Type 1 - The Reformer

Key Traits: Principled, purposeful, self-controlled, responsible, honest, detail-oriented
Challenges: Resentful, rigid, judgmental, perfectionistic, impatient

• Basic Fear – Being bad, evil, corrupt, defective

• Distorted Desire / Passion – My anger leads to chronic resentment over imperfection in myself and others.

• Leaden Rule – I point out evil, corruption and defectiveness in others to avoid feeling it in myself

• Manipulation Technique – Correct and “improve” others; insist they share my standards

• Red-Flag Fear – Realizing my ideals are actually wrong or counter-productive

• Wake-Up Call – Feeling a personal obligation to fix everything and everyone myself

• Lost Childhood Message – “You are good.”

• Core Identification & Self-Image – “I am accurate, thorough, diligent and in a position to judge.”

• Desire: maintain the image of the morally upright judge.

• Invitation to Abundance – I want to live for a Higher Purpose and trust the larger plan

• Healing Attitude – “Maybe others are right… maybe I have done all that can be done.”

Type One – The Reformer

Perfectionism and Control Issues: Ones’ relentless pursuit of perfection creates chronic stress and internal pressure. Their strong inner critic and tendency to suppress personal needs and desires can lead to anger and guilt, making substances attractive as a way to quiet the internal criticism.

Resentment and Emotional Suppression: Ones use reaction formation as a defense mechanism, feeling one thing and expressing the opposite. This leads to accumulated resentment and emotional tension that substances can temporarily relieve.

High Standards and Self-Criticism: The demand to be “good” often replaces personal needs and shuts down feelings, creating emotional numbness that substances may seem to address.

Stress from Imperfection: Ones become overwhelmed by the chaos and imperfection of the world, viewing substances as tools to maintain control and cope with overwhelming responsibilities.

Cognitive Impairment

Type Ones experience cognitive fog as a fundamental threat to their competence and ability to maintain standards. They become frustrated when they cannot think with their usual precision and may interpret concentration problems as personal failure rather than temporary neurological healing.

Memory Problems

Memory lapses trigger intense self-criticism in Ones, who pride themselves on attention to detail. Short-term memory issues feel like evidence of moral failure rather than a normal part of brain recovery.

Emotional Dysregulation

Emotional volatility directly contradicts Ones’ need for self-control and composure. Mood swings and emotional overreactions feel particularly shameful to Ones who equate emotional control with being “good.”

Sleep Disturbances

Sleep problems interfere with Ones’ ability to function optimally and maintain their high standards. Insomnia and sleep pattern disruptions create additional stress about not being productive enough.

Motor Coordination Issues

Physical coordination problems represent a loss of bodily control that Ones find deeply disturbing. Balance problems and impaired coordination feel like evidence of overall deterioration.

Stress Sensitivity

Increased stress sensitivity challenges Ones’ belief that they should handle pressure better than others. The heightened stress response conflicts with their self-image as strong and disciplined.Item description

Phase 1: Return of Denial – Inability to recognize and honestly communicate thoughts/feelings

• “I’m working a perfect program – nothing to worry about.”

• “Worried thoughts are distractions from doing recovery the right way.”

• “If I admit I’m struggling, it means I’m failing at recovery and that’s unacceptable.”

Phase 2: Avoidance and Defensive Behavior – Avoiding anything that triggers uncomfortable emotions

• “I’ve proven I have the willpower to never use again – that’s just fact.”

• “Other people’s recovery programs aren’t as disciplined as mine.”

• “I don’t need to think about feelings when my actions prove I’m doing recovery correctly.”

Phase 3: Crisis Building – Life problems accumulate due to denial and isolation

• “These problems are happening because other people aren’t doing things the right way.”

• “If everyone would just follow the rules properly, these issues wouldn’t exist.”

• “I can fix these problems if I just work harder and raise my standards.”

Phase 4: Immobilization – Complete inability to initiate action, controlled by circumstances

• “I can’t do anything until I figure out the right way to handle this.”

• “If only things would organize themselves properly, I could move forward.”

• “I’m scared of making the wrong choice and failing at recovery.”

Phase 5: Confusion and Overreaction – – Impaired thinking and emotional volatility

• “Everyone is illogical and it’s making me really frustrated.”

• “I can’t think straight because people keep doing things wrong.”

• “These mistakes are driving me to the edge of my patience.”

Phase 6: Depression – – Severe mood disruption affecting normal functioning

• “I’ve failed at recovery. I’m a fundamentally flawed person.”

• “Nothing I do is ever good enough – I’m completely inadequate.”

• “Recovery is supposed to work if you do it right, but I’m obviously doing it wrong.”

