Coping with Cravings - "DEADS" skill
(D) EADS
Delay: The mental activities of cravings and urges disappear over time unless you actively maintain them with your attention. Given time, they will run their course and disappear. If they aren’t gone in 10-15 minutes, then chances are you are still exposed to the stimulus that cued the urge in the first place. And after a short time, there will be fewer cravings and the ones you have will diminish in intensity.
You see things as all good or all bad with no gray area in between.
Black and White Thinking
What is one COMMUNICATION skill you'd like to work on?
Name the 3 parts of the CBT triangle
Thoughts, emotions, behaviors
True or false. Humans have been drinking alcohol for about 9000 years.
True
D(E)ADS
Escape: Simply said, get out of the situation as soon as possible. For instance, say you show up to a friend’s house and find that they are passing around a joint of marijuana. Do not stall and don’t worry about coming up with an excuse. Just leave immediately.
This is when we use words like "always," "never," or "everybody" to draw a conclusion based on one example.
Overgeneralization
What is one thing you would recommend to someone struggling with CRAVINGS?
What communication style is where individuals express thoughts and feelings clearly and directly without hurting others
Assertiveness
12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, 1.5 ounces of liquor - what does this refer to?
all are definitions of a "standard drink"
DE(A)DS
Accept: Allow yourself some space to gain perspective on the situation. Remember: cravings are normal. By accepting this, you won’t get down on yourself or give in to the weakness. Rather you will recognize the fact that these kinds of urges are normal. You will accept this, let the moment fade away, and move on.
This happens when we blow a negative event out of proportion.
Catastrophizing
Name 3 things someone could do to manage anxiety?
What are examples of withdrawal symptoms?
Vomiting, muscle/stomach cramping, headaches, seizures, sweating, fever
What are long term effects of excessive alcohol use?
High blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cancer, mental health problems, etc
DEA(D)S
Dispute: Come up with a go-to statement to tell yourself that focuses on an effective belief. This could come up in the form of a question like: “Do you really want to throw away all the progress you made?” It’s likely that just by taking the moment to rationalize yourself and refocus your attention can be all that you need to walk away.
This is when we assume we know what other people are thinking, or why they are doing something, without having any evidence.
Mind Reading/Jumping to Conclusions
What is one way someone can deal with unhelpful thoughts?
Rephrase this unhelpful thought "It won't ever change, why even bother?"
It is frustrating right now to get where I want to go
Drinking 4 to 5 drinks in a single sitting is considered this
Binge drinking
DEAD(S)
Subsitute: Find an immediate substitute for the experienced craving. Obviously putting on a pair of running shoes is going to induce a more beneficial outcome than eating a chocolate bar, but it’s all relative. If you are not in a place to go on a short walk, eating a chocolate bar is a better choice than giving into the urge to use. The more you turn your thoughts away from giving into urges, the quicker this will become an automatic response.
This is when you accept your emotions as facts
Emotional Reasoning
What pieces of advice would you give someone who has just experienced a lapse?
What is the skill for asking for what you need? (hint: it's a 2-word acronym)
DEAR MAN
The ingredient in alcohol that makes a person intoxicated
Ethanol