Addictive Behavior

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Addictive Behavior
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Addiction

• Any pathological relationship to any mood
  altering experience that has life damaging
  consequences.
• John Bradshaw

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Addiction

• Primary Illness
• Progressive
• Permanent
• Predictable
• Persuasive
• Terminal

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Substance Addictions

• Drugs
• Alcohol
• Nicotine
• Food Abuse
• Compulsive overeating, may lead to obesity
• Bulimia nervosa, binge/purge syndrome
• Anorexia nervosa,
• self-imposed starvation
• Chronic dieting,
• thin/fat syndrome

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Activity Addictions

• Work
• Gambling
• Spending
• Power
• Exercise

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Thought Addictions

• Obsessive thinking
• Obsessive/compulsive behaviors
• Worry a blend of above

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People Addictions

• Relationship
• Love
• Sexual

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Feeling Addictions

• Rage
• Fear
• Misery
• Guilt

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Codependency

• Codependency is a pattern of painful dependency
  on compulsive behaviors and on approval from
  others in an attempt to find safety, self-worth
  and identity. Recovery is possible.
• Panel of professionals at the First Conference on
  Codependency in Scottsdale Arizona in August 1989

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Characteristics of Codependency

• Difficulty in accurately identifying feelings
• Lack of personal boundaries

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Characteristics of Codependency

• Clinging Relationships
• Relationship addictions
• Difficulty in forming or maintaining close or
  intimate relationships

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Characteristics of Codependency

• Rigidity in behavior and/or attitudes
• Difficulty in adjusting to change
• Control issues
• Physical illnesses

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Characteristics of Codependency

• Caretaking as a form of control
• Indispensable
• Martyr
• Feelings
• Out of touch
• distorted
• Feeling overly responsible for other peoples
  behavior and feelings

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Characteristics of Codependency

• Loss of morality
• Difficulty in making decisions
• Feeling powerless

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Characteristics of Codependency

• A basic sense of shame and low self-esteem
• Avoidance of conflict
• Constant need for others approval.

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Enabler

• A person who makes it possible (easier and
  more comfortable) for another person to continue
  their addictive behavior. Enabling behavior can
  be demonstrated in relation to a friend, parent,
  spouse, child, work partner, or neighbor.

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Dont be One
Enabler

• Dont make excuses to cover up drunken behavior.
• Dont clean up after them when they make a mess
  while abusing drugs or alcohol.
• Dont believe repeated promises.

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Be One
Friend

• Seek advice from professionals if you are worried
  about a friends drinking/drug-taking.
• Take action promptly.
• Recognize that you are affected by your friends
  behavior.

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Enabling Behaviors(Denial)

• He/she is not an alcoholic/chemically dependent
  (allows the person to continue, expects the
  person to use self-control)

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Enabling Behaviors(Denial)

• Drinking/using with the chemically dependent
  person

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Enabling Behaviors(Rationalization)

• Justifying the alcohol/drug use by agreeing with
  or accepting the excuses (rationalizations) of
  the user.

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Enabling Behaviors(Denial and Rationalization)

• Avoiding the Problem
• Failing to identify or express feelings
  (stuffing feelings)
• Keeping peace at any price
• Tranquilizing feelings with medications, food,
  work

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Enabling Behaviors(Rationalizations)

• Minimizing
• He/she doesnt use/drink that much or that
  often
• It is not that bad

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Enabling Behaviors

• Protecting
• From consequences of his/her actions
• The image of the dependent
• The image of the family, parents, employer
• The person from pain
• Self from pain

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Enabling Behaviors

• Blaming
• Lecturing
• arguing

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Enabling Behaviors

• Feeling Superior
• Treating the dependent like a child

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Enabling Behaviors

• Controlling
• Lets skip the party!
• Lets not go to that bar.
• Lets not have Thanksgiving at our house this
  year.

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Enabling Behaviors

• Waiting and enduring
• Its just a phase he/she is going through it
  will pass.

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Enabling Behaviors

• Being overly responsible
• Taking on his/her responsibilities
• Doing the things he/she should be able to do for
  him/herself.

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The Cycle of Addiction
6.Crash- Let-down withdrawal

• Emotional Pain
• Guilt, fear, shame
• Childhood learning
• to Stuff pain

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Myths and Realities of Alcoholism

• Myth Alcohol is predominately a sedative or
  depressant drug.
• Reality Alcohols pharmacological effects
  change with the amount drunk. In small
  quantities alcohol is a stimulant. In large
  quantities, alcohol acts as a sedative. It is
  loaded with calories.

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Myths and Realities of Alcoholism

• Myth Alcohol is an addictive drug, and anyone
  who drinks long and hard enough will become
  addicted.
• Reality Alcohol is selectively addictive it is
  addictive for only a minority of its users,
  namely, alcoholics. Most people can drink
  occasionally, daily, even heavily, without
  becoming addicted to alcohol. Others will become
  addicted no matter how much they drink.

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Myths and Realities of Alcoholism

• Myth When the alcoholic is drinking, he/she
  reveals their true personality.
• Reality Alcohols effect on the brain causes
  severe psychological and emotional distortions of
  the normal personality. Sobriety reveals the
  alcoholics true personality.

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Myths and Realities of Alcoholism

• Myth The fact that alcoholics often continue to
  be depressed, anxious, irritable, and unhappy
  after they stop drinking is evidence that their
  disease is caused by psychological problems.
• Fact Alcoholics who continue to be depressed
  etc. after they stop drinking are actually
  suffering from a phenomenon called the
  protracted withdrawal syndrome. They physical
  damage caused by years of excessive drinking has
  not been complete reversed. They need more help.

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Myths and Realities of Alcoholism

• Myth I drive better after a few drinks.
• Reality Even professional drivers abilities
  diminish sharply at levels as low as 0.03...just
  a few drinks. Judgment is affected, so people
  only think they are driving better, when they are
  much worse.

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Myths and Realities of Alcoholism

• Myth People are friendlier when they are drunk.
• Reality Maybe, but they are also more hostile,
  dangerous, criminal, homicidal and more suicidal.
  
• ½ of all murders
• 1/3 of all suicides

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Myths and Realities of Alcoholism

• Myth It is rude to refuse a drink.
• Reality It is rude to push a drink on someone
  who doesnt want it or shouldnt have it.

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College Statistics

• 95 of violent crime and 53 of all injuries on
  campus are alcohol related.
• Alcohol is implicated in 41 of all academic
  problems and 28 of dropouts.
• 240,000-350,000 of current 12 million
  undergraduates will die from alcohol related
  causes more than those who will get MAs and
  PHDs combined.
• 60 of college women with STDs (including AIDS)
  were under the influence of alcohol when they had
  intercourse.
• 90 of all campus rapes occur when alcohol is
  being used.

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About Alcoholic Substances

• A 12 ounce can of domestic beer has as much
  alcohol as a shot (1.5oz) of 80 proof whisky,
  gin, or vodka or 5 ounces of wine.
• Many imported beers, ice beers and microbrewed
  beers contain 6 alcohol (sometimes much more),
  so 12 oz. Is more potent than a shot of liquor.
• Some malt liquors pack nearly twice as much
  alcohol per ounce as regular beer.