Psychology

» Jerry Lopper - A Helpful Book

A book that is helpful for anyone undergoing or considering a major life change such as smoking cessation, weight loss, getting out of debt, etc. is James Prochaska's Changing for Good.

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» Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen - addictive personality?

In response to A Helpful Book posted by coachjerry:

How is an addictive personality formed? Are you born with a predisposition to addiction, or do you develop it over time? Or is it a combination of both - nature and nurture?

I know someone who says he has an addictive personality, and has flirted with alcoholism, smoking, and drugs. Yet he's never become full-fledged alchoholic or addict. Maybe that means he doesn't truly have an addictive personality?

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» jcredmond - addictive personality?

In response to addictive personality? posted by LauriePK:
Very good questions. Do some people use the phrase "I have an addictive personality" as a way of avoiding taking responsibility for the choices that they make?

If you already know that you have an "addictive personality" that would seem to me to be a really good reason *not* to try drinking, smoking, or drugs...

-- posted by jcredmond

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» pink101 - Create An Addiction

In response to addictive personality? posted by jcredmond:
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So, how does a person create an addiction?
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Does one create it on purpose? I have read that some criminal types create addictions in others in order to enslave them for purposes of prostitution.
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If we know how to create them, we certainly ought to be able to figure out how to change them from one thing to another. Don't addictions have something to do with neural pathways in the brain.
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-- posted by pink101

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» Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen - Create An Addiction

In response to Create An Addiction posted by pink101:
It must depend on the addiction, as some are physiological (drugs, alcohol, nictotine) while others aren't (internet addiction, workaholic, chocolate?).

I thought addictions create new pathways in the brain, regardless of the type of addiction - but the physiological ones must be much harder to kick.

Creating an addiction is a gazillion times easier than breaking one!

I'm addicted to coffee, mochas, and writing. Maybe running and reading, too. I kicked smoking.

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» pink101 - Create An Addiction

In response to Create An Addiction posted by LauriePK:
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Everything we do is associated with a neural pathway except for such things--I have heard--as when you experience some pain in your extremities. And, the synapse and return message takes place before the message gets to the brain. But, I don't know that for a fact.
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This is just the way it seems to me. I may be very wrong; but, taking Crack Cocaine is recorded in the brain on a neural pathway. The more you do it, the more the sequence is imbedded in the brain.
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We are all aware of the Conversion syndrome when a person gets some sort of an epipheny that can be said to be "life changing". Psychological ailments such as blindness can be healed in miraculous ways. People who have been crippled can get up and walk. Bad habits like alcocholism and drug addiction are often broken. But, do you know anyone with whom this has happened? And, aren't they now addicted to the "thing" that released them from their old bad habits?
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I don't have any way of proving that as being true. It's just the way it seems to be to me.
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-- posted by pink101

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» Jerry Lopper - Cure An Addiction

In response to Create An Addiction posted by pink101:

I don't know the physiology of addiction, nor of its cure, but the book I reference above, Changing for Good by James Prochaska claims that programs based on the model and interventions described in the book are successful in helping overcome addictions from alcohol, drugs, eating, etc.

I used this book in a class I took and wrote a series of articles on it last year on my topic page of Personal Development.

The summarizing article is here.

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» Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen - Create An Addiction

In response to Create An Addiction posted by pink101:

I don't know anyone who has miraculously changed like that.

I have read that substituting a new habit in place of an old one is effective in breaking an addiction.

Can you substitute old emotions for new ones? For instance, can feelings of frustration and impatience be replaced with peace and easy-going-ness? (no such word, but I can't think of a better one!)

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» pink101 - Create An Addiction

In response to Create An Addiction posted by LauriePK:
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Tranquility?
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Good questions.
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-- posted by pink101

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