Cognitive Distortions
Using labels to describe yourself or another person based on a single characteristic or situation.
What is Labeling?
A list of things you can do to distract yourself when you have a craving or urge to use.
What is an action plan?
Using, drinking, punching a wall, taking it out on others.
What are unhealthy coping skills?
Developed in childhood or later, usually during trauma or stress, and can affect our addiction and recovery by decreasing our self-esteem.
What are negative core beliefs?
Never says no, someone who tells you their life story as soon as you meet, avoids all conflict, does not stand up for values.
What is open boundaries, porous boundaries or not having any boundaries?
Automatically assuming the worst possible outcome.
What is Catatrophizing?
Reading, watching T.V., journaling, or playing a game.
What are distraction coping skills?
Telling someone you want to relapse.
What is holding yourself accountable or a healthy coping skill?
This negative core belief often leads us to develop perfectionistic tendencies as we try to convince others and ourselves that we are good enough.
What is "I'm not good enough"?
Never shares anything with anyone, does not trust people, often has conflict with others.
What are rigid boundaries?
Deciding what people are thinking without any real evidence.
What is mind-reading?
The length of time for a craving if you distract yourself.
What is 10-20 minutes?
One of the most common reasons why we relapse.
What is an argument with a significant other or family member?
These tend to just jump into your mind without thinking about them at all and give us a clue as to what our negative core beliefs are.
What are automatic thoughts?
Able to open up to certain people after getting to know them, able to say no when necessary, does not engage in contact frequently but doesn't avoid it either.
What is healthy boundaries?
Assuming someone else is responsible for your problems.
What is blaming?
Never get too hungry, angry, lonely, or tired.
What is H.A.L.T?
The second most common reason why we relapse.
What is boredom?
You can have 10 things that happen during the day that reinforce these, and 1 thing that goes against this, yet the 1 thing will stick with you and the 10 things get blown off.
What are positive core beliefs?
Your friends decide to go to a bar and want you to come with them. You know you are not able to go to a bar without drinking. What would you do to maintain healthy boundaries with your friends and keep your recovery.
Firmly tell your friends that your recovery needs to come first and this is not something you can take for granted. Tell them that if they insist on going to a bar, then you will go home and see them another time, or we can all do something else that does not involve alcohol or drugs.
Taking on personal responsibility for other's emotions, problems, or issues.
What is personalization?
Going beyond the relapse and thinking about how you will feel the next day if you had a UA or your family finds out you relapsed.
What is "thinking it through"?
Go to airport information and page "A friend of Bill W."
What can you do is you are craving or triggered at the airport?
A belief about yourself, known or unknown, that influences your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in a positive or negative way, and can be changed.
What are core beliefs?
It's been a rough day and you feel like relapsing. You are about to leave to go to a meeting when your partner asks why you are leaving again and obviously you prefer to spend time with the people at the meeting. You want to establish healthy boundaries in this relationship, what do you do and say.
Tell your partner that right now your recovery must come first but you can spend time together afterwards.