Easy OR Right?

In The Goblet of Fire, Dumbledore addresses the students at Hogwarts after Cedric Diggory’s death. In his speech, he states, “Dark times lie ahead of us and there will be a time when we must choose between what is easy and what is right.” Likewise, in a world that is inundated with temptation, we must strive to live with integrity and stand up for what we know is right even if we are the only ones standing.

Temptation, cues, triggers are EVERYWHERE. They exist in the environments we can control just as often as those we cannot. They exist in our minds. Our thoughts can play tricks on us! While we cannot control the first thought that comes to mind, we CAN choose to give it value or energy. We can choose to let the fantasy ride OR we can STOP the thought and redirect our attention elsewhere.

If you have been following Instagram stories, I have been talking a lot about the traps we can fall into when trying to change a compulsive behavior, habit, or addiction. One such trap is that of switching to another addiction, compulsive behavior, or habit.

At first, switching up the behavior looks, sounds, and feels good! It is part of the first skill I try to build with clients. Someone who used to leave work and go to the restaurant for dinner and a pint, or two, or three of local microbrew may be challenged to leave work and go home to cook their dinner while distracting themselves with a movie. Over time the movie becomes the replacement for the alcohol. GREAT! Or is it? Yes, it is a better choice than the pints of booze, but it has become the new outlet for numbing or anesthetizing the pain of loneliness. SO: Progress = good, but DON’T GET STUCK HERE.

Bitten Jonsson has reported data from her SUGAR screens that of 202 clients that met criteria for a substance use disorder- Sugar, 74% also had addiction outlets such as alcohol, prescription pills, amphetamines, etc. She concluded that less than 17% or less of the population with the disease of addiction has only ONE outlet.

Numbers can be scary. A diagnosis of addiction can be scary. THERE IS HOPE. Recovery is possible. The Caron Continuum Philosophy suggests an integrated multidisciplinary treatment approach with addiction counselors/psychologists, psychiatrists, spiritual counselors, nutritionists, physicians all on an individual’s care team. Clients should be encouraged to find their mix of “treatment” for their illness.

I have clients who do and don’t participate in 12 Step groups, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Seeking Safety groups, Parenting groups, Body Image treatment, Grief/loss treatment, and psychoeducation. What works for some clients does not work for others. It is a personal mix of individualized interventions.

Many clients hear this and would rather give up before they start. Recovery is WORK. And- let’s be honest – It’s HARD WORK. Recovery is NOT EASY.

My policy is to be as clear about this as possible before working with a client. There is no magic pill or wand that makes this go away. Time is spent identifying relapse triggers, high-risk situations, relapse signs and symptoms, repetitive patterns and relapse thinking – all to develop interventions. We don’t know what we don’t know. We can’t address some aspects of recovery until we get there. Many cannot tolerate the frustration of time. They tell themselves they cannot be patient. They fall into EASY. It is easier to numb with food, drink, drugs, gambling, sex, shopping, cutting, exercising, etc.

If you want to do RIGHT by yourself and get started on changing your behavior and changing your life but are unsure of where to start – let me know! I am happy to help you find local resources or see if recovery coaching services a good fit!