Step 1: Abstinence Inspiring Buttons

Admitted we were powerless over our addiction, that our lives had become unmanageable.  

When I was initially going through withdrawal, I wrote a list of 10 reasons to abstain from my addiction.  I taped this list near my computer to remind me of why I wanted to hang in there through the worst of withdrawal.  This project was inspired by that tool.  However, we extended the list into a creative art project by designing a pin-back button to remind us of the items on this list.  The buttons, unlike the written list, can be displayed in a public place without breaking our anonymity.

Supplies needed:

• paper
• pen
• colored pencils
• DIY snap-together pinback buttons (no button machine necessary)

We started by writing our lists of the 10 reasons we want to abstain from our addictive behavior.  I have multiple addictions, but for the purposes of this exercise, I decided to focus on my sugar addiction.  Here is the list I came up with:

Once we came up with our list, we then designed our pinback buttons to remind us of why we want to abstain from the addictive behavior.  Here is the button I made:

The image I created for my sugar-addiction reminds me of several of the reasons on my list.  The yoga pose reminds me that I want pain-free hips.  The meditative hand gestures remind me that abstinence helps me remain connected to my Higher Power.  And the thin frame of the character reminds me of my vision for my body at a healthier weight.

What are your 10 reasons for abstaining from your addiction?