Glavine: Mental Health Strategy Two Years
Late
Date: Thursday March 22, 2012
Liberal health critic
Leo Glavine says that the Dexter government’s mental health strategy will be two
years late as of March 25.
“We’ve seen this government cut and tinker
with mental health funding and programming, but we have not seen any strategy
outlining a mental health and addiction plan for the province,” says Glavine.
“We will not be able to address the serious mental health and addictions
problems we face until this government offers a holistic
strategy.”
Glavine spoke at a rally on Wednesday outside the IWK – many
of those in attendance were former patients, concerned parents and health care
workers voicing their displeasure over cuts to mental health staff and services
at the iconic children’s hospital.
“The minister of health’s response to
Wednesday’s protest was unacceptable,” says Glavine. “Minister MacDonald
indicated she saw no reason for her government to reverse the cuts to mental
health because it’s a system that’s broken.”
“The minister knows that if
the system is failing Nova Scotians, it’s because it’s underfunded and not a
priority for the NDP government – the decisions to continue to cut budgets and
resources while failing to deliver a mental health strategy are hers and hers
alone.”
Glavine says that one in five people will experience mental
illness in their lifetime and 10 per cent of Nova Scotians battle drug and
alcohol addiction.
“This government is failing people and families
dealing with mental illness and suffering from addiction,” says Glavine.
“Suicide is one of the most common areas of injury causing death in Nova Scotia
– clearly mental health and addiction problems can be fatal and, for some
reason, this government is dragging its heels.”
Glavine notes that three
other provinces have released mental health strategies and two other provinces
have increased their mental health funding since the NDP took
office.
Glavine says that after consulting with Nova Scotians, progress
on this strategy has stalled.
“Nova Scotians spoke passionately about the
need for more community resources, more timely response and made in Nova Scotia
solutions,” says Glavine. “All they’ve received for their efforts was more
delays, more excuses and deep cuts.”
“This government must produce its
strategy and hold those responsible for its delay to account,” says Glavine.
“The problems are too severe to ignore.”
Wednesday, July 18, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Common Delusions In Schizophrenia - Various Types And The Danger They Pose To You
Among the different types of schizophrenia that have been diagnosed by science, certain variants (in particular paranoid schizophrenia) tend to result in symptoms of delusions among patients. To look at common delusions in schizophrenia, it is critical to firstly define delusions.
Typically, delusions are untrue beliefs held by the individual patient that are irrational, despite evidence to the contrary or not at all in-line with that particular patient's normal cultural base.
Common delusions in schizophrenia among paranoia patients involve false persecution or the irrational belief that other people are out to cheat, conspire against, plot, discriminate against, victimize, harass, spy on or poison them. They might believe that this is being directed at them or their family members.
As such, someone suffering from schizophrenia may be suspicious of almost every little everyday thing. For instance, when walking down the street, he or she may sense that every eye is on him or her, that people are talking about them, that every phone being used is a device for monitoring their every move, that even the guy sweeping the road is an "agent" observing them.
Such delusions can get very bizarre. A patient might believe that the radio or TV is talking directly to them or about them. Or a neighbor is using telepathy to read and control their thoughts.
A common variant of such bizarre delusions is the belief that the CIA or FBI or some secret government agency has been able to implant wires or a radio device into the patient's brain which enables them to monitor his or her thoughts, and even dictate their behavior and actions.
Other common delusions in schizophrenia are what are referred to as "delusions of grandeur" where the patient might believe he or she is someone famous or important, or knows someone famous or important. Sufferers might believe they are historical figures like Jesus Christ or Napoleon Bonaparte, or they might think they are the President Of the United States. They might refer to their "close friendship" with the Pope or Mick Jagger.
A particular dangerous delusion is one where the patient believes he or she has superhuman powers. This is probably brought on by the popular culture of superheroes in comic books, TV and the movies. Regardless of the source, patients might hurt themselves if they choose to call on their "superpowers" for example flying off a 10-story building, or leaping across a river.
As can be seen, there are quite a few common delusions in schizophrenia. When encountering such cases, it is critical that medical care workers and family and friends of the patient monitor closely for situations where the patient might endanger their lives or the lives of those around them as a result of such delusions.
Typically, delusions are untrue beliefs held by the individual patient that are irrational, despite evidence to the contrary or not at all in-line with that particular patient's normal cultural base.
