Addiction and Building Blocks Part 1

Any form of addiction can indeed be a very long and tedious process for the individual to change behavior. However, some people with an addiction appear to recover quickly, almost immediately, from their addictions and seem to be able to live a functional life in society. In the world of addictions, there seem to be many forms of developing a habit and sustaining that addictive habit.

If we look at the world of sexual addiction, for example, many forms or types of addictions are developed in a particular way. “The concept of Behavior Building Blocks seems to be a common thread among sex addicts” (Laaser, 2004). These behavior building blocks appear to be routines people with an addiction use to feed their addictions. For example, one form of addiction is added to another form of addiction, which is added to another form of addiction, and so on. These patterns firmly hold onto the individual and may take years to break free. So, how do people with addictions change their behaviors?

Today, there are many support groups in the community that will help the individual change, if the change is desired. With any addiction such as alcohol, there are alcoholics anonymous (AA) and Gambling Anonymous (GA), and for those dealing with heavy drug use, there is Narcotics Anonymous (NA). There is also a spiritual faith-based 12-step recovery group called Celebrate Recovery. With so many available free resources in the community, what causes some people to reduce the amount of use or stop completely by reaching out for assistance, yet others do not have the same results? As stated in an earlier post, addiction is a disease, and it may not be that easy to ask for help.

Are You Ready to Change?

It would depend on the individual’s situation, living environment, amount of family support, mental and physical functioning, and willingness to change. The only requirement to be a member of Alcoholics Anonymous is having the desire to stop drinking. It has to be the person’s will and desire over the addiction to want to stop. Dealing with any behavior change is one way of changing behavior better than another. For example, some changes in behavior may require medication management, therapy, a life coach, partial hospitalization, or intensive outpatient treatment. So again, it may depend on what is needed at that time and where the person with an addiction is in the stages of change.

“When a person who is addicted to alcohol stops drinking without getting treatment, it is called natural recovery or a strength-based perspective” (Van Wormer & Davis, 2018). There also appear to be six themes of recovery with solid base therapy. These are identified as competent human beings, the need for personal control or choice, the need for hope, the need for purpose, the need for a sense of achievement, and the presence of at least one critical supportive person in their lives.

For these “ Behavioral Building Blocks” to be destroyed over some time in a person’s mind and to reduce addictive behaviors in the long term, a person must incorporate these six specific themes of recovery in their lives, especially the need for hope, need for purpose and a sense of achievement.

References:

Laaser, M. R. (2004). Healing the wounds of sexual addiction: Grand Rapids, MI

Van Wormer, K., and Davis, D.R. (2018) Addiction Treatment. New York