THE TOOLBOX.

01

SO YOU
WANT TO
DRINK?

Before you pick up the bottle, remember where drinking actually took you. The waiting. The chaos. The loss of freedom. The shit your brain conveniently forgets when it starts romanticizing alcohol.

REMEMBER WHY →

02

PLAY THE
TAPE
FORWARD

Your brain keeps replaying the good part. Keep watching. What happens tonight, tomorrow morning, and after the relief wears off?

WATCH THE WHOLE THING →

03

RELAPSE
PLANS

Warning signs, triggers, cravings, people to call, emergency moves, and what to do before your brain starts bargaining.

MAKE A PLAN →

04

ARE YOU THE
FUCKING
ORACLE?

Predictions, assumptions, and mind-reading. What do you actually know, and what is your brain filling in? Check the fucking evidence.

CHECK THE FACTS →

05

DON'T POKE
THE
BIPOLAR BEAR.

Irritability, overload, and anger that keeps building. Recognize your warning signs, make some space, and find words that don't leave damage behind.

COOL THE FUCK DOWN →

06

PRESS
PAUSE

The text. The purchase. The drink. The big decision. Give yourself some space between wanting to do something and actually fucking doing it.

GIVE IT A MINUTE →

07

10 /
10 /
10

Ten minutes. Ten months. Ten years. Step outside the immediate urge and consider what this decision could mean for future you.

ZOOM OUT →

08

URGENT
ACCORDING
TO WHO?

Every idea, purchase, and life decision suddenly needs to happen right fucking now. Check the deadline, check your pace, and see what can wait.

QUESTION THE URGENCY →

09

WHEN YOU
DON'T TRUST
YOUR MOOD

Something feels off, or everything feels a little too fucking good. Check your patterns, look for warning signs, and get another perspective.

CHECK IN →

10

WHAT'S YOUR
FUCKING
NORMAL?

Sleep, energy, mood, spending, and your everyday patterns. Get to know your baseline so you have something to compare the changes against.

KNOW YOUR BASELINE →

11

AFTER YOU
FUCK UP

It happened. What needs attention now? Deal with the consequences, ask for help, and figure out your next move without burying yourself in shame.

TAKE THE NEXT STEP →

12

YOU NEED
A HAND.

Not a defense attorney. Figure out what you need, who you can ask, and how to say it without building a fucking case for deserving support.

FIND THE WORDS →

13

THE BARE
MINIMUM
DAY

When everything is too much, make the day smaller. Eat something. Drink water. Take your prescribed meds. Let someone know how you're doing. Start there.

DO WHAT YOU CAN →

14

WHO THE
FUCK AM I
WITHOUT IT?

You can miss it and still leave it. Letting go of alcohol, chaos, and who you thought you needed to be. Figure out what you miss, what belongs to you, and who you're getting to know now.

MEET YOURSELF AGAIN →

15

TIME
CAPSULE

Leave something for the version of you who forgets. What matters, what you've survived, what you want to protect, and why you wanted to keep going.

LEAVE YOURSELF A REMINDER →

16

LET
CREATIVITY
IN.

Perfection can fuck off. Make something, try something, and give yourself room to create without turning every hobby into another obligation.

MAKE SOMETHING →

17

COGNITIVE
DISTORTIONS

The convincing bullshit your brain tells you. Learn to recognize distorted thinking, put it on trial, and see whether it actually holds up.

CALL OUT THE BULLSHIT →

18

IFS

Parts, protectors, Self, and a different way of understanding all the conflicting voices inside your head.

MEET YOUR PARTS →

19

ON
ADHD

Attention, motivation, impulsivity, executive dysfunction, chaos, and figuring out how to work with your brain instead of constantly fighting the damn thing.

READ →

20

ON
SCIATICA

Pain, limitations, bad days, frustration, pacing, recovery, and having a fucking life when your body isn't cooperating.

READ →

21

ON
OTHERS

Boundaries, expectations, judgment, relationships, assholes, and figuring out what actually belongs to you.

DEAL WITH PEOPLE →

22

ON
STIGMA

Labels, judgment, shame, disclosure, stereotypes, and deciding whose fucking opinion actually gets a vote.

OWN YOUR STORY →

23

ON
JOBS

Work, unemployment, rejection, identity, starting over, and separating what you do for money from who the hell you are.

READ →

24

ESSAYS

Longer thoughts on recovery, mental health, life, and the shit I've learned along the way.

READ →