THINGS YOUR THERAPIST/SPONSOR TELLS YOU THAT YOU CONSTANTLY FORGET
This saying reminds you that self-care is not selfish.
What is “Put your oxygen mask on first”?
This fruit can naturally ferment on trees, causing animals (and sometimes humans) to get tipsy.
What is Apples?
This brain chemical is most associated with reward, motivation, and addiction.
What is dopamine?
This skill teaches you to ride out cravings like a wave.
What is urge surfing?
Where did Lili get her cat?
It came with the house
This sponsor request reminds you that isolation = danger.
What is "pick up the phone"?
This place has more addiction treatment centers than McDonald’s restaurants.
What is Florida?
This stress hormone increases cravings.
What is cortisol?
This type of thinking error often shows up in early relapse: “I messed up once so it’s all ruined.”
What is black-and-white thinking / all-or-nothing thinking?
What is Lili's favorite color that she has ever dyed her hair?
Hot Pink
Your sponsor says this every time you try to ‘logic’ your way out of doing the work.
What is "You can't outthink addiction"?
This famous children’s author struggled with alcohol use disorder his entire life.
Who is Dr. Seuss?
This term refers to the brain’s ability to heal and rewire after addiction.
What is neuroplasticity?
This is the first step of relapse, which often goes unnoticed.
What is emotional relapse?
In what other country does Lili hold citizenship?
Costa Rica
This reminder about boundaries says you’re allowed to do the thing WITHOUT justifying it.
What is “No is a complete sentence”?
This Disney princess has long been analyzed as having symptoms of addiction in academic papers.
Who is Ariel from The Little Mermaid?
(“Obsessive seeking,” “withdrawal,” “deal-making”—yes, really.)
This is the process by which the body clears substances.
What is metabolism?
This type of therapy skill encourages naming emotions to reduce their intensity.
What is “name it to tame it”?
What did Cam think Lili's name was?
Marie
This reminder: you can’t pour from this container.
What is an empty cup?
This holiday tradition was invented partly to distract people from drinking too much at winter festivals.
What is caroling?
This brain function often improves around 6–12 months of sobriety.
What is executive function / decision-making?
This acronym helps you remember the steps to handle a crisis without acting impulsively: STOP.
What is “Stop, Take a step back, Observe, Proceed mindfully”?
Why did Lili choose to work in Substance Abuse Treatment?
Because she has family in recovery and she has been able to see the value of addiction counseling, not just for the person directly dealing with it, but for families as well.