Common delusions in schizophrenia among paranoia patients involve false persecution or the irrational belief that other people are out to cheat, conspire against, plot, discriminate against, victimize, harass, spy on or poison them. They might believe that this is being directed at them or their family members.
As such, someone suffering from schizophrenia may be suspicious of almost every little everyday thing. For instance, when walking down the street, he or she may sense that every eye is on him or her, that people are talking about them, that every phone being used is a device for monitoring their every move, that even the guy sweeping the road is an "agent" observing them.
Such delusions can get very bizarre. A patient might believe that the radio or TV is talking directly to them or about them. Or a neighbor is using telepathy to read and control their thoughts.
A common variant of such bizarre delusions is the belief that the CIA or FBI or some secret government agency has been able to implant wires or a radio device into the patient's brain which enables them to monitor his or her thoughts, and even dictate their behavior and actions.
Other common delusions in schizophrenia are what are referred to as "delusions of grandeur" where the patient might believe he or she is someone famous or important, or knows someone famous or important. Sufferers might believe they are historical figures like Jesus Christ or Napoleon Bonaparte, or they might think they are the President Of the United States. They might refer to their "close friendship" with the Pope or Mick Jagger.
A particular dangerous delusion is one where the patient believes he or she has superhuman powers. This is probably brought on by the popular culture of superheroes in comic books, TV and the movies. Regardless of the source, patients might hurt themselves if they choose to call on their "superpowers" for example flying off a 10-story building, or leaping across a river.
As can be seen, there are quite a few common delusions in schizophrenia. When encountering such cases, it is critical that medical care workers and family and friends of the patient monitor closely for situations where the patient might endanger their lives or the lives of those around them as a result of such delusions.
What exactly is schizophrenia? How do you develop it? How dangerous is someone suffering from schizophrenia? Can it really be cured? Discover all this and more at http://www.SymptomsOfSchizophrenia.net
Five Signs of Anxiety
Anne is a 12 year old girl with long blond hair and blue eyes. She stared out in rebellion, challenging her mother. She came into my office for anxiety. Ever since she was little she had anxiety about death and dying and now she worries about everything in in her life. She has what we call generalized anxiety. Despite her anxiety, she was quite feisty with her mother. She seems to show off in front of others and tries to get the attention from another. The main question here is what is anxiety? How do you know whether you have it? There are five symptoms to look for to find out if you have anxiety.
1. Excessive worry-you worry about everything from the smallest detail to the worst thing you think might happen. It is never ending. The worry may be real or imagined. In a child's life you worry about not just that you will fail a test, you will fail every assignment and be held in your grade. You will never pass. The key here is if you fail one test, you will fail everything. Just because you fail one test does not mean you will not pass the year if you are studying and doing your homework. One may have worries about death. Death is normal, but becomes abnormal when you think about death all the time and worry that you are going to die at any time or family members may die at any time.
2. Unable to control your worry-the worry is so bad you cannot control it, it controls you. It is not like a light switch you can turn on and off. No matter how hard you try to block the worry, it is there nagging at you and you cannot get away from it.
3. Restless/keyed up-you feel like you are ready to crawl out of your skin. You cannot sit still for fear that the worry might happen. Your heart pounds. You sweat. You are jumpy and waiting for the worst to happen.
4. Lack of Concentration-you are so focused on the worry that you cannot concentrate. For example, you maybe in school in a lecture and you cannot focus on the lecture because you are worried that your worry may become true.
5. Panic Attacks-you may or may not have panic attacks, but for anyone who has had one, you never forget the feeling. Your heart beats like it is coming out of your chest, you may sweat, and you get to the point where it takes your breath away. It is so bad that you may feel like you are dying. It may last 5-15 minutes until your body regulates itself and brings you back to your normal state of rest.
Some of these symptoms mirror other disorders so it is important that if you have any of these symptoms, you get evaluated by a professional to rule out anxiety. Psychiatrists and psychologists can evaluate for anxiety as well as licensed clinical social workers and licensed professional counselors. It is important that you do not self-diagnose. Above are only some of the symptoms of anxiety. There are many more. They are the top things we look for in diagnosing anxiety in a client.
You may be asking so what, I have anxiety, now what do I do? You seek professional help from a professional therapist and a psychiatrist. Medication can only help so much. You need tools that a therapist can practice with you to deal with the anxiety from relaxation techniques to cognitive behavioral techniques to help control the worry.
