She blinded me with science
This part of the brain helps with planning, impulse control, and long-term decision-making.
What is the Prefrontal Cortex?
According to modern neuroscience, addiction is best understood as this rather than a moral failure.
What is a learned behavior?
This nervous system branch supports calm, connection, and emotional safety.
What is the Parasympathetic Nervous System?
When our actions contradict our beliefs, we feel uncomfortable and are motivated to change either our beliefs or our behaviors to reduce this discomfort, even if we aren’t consciously aware of it.
What is Cognitive Dissonance?
Irrational or biased ways of thinking that can contribute to negative emotions and behaviors. These patterns of thinking are often automatic and can affect how a person perceives situations, themselves, and others.
What are Cognitive Distortions?
This brain system assigns importance and motivation to experiences and is heavily involved in addiction.
What is the Mesolimbic Dopamine System?
This neurotransmitter is associated with motivation, novelty-seeking, and reward prediction.
What is Dopamine?
The brain is wired to move toward closing the gap between current reality and this.
What is potential?
This model describes behavior change as a progression through stages rather than a single decision.
What are the Stages of Change?
The CBT Triangle (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Triangle) is a visual representation of how _______ _______ and _______ are interconnected.
What are Thoughts, Feelings and Behaviors?
This structure automates repeated behaviors into habits over time.
What is the Basal Ganglia?
This stage of recovery involves emotional instability, low motivation, and irritability after acute withdrawal ends.
What is Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome?
The ability to experience discomfort without reacting impulsively is called this skill.
What is distress tolerance?
The brain releases dopamine, the anticipation/motivation/desire/relief neurotransmitter, in response to pleasurable activities like eating, exercising, substance use and socializing. This system plays a significant role in motivation, learning, and addiction.
What is the "Reward System."
The key to changing maladaptive thoughts.
What is to pause and think?
This brain region detects threat and activates fight-or-flight responses.
What is the Amygdala?
This concept reframes relapse as information rather than failure.
What is learning feedback?
This practice helps the brain learn that emotions can rise and fall without danger.
What is emotional regulation?
Small, consistent actions strengthen behavior change through this mechanism.
What is habit formation?
Key components of emotional intelligence
What are:
Self-Awareness
Self-Management
Social Awareness
Relational Management
The brain’s ability to change and rewire itself through experience is called this.
What is Neuroplasticity?
Building meaning, purpose, and connection helps regulate this brain system disrupted by addiction.
What is the reward system?
Change driven by values and purpose lasts longer than change driven by this.
What is fear?
Curiosity activates learning by reducing this emotional state.
What is threat?
Individuals with an _______ _______ ___ _______believe that they are responsible for the outcomes of their actions. They tend to see their success or failure as a result of their own efforts, decisions, and abilities.
What is Internal Locus of Control