To learn more, view ourPrivacy Policy. The next time this person gets motivated to build a house again do you think that they are in better shape for the next attempt? ThoughtCo, Aug. 1, 2021, thoughtco.com/psychology-of-compulsive-behavior-4173631. And I take a lot more care on the escalators. Buidling motivation and insight for inspiration and progress takingtheescalator.com Addiction and Substance Use Resources, Non 12 Step Motivational Harm Reduction Tools for Substance Use & Mental Health. Taking the Escalator Discouragement can suck your positive energy and motivation right out of you if you allow it to fester in your mind. >A variable, adjustable, and flexible process of upward change that takes into account your own needs beyond just substance use including emotional and behavioral issues, struggles with mental health, as well as the broad array of co-existing issues that may effect each unique person. The Escalator consists of the following areas of focus: Your email address will not be published. >A resource for a variety of skills, ideas and techniques that are easy to try and then apply to your own personal situation and circumstances, no matter how unique or outside the box your personal situation may seem. >There are and always will be exceptions to the rule We will get into this area later however, when it comes to people and substance use, there are those who we just mentioned who through no fault of their own will repeatedly fail if they try to control their use. Hold on to the stroller. ), >People who have tried the 12 Steps and may like the 12 Steps, but alone the 12 Steps just is not enough (The Escalator can be used in conjunction with or as a supplement to 12 Step recovery). For many of these individuals, accepting concepts such as powerlessness, accepting having a disease, turning over your will, or identifying as an oneself as an addict or alcoholic often does not feel right no matter how well it is explained. The biggest mistake people most often make is that they often want to be the exception to the rule when it may not be a choice. Overview Drug addiction, also called substance use disorder, is a disease that affects a person's brain and behavior and leads to an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug or medicine. How Psychologically Conditioned Rats Are Defusing Landmines, The Innate Intelligence Observed in the Dying Process. When someone is abstinent, they are not using. Even when some of the most resistant, hard-headed, and argumentative individuals end up getting help for substance use issues, (which is usually against their will which makes matters even more challenging), the goal of those trying to help these individuals is to somehow instill even a small degree of inspiration. When looking at both research as well as the millions of personal testimonials from people all over the world, 12 Step programs have been a lifeline for countless people struggling with substance abuse and addiction for decades. 7. Make sure to hold on to the stroller the whole time you are on the escalator. In fact, many escalators ban the use of any wheeled device on the escalator, such as strollers. These individuals cite numerous cases in their experience where an individual who is in recovery, or who has recovered from one form of substance use disorder, developed a different substance use disorder. wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. If followed wholeheartedly, success in recovery is not far off. The Escalator is for the more modern substance user who tends to have more complex issues, and different viewpoints and attitudes than in years past. We are current and former members of theBOOM Rethink the Drinkcommunity where we also blog privately, in an anonymous, supportive forum, open to anyone hoping to stop drinking or just slow down. How do you think an EzGoGo Stroller that can stand alone would go on an escalator with a special supporting device? And I had epileptic fits every day. However, if someone has come to the conclusion on their own that they want to identify themselves an alcoholic or an addict that should not be discouraged once again, provided that the individual has personally accepted the label as true in their personal case. I hope she will have a good and happy life. Risk of harm must always be factored into this equation. The Escalator is designed to help people to look within themselves for inspiration, hope and change while using others for guidance and support. Surely, abstinence would be better, but progress is progress and it should be viewed that way. Compulsive behaviors can be physical acts, like repetitive hand washing or hoarding, or mental exercises, like counting or memorizing books. According to the Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation, over 210 billion passengers use elevators in the U.S. and Canada each year. TheBoozemusings CommunityBlogis written by a diverse group. But is cross addiction real? Interestingly, there is a commonly accepted contradiction when it comes to abstinence when viewing addiction as a disease. I havent had a fit for several months, and although I still have aphasia, its not as bad as it used to be. The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes. This article has been viewed 70,994 times. Try finding an elevator instead. Since so many people have goal setting and making changes on their mind, take some time to review some of the things outlined in the Taking the Escalator methodology for overcoming addiction and other hard to quit habits. A few hours later, some time around midnight, I realised I would have to rush otherwise Id miss the last tube. That choice was either to try to fit themselves