You do not have to suffer from anxiety. There is help out there. It takes time and you must be patient with treatment. It will not go away overnight. If you feel comfortable with the therapist and feel you can trust them that is a start in the right direction. Just be yourself and talk about your worries no matter how silly they sound. That is where treatment begins. Good luck in your journey to being able to cope with your anxiety.
1. Excessive worry-you worry about everything from the smallest detail to the worst thing you think might happen. It is never ending. The worry may be real or imagined. In a child's life you worry about not just that you will fail a test, you will fail every assignment and be held in your grade. You will never pass. The key here is if you fail one test, you will fail everything. Just because you fail one test does not mean you will not pass the year if you are studying and doing your homework. One may have worries about death. Death is normal, but becomes abnormal when you think about death all the time and worry that you are going to die at any time or family members may die at any time.
2. Unable to control your worry-the worry is so bad you cannot control it, it controls you. It is not like a light switch you can turn on and off. No matter how hard you try to block the worry, it is there nagging at you and you cannot get away from it.
3. Restless/keyed up-you feel like you are ready to crawl out of your skin. You cannot sit still for fear that the worry might happen. Your heart pounds. You sweat. You are jumpy and waiting for the worst to happen.
4. Lack of Concentration-you are so focused on the worry that you cannot concentrate. For example, you maybe in school in a lecture and you cannot focus on the lecture because you are worried that your worry may become true.
5. Panic Attacks-you may or may not have panic attacks, but for anyone who has had one, you never forget the feeling. Your heart beats like it is coming out of your chest, you may sweat, and you get to the point where it takes your breath away. It is so bad that you may feel like you are dying. It may last 5-15 minutes until your body regulates itself and brings you back to your normal state of rest.
Some of these symptoms mirror other disorders so it is important that if you have any of these symptoms, you get evaluated by a professional to rule out anxiety. Psychiatrists and psychologists can evaluate for anxiety as well as licensed clinical social workers and licensed professional counselors. It is important that you do not self-diagnose. Above are only some of the symptoms of anxiety. There are many more. They are the top things we look for in diagnosing anxiety in a client.
You may be asking so what, I have anxiety, now what do I do? You seek professional help from a professional therapist and a psychiatrist. Medication can only help so much. You need tools that a therapist can practice with you to deal with the anxiety from relaxation techniques to cognitive behavioral techniques to help control the worry.
You do not have to suffer from anxiety. There is help out there. It takes time and you must be patient with treatment. It will not go away overnight. If you feel comfortable with the therapist and feel you can trust them that is a start in the right direction. Just be yourself and talk about your worries no matter how silly they sound. That is where treatment begins. Good luck in your journey to being able to cope with your anxiety.
Carolyn L. Nelson is a licensed clinical social worker who has been in the field over 20 years. She writes for her Blog at http://blog.therapistscornerblog.com
She also can be reached at her website at http://www.therapistscornerblog.com
She also can be reached at her website at http://www.therapistscornerblog.com
Bipolar Disorder - A Guide to Managing It
Does bipolar disorder control your life? This can best be stopped by learning to manage the disorder. I will tell you a secret or two. Knowledge is power. The second secret is that in order to manage your bipolar disorder you need an excellent knowledge of how the disorder works, particularly in respect of yourself.
We know that the disorder generally cycles in the same pattern for each individual with it. Therefore, if we know how bipolar disorder is likely to affect us next time it strikes we have a big advantage.
There is one more key element to learning how to manage bipolar disorder. You need a very strong desire to do so. This strong desire is necessary to give you the commitment to enable you to take the disorder by the scruff of the neck. The desire will lead to you gaining the necessary knowledge about it. You can then fight the cycle of the disorder with a cycle of your own. You learn about the disorder. You relate this back to how the it normally affects you. You notice, in advance, when the next episode is about to hit you. You are then able to arrange early treatment for yourself.
A thorough knowledge of how bipolar disorder normally affects you give you several big advantages. You know what you can normally expect to happen next. To begin with this means to your fear of what will happen next reduces. Also, your ability to pick up earlier, when things start to happen to you reduces another fear in your mind. You no longer have to fear when the next episode will arrive.
It is very useful to you to get good help as you learn to manage the disorder. This help can include your friends and loved ones. It must include health professionals in whom you have complete trust. It can include people you have met at a support group that you have found and joined. These groups often include members who have learned to manage their own bipolar disorder. They are there to give back to others in thanks for their success.
