Body is Talking
You are tired, irritated, and everything feels harder than it should. Before assuming your whole day is ruined, what basic need might you check first?
Sleep, food, water, rest, taking care of my body, physical wellness.
You are getting irritated fast and can feel yourself about to snap. What is one recovery move before you speak?
Pause, breathe, step away, pray, count to ten, ask for a minute, calm down first.
Old me would isolate when I felt bad. What might new me try instead?
Reach out, talk to someone, go to a meeting, be honest, ask for help, stay connected.
You wake up in a bad mood and think, “Today is going to be terrible.” What could you remind yourself?
A feeling is not a fact, the day can change, I can take it one step at a time, I do not have to act on this mood.
You stop answering calls, miss group, and tell everyone you are fine. What might this be a warning sign of?
Isolation, relapse warning sign, red flags, shutting down, not using support.
You are sitting in group, but your mind keeps drifting and you realize you missed what was just said. What might be happening?
Brain fog, trouble focusing, PAWS symptom, difficulty thinking clearly.
You are having cravings, but you decide to tell someone instead of keeping it hidden. What recovery move is that?
Reaching out, being honest, using support, asking for help, not isolating.
Old me would react immediately when disrespected. What might new me do first?
Pause, think, breathe, respond instead of react, step away, choose words carefully.
Someone does not text back, and your mind says, “They don’t care about me.” What could you do before believing that thought?
Reality check, wait, ask directly, consider other reasons, challenge the thought, don’t assume.
You are hungry, angry, lonely, and tired. What simple recovery reminder does this connect to?
HALT.
Someone gives you simple instructions, but ten minutes later you cannot remember them. Instead of calling yourself stupid, what could this be connected to?
Memory problems, PAWS, stress, brain healing, trouble concentrating.
You feel overwhelmed and want to shut down, but instead you say, “I’m having a hard time right now.” What did you just do?
Named it, communicated, asked for support, practiced honesty, used awareness.
Old me used substances to escape uncomfortable feelings. What might new me practice doing with those feelings?
Sit with them, talk about them, cope with them, name them, pray, journal, ride them out.
You mess up one part of your day and think, “I already ruined everything.” What thinking trap is this?
All-or-nothing thinking, giving up, black-and-white thinking, stinkin thinkin.
You keep thinking about old people, places, and situations connected to using. What is this putting you close to?
Triggers, relapse, risky behavior, old patterns, cravings.
Your body feels restless, tense, or uncomfortable, and the old thought is, “I need something to make this stop.” What is your body possibly telling you?
I’m uncomfortable, I’m stressed, I need to calm down, I’m having cravings, I need a healthy response.
You are stressed and your mind says, “I can’t handle this.” What question could you ask yourself to slow that thought down?
Is that true? What can I do next? Is this as bad as it feels? What is one step? What do I need right now?
Old me kept everything inside until it came out sideways. What might new me do before it builds up?
Communicate, talk to someone, be honest, share in group, journal, ask for help.
You feel anxious and your mind starts predicting the worst possible outcome. What could you call that?
Catastrophizing, fear thinking, future-tripping, anxiety, worst-case thinking.
You are stressed, not sleeping, snapping at people, and thinking, “I just need relief.” What could be building?
Craving, relapse risk, emotional buildup, PAWS symptoms, stress reaction.
You feel “off” physically: clumsy, shaky, tired, or out of balance. What is one healthy thing you could do before panicking or reacting?
Slow down, drink water, eat, rest, stretch, take a walk, breathe, ask for help, check in with a doctor if needed.
You realize your reaction does not match the situation. What is one recovery tool you can use to get back in control?
Reality check, pause, talk it out, grounding, breathing, step away, challenge the thought, call support.
Old me believed every thought and feeling as fact. What might new me do differently?
Challenge the thought, reality check it, slow down, ask if it is true, talk it through, look at the facts.
You feel like using and your mind says, “Just one time won’t matter.” What should you do with that thought?
Challenge it, tell on it, call support, play the tape through, reality check it, do not trust it.
You notice cravings getting stronger, but you are embarrassed to talk about them. What is the safest recovery move?
Say it out loud, tell someone, call support, go to a meeting, be honest, ask for help.