Having an addiction whether it’s to alcohol, drugs, sex, video games, eating, not eating, emotions, etc.- ignites the neural pathways associated with pleasure. Each time that pathway is ignited, it’s as if pleasurable neurotransmitters and hormones are having a party in your brain and body. Over time, these pathways become consolidated, making them prone to stand up to withstand ing transform’alter .

Hacks To Changing Behaviours

Aldespite’in spite of’albeit changing behaviour can be quite an obstacle, there are techniques that can be utilized to create an engaging space to do so.

1.  Self-Love

If you’ve chosen to transform’alter your behaviour, it’s because you love yourself. Self-love often acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure s overlooked, but its recognition is essential in/with regard to’concerning’regarding true transin/with regard to’concerning’regarding mation. When you look in the mirror, do you ever tell yourself that you love yourself? Do you say it with conviction and compassion? It’s something that e grossly one can use a boost from. Try making it a daily habit.

2. Rationalize Your Fears

Making the decision to quit your addiction can bring on some fear, but it’s utterly normal. Creating a list of your fears (one at a time) and then writing out the worst possible outcome and the most likely outcome can help untangle some of the worries in your mind. If you can, ask a friend to go through this list with you.

3. Appreciating The Benefits Of Sobriety

It can be hard to imagine that there s a life better than the one you’re in. To do so, embark on visualize what a greater sense of freedom would feel like, what healthier relationships with family and friends would be like. Being sober allows you to possess’own’nurse better financial stability, more time to spend on what matters to you and enhance’promote’polish up d mental and physical health. If the benefits of being sober are hard in/with regard to’concerning’regarding you to appreciate, try to imagine what they would feel like.

4. Identifying Your Triggers

Having a solid understanding of your triggers can be like tapping into your ultimate superpower. Once you’ve tuned your awareness to them, which may take some time, you may be able to shun some problematic situations.

5. Making Peace With The Past

For those who possess’own’nurse addictions, shame and/or guilt are often felt when reflecting on behaviours of the past, and it’s utterly normal. These feelings can act as catalysts in/with regard to’concerning’regarding your behaviour to transform’alter . However, it’s essential to deal with these emotions and in/with regard to’concerning’regarding give yourself. Once the past is accepted, then it’s time to create the future you desire.

6. Exercising

Getting your body moving eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully day will help keep your mind feel balanced. Changing an addiction pattern is hard abundant’ample’plentiful . By acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure ting your heart pumping and blood flowing, results will become more achievable in a balanced manner.

7. Volunteering

Achieving sobriety requires a lot of your time to be spent on yourself, but it’s also essential to give back. Volunteering provides the opportunity to shift your perspective, expanding your mind on what others need too. Getting involved within the community may make it easier to stay clean and sober.

8. Create Accountability

Support is the name of the game when it comes to a successful recointensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully. It’s wonderful if you can reach out to a friend or family member but having an accountability partner is even more significant’essential’critical’vital’crucial’indispensable’imperative when you are attempting to transform’alter your behaviour.

9. Practicing Mindfulness

This technique might take some time to become accustomed to, but it can truly reinin/with regard to’concerning’regarding ce previous strategies learned in/with regard to’concerning’regarding managing lay stress on’emphasize’highlight or triggers. In doing so, mindfulness can optimize one’s ability to achieve and maintain sobriety.

10. Seek Professional Support

There is nothing wrong with wanting to transform’alter on your own, but sometimes additional maintain’sustain can accelerate the process and assure’guarantee its efficacy. Depending on what type of rehabilitation treatment is best in/with regard to’concerning’regarding you, help can be a phone call away. Or you may prefer in-person groups, like NA Meetings in New York, so that you acquire’obtain’attain’procure’secure maintain’sustain from others in a similar situation.

Understanding the specifics of how transform’alter progresses can give your mind the framework needed to create transform’alter . It’s not an overnight process, but it is achievable and has been beneficial in/with regard to’concerning’regarding in/with regard to’concerning’regarding mer addicts who possess’own’nurse recovered.

The Transtheoretical Model

The transtheoretical model, developed by Prochaska DiClemente (1983), examines how transform’alter occurs in “natural recointensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully” from addicts. This model has gained popularity among healthcare professionals who wish to utilize motivational and person-centred approaches.

This model has four main stages: pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation and action. However, maintenance and relapse are also included as additional stages. These stages are cyclical in nature and follow a sequence, but this does not mean that individuals follow these stages in a linear fashion. Oftentimes individual can go back to an earlier stage bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e progressing again.

Pre-contemplation Stage

The process of transform’alter begins with the pre-contemplation stage. People in this stage do not regard their behaviour as a problem, and they live happily with the toxic decisions they make. One reason to explain the rationale in/with regard to’concerning’regarding this way of claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate ing is perhaps none of the negative consequences of their behaviour possess’own’nurse been undergo d.