The real ability to manage your bipolar disorder comes with being aware as to what is going on for you. Knowing this enables you to seek the required professional help at the earliest possible moment. By getting early treatment there is a far greater probability that the prescribed treatment will work for you. Even if it doesn't you can get alternative treatment far earlier than you have in the past. Yes, if you want to manage your disorder the ball really is in your court as the saying goes.
We know that the disorder generally cycles in the same pattern for each individual with it. Therefore, if we know how bipolar disorder is likely to affect us next time it strikes we have a big advantage.
There is one more key element to learning how to manage bipolar disorder. You need a very strong desire to do so. This strong desire is necessary to give you the commitment to enable you to take the disorder by the scruff of the neck. The desire will lead to you gaining the necessary knowledge about it. You can then fight the cycle of the disorder with a cycle of your own. You learn about the disorder. You relate this back to how the it normally affects you. You notice, in advance, when the next episode is about to hit you. You are then able to arrange early treatment for yourself.
A thorough knowledge of how bipolar disorder normally affects you give you several big advantages. You know what you can normally expect to happen next. To begin with this means to your fear of what will happen next reduces. Also, your ability to pick up earlier, when things start to happen to you reduces another fear in your mind. You no longer have to fear when the next episode will arrive.
It is very useful to you to get good help as you learn to manage the disorder. This help can include your friends and loved ones. It must include health professionals in whom you have complete trust. It can include people you have met at a support group that you have found and joined. These groups often include members who have learned to manage their own bipolar disorder. They are there to give back to others in thanks for their success.
The real ability to manage your bipolar disorder comes with being aware as to what is going on for you. Knowing this enables you to seek the required professional help at the earliest possible moment. By getting early treatment there is a far greater probability that the prescribed treatment will work for you. Even if it doesn't you can get alternative treatment far earlier than you have in the past. Yes, if you want to manage your disorder the ball really is in your court as the saying goes.
Ray Tyler was diagnosed with manic depressive disorder in1982. He still lives with, and receives treatment for the disorder, today. However he has not had a manic depressive disorder since 1997. You can follow Ray's blog at Bipolar Manic Depressive.com
Learn how to manage Manic Depressive (now known as Bipolar) disorder. This will enable you to regain control of your life.
Learn how to manage Manic Depressive (now known as Bipolar) disorder. This will enable you to regain control of your life.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Bipolar Disorder - Mania And The Crash
One of the hardest things I have always found about being bipolar is the changing of episodes. It's always great to go from the depressive end of things to the manic side, but not so great to go from mania to depression.
On the one hand, when you're depressed and becoming manic you feel like life is finally letting up on you. Like your soul, your energy, your very being has suddenly returned to your body and you no longer have a need for food, sleep or rational thought. Being manic, at least in the start of an episode has always been a great feeling. Perhaps that's why so many diagnosed with bipolar syndrome go off medications and stop listening to our health care teams during this time, we never want the good feelings to end. But end they do. And, at least for me, that's always been a crash.
Crashing can be the worst feeling in the world. You're going from being manic, feeling like everything in life is wonderful. You've got enough energy to last forever. You don't need sleep, or to eat or to do any of those normal things that get in the way of living. Till suddenly, you crash out one night, after maybe not sleeping for a week, and wake up unable to function.
The alarm clock is ringing loudly in your ears. Screaming at you that it's time to get up and you just don't care. You bury your head under the blanket, throw the clock and just wish the world would leave you alone. You sleep for the next day and still wake up feeling like you never slept at all. The energy of just a few days ago is gone, completely sapped from your body. Every part of you aches and is tired. You want to bite the head off the next person that says good morning to you or looks at you the wrong way. You simply wish you were at home in bed, forever.
The worst part is, the crash is never the worst part of it. The crash just feels crappier than any of it because it comes so closely behind such a high wonderful time in your life, such an up moment, week, or month. The crash is just the start because the more you look back on how good you felt, the worse you feel. The more you have to cope with fixing anything you did while in a manic state, the worse you feel. Simply put, as the days go by, the worse you feel.
Mania I always miss when it says goodbye. I simply wish I could say goodbye to depression forever.
