An integral facet of harm-reduction and more so the recovery phase that accompanies substance abuse cessation is perspective. Accountability is also a vital component in the journey to recovery. By physically documenting the details of one's substance abuse we combine accountability and perspective to create a very powerful and underestimated tool to add to our arsenal.
The purpose here is not to record your abuse for bragging rights or "good memories". The intention is to have a tangible representation of your habit and when we see abstract things in a tangible form it fosters a profound sense of gravity. It no longer is "Did I use last week? Oh, yeah there was that one day...". Instead you see the exact event and the details of it's occurrence.
There are so many reasons this can be such a powerful tool if employed correctly. For example, with drug abuse it is fair to assume that nobody will be able to remember every single time and every detail about the times they use. But, for the sake of argument let's say that was indeed possible. That recall is only in your mind and thus an abstraction of experiences. When only expressed in our minds the human brain is too busy with other things to preserve each little thing while not forgetting the bigger picture.
If you see in your drug use record that you used a drug every day for two consecutive weeks with no break that just impacts us on a much deeper level than the mere thought of how you stayed up for two weeks. The aforementioned tangibility seems to make it more real to us and concrete. It is hard to argue that one has control over a substance addiction when there is physical proof to suggest otherwise.
Take the time to look at the attached .pdf and it is highly suggested by us to either print out the included log or simply make your own! Just be sure to record the date, what substance, how much, where you were and how much it cost you at the very least. It would be wise to go further than that with more detail! The more vivid the record will be the more poignantly it will settle with us down the road in review. Maybe try to document why you decided to use that day or how you felt that day before using. Anything to make it feel more real to you, this will inevitably cultivate a sense of accountability while showing you the extent of your habit from the view of an outsider.
We cannot truly recover if we don't take ownership of what we do and/or have done!
The purpose here is not to record your abuse for bragging rights or "good memories". The intention is to have a tangible representation of your habit and when we see abstract things in a tangible form it fosters a profound sense of gravity. It no longer is "Did I use last week? Oh, yeah there was that one day...". Instead you see the exact event and the details of it's occurrence.
There are so many reasons this can be such a powerful tool if employed correctly. For example, with drug abuse it is fair to assume that nobody will be able to remember every single time and every detail about the times they use. But, for the sake of argument let's say that was indeed possible. That recall is only in your mind and thus an abstraction of experiences. When only expressed in our minds the human brain is too busy with other things to preserve each little thing while not forgetting the bigger picture.
If you see in your drug use record that you used a drug every day for two consecutive weeks with no break that just impacts us on a much deeper level than the mere thought of how you stayed up for two weeks. The aforementioned tangibility seems to make it more real to us and concrete. It is hard to argue that one has control over a substance addiction when there is physical proof to suggest otherwise.
Take the time to look at the attached .pdf and it is highly suggested by us to either print out the included log or simply make your own! Just be sure to record the date, what substance, how much, where you were and how much it cost you at the very least. It would be wise to go further than that with more detail! The more vivid the record will be the more poignantly it will settle with us down the road in review. Maybe try to document why you decided to use that day or how you felt that day before using. Anything to make it feel more real to you, this will inevitably cultivate a sense of accountability while showing you the extent of your habit from the view of an outsider.
We cannot truly recover if we don't take ownership of what we do and/or have done!