When Relapse Is Your Reward

Here's why you reward yourself with a relapse. When speaking with men about their crystal use patterns, each person is different, which is why there is no one route to recovery. But some men will use when they are feeling isolated, when they're feeling depressed, insecure, when emotions are too much to bear, et cetera, et cetera. But other men use when life is going really well. Maybe their relationship is picture perfect. They nailed a presentation at work, or they got a promotion. Or they completed a milestone in their abstinence journey, or when they sign up for an IOP or drug treatment center and they're feeling really good about themselves. The reason you reward yourself with the thing you are trying to avoid is that when things are going really well, you let your guard down. You feel that you can safely use this time. You feel overconfident about your ability to control a drug that historically has controlled you. It is the same thing as when I go a month eating clean And I see results in the gym and I immediately find myself eating a burger and finishing it off with a milkshake. I am at that high vibe state where I forget that what I'm currently eating is what I've been trying to work off. I forget that once I fall off the diet wagon, it is incredibly difficult for me to get back on. So what's the answer? Find alternative ways to reward yourself very deliberately when you notice Through your journaling or through your reflection that you notice that you're doing really well. When you find outlets that are safe and not Tina-related to reward yourself, that's the replacement. Most importantly, be proactive with this and plan specific ways to replace the reward system so you don't find yourself in a comedown hitting life a little bit later.