If you are using substances to cope, that makes sense.

This booklet was created for people who use substances to manage stress, anxiety, trauma, overwhelm, or emotional pain and feel stuck between wanting relief and feeling shame about how they cope.

This is not a guide about stopping.

It is a guide about reducing harm without forcing change.

Inside this booklet you will find:

• Non judgmental explanations of why coping through substances develops

• Gentle nervous system based harm reduction perspectives

• Reflective prompts that build awareness without pressure

• Language that removes shame instead of reinforcing it

• Support for people who feel conflicted about change

• Permission to move slowly, pause, or not change at all

This guide is written to meet you where you are, not where you think you should be.