I don't agree with the ridiculous purist thinking surrounding relapse that is encouraged in 12 step groups. It can become absurd, as the person who brought up coffee hints at. It can drive you mad with the whole 'am I still clean?'. I've been there. For me it was about needing reassurance. But now I don't view my recovery in black and white terms. Instead I consider whether I am satisfied with my life, and ensure I am not engaging in any self-destructive behaviours.

And obviously I stay the fuck away from alcohol, pain meds, and any of the things that got me up shit creek in the past. But we have to have some room for individual differences, or else where do we draw the line? Is chocolate a drug? How about valerian? How about energy drinks? What about the doctor telling you that you require morphine post-op? Everyone has their own individual agency and boundaries around these things and rightly so.