With self-medication, I believe there is a continuum of severity that stretches from occasional use on one end to true addiction on the other. For many survivors, self-medication is a matter of degree. An especially strong urge to use more substance or process than normal is a powerful clue that you are in a flashback. With practice, mindfully noticing a sudden upsurge in craving can be interpreted as the need to invoke the flashback management steps. Moreover, I see many survivors gradually decrease their self-medicating habits by effectively using these steps.