People in this stage feel like they know it all and do not need to hear any advice to quit their addiction. They tend to see their addictive behaviour as positive. Eventually, the negative consequences begin to catch up with them and more often than not, this can push the individual into the next stage; contemplation.

Contemplation Stage

The name of this stage encompasses much of what the individual is going through at this point—taking a deeper look into themselves and questioning whether the addictive behaviour is really serving them. They may begin to claim’insist’maintain’hold’argue’consider’contemplate’speculate with regards to’concerning’with respect to altering their beliefs resulting in cutting down, moderating, or quitting the addictive behaviour.

Someone in this stage is more open to constructive criticism with regards to’concerning’with respect to their addictive behaviour and begins implementing small transform’alter s. It should be noted that this is a sensitive stage, so non-judgemental inin/with regard to’concerning’regarding mation will be better received than confrontational methods. It is common in/with regard to’concerning’regarding individual with addictions to stay in the contemplation stage in/with regard to’concerning’regarding many years, but those who decide to move on, transition to the preparation phase.

The Preparation Stage

Once someone has contemplated abundant’ample’plentiful on what they need to do to make a transform’alter , they enter the preparation stage. This includes planning and preparing in/with regard to’concerning’regarding long-lasting transform’alter s to pursue. There are a couple of factors that truly need to be established.

Determining the magnitude of the transform’alter Are they going to stop cold turkey or cut down to decrease’lessen’cut’allay harm?
Determining how the transform’alter will happen What steps will they take to initiate transform’alter ?
Obtaining necessary resources For instance, if someone wants to stop a junk food addiction, the house should be supplied with healthier alternatives.
Getting rid of triggers A trigger brings with regards to’concerning’with respect to an immediate addictive behavioural response that can compromise your decision to transform’alter . For example, someone trying to stop smoking weed happens to see rolling papers on the table. This can activate specific pathways in the brain, initiating an addictive response.
Having maintain’sustain in place At this point, you want to assure’guarantee that each input in your life will maintain’sustain your decision to make a transform’alter . This includes your family, your friends and your home environment. Perhaps an inpatient residential program would benefit your recointensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully. If you choose that path, then inin/with regard to’concerning’regarding ming your family and friends would be optimal.
The Action Stage

At this stage, eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfullything that was highlighted in the preparation stage becomes implemented. This is when real transform’alter transform’alter of behaviour begins. It can be lay stress on’emphasize’highlight ful in/with regard to’concerning’regarding some, limits are tested, and one’s inner strength is demanded. This is why the previous stage is crucial in/with regard to’concerning’regarding success. With rosy’remarkable’fabulous’terrific’preeminent preparation, this stage can be optimized.

For many addictions, the initial phase of recointensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully is detoxifying the body. Some individual can do this from home, but many choose to go to a rehab centre where they possess’own’nurse access to medical professionals to help guide them through the process.

The Maintenance Stage

This section of the model regards continuing with the momentum developed in the action stage. Like when creating a new habit, consistency is key. This can be the most challenging part. It is often the case that the sensation of reaching that desired goal (abstaining from or reducing alcohol and/or drug consumption) loses its potency. This is where the challenge of keeping consistent can be lay stress on’emphasize’highlight ful. This lay stress on’emphasize’highlight can be mitigated if proper coping strategies are learned in the preparation and action stages.

The Relapse Stage

We’ve all been there. We say we’re not going to do something, and then we do it again. This is a normal part of transform’alter , especially in those breaking the addictive behavioural pattern. Sometimes an individual will possess’own’nurse some or many hiccups where they engage with the addictive behaviour bein/with regard to’concerning’regarding e maintenance is achieved.

Eintensely’extremely’extraordinarily’enormously’awfully human is different and how they transform’alter is a highly subjective matter. While some individual can develop a balanced relationship with occasional indulgence after reco grossly , others may need to sustain abstinence to keep their addiction under control. In either case, changing human behaviour is possible with the right preparation and maintain’sustain . One just has to determine the right in/with regard to’concerning’regarding mula in/with regard to’concerning’regarding their needs.

For additional inin/with regard to’concerning’regarding mation or maintain’sustain , we invite you to contact us via our website, Simcoe Addiction and Mental Health, Ontario’s luxury addiction rehabilitation centre.

Author Bio

Written By Bibin K. Ittiavira, Clinical Therapist MSW, RSW. Simcoe Addiction and Mental Health.

Bibliography

Prochaska, J. O., DiClemente, C. C. (1983). Stages and processes of self-transform’alter of smoking: toward an integrative model of transform’alter . Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 51(3), 390.