Chapter 8. Thinkinghabits.
Breaking a habit can be a challenging task, especially when it involves substance use or gambling. However, there are a number of things you can do to increase your chances of success.
One of the most important things is to be aware of the triggers that cause you to engage in the behavior. When you know your triggers, you can prepare yourself to address them in a healthier way. For example, if stress is a trigger for substance use or gambling, you can develop healthy coping mechanisms such as deep breathing or exercise to manage stress.
Another important aspect of breaking a habit is getting support from others. This can include friends, family or professionals who can help you develop a plan to overcome the habit. Support can also provide accountability and encouragement, making it easier to stick to your plan.
Finally, it is important to recognize the short-term benefits of drug use or gambling and find alternative activities that can provide similar benefits. For example, instead of using drugs to relieve stress, you can try relaxation techniques such as yoga or meditation. Instead of gambling for excitement, you can find other activities that offer similar thrills, such as extreme sports or other adventurous hobbies.
Breaking a habit takes time, effort and patience. It is important to remember that relapses can happen, but this does not mean you have failed. They are opportunities to learn from your mistakes and keep working toward your goal of breaking the habit. With persistence and the right support, it is possible to break even the most ingrained habits.
Here are some additional tips for breaking a habit:
If you are struggling to break a habit, it is important to seek help. There are many people who have been helped by a therapist, counselor or supportgroups.
Thoughts are an integral part of our mental and emotional wellbeing, and it is important to learn how to manage them effectively. One way to do this is through cognitive behavioural therapy, a type of therapy that focuses on identifying and changing negative thoughts and behaviours.
In this kind of therapy, you work with a therapist to identify your negative or unhelpful thoughts and learn to challenge and reframe them. For example, if you have the thought 'I can't cope without using substances', you would be encouraged to challenge this thought by asking yourself if it's really true and looking for evidence that contradicts it.
Once you have identified your negative thoughts, you can begin to replace them with more positive and realistic ones. This may take some practice, but with time and effort you can develop a more positive mindset that will help you achieve your goals and stay on track.
It is also important to remember that thoughts are not always an accurate reflection of reality. Our minds can play tricks on us and it is easy to fall into the trap of negative thinking. By learning to identify and challenge our negative thoughts, we can begin to see things in a more balanced and realistic way and develop a more positive outlook on life.
Overall, by learning to manage our thoughts and emotions, we can take control of our lives and make positive changes that will lead to greater happiness and fulfilment.
Furthermore, challenging irrational thoughts is a key part of cognitive behavioural therapy, which is a commonly used treatment for substance use and gambling disorders. This approach teaches people to recognise and challenge their irrational thoughts by questioning their validity and exploring evidence to support or refute them.
For example, if someone is struggling with the thought 'I can't have fun without drugs', a therapist might ask them to think of times when they have had fun without drugs, or to think about the negative consequences of drug use. In this way, the person can learn to replace their irrational thought with a more rational and helpful one, such as "I can have fun without drugs, and doing so will help me achieve my goals and improve my well-being".
It's also important to note that challenging irrational thoughts is not a one-off event, but an ongoing process. New thoughts and triggers may arise over time, and it's important to continue to use the skills and techniques learned in therapy to deal with them effectively.
Overall, challenging irrational thoughts is a crucial step in overcoming substance abuse and gambling disorders, as it allows individuals to develop a more balanced and realistic perspective and empowers them to make healthier choices.
It's important to realise that changing irrational thoughts to rational ones won't happen overnight. It takes time and practice to change your thinking patterns. Reflecting on your thoughts, writing them down and considering how they relate to your goals can help. It's normal to have irrational thoughts from time to time, so don't be too hard on yourself.
Instead, try to have an honest conversation with yourself and focus on your successes and progress. Every step towards rational thinking is a victory, so celebrate your successes along the way. Don't let setbacks or negative thoughts make you feel guilty or powerless. Keep working at it and with persistence you will see progress. Remember that this is a journey, and it's important to be kind to yourself along the way.
Thinking differently is an important part of the behaviour change process. By becoming aware of the thoughts and beliefs you have about yourself and your behaviour, you can change them and in turn change your behaviour.
An important question to ask yourself is: How do I give myself permission to use? Often people struggling with addiction have certain 'excuses' they tell themselves to justify their behaviour. These can be thoughts like "I deserve to reward myself" or "It's just one time, it won't hurt". It's important to become aware of these thoughts and realise that they are not helpful in the process of changing behaviour.
Another important step is to examine your risk thoughts, as described in the first part of addiction treatment. These are thoughts that make you vulnerable to relapse into your addiction, such as "I can't cope without using" or "Life is boring without drugs/alcohol". By recognising these thoughts and replacing them with more helpful ones, you can better protect yourself from the temptation to fall back into old habits.
Finally, it's important to remember that behaviour change is a process that takes time and effort. It's normal to slip back into old habits from time to time, but it's important not to be too hard on yourself and to keep working on making positive changes to your behaviour. It can also be helpful to seek support from friends, family or a professional to help you with the process of changing your behaviour.
Try to change the non-helping thoughts into helping thoughts. Think for yourself what you can say to yourself not to gamble when you feel the urge to gamble.
Im stronger then this
I can save up some money
Its nicer to feel sober
Ive got obligations tomorrow
Its nice to feel a little bit different.
Ive got plenty of money.
I enjoy myself better.
I sleep better.