Phase 7: Behavioral Loss of Control – Inability to maintain recovery behaviors

• “These meetings are full of people who don’t take recovery seriously.”

• “I don’t care about going to meetings. This program doesn’t work.”

• “Why should I follow rules when no one else is doing recovery correctly?”

Phase 8: Recognition of Loss of Control – – Denial breaks, awareness of powerlessness emerges

• “I’ve completely failed at recovery and I’m a terrible person.”

• “Maybe controlled drinking isn’t as bad as feeling like a failure at recovery.”

• “I’m lying to everyone about how bad things have gotten, but I can’t make it get better.”

Phase 9: Option Reduction – Only three perceived options: insanity, suicide, or substance use

• “I’m so angry that recovery isn’t working out like I planned and I want to destroy everything.”

• “The only options left are going crazy, killing myself, or using drugs.”

• “I refuse to go to meetings because they’re full of hypocrites and failures. Better to just use.”

Phase 10: Acute Relapse Period – Complete functional breakdown

• “I can’t control my thoughts, emotions, or behavior anymore – I’m completely broken.”

• “My life is falling apart in every area and I’m too exhausted to function.”

• “At least with drugs I had some sense of order and control.”

Phase 11: Return to Active Addiction – Actual resumption of substance use

• “I’ll use just once to prove I can control it then I’ll get back into recovery.”

• “If I plan this carefully and use moderately, I can manage both substances and recovery.”

• “This controlled use is actually part of learning to do recovery correctly.”Item description

Phase 1: Return of Denial – Inability to recognize and honestly communicate thoughts/feelings

• “I’m working a perfect program – nothing to worry about.”

• “Worried thoughts are distractions from doing recovery the right way.”

• “If I admit I’m struggling, it means I’m failing at recovery and that’s unacceptable.”

Phase 2: Avoidance and Defensive Behavior – Avoiding anything that triggers uncomfortable emotions

• “I’ve proven I have the willpower to never use again – that’s just fact.”

• “Other people’s recovery programs aren’t as disciplined as mine.”

• “I don’t need to think about feelings when my actions prove I’m doing recovery correctly.”

Phase 3: Crisis Building – Life problems accumulate due to denial and isolation

• “These problems are happening because other people aren’t doing things the right way.”

• “If everyone would just follow the rules properly, these issues wouldn’t exist.”

• “I can fix these problems if I just work harder and raise my standards.”

Phase 4: Immobilization – Complete inability to initiate action, controlled by circumstances

• “I can’t do anything until I figure out the right way to handle this.”

• “If only things would organize themselves properly, I could move forward.”

• “I’m scared of making the wrong choice and failing at recovery.”

Phase 5: Confusion and Overreaction – – Impaired thinking and emotional volatility

• “Everyone is illogical and it’s making me really frustrated.”

• “I can’t think straight because people keep doing things wrong.”

• “These mistakes are driving me to the edge of my patience.”

Phase 6: Depression – – Severe mood disruption affecting normal functioning

• “I’ve failed at recovery. I’m a fundamentally flawed person.”

• “Nothing I do is ever good enough – I’m completely inadequate.”

• “Recovery is supposed to work if you do it right, but I’m obviously doing it wrong.”

Phase 7: Behavioral Loss of Control – Inability to maintain recovery behaviors

• “These meetings are full of people who don’t take recovery seriously.”

• “I don’t care about going to meetings. This program doesn’t work.”

• “Why should I follow rules when no one else is doing recovery correctly?”

Phase 8: Recognition of Loss of Control – – Denial breaks, awareness of powerlessness emerges

• “I’ve completely failed at recovery and I’m a terrible person.”

• “Maybe controlled drinking isn’t as bad as feeling like a failure at recovery.”

• “I’m lying to everyone about how bad things have gotten, but I can’t make it get better.”

Phase 9: Option Reduction – Only three perceived options: insanity, suicide, or substance use

• “I’m so angry that recovery isn’t working out like I planned and I want to destroy everything.”

• “The only options left are going crazy, killing myself, or using drugs.”

• “I refuse to go to meetings because they’re full of hypocrites and failures. Better to just use.”

Phase 10: Acute Relapse Period – Complete functional breakdown

• “I can’t control my thoughts, emotions, or behavior anymore – I’m completely broken.”

• “My life is falling apart in every area and I’m too exhausted to function.”

• “At least with drugs I had some sense of order and control.”

Phase 11: Return to Active Addiction – Actual resumption of substance use

• “I’ll use just once to prove I can control it then I’ll get back into recovery.”

• “If I plan this carefully and use moderately, I can manage both substances and recovery.”

• “This controlled use is actually part of learning to do recovery correctly.”Item description