About Healing From Addictions, or: Creating the WHEN List.

 

 

So you already stopped smoking, or drinking, or are able to some-of-the-time say no to sweets or carbs. Amazing! But then, ever so often, you can't resist it again, or even if you can, something triggers you inside and the no-saying becomes so much harder.

Or maybe you hadn't quit yet, but really want to. You just don't know where to start.

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A wonderful way that can really help is creating a list of "when". When am I triggered again?
"When I'm at this friend's house", "when I'm at the beach", "when that song is being played on the radio", "when I'm driving with my window open".

Forming the 'when list' helps us find and identify all the hidden triggers that activate us to create a huge surge of wanting, depleting our ability of saying no. Since a lot of these triggers are hidden, the more detailed the list - the better.

The reason for creating this kind of list is to name, and then empower ourselves back. Because dealing with addictions is so often dealing with the feeling of losing control. Losing control of our ability to say no to something, while at the same time a voice in the back of our head knows that we should have.

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So creating this list, putting those triggers on paper, helps clear the fog, helps name and identify when is it happening. It helps to bring awareness to it.

And once we know when, the road to taking back control of the situation is so much easier.

The next time we'll hear that song on the radio, we are already aware of it being a trigger, we are prepared for it. Understanding when, helps us gain control again. Control, the basic, fundamental, super-important factor while conquering addictions.

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So take a quiet time and space for yourself, form a list.

Again – the detailed, the longer, the better, comprising of all the "When's". Start putting order to the chaos. separate all the triggers to the smallest units.

It might take some time, and you might be surprised at how long it is, but please don't judge yourself.

From my experience it is always long.

Be compassionate, kind and supportive of yourself. Now you recognize and know your triggers. Now you have it. Now you know. Know you are prepared next time that trigger comes.

You gain control back.