconds to choose a different response. Your thoughts aren't controllable, but what you do in those four seconds is.
Okay, so what's the biggest difference between someone who is successfully sober and someone who's chronically relapsing? The pain that rips through your soul after a relapse is a pain only an addict can truly know. Failure, shame, hopelessness, doubt. What sets apart a sober person from a chronic relapser is being able to harness the power of the 4-second rule. The ability to pause and redirect in those vital 4 seconds after an urge or a trigger. The thought to use is going to come. You can't control that. But what you can control is in the preceding 4 seconds, whether you choose to follow that thought or redirect. How can you take power of these 4 seconds? It's called mindfulness. DM or comment meditate, and I'll get you started practicing mindfulness with a free guided meditation.
