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+---- Thread: Escaping the CAVE - cutting slips and lapses short (/showthread.php?tid=15)
Escaping the CAVE - cutting slips and lapses short - soloadmin - 04-13-2025
The CAVE is what happens when we fail to SAVE - when we stumble, slip, or relapse.
It stands for "Committed Abstinence Violation Effect" and it refers to our tendency to think "well, since I've already screwed up, might as well go all the way with it."
This is the wrong answer. The CAVE is no place to stay any longer than we have to - it's cold, dark, and lonely, just like our lives were before we started the recovery process.
If you slip, even a little, don't think "everything is ruined now, so I might as well enjoy myself." That's living in the CAVE. Instead, get right back into your steps and the rest of your recovery toolbox, get rid of the substance of choice (ALL of it) and step back into the sunshine of moving forward.
Remember your Big Vow: Abstinence. That's where the good stuff is at. A slip is no reason to cheat yourself out of it.