Planning to use but telling myself I’ll stop early Thinking I already know this stuff “It’s just how I am” “This is the last time” Pushing feelings down “I’ll start recovery after ___” Using after a “good week” Ignoring warning signs Avoiding feelings instead of coping with them Using to sleep Avoiding asking for help “I need this to get through the day” Choosing people who enable me Assuming consequences won’t happen again Blaming stress, people, or circumstances Lying to avoid conflict Half- listening in group Telling myself “nothing bad happened last time” Hiding use from loved ones Thinking I’m protecting others from the truth Not being honest with staff Skipping group or arriving late Telling myself I don’t need this level of care Minimizing past consequences Using to manage anxiety or depression Forgetting how bad it got Cutting people off instead of setting boundaries Telling myself I’ll deal with it later Isolating instead of talking Using because I’m bored Using because I feel lonely Comparing myself to others in treatment Thinking feelings will pass on their own Telling myself they wouldn’t understand Using because I earned it Thinking I can control it this time “I’m not as bad as other people here” “I function better when I use” Doing homework “in my head” Waiting to take recovery seriously Using “just to take the edge off” Planning to use but telling myself I’ll stop early Thinking I already know this stuff “It’s just how I am” “This is the last time” Pushing feelings down “I’ll start recovery after ___” Using after a “good week” Ignoring warning signs Avoiding feelings instead of coping with them Using to sleep Avoiding asking for help “I need this to get through the day” Choosing people who enable me Assuming consequences won’t happen again Blaming stress, people, or circumstances Lying to avoid conflict Half- listening in group Telling myself “nothing bad happened last time” Hiding use from loved ones Thinking I’m protecting others from the truth Not being honest with staff Skipping group or arriving late Telling myself I don’t need this level of care Minimizing past consequences Using to manage anxiety or depression Forgetting how bad it got Cutting people off instead of setting boundaries Telling myself I’ll deal with it later Isolating instead of talking Using because I’m bored Using because I feel lonely Comparing myself to others in treatment Thinking feelings will pass on their own Telling myself they wouldn’t understand Using because I earned it Thinking I can control it this time “I’m not as bad as other people here” “I function better when I use” Doing homework “in my head” Waiting to take recovery seriously Using “just to take the edge off”
(Print)
Planning to use but telling myself I’ll stop early
Thinking I already know this stuff
“It’s just how I am”
“This is the last time”
Pushing feelings down
“I’ll start recovery after ___”
Using after a “good week”
Ignoring warning signs
Avoiding feelings instead of coping with them
Using to sleep
Avoiding asking for help
“I need this to get through the day”
Choosing people who enable me
Assuming consequences won’t happen again
Blaming stress, people, or circumstances
Lying to avoid conflict
Half-listening in group
Telling myself “nothing bad happened last time”
Hiding use from loved ones
Thinking I’m protecting others from the truth
Not being honest with staff
Skipping group or arriving late
Telling myself I don’t need this level of care
Minimizing past consequences
Using to manage anxiety or depression
Forgetting how bad it got
Cutting people off instead of setting boundaries
Telling myself I’ll deal with it later
Isolating instead of talking
Using because I’m bored
Using because I feel lonely
Comparing myself to others in treatment
Thinking feelings will pass on their own
Telling myself they wouldn’t understand
Using because I earned it
Thinking I can control it this time
“I’m not as bad as other people here”
“I function better when I use”
Doing homework “in my head”
Waiting to take recovery seriously
Using “just to take the edge off”