reluctantly or insincerely into the 12 Step model or be discharged from treatment programs for noncompliance, which for some meant going to jail. thestateofbeingwithoutadrug,asalcoholorheroin,on. If abstinence is the ideal, then we should never allow the thinking that falling short of the ideal is automatically not good or a definitive failure. The Escalator promotes abstinence as the ideal way to stay out of trouble and then make progress and positive change but at the same time this method acknowledges that people have different paths toward their goals that are not all abstinence based. You can download the paper by clicking the button above. In addition, as time has progressed, this 12 Step resistant population has been on the rise similar to an antibiotic-resistant infection. In addition, diseases, like substance abuse or dependence tend to be progressive in nature but not everyone progresses in the same way or to the same level. Other people may hear of some of the expectations involved with traditional recovery models and consider these goals to be unrealistic, unreasonable or out of reach. 0 reviews The 2013 book: Taking the Escalator - An Alternative to the 12 Steps, has been a much needed, refreshing new look at substance abuse and addiction in today's modern, ever-changing world. The Escalator uses the broader, much more wide-ranging concept of Substance Use Issues* for the sake of including people who are considering or attempting change across the entire spectrum. For example, it is unreasonable to compare someone who relapsed by using heroin and someone who relapsed using marijuana as equal situations. Therefore, by definition, in many cases recovery is not possible because of the fact that there is nothing to really recover or get back. In the spirit of the Escalator, the desired goal is to use terminology that includes a wider range of people. >An alternative method that is well suited for a broad, wide-ranging perspective on spirituality which can work for the Atheist and Agnostic as well as those with more firmly established beliefs while making sure not to alienate those from either viewpoint. The best case scenario when it comes to achieving the goal of the Escalator is a degree of sustained inspired progress. 2K. In statistical terms, individuals with a history of successfully addressing their substance use disorder were significantly less likely to develop another substance use disorder compared to individuals who were unable to address their substance use disorder in the time period covered by the study. Therefore, the discussion of labels is often irrelevant and unnecessary and in many cases can even be a distraction as opposed to being helpful. While they have some characteristics in common, addictions and habits are different from compulsive behaviors. For example, when looking at someone with substance use issues who has been using regularly since age 12 or 13, what former state of improved functioning would they in fact be recovering once they stopped using? Despite the relative popularity of the notion of cross addiction in many addiction treatment program descriptions, and in many 12-Step groups such as Alcoholic Anonymous, there is actually very little empirical evidence to suggest that such a phenomenon exists. When combined with counseling, this approach is proven highly effective. >A collective approach for building self awareness which considers your own unique personality, circumstances and lifestyle. Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer. The invention of the escalator changed everything: suddenly, a constant flow of people could ascend into the air, or descend to . Home Blog What Is Cross Addiction, and Is It a Real Thing in Recovery? Myth #1 Cross-Addiction. There are those to whom the concept of recovery directly applies but it does not make sense to exclusively refer to this process of getting better only as recovery due to the existence of many individuals to whom recovery does not apply. I have been trained in a variety of techniques that over the years and I found myself, like most counselors, breaking down and combining in order to utilize an array of the best principles, skills, techniques and ideas from various methods for the variety of situations and problems faced by people I was trying to help. For some people, attempting controlled use is a life and death issue. The Challenge of Cross Addiction | Psychology Today As another example, someone with a past stimulant addiction may be able to have a glass of wine from time to time, without ever having issues. **Since the terms addiction and dependence mean essentially the same thing these two terms are often used interchangeably. Beyond addiction and recovery, she also covers topics relating to general well-being, mindfulness, fitness, mental health, and more. But when I tried working again after my accident, I couldnt even tell customers the names of the fish. Lets start by examining the commonly accepted: Disease Model of Addiction: *All words and phrases in this book where definition is provided was taken completely or in part from the online dictionary: www.dictionaryreference.com. The other accidents happened when the kid was riding the escalator outside of the stroller. Even if we go backward after a period of progress, the next time we travel that road moving forward we know the way a little better. The concept of recovery makes a lot of sense when considering a traditional view of substance abuse and addiction. For example, while as children, we may need to be reminded to brush our teeth, we eventually grow to do it as a matter of habit. Taking the Escalator - An Alternative to the 12 Steps Shame is a basic feeling of