SMART Recovery Point 1: Developing Amd Maintaining Motivation to Abstain From Addictive Behaviour
The challenges faced by a person abstaining from an addictive behaviour can be divided into four areas:
These costs include the loss of the addictive substance and benefits they gained from the addiction, and the risks associated with adopting a new behaviour.
Without strong motivation to change, there will be no change.
The degree of motivation an individual has to abstain from an addictive behaviour relates to the extent to which the benefits of abstaining appear to outweigh the benefits of continuing the behaviour.
Think of it as a pair of scales, with the benefits of abstaining on one side, and the benefits of continuing the addictive behaviour on the other side.
The benefits of abstaining must substantially outweigh the benefits of continuing the behaviour for a person to choose change.
Even if, to an outsider, the costs of maintaining the addiction seem greatly to outweigh the benefits of the addictive behaviour, this isn't necessarily the perception of the person with the addiction - which is the only perception that matters.
The person with the addiction may be reluctant to talk about what he or she perceives to be the advantages (especially to anyone who is unable or unwilling to see any such advantages), and may not even be consciously aware of the advantages; but if the addiction didn't have benefits, it's very likely that the addiction would already have weakened and the addictive behaviour ceased.
Short term thinking The benefits associated with the addiction are usually short term, however, and often extremely short term.
On the other side of the scale, there may be no apparent short-term advantages of stopping the addictive behaviour.
The benefits of stopping the addictive behaviour may only be apparent with a longer term perspective.
Since change involves risk in the short term, a person with an addiction may only see (1) the advantages of maintaining the addictive behaviour in the short term; and (2) the disadvantages of quitting the addictive behaviour in the short term.
If such a person has a propensity to short termism, which is more than possible, they are unlikely - without further challenge - to become motivated enough to make preparations to abstain.
The long-term advantages of change, however clearly demonstrated or argued, are not going to have enough power to change such a person's behaviour.
The treacherous currents, strong winds, huge waves, will disincline a person to begin the swim - even if further out the seas are calm and the rewards generous.
Young people are more inclined to short-term thinking.
Considering their situation a few years hence if they continue their present behaviour can seem quite abstract to a young person.
Nevertheless, it's only by considering the longer term that an individual can develop motivation to abstain.
And anybody, including young people, can imagine and be motivated to avoid possible extreme consequences, such as imprisonment, unemployment (or impoverished employment prospects), biological damage, a life lacking in richness, and so on.
Positive motivation Motivation needs a push and pull component.
Avoiding negative consequences is the push component.
But there also needs to be perceived positive consequences in changing behaviour.
These can relate to health and physical and mental fitness; taking control of one's life; an enhanced sense of freedom; more time and money to pursue personal interests; and so on.
Only the individual knows what is truly motivating for him or her.
A consideration of the unique purpose life has for the individual is the best context for the individual to explore positive motivations of abstaining from addictive behaviour.
The greatest benefit, by far - as I see it - is the ability to experience the full range of emotions that comes from abstaining from addictive behaviour.
All addictive behaviour has this in common: it either anaesthetizes the body from bad feelings; or it overwhelms bad feelings with pleasurable feelings.
At the same time, it also anaesthetizes or overwhelms good feelings, so that people with addictive behaviours often lose much of their capacity for experiencing emotions.
With abstinence comes the renewed ability to experience the full range of emotions, and therefore the renewed ability to experience life and live fully again.
Cost/Benefit Analysis One of the most popular exercises in the SMART Recovery toolbox is the Cost/Benefit Analysis (CBA).
Here you divide a page into four squares and give each square these headings: (1) the benefits of my addictive behaviour; (2) the costs of my addictive behaviour; (3) the benefits of abstaining from my addictive behaviour; (4) the costs of abstaining from my addictive behaviour.
As you fill in each square, you also consider whether the costs or benefits are short or long term.
The result of this exercise for many people is that they can clearly see how greatly the costs of their addictive behaviour outweigh the benefits; and how the benefits of abstaining outweigh the costs - providing great motivation to begin to change.
