Addiction Management

Most of us would like to improve ourselves if we could. The main obstacles to self improvement are our thinking processes and our belief systems. Many of us also believe that self improvement is impossible because we are limited in our knowledge about how to go about improving ourselves. This article is about self improvement. It teaches self improvement in a step by step, easy to understand, manner. So if you are serious about self improvement then you need to read this article. Follow the simple directions and success will be yours. There are no forms to fill or books to be bought. Success is only two pages away, it’s free! If you are more interested in the theory of change you may read my article on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy at: http://www.healthmad.com/Addiction/Cognitive-Behaviour-Therapy-in-the-Management-of-Drug-Dependence.394327

Our behaviours are related to how we think about things, events and their interrelationships and interactions. These interrelationships are represented in our minds in the form of cognitions. Cognition is simply defined as the process of knowing and, more precisely, the process of being aware, knowing, thinking, learning and judging. The study of cognition is complex and includes the fields of psychology, linguistics, computer science, neuroscience, mathematics, ethology and philosophy, to mention a few. So, in order for one to change one’s behaviour it is important to look at and review the “imprinted thoughts” in one’s mind.

Examination of imprinted thoughts in our minds

This process is the most important process if one is serious about improving one’s self.

It requires one to make a list of positive and negative thoughts associated with the behaviour one wants to change. For the purposes of this discussion let us imagine that we want to change our behaviour around the area of alcohol consumption. There are many thoughts related to alcohol consumption in our minds. The first step is to make a list of positive and negative thoughts. The thoughts are usually automatic so we have to just write them down on a piece of paper. I have given an example below.

The second step is to look at the positive thoughts we have attributed to the alcohol. Look at the list below and review the positive thoughts associated with alcohol and drinking. The listed reasons include commonly cited reasons given by drug dependent clients. Most of us know the positives and negatives associated with the behaviour of drinking alcohol.

Changing the cognitive process

Changing a thought is not an easy process. It requires you to analyse your own thinking. Let us look at the number one positive reason for drinking alcohol. Cognitive theory requires that this be looked at critically using researched and established research. Established research shows that alcohol is a depressant i.e. it makes the consumer feel “low or lower” than the starting point. Studies also show that many alcoholics are on antidepressants. Therefore, they must be depressed. It is now clear that alcohol may make the consumer “feel good” but research does not support it. Therefore this positive thought must now be moved to the negative thought column.

Each one of the positive thoughts needs to be analysed critically and moved to the negative thoughts column at an intellectual or cognitive level. Once this is done, it will be realised that the negatives outweigh the positives. It can then be reasoned that there are only minimal benefits from drinking alcohol. Therefore, it may be better to look at some other way of feeling good instead of drinking.

Changing Behaviour

After going through the exercise of moving a thought from positive to negative it is time to follow through with action. When the next “alcohol consumption time” comes around it will be time to review the reasons for “drinking alcohol” and translate the thinking into reality. One may need to use some of the avoidance strategies, using other drugs strategy or controlling the drug taking environment strategy. These strategies are available at: http://www.healthmad.com/Addiction/Cognitive-Behaviour-Therapy-in-the-Management-of-Drug-Dependence.394327

Monitoring and self rewarding

If you have successfully brought about change in your behaviour it is important to reinforce it. This is done most effectively by rewarding yourself with an appropriate reward which must be tangible. For some individuals the ability to change behaviour is itself a sufficient “feel good” factor.

Relapse Prevention

Not all clients will be able to change their behaviours after one attempt. Relapses occur and are a normal part of changing behaviours. When a relapse occurs one must think of it as a temporary condition as opposed to, “back to the beginning.” Relapses can be prevented by continuing to work on strengthening the client’s motivation for change. The motivations for change, as we saw earlier include internal and external factors.

Many clients will remember the reason for their relapses and will try to do better next time round.