Avoiding The “Slippery Slope”
Ah, the “slippery slope.” This is when an individual reaches a point in their recovery and they become confident and start to act complacent. The slippery slope is usually identified by a sequence of behaviors, thoughts, or situations that are precursors leading one back to a full relapse.
It's that sneaky, quiet shift in perspective where the initial, burning urgency of early sobriety starts to fade. You’ve put in the hard work, you've stacked up some clean time, and you start to feel... safe.
Complacency isn't about wanting to relapse - it’s about slowly, unconsciously, forgetting why you fought so hard to stop in the first place.
I’m all too familiar with this ride. There have been multiple times throughout my recovery that I started to stray away from the very things that helped me get sober in the first place.
I once dedicated myself to going to one meeting a day. Then over the course of the next year it became once a week. Then “normal life” got in the way of me making it a priority, and I was lucky if I made it to one a month. Then, before I knew it, I couldn’t even recall the last time I attended.
This is a perfect example of choices (that we have control over) that hold the power of putting us back on that slippery slope. When we stop doing the things we need to do for our recovery because we’ve become confident in our ability and willingness to stay sober, it puts us at major risk.
The Subtle Slide
In the beginning, recovery is all about action: meetings, therapy, sponsors, structure. It’s a full-time commitment of self-preservation. But as time goes on, life gets busy. You get a promotion, maybe you start dating again, or you simply get comfortable with your new routine.
This is where you start to tell yourself:
"Do I really need to go to that meeting tonight? I'm fine."
"I know the steps, I don't need to call my sponsor today."
"That situation that triggered me before? I'm stronger now. It won't affect me."
It's the subtle scaling back of the vital, non-negotiable actions that keep you grounded.
Paved with Good Intentions
The thing about the slippery slope is it’s gradual. So slow moving at times, you might unintentionally miss the hazards. Sometimes, we don’t realize we’re on the slope, until we’ve hit bottom.
The First Slip (Complacency): You skip a meeting. No big deal.
The Second Slip (Isolation): You stop sharing honestly with your sponsor or close friends. You start handling stress on your own. You're self-sufficient now.
The Third Slip (Compromise): You start hanging out in old places or with old contacts, telling yourself you’re just "visiting" or "being friendly." You have control.
The Quickening Descent (Behavioral Change): You stop meditating, you start lying about where you were, or you develop a new, unhealthy coping mechanism (like overworking or overeating).
Before you know it, you’re not choosing to walk down a dangerous path; you're already on it and momentum has taken over. The space between the first skipped meeting and a full-blown crisis narrows frighteningly fast.
I’ve thrown away good amounts of clean time, due to my inability to stick with my program. This doesn’t just mean with NA. When I say “program”’ I am referring to the personal list of things I engrained into all areas of my life that helped me get and stay sober. Going to meetings. Daily Journaling. Daily prayer and gratitude. Working out. Working with my sponsor.
Because I now have the proof from my past of what happens when I stop doing these things, if I catch myself making those decisions now, I am able to put myself in check and get back on track.
The longer someone stays sober, the more likely they are to lean towards the mindset of being “cured.” Other responsibilities and every day life things start to make their way to the top of your priority list. Recovery-based practices start to fall to the back.
To my clients navigating early recovery, I always stress that: Relapse is always just one poor decision away, for all of us. I am just as close to my next relapse as you are. No amount of clean time will ever make any of us invincible to the powerful grasps of addiction.
How to Fight Back
To avoid becoming complacent, you must be disciplined with maintenance and humility.
Renew Your Contract: Look at your sobriety date. Re-read what you wrote when you were at your lowest point. Remember the pain. Feel the gratitude for what you have today.
Do the Uncomfortable Thing: If you feel like skipping a meeting, that's the one you must attend. If you feel like your sponsor is sick of hearing from you, that's the time to call them. Lean into the things that feel unnecessary.
Stay in the Middle: Don't chase perfection, but don't tolerate regression. Living in the "middle" means constantly assessing: Am I growing, or am I coasting?
Recognizing the behaviors and having the discipline to make different choices can be a challenge. But, what’s even more of a challenge is the possibility of facing another relapse. We don’t need to go there.
I don’t know about you, but I like to remind myself that I much rather continue to put my efforts into my recovery, if it means not having to go back to the starting line.
So, with that I encourage you to remember how hard you’ve fought to get where you’re at now. Keep showing up <3
Additional Tools & Resources
For those interested and looking for 1:1 support feel free to head over to our Service page or schedule a free discovery call with me. My inbox is always open if you have any questions, concerns, or need immediate support hpawlowski@celebratingu.net
For those interested in tools to utilize independently that support you on your recovery journey, head over to our digital library where you’ll find a variety of workbooks, ebooks, planners, etc to aid you with reaching all of your recovery goals.
