Matt: What is going on everyone? It is Matt and Greg here from Project Unbroken. Please make sure you subscribe below, share this video if you can, we’re trying to get the word out about Project Unbroken, help people with addiction. So today we’re going to be talking about relapse. I think we’re going to give our number one tip to prevent relapse.
I think relapse can be described a lot of different definitions. I mean the way I think of relapse is, you’re sober for a while, at least a few weeks I would say, that’s my definition, the way I think of it, and then you relapse, you start using again. What would be your number one tip for someone to prevent relapse at least a month after recovery? It can even be before then but what would be your number one tip to stop people who are sober for a little while to not go back to using?
Greg: I think a lot of relapse is about mindset and how are you picturing your recovery, you know what I mean? Because a lot of times I see that a lot of people that are trying to get out of an addiction, trying to break that cycle, they have a really negative mindset about moving forward so they’re looking at all the bad things.
I understand because you’re thinking about withdrawing, you’re thinking about being sick, you’re thinking about how hard it’s going to be, and a lot of times this is all they preach at rehabs. So like, “you’re always going to be addicted,” which whatever that’s a topic for another day. But you really have to keep in mind the positive things that are coming your way. You have to remember that every day you get away from your addiction, it’s going to get better. You’re going to have your ups and downs but you just have to remember the big picture moving forward is getting clean.
If you can frame this in a positive way you’ll get little wins every day. If you’re going through a bad day and you can just say, get through this one, if I get to tomorrow it’s going to get easier. And it really does get easier the further you get away from using, the easier it gets until it’s really no issue at all.
Matt: So yours is changing your mindset. I think a lot of us addicts or people who use, we’re so used to that instant gratification, so I think like you’re saying, changing the thinking, maybe I’m not feeling better right away but knowing that long term you’re going to feel better.
Greg: That’s probably a better way to put what I’m trying to say. The instant gratification thing, you have to understand it’s not going to be worth it. You’re going to just drive yourself right back into the same shitty cycle of living.
Matt: And it’s just not viable.
Greg: For feeling good for whatever, a couple of hours maybe. That a couple of hours will drive you back into a life of hell.
Matt: So would you say your number one tip maybe get out of the mindset of short term temporary and more into the mindset of seeing further down the road long term?
Greg: Long term, focus on the long term. Think about where you want to be, think about why you want to quit, think about the bad things that happen in your addiction and where you want to be. It seems like a long ways away but years go by quick, months go by really, really quickly, just try to focus on where you want to go long term. Yeah, absolutely.
Matt: Awesome. So I think my number one would probably be replacement. Now it’s funny that I say replacement because my fiance went to rehab for alcohol and when I was in there they had like a family program and I brought up replacement and they were like, “Oh, we don’t do that here.” That’s cool. We don’t have to agree on everything but for me, replacement works great, and it worked great.
So what I replaced with was exercise. I need to exercise just about every day.
Greg: Yeah.
Matt: I don’t see anything wrong with it because it’s healthy, it’s healthy for me and then if I’m ever feeling, not even bad just maybe a little anxious or whatever, if I go work out I’m good, it fixes it. It doesn’t have to be exercise for anyone out there, it can be knitting, it can be fucking volleyball, who cares what it is.
I think you have to find something you enjoy and you’ve got to have that there because what you were enjoying before was drugs, right? When you were feeling like shit, which is for heroin addicts every few hours, you did the drug and it fixed it. If you switch that over to something else you enjoy then I think it’s a good replacement, I think it’s a viable option.
Greg: I agree 100%.
Matt: Even though I guess the rehab told me that its not … I think their thing was you should go through therapy and find the real problems. I can dig and find the real problems but also have something there for therapy.
Greg: Yeah.
Matt: So for me again it’s exercise, it’s also business. I like working on my business because I know that I’m working on my future, almost ties into your point where I’m thinking long term. When I’m working, this is building up my future, this is going to help my kids, this is going to help make life easier. It’s also kind of ties into the mindset where not just working out but also working on business, working on things that are setting up my future.
Greg: Yeah, 100%. When I started my journey to getting clean, I focused a lot on the chemicals that your own brain produces to make you feel better. A lot of what we’re trying to do when we’re abusing drugs is to create those feel good chemicals because we’re missing something in our regular lives. Exercise hits those buttons, becoming successful in business hits those buttons, because you’re accomplishing something, you’re getting a sense of satisfaction from working hard and seeing results. I mean that’s dopamine, serotonin, all those, you don’t get those from not doing anything.
We agree about the not replacing thing because I think it’s strange but I don’t think it’s always very hard to get to the source of why somebody’s abusing drugs. They’re missing some sort of feeling from not doing something. A lot of times exercise will hit that button. Working hard will hit that button, that they’re trying to find with drugs. And that’s just an unmanageable way to do it.
Matt: Aren’t we all pretty much addicted to something?
Greg: Literally.
Matt: You know what I mean, some way or another? So we’re all going to find replacement somehow, in other words a relationship, something like coffee or smoking cigarettes or …
Greg: Sex, shopping.
Matt: Anything. I think everyone’s somewhat addicted to something.
Greg: Absolutely.
Matt: I think the replacement thing is totally fine, especially if it’s a positive outlet.
Greg: I agree 100%. When you have that thing … like right now or even years ago when you found exercise as your thing, you started seeing results and you started feeling good, you’re kind of working out every day, you know if I use, that’s all down the toilet.
Matt: Yeah.
Greg: So now the thing that you love and you’re addicted too, the healthy thing, that’s got a whole other layer of accountability kind of, being like well I don’t want to use now because then it’s going to screw this good thing I have going up.
Matt: That’s a good point.
Greg: You know what I mean? I don’t find anything wrong with replacing like that. As long as it’s a healthy habit, better than heroin.
Matt: Definitely better than heroin. So that’s our number one tips for relapse. You got anything else on this topic?
Greg: No, I think that about covers it.
Matt: All right, cool. So please make sure you subscribe below, share this video if you found it helpful, trying to get the word out there and we’ll see you all in the next video.
Greg: See you guys.