inferiority. They may resort to: Additionally, some believe that people with alcohol or substance use disorders are prone to cross addictions involving similar substances. Finally I found a charity called Headway East London, which helps people with brain injuries. Addiction is based on a form of dependence, and as a result, the two words: addiction and dependence have become synonymous ** It is well documented that addiction is growing problem over the years affecting the lives of millions. However, the Escalator views addiction slightly differently that the traditional disease model. It is a situation where an individual has more than one addiction or uses more than one . There is something to be gained each time anyone attempts the process of upward change. There is a body of information that is mostly based on anecdotal evidence that recovering individuals are in danger of developing substitute addictions to other substances. It would be difficult for anyone to dispute the extensive history of the 12 Steps as effective path to self improvement and self help. Once again, to summarize, abstinence is good but it is the ideal and is therefore not the only way to determine progress. The reason that formal research methods are employed to develop theories that lay the foundation for practical treatment is to minimize the effect of bias and subjectivity when considering the broader aspects of behavior. This desire for pleasure or relief becomes part of the self-perpetuating cycle of addiction as the person suffers the discomfort of withdrawal that comes when they are unable to use the substance or engage in the behavior. Avoid shame. In any case, theres cause for concern when a behavior or substance creates any level of harm in your life (or meets any criteria for addiction). The Escalator also is designed for those who do not want help or do not want to change as well as those who are unsure what they want. The 12 Steps and 12 Step based programs continued to have good outcomes, however those who refused to embrace the 12 Steps in treatment were often left on the outside looking in. People with deficits in motivation or insight or both should not be neglected nor labeled as not ready. Compulsive behaviors are actions a person feels driven or compelled to do repeatedly, even if those actions appear to be irrational or pointless. To prevent the stroller from rolling down, have it facing the same way you would have it if you were going up the escalator (behind you instead of in front of you with the stroller facing upwards). I was really selfish before, and I used to cheat on everyone. The former is an overwhelming desire (or sense of physical need) to do something, while an addiction is a physical or chemical dependence on a substance or behavior. There are many ways to try to define addiction but they all mean just about the same thing. That is simply not the case. For example, the Escalator and its principles and concepts for self-improvement are designed to be helpful for gambling issues, smoking, overeating, and any other problematic behaviors that are difficult to manage along with any co-occurring mental health issues as well. Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 70,994 times. Both addiction and cancer are viewed as having the following disease qualities: >Are influenced by Genetic Predisposition, >Recovery is a process requiring lifestyle change. The first weakness of this study is that the study only covered a three-year period. Are you drawing conclusions where evidence is lacking? If you successfully overcome an alcohol use disorder, what are your chances of becoming addicted to something else later on? I was running down the escalator, and I was drunk, so I must have tripped and fallen, and I ended up in a heap on the floor at the bottom. Awareness: People with obsessive-compulsive disorders are typically aware of their behaviors and are bothered by the knowledge that they have no logical reason for doing them. Labels such as addict and alcoholic are avoided and not viewed as a necessary facet of the upward change process. Still, what about those people who cant even get past Step 1? Some of the more potentially damaging compulsive behaviors often associated with OCD include eating, shopping, hoarding and animal hoarding, skin picking, gambling, and sex. Common habits often develop into addictions when they result in a chemical dependency, as in the cases of alcoholism and smoking. Nevertheless, I and many of the colleagues I have worked closely with have seen a need for an inclusive, comprehensive design specifically created for the changing needs of problem substance users in the modern world. >People who believe that their other issues, particularly mental health or other behavioral issues, prevent them from benefitting from or embracing the 12 Steps. PDF Challenging Thoughts Worksheet - University of Washington Should those people who cannot get past step one be doomed to failure? Thats the most important thing for me now. In other words, you really can have too much of a good thing. For example, the good habit of exercising regularly can become an unhealthy compulsion or addiction when done to excess. The process is easy: Take turns allowing everyone in the group to make a thoughtful statement Then, the group should all say "Well said!" and applaud. While we can choose to add good, healthy habits to our routines, we can also choose to break old harmful habits. >People who openly admit they see no need to change or have no desire to change despite what others may tell them about needing to change. Evan ODonnell is an NYC-based content strategist with four years experience writing and editing in the recovery space.