Credit vs Debit

In the midst of addiction, one can get to a point where personal finances and other important commitments and obligations fall by the wayside. As I continue to recover, my eyes have been opened to the reality of the hold my food addiction had on me and my finances. 

During my months of therapy in Rochester, I had the opportunity to receive some cognitive behavioral therapy. It is the idea that there is a direct relationship between thoughts, behaviors, and feelings. One of the techniques that Judith Beck uses in her book "The Beck Diet Solution" is giving yourself credit for the good things you've done in the day to promote your recovery. Addicts tend to dwell on the negative, or see the work they must do to recover as an obstacle too great to overcome. That's why letting personal finances slip is very easy. The practice of giving yourself credit helps to inculcate a sense of daily accomplishment. 

Once you become able to say things like "today I ate all my meals in the kitchen and logged them, I went to the gym and ran a faster 5k, I didn't snack when I wanted to, I gave in just a little bit was able to stop after I called a friend and went to a support group meeting," you start to grasp the fact that you do have the power to affect small changes that will add up over time. 

I do my credits when I plug in my phone at night. If it helps, you can call them whatever you want, your blessings, your high moments, your accomplishments. At the end of the day we want to be thinking of credits, rather than debits. 

Today I give myself credit for making steps toward paying off some debt I incurred while not caring about my finances!