"The F** You Are": A Day in the Life of Recovery
When addiction answers your hope with a punch to the gut—and how to punch back.
This morning, I woke up and said to myself, “I’m gonna have a good day today.”
And in my head—without warning or invitation—I heard the familiar voice respond:
“The f** you are.”
I laughed when I first saw the meme.
Then I paused.
Because damn if that isn’t my addiction talking.
It’s always there. Lurking. Sarcastic. Cynical.
Waiting for me to get a little tired, a little discouraged, or a little too proud of myself.
Like they say in the rooms:
“The devil’s in the parking lot doing push-ups.”
Addiction doesn’t clock out. It doesn’t take rest days. It doesn’t care if I had a good day yesterday, or if I’m trying real hard today. It just sits in the corner—quiet, patient, and jacked—waiting for its shot.
Every time I say, “I’m gonna stay abstinent,”
Every time I whisper, “God, help me today,”
Every time I lace up for recovery—
That voice chimes in with, “Yeah, we’ll see.”
It’s easy to laugh off the meme.
Harder to live through the reality it represents.
But here's what I’m learning:
That voice doesn't get the final word unless I let it.
And recovery doesn’t mean the voice disappears—
It means I stop letting it drive.
So now I’m building a new voice.
A stronger one.
The one that speaks back.
Addiction: “The f*** you are.”
Recovery: “Watch me.”
Addiction: “You always screw this up.”
Recovery: “But I’m here. Still showing up.”
Addiction: “You’re too far gone.”
Recovery: “God says otherwise.”
So yeah, that meme made me laugh.
But it also made me suit up.
Because I’m not just hoping for a good day—
I’m fighting for it.
And today?
I might just win.
Has that voice ever hit you right after you make a commitment to stay clean? What do you say back? Hit reply or comment—I'd love to hear how your recovery voice talks back.
DeeBo