Unlike alcoholism, drug addiction, or any of the other addictions, a food addict cannot put the substance down. We have to eat to live, to nourish our bodies and keep healthy. It is one of the greatest challenges to continued abstinence in the recovery of food addiction; there is always the temptation to slip into not so good eating behaviours and patterns.
One of the ways I deal with a slip is to immediately ask myself questions - what's going on Karen? What are you not paying attention to emotionally? Who are you angry with? Are you feeling stressed or anxious? Are you tired? Are you hormonal? Inevitably there will be an answer to one or more of those self posed questions.
A slip is not relapse. A slip is going off food plan for one of your meals without planning to. A slip is finding yourself in a negative addictive thinking pattern. A slip is buying something from the supermarket in a compulsive manner that you had not intended to buy. A slip is sitting down to eat something sweet after you've had your quota of food for the day. A slip is eating because you are in a bad mood. A slip is when you are completely aware that you have just had a blot on the landscape of your recovery program, yet immediately get back on track.
Relapse on the other hand is slipping, crucifying yourself for not being perfect or being able to commit 100 percent, then giving up being willing to get better and again living in active compulsion without trying to get back on track. Relapse is allowing addictive thinking to criticise you into full blown compulsive overeating in order to numb the disappointment and despair you feel at failing.
Please remember this: NOBODY IS PERFECT! Slips do occur but will become less and less of an issue when you become more and more aware of your emotions and when you work your program of recovery one moment at a time.
Are you going to give up a life of peace, serenity and abstinence from addictive eating and thinking just because you ate a candy bar that was not on your food plan?
Hopefully you are at a stage in your recovery journey where brief moments of addiction breakthrough are immediately brought under control by admitting your slip, surrendering your thoughts and actions to your Higher Power and with a click of your fingers, you're right back on track to an abstinent life of freedom from obsession and self hate.
Do yourself a favour, compile a list of questions ready to ask when you find yourself slipping - this will ensure your recovery comes first and you are safe from sliding down that slippery slope of compulsive overeating into full blown relapse.
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