On the one hand, when you're depressed and becoming manic you feel like life is finally letting up on you. Like your soul, your energy, your very being has suddenly returned to your body and you no longer have a need for food, sleep or rational thought. Being manic, at least in the start of an episode has always been a great feeling. Perhaps that's why so many diagnosed with bipolar syndrome go off medications and stop listening to our health care teams during this time, we never want the good feelings to end. But end they do. And, at least for me, that's always been a crash.
Crashing can be the worst feeling in the world. You're going from being manic, feeling like everything in life is wonderful. You've got enough energy to last forever. You don't need sleep, or to eat or to do any of those normal things that get in the way of living. Till suddenly, you crash out one night, after maybe not sleeping for a week, and wake up unable to function.
The alarm clock is ringing loudly in your ears. Screaming at you that it's time to get up and you just don't care. You bury your head under the blanket, throw the clock and just wish the world would leave you alone. You sleep for the next day and still wake up feeling like you never slept at all. The energy of just a few days ago is gone, completely sapped from your body. Every part of you aches and is tired. You want to bite the head off the next person that says good morning to you or looks at you the wrong way. You simply wish you were at home in bed, forever.
The worst part is, the crash is never the worst part of it. The crash just feels crappier than any of it because it comes so closely behind such a high wonderful time in your life, such an up moment, week, or month. The crash is just the start because the more you look back on how good you felt, the worse you feel. The more you have to cope with fixing anything you did while in a manic state, the worse you feel. Simply put, as the days go by, the worse you feel.
Mania I always miss when it says goodbye. I simply wish I could say goodbye to depression forever.
Bipolar disorder can be overwhelming and life altering. To learn more ways to cope with it and understand it, check out http://www.MyBipolarWorld.com
Social Anxiety Disorder Quiz
Using a Social Anxiety Disorder quiz or test can help you discover whether or not you need to seek further advice on your anxiety condition. Social Anxiety, also known as Social Phobia, is one of the most common mental health disorders in the United States today. Around 20 million of the American population has it at any one time. The statistics do not include those who have not reported their condition to mental health experts. If you feel you may be suffering from this type of anxiety, taking a social anxiety disorder quiz will help you make your own assessment. Asking yourself the following questions will help you verify if you are a potential sufferer:
1. Do you have an extreme fear of being in a social situation?
2. Do you always fear that people are judging you in whatever you are doing?
3. Do you prefer to be alone rather than going out with a group?
4. Do you need to drink alcoholic beverages before engaging in public speaking or performance?
5. Do you hate attending parties and other social gatherings?
If your answer is yes to the majority of the questions in the above social anxiety disorder quiz, then you are probably at risk for having social anxiety. Take note that doing a self-assessment is not a conclusive method of diagnosing the disorder. You would still need to consult the opinion of a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental healthcare professional for a definitive answer. Your Doctor would probably do another social anxiety disorder quiz, test or assessment before they can verify whether you have the disorder or not.
If your doctor does indeed diagnose you as having social anxiety disorder, they will recommend that you start some sort of treatment right away. Mental health disorders are highly treatable when they are still mild, because they have not yet caused any significant disturbances in your way of thinking. In this early period of the disorder, counseling is an effective form of treatment. Through counseling, your thoughts about your social anxiety are addressed and then challenged. In this manner, you will be able to construct positive thinking about this condition that will help you recover faster.
In cases where counseling has not proven to be effective, the Doctor may prescribe medications. Anti-anxiety and antidepressant drugs are given to relieve the symptoms of the disorder. The doctor can also give medications that will control the physical manifestations of anxiety. It is important to continuously monitor for side effects of medications, especially the psychotic drugs. Psychotic drugs can induce irreversible side effects when taken in high doses.
If you are presently undergoing therapy, it is important for you to cooperate with the Doctor to facilitate fast recovery. The treatment can be very frustrating and difficult to cope with, especially during its initial phase, because you are subjected to a lot of changes and interaction with different people. It is also important to be compliant with your medication schedule. When you miss or do not take the prescribed dosage, your treatment can be rendered ineffective and this can set you back in your recovery. Improper treatment will eventually lead you to Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD, which is very difficult, but not impossible, to manage.
If your social anxiety disorder quiz suggests that you have social anxiety disorder, do not hesitate in going to the Doctor for assistance. Your information is kept confidential, so there is no need to worry about other people knowing of your condition.
