Misguided Narratives

There’s nothing deadlier than the idea of hitting rock bottom before having to change. Tens of thousands struggling with addiction die each year because families, communities, and systems reinforce this thinking.

Those external narratives drive our internal thinking.

“A single DUI is certainly not the worst this can get.”

“I can easily get another job.”

“This is just jail not prison.”

“Prison isn’t so bad — at least I don’t have put up with life out there.”

“I only overdosed — I didn’t die.”

For those that make it out of this hell, the negative reinforcements continue.

“I’m just one drink away from being on the streets.”

“Once an addict, always an addict.”

We spend more time repeating these negative narratives. This keeps us in a constant state of fear or negative thought loop. And it creates blindspots to opportunities for changing our narrative.

We’ve essentially strengthened an addiction to this negative thinking (see Dr. Jud Brewer, “The Craving Mind”).

The reverse is also true. By changing and repeating our narrative we strengthen the parts of our brain that will help protect us from what we seemed to fear the most.