- Developing and maintaining motivation.
- Coping with urges.
- Managing thoughts, feelings and behaviours.
- Living a balanced lifestyle.
These costs include the loss of the addictive substance and benefits they gained from the addiction, and the risks associated with adopting a new behaviour.
Without strong motivation to change, there will be no change.
The degree of motivation an individual has to abstain from an addictive behaviour relates to the extent to which the benefits of abstaining appear to outweigh the benefits of continuing the behaviour.
Think of it as a pair of scales, with the benefits of abstaining on one side, and the benefits of continuing the addictive behaviour on the other side.
The benefits of abstaining must substantially outweigh the benefits of continuing the behaviour for a person to choose change.
Even if, to an outsider, the costs of maintaining the addiction seem greatly to outweigh the benefits of the addictive behaviour, this isn't necessarily the perception of the person with the addiction - which is the only perception that matters.
The person with the addiction may be reluctant to talk about what he or she perceives to be the advantages (especially to anyone who is unable or unwilling to see any such advantages), and may not even be consciously aware of the advantages; but if the addiction didn't have benefits, it's very likely that the addiction would already have weakened and the addictive behaviour ceased.
Short term thinking The benefits associated with the addiction are usually short term, however, and often extremely short term.
On the other side of the scale, there may be no apparent short-term advantages of stopping the addictive behaviour.
The benefits of stopping the addictive behaviour may only be apparent with a longer term perspective.
Since change involves risk in the short term, a person with an addiction may only see (1) the advantages of maintaining the addictive behaviour in the short term; and (2) the disadvantages of quitting the addictive behaviour in the short term.
If such a person has a propensity to short termism, which is more than possible, they are unlikely - without further challenge - to become motivated enough to make preparations to abstain.
The long-term advantages of change, however clearly demonstrated or argued, are not going to have enough power to change such a person's behaviour.
The treacherous currents, strong winds, huge waves, will disincline a person to begin the swim - even if further out the seas are calm and the rewards generous.
Young people are more inclined to short-term thinking.
Considering their situation a few years hence if they continue their present behaviour can seem quite abstract to a young person.
Nevertheless, it's only by considering the longer term that an individual can develop motivation to abstain.
And anybody, including young people, can imagine and be motivated to avoid possible extreme consequences, such as imprisonment, unemployment (or impoverished employment prospects), biological damage, a life lacking in richness, and so on.
Positive motivation Motivation needs a push and pull component.
Avoiding negative consequences is the push component.
But there also needs to be perceived positive consequences in changing behaviour.
These can relate to health and physical and mental fitness; taking control of one's life; an enhanced sense of freedom; more time and money to pursue personal interests; and so on.
Only the individual knows what is truly motivating for him or her.
A consideration of the unique purpose life has for the individual is the best context for the individual to explore positive motivations of abstaining from addictive behaviour.
The greatest benefit, by far - as I see it - is the ability to experience the full range of emotions that comes from abstaining from addictive behaviour.
All addictive behaviour has this in common: it either anaesthetizes the body from bad feelings; or it overwhelms bad feelings with pleasurable feelings.
At the same time, it also anaesthetizes or overwhelms good feelings, so that people with addictive behaviours often lose much of their capacity for experiencing emotions.
With abstinence comes the renewed ability to experience the full range of emotions, and therefore the renewed ability to experience life and live fully again.
Cost/Benefit Analysis One of the most popular exercises in the SMART Recovery toolbox is the Cost/Benefit Analysis (CBA).
Here you divide a page into four squares and give each square these headings: (1) the benefits of my addictive behaviour; (2) the costs of my addictive behaviour; (3) the benefits of abstaining from my addictive behaviour; (4) the costs of abstaining from my addictive behaviour.
As you fill in each square, you also consider whether the costs or benefits are short or long term.
The result of this exercise for many people is that they can clearly see how greatly the costs of their addictive behaviour outweigh the benefits; and how the benefits of abstaining outweigh the costs - providing great motivation to begin to change.
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