When I Slip

Recovery is almost never a straight line. A slip doesn't erase your progress — but the shame spiral that follows ('I've blown it, so what's the point') is often what turns one lapse into a full relapse. The most useful thing you can do with a slip is treat it as information, not proof you've failed.

What happened

Just the facts, the way you'd note them for a friend — no shame, no character verdicts.

The slip, plainly

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The chain that led there

What led up to it — the cues, the moment, what I told myself right before

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The story I'm telling myself

'I've ruined everything, might as well keep going' is a known trap — it's the shame talking, not the truth. One slip is one slip.

The shame story in my head — and a truer, kinder version

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Back on track

My next small step, and one thing I'd do differently at that cue next time

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Getting back up is the skill: The people who make it aren't the ones who never slip — they're the ones who get back up without drowning in shame. This slip is a data point. Use it and keep going.

Go deeper

Ready for more? These lessons pick up where this worksheet leaves off.

• Therapy, Coaching, and Skills That Actually Help, from The Adult ADHD Course. Why willpower fails and scaffolding works: skills that fit the ADHD brain, coaching, and self-compassion.
• Building Your Personal Regulation Toolkit, from The Neurodivergent Brain. The capstone: build a personal regulation plan around your wiring — name your state, match tools to it, catch overload early, design your space.