Respect doesn't come naturally for an addict

Respect doesn't come naturally for an addict.

Self respect.

Addicts do not have it.

What makes it worse is that they're not really aware of the lack of self respect.

Treating yourself with respect takes practice... it's unnatural for an addict.

Fold your arms

Now fold them the 'other way'

Feels Funny doesn't it.

You're going to have to practice this, baby steps...

When you spend all your money again...

you didn't even leave money for cigarettes.... and you're beating yourself up, feel like shit... kickin yourself...

do something, even if it's a small thing, something symbolic to treat yourself with respect.

This is like putting money in the bank, it accrues interest, it compounds...

a token action (I bought myself socks one week, and underware the next, in the recent past when I was still using) each day is not 30 days of little things...

it's 30 days of building momentum, compound interest, the sum of the parts equals much more than the individual parts.

more coming
I promise



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This article is for informational purposes only.
Please contact a licensed professional in your area
if you are in crisis or require mental health services

David Bruce

Healthy Boundaries & Victim Behavior

Being Punitive is counter productive

It's counter productive to bitch at, to harangue. to be 'punitive' to an addict you love or care about or are friends with...

An addict is already a world class, olympic level self depracator
consciously on a scale of 1 to 10 addicts are aware of this 'beat themselves up' at maybe a 3, unconsciously, however (they're not aware of this) on a scale of 1-10 addicts are actually beating themselves up at a 9.5

Addicts self depracate (beat themselves up) good enough already...we think nothing of this... we've become so accustomed to thinking of ourselves in such a shitty light that we don't even notice it.

Alanon does not go any where near close enough to teach codependents of addicts:

Food addicts
Sugar addicts
drug addicts
alcoholics
Rage-a-holics

All of them (internally) are kick them selves... to bitch at them or accuse addicts of 'not having will power' is counter productive

If you can't back away from being punitive with an addict you care about, YOU have control issues of your own to deal with...

Dont be the pot calling the kettle black!

"Let he that be without sin cast the first stone"

==========
This article is for informational purposes only.
Please contact a licensed professional in your area
if you are in crisis or require mental health services

David Bruce

Healthy Boundaries & Victim Behavior