So I picked up a margarita, and yes I had a drink, actually I had a few sips and at least half of it was gone. I asked myself why? No real big event of stress, frustration and anger and I was full of joy and happiness as it was a most gorgeous day and I had been watching my lovely children at a school event.
I was with family and friends who were also drinking and I felt happy and I just thought why not?
Well it did feel good at the time, that buzz that lasts probably no more than 15 mins. I have had long periods of sobriety since the last time I found myself with a drink in my hand. I was happy, probably complacent and I was clearly in a mode of justification for my action.
The slip up radar of 1) trigger, 2) justification and 3) action illustrated below. Typically the shorter the time frame (often nanoseconds) from trigger to action will indicate the severity of the slip up – lapse (more one off and conscious) vs relapse (heading towards old behaviour and unconscious mind usually in the driving seat so quick response from trigger to holding a drink in your hand).
I was conscious and aware.
I could see that my trigger was happiness and my self-talk was that it’s ok to have just one.
I decided to stop before finishing, as I remembered the unpleasant after effects.
I reminded myself of my success so far and the benefits of not drinking.
Anyway the consequences, I did not sleep well, foggy brain today, extreme internal conflict, negative self-talk and lack of self-love and the anxiety came flooding back, the very reminder I probably needed of my WHY to stopping drinking in the first place.
So I slipped up, now what?
So the day, after here is what I did, and what I recommend for you:
- Be honest to yourself and to others – authenticity is key to living a life anxiety free, full of joy and happiness. Don’t be afraid to be vulnerable and ask for help if struggling.
- Don’t jump to negative conclusions – don’t define you as a bad, weak person, there will be many reasons why we slipped up.
- Journal – what led to drinking, how you felt during, and now you felt afterwards. Was it a positive or negative experience overall?
- Remind yourself of your WHY and what the New You is trying to achieve
- Be kind to yourself the day after a slip up, treat yourself as a friend who had lapsed from some goal important to them
- Think of the incident as yet another slip up in the normal process of breaking a long-term habit
- Get back on track with your plan IMMEDIATELY!
- Don’t strive for perfectionism, success is how many times you can fail and get back up again
Most importantly, think of the slip up/lapse as an experience you can learn and be strengthened by!
Sobriety & recovery definitely gets easier over time. And when you have had long periods of sobriety you will experience so many positive results that your desire to drink is low or often non-existent.
But we often get relapse warning signs or just plain complacency, so watch out for these. By embracing an attitude of love, especially self-love – and a willing and honest self-awareness, you can overcome virtually any challenge or obstacle you face and Be Your Best Self!
I’m here to help you too. If you’d like my FREE GUIDE to learning more about your relationship with alcohol click below.
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Ph: Rachel 02 9016 2839 (24/7 support)
Email:info@Rachelhind.com
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Website: www.rachelhind.com
