Just One

The downfall of many an addict boils down to one critical moment.  This moment simply occurs when we convince ourselves that we can have just one.  One drink, one cigarette, one hit, or for the purposes of this particular blog, one delicious sugar filled treat.

Twelve step programs are adamant about the first step being the only one that has to be practiced to perfection every second of every day.  The first step says “We admitted we were powerless over (insert drug of choice here) and that our lives had become unmanageable.”  Upon believing that just one is an option, powerlessness goes out the window.

The key, I think, to avoiding this critical thinking error is in the second part of the first step.  If I am allowing myself to fall into the trap of a “just one” mentality, the only logical conclusion is that I have forgotten my unmanageability.  If I make a point to keep vivid mind pictures of what it was like to be ensnared by my addiction, it is relatively easy to convince myself in the moment that I don’t want to attempt a risky “just one” experiment.