To those of you who have been battling addiction of any kind:

Whether you’ve just started your journey to recovery, or you’ve been fighting the good fight and choosing sobriety for a long while-

It’s totally okay to admit that you still have those thoughts.. those thoughts that come up when you’ve had a rough day or received some bad news.. the thoughts that tell you it won’t really hurt anything to just have that one drink to help you relax or that one smoke to take the edge off or that one hit to just get you through that depressing time.

It can be hard to admit that you still have to resist temptation when you’ve gotten so many pats on the back because of your choice to be sober and you know there’s so many people watching you that you don’t want to let down.

I don’t like to be the one to say things like “once an addict always an addict” because I don’t necessarily believe that is true, BUT it is a constant mental battle to continually choose NOT to dissociate and numb oneself.

The emotions and feelings that you want to get away from will still be there even when the pleasure from the drugs, alcohol, food, or sex fades, but anyone who has been on their journey to recovery will know this.

This holiday season while lots of people are choosing to party it up- it’s ok to be honest about where you’re at with your healing journey. ❤️‍🩹 It’s okay to leave or decide not to go somewhere where you know you’ll be faced with temptation to relapse or cave. It’s okay to distance yourself from people who can’t help but make comments about who you used to be in an effort to pull you back down into the darkness you’ve fought so hard to free yourself from. Having tempting thoughts whether you relapse or not does not mean you are back at square one. You’re not who you used to be no matter what anyone else says. No matter how many times you’ve relapsed.

When those people who judge you for your past decisions laugh when you say you’ve changed and you dont do those things anymore- remember that they are only showing you how they feel about themselves. They are projecting their own self limitations onto you, trying to keep you stuck in addiction, because THEY don’t have the strength to free themselves the way you did, ESPECIALLY if their addiction is different than yours. Even if you are still struggling, you atleast made the choice to acknowledge you had a problem. Some people never make it that far, and when someone else around them does- they feel the need to judge and make rude comments about how you used to be in an effort to get the attention off of their own short comings and weaknesses.

This holiday season, find your strength in authenticity. Be honest with yourself about how you’re feeling. Be responsible for your own energy when you’re feeling tempted to cope with uncomfortable energies by resorting to old addictive tendencies. Don’t let anyone make you feel bad for where you’re at on your journey. Your light and strength is triggering their darkness.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by negative energies and find yourself wanting to cope- change the frequency. You are like a radio station. Make a conscious effort to change the channel.

Go for a walk outside. Get some fresh air. Say some positive affirmations. Take some deep breaths. Go play with children. Pet your dog or cat. Watch a funny movie or do something that makes you laugh. OR ask your spirit guides/angels/God/source/universe (whatever you believe in or pray to) for help! You may be able to fake being okay to some people around you but you can’t fake it with the divine.

Remember who you are, and remember your WHY for quitting. And remember that no matter where you are at in your journey - it is ok. You are loved. And no matter how tempted you get, or how many times you mess up- it’s never too late to try again. You can always change your vibration. You can always choose to change the radio station.

“Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

James 4:7