Self-Sabotage in Recovery: What It Looks Like & How to Stop It

Recovery is about growth—but sometimes the biggest obstacle isn’t “out there.” It’s the quiet voice inside that says “you can’t do this” or “just give up.” That’s self-sabotage, and it can sneak into your journey before you even realize it.

What Self-Sabotage Looks Like in Recovery

• Negative Self-Talk: Telling yourself you’re not strong enough or worthy of healing.

• Avoidance: Skipping meetings, isolating from support, or avoiding hard conversations.

• Unhealthy Coping: Turning back to old habits like numbing emotions, overworking, or people-pleasing instead of facing triggers.

How to Stop It

1. Call It Out: Awareness is the first step. Write down sabotaging thoughts or behaviors as soon as you notice them. Naming them takes away their power.

2. Create a Support Plan: Replace old patterns with new ones—like calling a trusted friend, practicing mindfulness, or using a grounding technique when triggers hit.

3. Reframe Mistakes as Data: Instead of “I failed,” shift to “I learned.” Setbacks aren’t proof you can’t recover—they’re information guiding your next step.

Why It Matters

Stopping self-sabotage doesn’t just protect your recovery—it builds confidence, self-respect, and trust in yourself. And that’s the foundation of long-term freedom.