F.A.S.T.E.R. RELAPSE AWARENESS SCALE
ADAPTED FROM THE GENESIS PROCESS BY MICHAEL DYE
RESTORATION (Accepting life on God’s terms, with trust, vulnerability, and gratitude.)
- No current secrets
- Working to resolve problems, identifying fears/feelings
- Keeping commitments to meetings, prayer, family, church, people, goals, and self
- Being open and honest, making eye contact
- Reaching out to others
- Increasing in relationships with God and others
- True accountability
FORGETTING PRIORITIES (Start believing the present circumstances and start moving away from trusting God. Denial, flight, a change in what’s important, how you spend your time and what you think about.)
- Secrets
- Less time/energy for God, meetings, church
- Avoiding support and accountability people
- Superficial conversations
- Sarcasm
- Isolating
- Changes in goals
- Obsessed with relationships
- Breaking promises and commitments
- Neglecting family
- Preoccupation with material things: TV, computers, other entertainment
- Procrastination
- Lying
- Over-confidence
- Bored
- Hiding money
Forgetting Priorities will lead to:
ANXIETY (A growing background noise of undefined fear; getting energy from emotions.) - Worry, using profanity, being fearful
- Being resentful
- Replaying old negative thoughts
- Perfectionism
- Judging other’s motives
- Making unrealistic goals and to-do lists
- Mind-reading
- Fantasy, co-dependent rescuing
- Sleep problems, trouble concentrating, seeking drama
- Gossip
- Using OTC medication for pain/sleep/weight control
- Flirting
Anxiety then leads to:
SPEEDING UP (Trying to outrun the anxiety, which is usually the first sign of depression.) - Super busy and always in a hurry (finding a good reason to justify the busyness), workaholic, can’t relax
- Avoiding slowing down
- Feeling driven
- Can’t turn off thoughts
- Skipping meals
- Binge eating (usually at night)
- Overspending
- Can’t identify own feelings/needs
- Repetitive negative thoughts
- Irritable
- Dramatic mood swings
- Too much caffeine
- Over-exercising
- Nervousness
- Difficulty being alone &/or with people
- Difficulty listening to others
- Making excuses for having to “do it all”
Speeding Up then leads to:
TICKED OFF (Getting adrenaline high from anger and aggression.) - Procrastination causing crisis in money, work, relationships
- Increasing sarcasm
- Black and white (all or nothing) thinking
- Feeling alone
- Nobody understands
- Overreacting, road rage
- Constant resentments
- Pushing others away
- Increasing isolation
- Blaming
- Arguing
- Irrational thinking
- Can’t take criticism
- Defensive
- People avoiding you
- Needing to be right
- Digestive problems
- Headaches
- Obsessive (stuck) thoughts
- Can’t forgive
- Feeling superior
- Using intimidation
Ticked Off then leads to:
EXHAUSTED (Loss of physical and emotional energy; coming off the adrenaline high, onset of depression.) - Depressed
- Panicked
- Confused
- Hopelessness
- Sleeping too much or too little
- Can’t cope
- Overwhelmed
- Crying for “no reason”
- Can’t think
- Forgetful
- Pessimistic
- Helpless
- Tired
- Numb
- Wanting to run
- Constant cravings for old coping behaviors
- Thinking of using sex, drugs, or alcohol
- Seeking old unhealthy people & places
- Really isolating
- People angry with you
- Self-abuse
- Suicidal thoughts
- Spontaneous crying
- No goals
- Survival mode
- Not returning phone calls
- Missing work
- Irritability
- No appetite
Exhausted then leads to:
RELAPSE (Returning to the place you swore you would never go again.) - Giving up and giving in
- Out of control
- Lost in your addiction
- Lying to yourself and others
- Feeling you just can’t manage without your coping behaviors, at least for now
- Result is reinforcement of shame, guilt, and condemnation, and feelings of abandonment and being alone.
FASTER SCALE EXERCISE
1. Underline all the behaviors on the FASTER Scale that you identify with.
2. Circle the most powerful one in each section. Write it in the corresponding heading below.
3. Answer these three questions:
A. How does it affect me? How do I act and feel?
B. How does it affect the important people in my life?
C. Why do I do this? What is the benefit for me?