Common Cognitive Distortions That Fuel Negative Thinking in Addiction RAC

In this little pleasure center, your brain releases all the natural feel-good neurotransmitters. You hear about serotonin and dopamine- these are all the heavy hitters and they are responsible for all the good and positive feelings we have- happiness, excitement, contentment, relaxation. In an addicted brain, this process doesn’t work the same as for non-addicted people. My little addicted brain doesn’t fire those neurotransmitters properly, so my ability to feel happy, excited, relaxed, and content is deeply compromised.

“I’m Always Going to Feel This Way”

That’s another phenomenal thing about the brain- it’s malleable, it will change to support your new habits. It will grow in the areas necessary, and it will prune the areas you are no longer nurturing, and all of a sudden you see yourself become a new person. The only proven way to disrupt the flow of addiction is through professional treatment backed by research proving its capacity to help. Several treatment methods (including medications and therapy) encourage the development of tools for breaking free from the cycle of addiction. At this stage, substance use becomes a regular part of life, with dependency gradually developing. The usage pattern may be daily, before certain tasks, or as a reaction to various triggers.

• Identify never, always, cannot and all absolute statements – listen to your thoughts and identify when you are using the all-or-nothing words.
• Whether it’s joining a support group, seeking therapy, or exploring holistic treatment options, there are many paths to recovery.
• Treatment programs offer professional support and individual therapies that help addicts better understand addictive behaviors and thoughts and how to correct them.
• Sherry Gaba, LCSW, is a licensed psychotherapist/author specializing in addictions, codependency, and underlying issues such as depression, trauma, and anxiety.

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• To combat this, try to recognize the gray areas in situations and focus on progress rather than perfection.
• Minimization as a cognitive distortion is downplaying the consequences of substance use and the severity of your addiction.
• With the help of an accredited addiction treatment facility, patients can break free from the cycle of addiction to regain focus and passion for the things they once enjoyed.
• For example, you might think, “If I slip up once, I’ve failed completely.” This mindset can be discouraging and lead to relapse.
• Catastrophizing is a cognitive distortion that exaggerates situations and imagines the worst possible outcomes.
• I have a lot of years of practice, a lot of years of sobriety or actually it’s more a lot of years of recovery where I have actively participated in understanding myself and healing myself.

You’re learning to see the world, and yourself, more clearly and compassionately. The journey to overcome thinking errors and addiction is not always easy, but it is incredibly rewarding. As you learn to recognize and challenge these distorted thoughts, you’ll likely find that your perspective on life begins to shift. You may discover a newfound sense of freedom, clarity, and self-compassion. If you’re struggling with addiction and recognizing some of these thinking errors in yourself, I encourage you to reach out for help. Whether it’s joining a support group, seeking therapy, or exploring holistic treatment options, there are many paths to recovery.

Start Your Recovery

The Robert Alexander Center for Recovery offers resources such as therapy and mindfulness practices to support your journey toward a brighter future. Take the first step today and start working towards a more positive and fulfilling life. A polarized thinker with an addiction believes they must either abstain from the substance entirely or keep using it—with no in-between.

Recognizing and Challenging Cognitive Distortions

Practicing the new healthy thought patterns learned through CBT can lead to improved Living in a Sober House: Fundamental Rules actions. By replacing distorted thoughts with rational thinking, you are empowered with the ability to separate your thoughts from reflexive substance abuse. It takes time for the new thought patterns to become new habits, but when it happens, it can be an important coping skill used in addiction recovery. How do individuals in addiction recovery reshape their thoughts from irrational distortions to positive, self-affirming thoughts?

Individuals can empower their recovery and achieve lasting change by cultivating self-compassion, embracing a balanced perspective, https://appsychology.com/living-in-a-sober-house/ and developing resilience. So, what exactly are these sneaky little devils we call thinking errors? Picture them as mischievous imps, scampering through your mind, distorting reality and clouding judgment.

Overcoming thought patterns that have become habitual is no easy task – and reaching out for professional help is often the quickest way to make progress. In fact, the steps outlined above are some of the same strategies used in cognitive behavioral therapy, as well as a number of different evidence-based mental health treatments. The first step to change thinking errors is to be aware of your thought patterns.

Cross Addiction

But first, you need to learn how to overcome the addictive thought patterns which can hold you back. It encourages us to pick up another drink, to push sobriety off for another day, and to disregard the consequences of our actions so that we can use drugs or alcohol again. The last decade of addiction neuroscience research has made it abundantly clear that using addictive substances creates lasting brain changes, hijacking the brain to encourage substance use. Mind Reading is an arbitrary conclusion that someone is reacting negatively to you, without actually looking at the facts of the situation. With mind reading you always get to be right at the cost of personal relationships. You can make poor assumptions about others without investigating if they are true, harming your relationships.

These are also people who tend to read negatives into every situation, often drawing on the all-or-nothing thinking pattern in ways that are not at all connected to the situation. For others, however – and particularly when the negative feelings become overwhelming – the self-criticism can become distorted and out of proportion, turning into fatalism and despair. When this happens, it becomes much easier to lose focus and fall back into the types of bad habits that can aggravate the problem even further. Addictions are notoriously difficult to break; the word ‘addiction’ itself suggests an inability to stop doing something.

Impact Recovery’s Drug and Alcohol Recovery Program in Birmingham is a Perfect Place to Heal

Assuming you know what others are thinking or how a situation is going to turn out can lead to unfounded feelings of negativity. “I know she thinks I am still using,” or, “I know that my boyfriend is going to break up with me,” are examples of this cognitive distortion. Jumping to conclusions is dangerous because it may cause you to react to a situation without having all of the facts. In cognitive therapy, an error in thinking is commonly referred to as a cognitive distortion or a cognitive bias. An example of a thinking error in addiction is rationalization, where an individual justifies their substance use with seemingly logical reasons, such as “I need it to cope with stress.”

Educating individuals about common thinking errors in addiction can empower them to recognize these patterns in themselves. This can be achieved through therapy, support groups, or self-help resources. Awareness is the first step toward change, and understanding the nature of thinking errors can demystify the recovery process. In the context of addiction, thinking errors are like mental traps that distort an individual’s perceptions and decisions, often reinforcing the cycle of substance abuse.

It overlooks the unique challenges and strengths of each individual’s journey. In this example, making a mistake is seen as evidence of total personal failure. It prevents individuals from acknowledging their strengths and successes, which are crucial for building self-esteem and motivation in recovery.

• This distortion can prevent you from internalizing achievements and maintaining healthy self-esteem.
• Think of it like hiring a personal trainer for your mind – they have the expertise to guide you through the toughest mental workouts.
• When this happens, it becomes much easier to lose focus and fall back into the types of bad habits that can aggravate the problem even further.
• Our thoughts align with our actions—so if someone constantly thinks about drinking or doing drugs, they’ll likely end up doing it if they don’t substitute those thoughts.
• The difference here is what you think and do when situations are not as you prefer.

Taking steps to overcome cognitive distortions like treatments, peer support groups, and self-reflection will help individuals maintain stability and further their recovery. While recognizing and challenging cognitive distortions can be challenging, therapy can provide valuable support and guidance in the recovery process. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an evidence-based approach that helps individuals identify and replace distorted thinking patterns with more positive and accurate thoughts. Through cognitive restructuring, individuals can develop healthier perspectives and coping strategies. CBT is a widely used therapeutic approach that focuses on identifying and changing negative thinking patterns. In addiction treatment, CBT helps individuals recognize their thinking errors, understand the link between thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, and develop healthier coping mechanisms.