Self-Observation Checklist...When Willpower Fails

I’m writing this highly aware that the holidays are upon us and we want to be festive and jolly. I’m aware that no one wants to hear a downer or be a downer. All that awareness however is so superficial because what I am most highly aware of is the stress, temptation, and isolation of the holidays for many.

I’m also highly aware that many folks are going through something related to deep-seated habits or addictions. New Year’s resolutions are rolling in and sadly, 85% of folks fail to achieve their goals and quit by January 11th. If you are going to go “cold-turkey” on any habit, alcohol, drugs, sugar, TV, shopping, social media and more, you need to prepare yourself for your habitual mind and it’s cravings to rear their ugly dragon head. If you are in recovery, it’s time to firming establish boundaries and guard against relapse.

Here’s a beautiful list from “Willpower’s Not Enough, Recover from Addictions of Every Kind” by Arnold Washton and Donna Boundy. It will help you to hear in your head who is doing the talking and driving…is it you? your higher self? or is is the dragon? Buy the book. It’s worth it. buy here>>>

Checklist: (from page 216 of the book…copy it and keep it handy to check in with)

A. Am I experiencing any of these negative moods right now?

Angry, depressed, anxious, nervous, lonely, guity, ashamed, scared, inadequate, humiliated, embarrassed, rejected, abandoned, bored, emply?

B. Am I experiencing any of the following high-risk factors?

Urges and cravings
Impatience
Overconfidence
Expecting too much of myself or others
Blaming others
Defiance
Defensiveness
Desire to indulge in myself
Exhaustion
Feelings of giving up
Inability to have fun without my habit of choice
Feelings of neediness, deprivation, overstress
Feelings of elation but off balance
Feelings of invulnerability to relapse
Doubts that I’m really an addict or have a deep-seated habit that could become an addiction
Fantasies about controlled use
Feeling sorry for myself
Wanting to be cured
Feeling like a hopeless case
Romanticizing the good times on my habit
Feeling overconfident
Feeling like celbrating
Feeling cured
Feeling justified in getting high
Feeling plagued by painful memories
Relapse dreams
Wanting magical solutions to my problems
Being harshly critical of myself
Thinking maybe I’m not addicted anymore
Planning to drop out of treatment, recovery or support
Dwelling on past mistakes
Putting myself in high risk situations
Acting impulsively
Focusing on someone else’s problems or recovery
Dwelling on past mistakes
Throwing myself into a new relationship in an obsessive way
Not putting my recovery first
Not exercising, eating properly, getting enough sleep, having fun, taking care of myself.
Lacking structure
Allowing stress to build up
Lying
Isolating
Not talking about my problems with anyone
Using other drugs, activities or people as mood-changers
Rationalizing
Rejecting suggestions of others in recovery
Saying what other people want to hear, but feeling otherwise
Cutting corners in my recovery program

If you have checked any of these things, know that you are at risk. Observe your thought patterns. Separate the voices in your head through this process and interrupt the thoughts with mantra, affirmation, and positive choice making. Through this process you will observe yourself honestly and stay the path. This checklist is very good for bringing awareness to yourself. You can’t deny the checklist whereby you can deny your thoughts.

I think it is very interesting to note that these are the stereotypical and common thought patters of addiction. They are not your unique thoughts. It’s a patterned behavior typical of this disease.

If you want help establishing routines, nutrition, meditation, yoga, mantra and meditation, The Elemental Cleanse starts in January or join our ecourse anytime. It’s a loving way to gently release toxicity from the body and mind and be supported on your path. Om, Pamela

Self-Observation Checklist…When Willpower Fails