Sometimes you just want to keep your problems to yourself. But then who is there to congratulate you when you start down the path to recovery?
Maybe you don't want to join a local group meeting (or maybe there isn't a group for your problem at all). Maybe you don't want to hop on an internet forum every time you take a step towards overcoming your impulses.
But you deserve *some* credit, right?
A lot of programs reward you for the things you do. We reward you for the things you don't do. Even the little things.
PatMyBack gives you a place to brag right when you have your success. That one scone you didn't eat. That one guy you didn't flip off, even though he totally deserved it. A real person reads your success and writes you back. Or share it with the PatMyBack community and get encouragement from people struggling with the exact same issues.
It's quick. It's short. It keeps you focused.
Self control requires a lifetime of making difficult choices. Should one small slip-up invalidate the work you already put in? Take abstinence-based programs like Alcoholics Anonymous. You get rewards for staying "clean" over long periods of time. But if you've been clean for 4 years, 11 months, 27 days and you have just one drink, you can forget that 5 year achievement badge.
We don't deal in absolutes. We're here for you, for as long as you need us.
