Radiant Redemption

It started with a traffic jam.

I was just trying to get to the grocery store. That was the only goal. But five minutes into the drive, I was stuck behind a construction crew, every lane closed except the one I happened to be in, moving at approximately the speed of a toddler on a tricycle.

No big deal, right? Just a minor delay.

Except 10 minutes later, I was spiraling.

Not just irritated. Not just impatient. Spiraling.

Somewhere between mile marker 4 and the frozen food aisle, I had convinced myself that I needed to move across the country, start a brand new life, and maybe never drive a car again. All because traffic felt like one more thing on top of an already heavy week.

It sounds silly, but if you’ve ever lived too long in your own head—you get it.

The Mind is a Terrible Echo Chamber
Here’s the thing: when we’re stuck in our heads with no outside input, our thoughts tend to feed off of each other. One insecurity leads to another. One frustration opens the door to a dozen old wounds. One inconvenience becomes a metaphor for how nothing in our life is working.

And before we know it, we’re living in worst-case scenarios that haven’t happened (and probably never will).

In recovery—especially early on—our minds can be dangerous places. For so long, we lived disconnected from our feelings and reality. Whether it was through addiction, codependency, or just survival mode, we got really good at creating stories in our heads that justified our behavior, masked our pain, or gave us a sense of control.

But those stories? They often aren’t true.
They’re just familiar.

Justifying Anything
One of the scariest parts of living in our own heads is how easily we can justify anything.

Our logic might sound like:

“I’ve had a hard day, I deserve this…”

“No one understands me anyway…”

“I’ll start over tomorrow…”

“It’s not that bad…”

“What’s the point?”

We convince ourselves we’re the exception to the rule. That we’re too far gone. That it’s too hard. That we don’t need help. That no one would really care if we slipped back into old patterns.

And the more we listen to that voice unchecked, the more we risk falling into the very behaviors we worked so hard to climb out of.

Reality Check: We Need People
This is why community is non-negotiable.
We need people in our lives who will lovingly pull us out of our heads and back into reality. People who will say, “Hey, I know this feels true right now—but it’s not the whole story.” People who know our patterns, see our tendencies, and can point out when we’re going off the rails (without shame or judgment).

When I’m stuck in my thoughts, I often forget that what I’m feeling isn’t always an indicator of what’s true. That’s why I need friends and mentors who help anchor me. Who ask good questions. Who remind me that I don’t have to live at the mercy of every thought that passes through my mind.

Practical Tools to Interrupt the Spiral
If you tend to spiral in your thoughts too, here are a few things that can help:

Name the story you’re telling yourself.
Is this about traffic… or is this really about feeling out of control?

Check it with someone safe.
Text or call a friend. Say it out loud. Often, hearing ourselves say it breaks the illusion.

Come back to your body.
Go outside. Breathe. Move. Drink water. Get out of your head and into the present.

Write it down.
Journaling helps slow the thoughts down so you can look at them more clearly.

Ask: What do I need right now?
Sometimes we spiral because our needs—rest, connection, food, care—are going unmet.

You’re Not Crazy—You’re Just Human
Here’s what I want you to hear most: you’re not crazy for having thoughts that spiral.
You’re not broken because your mind jumps to worst-case scenarios.
You’re not weak because you need help sorting through it.

You’re human.
And being human means learning to recognize when our thoughts are lying to us—and asking for help to realign with truth.

🌿 A Gentle Invitation
This week, try to notice when you’re getting caught in a mental loop. Pause. Breathe. Ask yourself, Is this true? and Is this helping me move toward the life I want to live?

You don’t have to be ruled by your thoughts.
You’re allowed to interrupt them.
You’re allowed to ask for help.
You’re allowed to choose peace—even if traffic makes you want to move across the country.

What’s a common spiral thought you find yourself stuck in?
Share it in the comments or send me a message.
Let’s remind each other we’re not alone in this.

“Don’t believe everything you think. You are not your thoughts.” — Allan Lokos