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You’re cruising along, oblivious to the danger ahead. Suddenly, you’re spinning out of control, and the lives of you and those with you hang in the balance. What are you going to do?
Every day, this deadly scenario plays out on streets and highways, but also in the lives of people heading down the road toward temptation and addictive behavior. In either case, when you’ve lost control and find yourself careening toward danger, it’s up to you to make a correction—to turn into the skid.
People tempted by addiction can learn how to prevent it. That doesn’t mean it will never happen; but in many cases it can be avoided, or at least you can make it through with less harm. Especially if you’re aware enough to react before the crash.
Preventing a Crash by Turning Into the Skid
In a spinning car, turning into the skid allows the driver to better maintain control of their vehicle.
This safe driving technique needs to be learned because it does not come naturally. Our intuitive survival reaction is to turn away from the direction of the skid, so the proper response is one that has to be conditioned.
Turning into the skid can help you prevent addiction as well.
When your life is spinning out of control, you must take corrective action to avoid a crash, and it requires training to act calmly in the midst of crisis. But you can develop the awareness to turn into the skid, and it’s worth the time to learn. Because it could save your well-being, or your job, marriage, or family, or maybe your life.
In this series of articles, we’ll see 3 scenarios to learn how to prevent addiction. First is a sudden skid that happens so quickly that immediate reaction is critical. The second is a gradual crash that may take weeks, months, or even years to play out. You can prepare for both situations with training.
And there’s a third way to avoid an accident: ensure your vehicle—you—is inspected, repaired, and maintained ahead of time to be in the best condition possible, so you avoid the crash altogether!
Learning to Prevent Addiction in the Moment
Sometimes an icy patch or a blown tire can send a car hurtling toward danger before you know what is happening. For some of us, a rapid spiral into addiction can happen quickly as well, sometimes in a matter of days, or hours, or even minutes.
To be ready for an emergency, you must realize danger can happen suddenly to those who struggle with addiction. Then, you can prepare and rehearse how to react rapidly, without having to think about it when danger presents itself.
An example is a relapse, such as when an alcoholic thinks they can keep their drinking under control and “just have one.” It could be when a user of prescription opiod pills (e.g. OxyContin, Percocet, or Vicodin) is offered the chance to buy more pills illegally. Or even when someone with a compulsion toward anger finds their temper flaring up against their teenager.
In those real-life situations, a crash is imminent, and it is critical that you act quickly. In other words, you must turn into the skid and face the danger. But how do you do that?
- Interrupt the behavior – Stop! Then go through the simple process to “Pause, Evaluate, Choose.” Pause, step back from the situation, and take a deep breath. Engage your mind to thoughtfully evaluate the long-term consequences of your options. Then, and only then, decide to take the next right step that will lead you in the most positive direction.
- Call someone immediately – Call your spouse, a friend, or your sponsor. Call anyone. One way or another, talk to someone now, before you make a dangerous choice and before the spin leads to a crash.
- Turn it over to God – The best approach is sudden, complete surrender to the God who created you. Accept that you can’t make it on your own and you need him to save you. When you’re spinning out of control, ask God to take the wheel.
A car accident can happen so rapidly there seems little we can do in the moment. But we can be better prepared for how to prevent addiction if we anticipate the danger, remain aware, and decide in advance how we will react.
The techniques necessary to remain safe may not come naturally; this makes it even more important to learn and practice them ahead of time. That way, when your safety and well-being are on the line, you know how to turn into the skid.
Question: Someone you know will face a sudden skid in their life, and they may crash; will you help them be prepared?
Action: Read “How to Prevent Addiction (Part 2),” bookmark these articles, and share them with someone you can help.
