The longer I work on my sobriety, the more loose ends come up of which I sometimes have the feeling that it all is either too much to work on, or that it is too much I think I need to do to have a successful recovery. But is all that really necessary? A two – part post.

Reframing has always been the most important guideline for me in this game of cutting back repsectively being sober over the course of half a year. The positive effects of rewiring the neuronal network has been a big game changer and is until the present day. But after half a year, I ask myself the question: Have I opened a Pandora’s box in terms of too many loose ends and things I could optimize or change? Or do I just think I need to find something new every day?

I chose to simplify my reframing efforts, since it has lead to a lot of side effects, that counteract the positive outcomes of reframing habits and actions. I have discussed them before. And I guess I will still go on discussing them if they pop up.

One of the conclusions I will present to you in this first part of the post. It is about the question when and how bulletproof-ness seems to finally take hold.

The answer is pretty straightforward: I don’t worry about any addiction on a daily basis, because I have found a network of habits and decisions that made my every day absolutely alcohol free. Consequently, I have no cravings, cues or triggers. Consequently, habit building has ousted alcohol more or less completely from my system. So: No alcohol, no problem? Well, not so fast…

I chose not to avoid situations where alcohol is actually present. Here, I have found valuable ways to having reframe alcohol to what it is: a poisonous substance I don’t want to expose my body to anymore.

The magic in this twofold and separated approach is a bit like “divide and conquer”: First, separate the dream team of “substance” and “addiction cue” or “bad habit”, and then drain them of their powers until they become broken enough to stomp both in the ground. Once they come together again, none has enough power to fight back, because I have made myself resilient and knowing enough so they can’t stand a chance of persuading me to falter. It’s a choice and a built mindset. Close to bullet proof? Yes. But in situations that arise where I haven’t yet build a strong enough routine to tackle both “Substance” and “addiction cue” I need preparation and mindfulness not to fall for the sweet promises. So my choice reminds steady: No alcohol ever again. And that is a conviction, not a mantra.

The key difference is that making the choice and developing a sturdy routine and mindset to choose and convict myself of sobriety. Convincinv myself that nothing alcohol could offer me would be better than the wins of sobriety through reframing and building good habits is my fortress against alcohol. It is sturdy, but it needs improvement and renovation once in a while. So, no, I am not yet completely bullet proof, but I am getting there.

Another difference is, I don’t fight yearning or cravings for alcohol each day and I don’t want (or need) to tell me every day that it is a daily fight against addiction for the rest of my life.

If it were so, I would have fallen for alcohol definitely.

More tomorrow.

Until then, take one step at a time and never lose the faith in yourself.