Science of Addiction
Defense Mechanisms
Cognitive Distortions
Relationships in Recovery
Recovery Acronyms
100

This brain region is heavily involved in judgment, planning, decision-making, and impulse control.

Prefrontal cortex

100

Refusing to acknowledge an uncomfortable reality is known as this defense mechanism.

Denial

100

Seeing situations in extremes such as “I’m either completely successful or a total failure” is this cognitive distortion.

All-or-nothing thinking OR black-and-white thinking

100

A personal limit that defines what you will and will not accept in a relationship is called this.

Boundary

100

What does HALT stand for?

Hungry, angry, lonely, tired

200

This neurotransmitter plays a major role in reward, motivation, and reinforcement of substance-related behaviors.

Dopamine

200

Creating seemingly logical explanations to justify problematic behavior is called this.

Rationalization

200

Assuming you know what another person is thinking without sufficient evidence is called this.

Mind reading

200

Taking responsibility for your choices, behaviors, and their consequences is called this.

Accountability

200

What does PAWS stand for?

Post-acute withdrawal syndrome/symptoms

300

The brain's ability to reorganize and form new neural connections in response to experiences and behaviors is called this.

Neuroplasticity

300

Attributing your own unacceptable feelings, thoughts, or impulses to another person is called this.

Projection

300

Predicting that something negative will happen despite lacking sufficient evidence is called this.

Fortune telling

300

Communication that clearly expresses your needs or feelings while respecting the rights of others is called this.

Assertive communication

300

What does SMART stand for in SMART recovery?

Self-Management and Recovery Training

400

This brain structure is strongly involved in forming memories and associating environmental cues with previous experiences.

Hippocampus

400

Redirecting emotions from the original source toward a safer person or object is called this.

Displacement

400

Believing that your emotions prove something is true, such as “I feel like a failure, so I must be a failure,” is this cognitive distortion.

Emotional reasoning

400

A relationship pattern involving excessive emotional or psychological reliance on another person, often including difficulty establishing healthy boundaries, is commonly called this.

Codependency

400

What does TIPP stand for?

Temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing, and progressive muscle relaxation

500

This brain structure plays an important role in processing fear, emotional responses, and emotionally significant cues.

Amygdala

500

Unconsciously blocking distressing thoughts, memories, or experiences from conscious awareness is called this.

Repression

500

Believing that one negative event represents an ongoing pattern, often using words such as “always” or “never,” is called this.

Overgeneralization

500

The process of recognizing another person's feelings or perspective as understandable without necessarily agreeing with them is called this.

Validation

500

What does DEAR MAN stand for?

Describe, express, assert, reinforce, mindful, appear confident, negotiate