Posted by: Moran
on Jun 20, 2011
Drug And Alcohol Abuse, What Is Addictive Thinking?
by Ray moran on
What is addictive thinking? Well, the answer is actually quite simple. It is the bridge that allows us to deny what we intellectually know to be true and allows us to continue to engage in addictive substance use.
Intellectually, virtually every addict knows that drinking and drugging is not good for them. At some level they realize that their life is in shambles, they are putting poison in their bodies, health, relationships, and finances are rapidly deteriorating. These are intellectual facts that are difficult to ignore. But the reality is that an addict wants to continue drinking and drugging. How can they make this possible when they know is not a genius thing to be doing?
The answer is to employ addictive thinking.
Addictive thinking is simply the BS, blather, and fantasies that make it appear to be okay or even logical continue to drink and drug. Here are some examples:
1. I’m not that bad.
2. I deserve it.
3. I don’t have a problem, you have a problem.
4. Nobody can tell me what to do, I have a right to do whatever I want.
5. The only person I’m hurting as myself.
6. This is the only way I can have fun.
These addictive thoughts are repeated so often the addict actually believes them to be true. The strange thing about addictive thinking is the one coldly in a reasonably challenged, they fall apart and disintegrate quite readily. For instance, let’s take this statement “I deserve it”. On the surface it appears to make sense but do you really deserve the poisoning your body? T. really deserve to be inflicting pain and hurt on the people you love? Do you really deserve to have low self-esteem, shame and anger as a daily companion?
The trick to combating addictive thinking is to challenge the veracity and reality of the thought. Ask yourself is this really true? One defining principle of addiction that makes challenging addictive thinking very difficult is that addictive thinking and denial go hand-in-hand. The deeper the entrenchment of the addictive thoughts and thought processes the deeper the denial and the more difficult to break through.
Posted by: Howard B
on May 20, 2010
Today is Thursday, May 20th, 2010
My sobriety date is March 25th, 2009, I have been sober for 422 days.
I am on my sixth step and I have 1 sponsee; his name is Marcus.
Today I am working in my studio, building a website and starting a blog site for my company on photography, video production and editing. I am also starting to blog on this site for my AA journal.
I've talked to my sponsor this morning and talked to Marcus this morning.
On Thursdays my grand sponsor has a gathering of our AA family at a restaurant in Glendale, CA. I will go and I've invited Marcus (he is new and never participated in this family gathering). After the meeting we will go to a AA meeting starting at 8:30p.
Today my life is free of Alcohol and other mind altering substances by the Grace of my Higher Power and the principles of AA. I surrender control of my life to GOD and work the first three steps almost everyday. I must work and live the steps, take suggestions, help another alcoholic and keep a close connection with my Higher Power everyday; without doing these things I will slowly lose my serenity, my sobriety, my sanity and my life.
Today I am grateful to my Higher Power and to AA for my life. I am grateful for liking myself and the people in my life, the people I love and the ability to be of service.
Posted by: admin
on Feb 03, 2010
There are many in 12 Step programs who also suffer from an additional problem, crippling social anxiety problems, also called social phobia, avoidant personality disorder and for some can even become social agoraphobia.
My story starts in other 12 Step Programs but it lead eventually to a new 12 Step program for Social Anxiety Disorder and related problems, known as Social Anxiety Anonymous.
I am here to share my ongoing recovery and to also share how the 12 Steps can be applied successfully to Social Anxiety Disorder.
Thanks to the now almost 8 year old 12 Step Program, Social Anxiety Anonymous I am happy to share that recovery from social anxiety is possible using the 12 Steps. In my own case, I have now had an 80% reduction in my Social Anxiety symptoms for over six years, thanks to attending Social Anxiety Anonymous support groups.
Like all 12 Step programs, Social Anxiety Anonymous has it's own unique focus, bottom lines and some unique tools. Yet at it's core it is a 12 Step program. Social Anxiety Anonymous also is developing it's own Big Book which to date has more than 75 pages of literature. A work in progress at this point, it's contents are currently available online: Twelve Gentle Steps to Overcoming Social Anxiety.
One possible barrier to a person with social anxiety attending a social anxiety support group meeting is of course the social anxiety itself. That's why Social Anxiety Anonymous has telephone conference call support groups for overcoming social anxiety in addition to local support groups. The telephone groups can be a great help to anyone with social anxiety, but can also be a particular help to those who may be too anxious to attend face to face meetings. Couple that with the Social Anxiety Anonymous practice of "non-pressure" (the rule that no one in a Social Anxiety Anonymous group is ever pressured to do anything, that each member is free to just quietly listen and need not even share, and the result is a very safe environment for a 12 Step recovery group focused on helping those with Social Anxiety Problem: Social Anxiety Anonymous suggested meeting format.
In loving fellowship, Phil M.
Social Anxiety Anonymous
