Today I had a slip. S.L.I.P. is an acronym: Sobriety Losing Its Priority.
As tough as it is to live it, there is a “Step Zero” that people in program rarely mention. “Step Zero” is putting down the addictive food. All the other Steps and Tools are designed to help us achieve “Step Zero.”
If there’s a danger that I can’t put it down, then I have no business picking it up. The problem is that I don’t always follow my own advice. Every time I pick up a slice or a scoop, I am risking relapse.
We are all human and we all make mistakes. If I fall off a horse, I pick myself up and get back on the saddle. But there’s also the pain of falling that can prevent me from doing this. When I feel the pain, I can either thank my Higher Power (God) for that pain or keep anesthetizing it.
When I feel the pain, I can either thank my Higher Power (God) for that pain or keep anesthetizing it.
Ironically, I arrange my life to avoid the things that cause me pain. I don’t risk being rejected, for instance. I was bullied in the school yard when I was growing up, with the other kids calling me names. Today, I can thank God for that pain because I have a developmentally disabled daughter. Seeing the lessons that pain inflicts requires time, much like investing money. I must be willing to give up the pleasure that the money can provide today in order for it to grow tomorrow.
There was a TV commercial several years ago that asked, “What’s in your wallet?” Today the question for me is “What’s in your food plan?”
—Anthony V., Pennsylvania USA
