Short poems, stories, vents, and my life advice

How to avoid a relapse/deal with cravings

Disclaimer: These work well for me, but maybe not for everyone. I am not a professional, but I am an addict. And if it helps then that's great!

For smoking: chew gum, suck on sour candy, chew ice

If you like the fire (which used to be a big one for me) then you can light a match or flick the lighter. Only do this one if you're in a position where you are safe. Don't do this if there's high potential you will burn yourself or others.

One thing I like to do is roll paper and put it to my mouth. Do not put anything in the paper, just roll it. You can also eat things like pockys, Cheetos, or even candy cigarettes. Sometimes you just need the hand to mouth thing. It's even more common for those with ADHD (me)

For Drinking: drink hot sauce (anything spicy), sour, or salty.

Watch an episode of a show and clasp your hands together. Don't let them go until the episode is over ( it should be about 30 minutes). This sounds dumb but sometimes physical restraint is what it comes down

Buy cola or other soda in those glass bottles and smash them somewhere safe to do so. Good to let off steam. You can pretend the bottles had alcohol in them and symbolically break the link between you and the substance.

Self harm: put lotion on the area, the butterfly project, ice, love that one, cold shower, dunk your head in ice water.

Snap a rubber band on your wrists (if it's safe to do so),

socialize, be around people. I know it's hard when you're depressed but it's a cycle you have to break

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Throw away your materials. I know this is one of the most difficult steps. Leave the house and have a friend throw out your stuff. Keeping your alcohol or your blades doesn't help anyone. If it makes you feel better you can always get more, but don't have it around. Don't make it convenient to relapse.

Something I wish people had told me is that a relapse and a lapse are different.

A relapse is returning back to the behavior, environment, and or people that you had previously been free from. It's staying in that place for a period of time and continuing even if it's dangerous.

A lapse is temporary and quick visitation of the behavior, environment or people. It's realizing you made a mistake and fixing it. Not making the mistake again and not making the mistake worse than it has to be.

Example: a lapse would be taking a sip of alcohol, realizing that it's not a good idea and that you are trying to get sober, and putting it down.

A relapse would be taking a sip, thinking "oh, it doesn't matter, or too late I already did it", and finishing the bottle.

Everyone relapses eventually. It's just a fact. It sucks, it hurts, it makes you feel like crap, but it happens. Don't beat yourself up. We're all learning and figuring this out. Life sober is scary. I'm scared. Theres no shame in it. We are human. We fuck up. But we fix it.

I was 2 months sober on Christmas. If I can do it, anyone can. Believe me. I am by no means fixed. I'm barely better. But I'm sober. And that's enough for right now. All you have to do is exist. If you can do that you're doing great.

Anyways best of luck to all of you, and Jack out