1. Do you have an extreme fear of being in a social situation?
2. Do you always fear that people are judging you in whatever you are doing?
3. Do you prefer to be alone rather than going out with a group?
4. Do you need to drink alcoholic beverages before engaging in public speaking or performance?
5. Do you hate attending parties and other social gatherings?
If your answer is yes to the majority of the questions in the above social anxiety disorder quiz, then you are probably at risk for having social anxiety. Take note that doing a self-assessment is not a conclusive method of diagnosing the disorder. You would still need to consult the opinion of a psychiatrist, psychologist or other mental healthcare professional for a definitive answer. Your Doctor would probably do another social anxiety disorder quiz, test or assessment before they can verify whether you have the disorder or not.
If your doctor does indeed diagnose you as having social anxiety disorder, they will recommend that you start some sort of treatment right away. Mental health disorders are highly treatable when they are still mild, because they have not yet caused any significant disturbances in your way of thinking. In this early period of the disorder, counseling is an effective form of treatment. Through counseling, your thoughts about your social anxiety are addressed and then challenged. In this manner, you will be able to construct positive thinking about this condition that will help you recover faster.
In cases where counseling has not proven to be effective, the Doctor may prescribe medications. Anti-anxiety and antidepressant drugs are given to relieve the symptoms of the disorder. The doctor can also give medications that will control the physical manifestations of anxiety. It is important to continuously monitor for side effects of medications, especially the psychotic drugs. Psychotic drugs can induce irreversible side effects when taken in high doses.
If you are presently undergoing therapy, it is important for you to cooperate with the Doctor to facilitate fast recovery. The treatment can be very frustrating and difficult to cope with, especially during its initial phase, because you are subjected to a lot of changes and interaction with different people. It is also important to be compliant with your medication schedule. When you miss or do not take the prescribed dosage, your treatment can be rendered ineffective and this can set you back in your recovery. Improper treatment will eventually lead you to Generalized Anxiety Disorder or GAD, which is very difficult, but not impossible, to manage.
If your social anxiety disorder quiz suggests that you have social anxiety disorder, do not hesitate in going to the Doctor for assistance. Your information is kept confidential, so there is no need to worry about other people knowing of your condition.
George Hunter is a writer and blogger about Social Anxiety Disorder and other anxiety related topics. He has created a website resource to help fellow sufferers find a solution to their condition. Why not try out one of the most common Social Anxiety Disorder Tests right now. It only takes a few minutes to run through it.
Also, have a look at http://www.SocialAnxietyDisorderGuide.com to find out what you can do about Social Anxiety (Social Phobia) and other Anxiety and Panic disorders.
Also, have a look at http://www.SocialAnxietyDisorderGuide.com to find out what you can do about Social Anxiety (Social Phobia) and other Anxiety and Panic disorders.
Divorce Your Addiction
I'm onto my PlayStation 3 again. Once I start, I can't stop. Fortunately, I manage to divorce this addiction with the help of coaching. I've been a gamer since young, from Nintendo, Sega, PlayStation 1, 2 and 3. Of course not forgetting the PC games as well. There were times the playing time went out of control. There were times I wanted to play it daily just like a junkie who wanted to have a daily fix.
I was irritated, when my parent brought me for visitation. I blamed my mum for lingering at my relative's place for such a long hours as I wanted to be at home early to play Delta Force or Dragonball on the Nintendo.
When I was serving national service, I actually had a 1 week leave accompanied by Final Fantasy 7 via PlayStation 1.
With playing those games, I got hours of entertainment, and nothing else. Since playing games is not giving me anything, how come I got hooked onto it?
Isn't this addiction?
Not serving you on anything yet you enjoy the fix. Well, I did benefit from playing games in my work somehow, I will share it later in the post.
What makes addiction an addiction? You have an addiction, when this formula stands true in areas of your life.
Addiction = Activities + Out of Control + Guilt
What leads us to an addiction?
On surface, addiction seems like it's the way to life and enjoyment. But when we dig deeper, usually there are something else about the addiction.
Usually addictions are not serving us in anyway. But what made us stuck to them? Worse if you are into drugs, gambling, alcohol or porn. In terms of values or moral of the society, these vices are not widely accepted. Yet they are the worst kind of addiction that no only harm self, they also harm those around you. I have 2 main reasons that got us addicted to something, see if you agree.
Avoidance or Filling A Gap
The 2 reasons are either to avoid something or to fill something or both.
For some avoidance of the reality brings them to addiction. Some got stress up in work, so they sink in pubs and drown themselves with alcohol to avoid the problems in work. These addictions become a panadol, it helps to reduce the pain.
