6 Obstacles to Overcome on the Slippery Slope of Relapse

Addiction/Recovery

6 Obstacles to Overcome on the Slippery Slope of RelapseThroughout life, there are obstacles to overcome. Addiction is certainly no exception. The journey to sobriety can be long, and obstacles will inevitably arise. Will you go over, under, or around them? Or will you stop and give up? It is all too easy to relapse and fall back into addiction. The good news is that life is full of choices. And Christ makes victory possible. “Despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us” (Romans 8:37, NLT).

To avoid relapse, be on the lookout for—and overcome-—the following six obstacles. (more…)

Substitute a New Behavior for Eating

Addiction/Recovery

Substitute a New Behavior for EatingHealing and recovery are often progressive because it requires changes in a person’s character and actions. The way to cope with emotional pain must change if the decision is to no longer eat (drink, or any other addictive reaction) through the pain.

Keeping a record of what one does when one becomes emotionally upset is an excellent way to watch progress occur, perhaps in a journal. The journey to finding new alternatives to eating might look like this: “I received an upsetting phone call from my ex. This made me feel hurt, so I went to the refrigerator and opened the door to eat.” Now, think of a new way to cope with that feeling. What could be a substitute for eating? One recommendation is calling a friend to pray. Here’s another example: “I heard someone gossip about me at church. This made me feel angry, so I stopped for fries at a fast-food restaurant.” A good alternative would be to gently confront the person who did the gossiping rather than feed the feelings. (more…)