Where Rationalizing Leads
Where Rationalizing Leads

RAW Recovery Podcast

Dion talks candidly about how rationalising slips can quietly rebuild a path back to drinking, using humour, AA readings and his own experiences. The episode focuses on spotting excuses early, staying honest about medication and stress, and leaning on meetings and sponsors to keep recovery on track.

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35:32•17 Aug 2026

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Where Rationalising Leads: Turning Excuses Into Relapses

Episode Overview

One justified slip makes the next one easier, and repeated rationalisation can lead back to full‑time drinking.
There’s a key difference between understanding a reason and using it to excuse behaviour that puts sobriety at risk.
Honesty with doctors and therapists is vital, as misleading them about symptoms or use can result in harmful prescriptions or dosing.
Phrases like "just this once", "I deserve it" or "my situation is different" are early warning signs of relapse thinking.
Regular meetings, sponsorship and people who challenge your thinking can help catch rationalisations before action is taken.

“Am I making a decision or am I building a justification?”

Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This RAW Recovery instalment follows host Dion as he riffs honestly about one of addiction’s slipperiest traps: rationalisation. Kicking off with a funny, sharply written sketch from his series "The Unmanageables", you’ll hear the character Brad insist he can now drink "in a more restrained manner" and that he’s a "special alcoholic" who doesn’t need every rule.

Dion uses this tongue‑in‑cheek scene to show how convincing self‑talk can sound, right up until it sends someone straight back to the bottle. From there, the tone shifts into candid reflection. Reading from *As Bill Sees It*, page 197, Dion talks about how "one justification leads to another and presently we are back on the bottle full time" and admits he’s been through that cycle himself.

He shares stories of skipping meetings, testing his drinking, and how a sponsor once told him bluntly, "If you're just going to listen, don't even bother going," highlighting the importance of showing up to help others, not just to sit quietly. The chat moves beyond alcohol to pills, mental health medication and honesty with doctors.

Dion owns his past mistakes with prescriptions like Cymbalta and Ativan, stressing that "the doctor didn't give you a misdiagnosis… you lied" if you weren’t straight about your usage and symptoms. It’s raw, sometimes sweary, and very down‑to‑earth.

Throughout, he keeps coming back to a simple test: "Am I making a decision or am I building a justification?" Whether it’s skipping a meeting, taking a pill, or picking up a drink, that question becomes a practical tool for anyone trying to stay sober. If you’ve ever caught yourself saying "just this once" or "I deserve it", this conversation might have you re‑thinking where those excuses are really leading you. What excuses are you still buying from yourself?

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