Then we have the other reason which is filling a gap. A gap that people are searching in their inner world. It could be providing them with thrill, drama, emotion engagements, confidence etc.
Playing PlayStation 3 fills my gap. It provides me with excitement and thrill. It gives me a fantasy of me being thehero in the virtual world slaying Minotaurs(God of War), exploring caves(Uncharted) and assassinating corrupted officials(Assassin's Creed). In real life, I'm just a normal human being. But in the game, I possess super human abilities, achieving things that a normal human can never achieve.
It feels like plugging in and being transported to a world of possibilities. I got addicted into this fantasy world.
We can have a third reason. Both avoidance and filling a gap.
An example of having both the reasons is when I was having a mild depression, playing game becomes an avoidance. I escaped into the game world to avoid facing the reality. The game world became a place to forget my worries. At the same time, I found thrill and provides me a place to be a hero again.
The thing is we know that addiction doesn't support our lives, but we just love to indulge in them, isn't it? Is there no way out? How can we divorce our addiction?
The formula to addiction:
Addiction = Activities + Out of Control + Guilt
There is is nothing wrong in the activity itself. Now you add Out of Control + Guilt, you have addiction. Replace Out of Control + Guilt with CONTROL, and you will have:
Activities + Control
You successfully divorce your addiction.
It seems so simple. How do you apply it practically?
Discovering
Before you can replace anything, finding what is this CONTROL about is critical. Ask:
"With this addiction am I avoiding or filling a gap?"
Your answer to the above question will determine a different method of divorce.
If the answer is avoiding:
Here's the simplified account of my example in avoiding due to mild depression.
"What am I avoiding?" - Meeting people.
"What do I make meeting people means?" - Not trustworthy.
"Who took away the trust?" - XYZ on this incident.
"When do I like to complete regarding XYZ?" - Now.
(At this point, I will go through a couple of completion tools to support my client to have a closure.)
"What would I take on to completely reduce the addiction?"
At this point, you can include a replacement. (Explain this in a while)
If the answer is to fill a gap:
My example of having thrill, drama and being a hero.
"What does thrill, drama and being a hero provides me?" - Fun, control, immediate gratification.
"What does control provides me?" - Power.
"What does a powerful person means?" - authority, confident
"How else can I access confident?" - Knowing that I am good enough.
"How will I be good enough?" - I decide that I'm good enough.
"When am I going to decide?" - Now.
"What steps will I take on to remove this addiction?" - Reducing time spent on it.
At this point, you can again include a replacement. (Explain this in a while)
Replacement
Like replacing Out of Control + Guilt with CONTROL, you replace the addiction with another activity. Say I am addicted to PlayStation 3, and whenever I have that urge again, instead of switching on the machine, I go for a swim. Because when I swim more laps in a shorter time, that provides me with power too.
Then you may ask what if you get addicted to the new replacement. Well, swimming is definitely a better addiction than PlayStation 3. Preferably have the replacement as something that deems to be a better hobby.
A replacement is necessary because most people will find it strange to have an emptiness when they stop engaging in a particular addiction suddenly. We have to fill this emptiness quickly before they will return to their old addiction.
I have successfully divorce my love for anime and comics. And I have been able to keep PlayStation 3 under control.
I was irritated, when my parent brought me for visitation. I blamed my mum for lingering at my relative's place for such a long hours as I wanted to be at home early to play Delta Force or Dragonball on the Nintendo.
When I was serving national service, I actually had a 1 week leave accompanied by Final Fantasy 7 via PlayStation 1.
With playing those games, I got hours of entertainment, and nothing else. Since playing games is not giving me anything, how come I got hooked onto it?
Isn't this addiction?
Not serving you on anything yet you enjoy the fix. Well, I did benefit from playing games in my work somehow, I will share it later in the post.
What makes addiction an addiction? You have an addiction, when this formula stands true in areas of your life.
Addiction = Activities + Out of Control + Guilt
What leads us to an addiction?
On surface, addiction seems like it's the way to life and enjoyment. But when we dig deeper, usually there are something else about the addiction.
Usually addictions are not serving us in anyway. But what made us stuck to them? Worse if you are into drugs, gambling, alcohol or porn. In terms of values or moral of the society, these vices are not widely accepted. Yet they are the worst kind of addiction that no only harm self, they also harm those around you. I have 2 main reasons that got us addicted to something, see if you agree.
