People identify several patterns related to addiction. Recognizing these patterns is crucial, as it helps in understanding the triggers and behaviors associated with substance use. Some common addiction patterns include:

1. Triggers: Recognizing specific situations, emotions, or people that trigger urges to use substances. These can have stress, specific social settings, relationship conflicts, or particular times of the day.
2. Denial: Understanding past tendencies to deny the severity of addiction's impact on personal life and relationships.
3. Rationalization: Have you rationalized substance use as a coping mechanism for stress, emotional pain, or as a reward? What excuses have you made to keep using it?
4. Avoidance: Avoid dealing with difficult emotions or situations or as a means of escape from reality.
5. Relapse: Understanding the cycle of addiction, including periods of use, attempts to quit, relapse, and the emotions associated with this cycle, such as guilt and shame.
6. Relationships: Reflecting on how addiction has affected relationships with family, friends, and colleagues, including broken trust, neglect, or harm caused to others.
7. Neglect of Self-Care: Physical and mental health, personal hygiene, nutrition, and well-being.
8. Isolation: What lengths have you gone through to hide your addiction from others?
9. Financial: Recognizing the financial impact of addiction, such as spending money on substances instead of essential needs or financial troubles resulting from impaired decision-making. How much has your habit cost you?

Understanding these patterns is an essential step in the journey toward sobriety. Taking an honest look at yourself, what patterns can you identify?

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