Discussion Reevaluating “Sunk Costs” in Recovery

[ladidaok]

I don't know if this necessarily belongs here— and I should probably go to bed— but I had a thought.

I feel like one of my main psychological hurdles in CTBing is letting all the progress I've made "go to waste.

I spent a decade in therapy, and made a ton of progress— which many people who saw me during that process commended me for.


That said, I'm far from happy— in many ways, I feel more miserable than ever nowadays because I finally understand my problems, yet don't feel I can realistically do anything to solve them.

Anyway, I feel like the core of what I'm getting at relates to what's referred to as the sunk-cost fallacy.

I think it's hard for me in many senses to accept that I spent a decade in therapy— and actually made huge gains— yet come to terms with the fact it's still best for me to cut my losses, if you will.

In other words, I've been gradually accepting that the sunk costs (and gains) ultimately do not matter— or at least are far outweighed by the prospect of no longer suffering.

The sunk-cost fallacy usually is used in reference to less serious matters (i.e., not death and suicide).

So I haven't been able to explore this idea elsewhere.

I'm sure I'm not alone in terms of this line of thinking, but I still thought it would be interesting to share and hear others' perspectives

Thanks for reading!

 

[SchizoGymnast]

That's an interesting take. The truth is, all our lives are sunk costs. We go through all things and do all this just to die, and to have no say in that. I still believe that life is the goal and the joy, and it's never really a sunk cost. But not everyone shares that view.