Avoidance or Filling A Gap
The 2 reasons are either to avoid something or to fill something or both.
For some avoidance of the reality brings them to addiction. Some got stress up in work, so they sink in pubs and drown themselves with alcohol to avoid the problems in work. These addictions become a panadol, it helps to reduce the pain.
Then we have the other reason which is filling a gap. A gap that people are searching in their inner world. It could be providing them with thrill, drama, emotion engagements, confidence etc.
Playing PlayStation 3 fills my gap. It provides me with excitement and thrill. It gives me a fantasy of me being thehero in the virtual world slaying Minotaurs(God of War), exploring caves(Uncharted) and assassinating corrupted officials(Assassin's Creed). In real life, I'm just a normal human being. But in the game, I possess super human abilities, achieving things that a normal human can never achieve.
It feels like plugging in and being transported to a world of possibilities. I got addicted into this fantasy world.
We can have a third reason. Both avoidance and filling a gap.
An example of having both the reasons is when I was having a mild depression, playing game becomes an avoidance. I escaped into the game world to avoid facing the reality. The game world became a place to forget my worries. At the same time, I found thrill and provides me a place to be a hero again.
The thing is we know that addiction doesn't support our lives, but we just love to indulge in them, isn't it? Is there no way out? How can we divorce our addiction?
The formula to addiction:
Addiction = Activities + Out of Control + Guilt
There is is nothing wrong in the activity itself. Now you add Out of Control + Guilt, you have addiction. Replace Out of Control + Guilt with CONTROL, and you will have:
Activities + Control
You successfully divorce your addiction.
It seems so simple. How do you apply it practically?
Discovering
Before you can replace anything, finding what is this CONTROL about is critical. Ask:
"With this addiction am I avoiding or filling a gap?"
Your answer to the above question will determine a different method of divorce.
If the answer is avoiding:
Here's the simplified account of my example in avoiding due to mild depression.
"What am I avoiding?" - Meeting people.
"What do I make meeting people means?" - Not trustworthy.
"Who took away the trust?" - XYZ on this incident.
"When do I like to complete regarding XYZ?" - Now.
(At this point, I will go through a couple of completion tools to support my client to have a closure.)
"What would I take on to completely reduce the addiction?"
At this point, you can include a replacement. (Explain this in a while)
If the answer is to fill a gap:
My example of having thrill, drama and being a hero.
"What does thrill, drama and being a hero provides me?" - Fun, control, immediate gratification.
"What does control provides me?" - Power.
"What does a powerful person means?" - authority, confident
"How else can I access confident?" - Knowing that I am good enough.
"How will I be good enough?" - I decide that I'm good enough.
"When am I going to decide?" - Now.
"What steps will I take on to remove this addiction?" - Reducing time spent on it.
At this point, you can again include a replacement. (Explain this in a while)
Replacement
Like replacing Out of Control + Guilt with CONTROL, you replace the addiction with another activity. Say I am addicted to PlayStation 3, and whenever I have that urge again, instead of switching on the machine, I go for a swim. Because when I swim more laps in a shorter time, that provides me with power too.
Then you may ask what if you get addicted to the new replacement. Well, swimming is definitely a better addiction than PlayStation 3. Preferably have the replacement as something that deems to be a better hobby.
A replacement is necessary because most people will find it strange to have an emptiness when they stop engaging in a particular addiction suddenly. We have to fill this emptiness quickly before they will return to their old addiction.
I have successfully divorce my love for anime and comics. And I have been able to keep PlayStation 3 under control.
Lee Joe is a coach, trainer and speaker in the area of motivating behaviour, He has been training since 2003, inspired more than 10,000 lives so far. He trains in the modules like team development, presentation skills and mindset transformation.
His one-to-one coaching has deliver great results for his clients, supporting them in achieving their desired outcome. He helps clients to discover an accelerated way of achieving results. In that process, he gets the clients to see who they are, how they can be happy in life. Visit http://www.coachingwithjoe.com to learn how his clients benefited from his coaching.
His one-to-one coaching has deliver great results for his clients, supporting them in achieving their desired outcome. He helps clients to discover an accelerated way of achieving results. In that process, he gets the clients to see who they are, how they can be happy in life. Visit http://www.coachingwithjoe.com to learn how his clients benefited from his coaching.
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