addiction and obsession

Addictions and obsessions.
Below you will find the process an educational psychologist used to unpick her own addiction (tobacco). Construct theory was used, which is a very powerful technique for unraveling how we as humans work and think. Please feel free to use this technique with a friend or colleague or alone if you wish.

1. Imagine some one like you, but without the addiction or obsession.

2. Write down three things that describe the person above. Mine are: pure, sensible, dull (these are my emergent constructs)

3. For each of the three descriptors, think of a word that describes a person that is not like that. So someone who is not pure-human/fallible someone who is not sensible - fun someone who is not dull- good company

4. You now have 3 core constructs that are supporting the continuance of the addiction.

emergent construct	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Contrast construct
Pure			O						X		human/fallible
sensible		O				X					fun
dull			O			X					good company

Now rate yourself using the table above for how you are at the moment. Use an X symbol.

Think of a time when you didn't have the addiction, (you may be going back sometime) and rate yourself on the table using an O symbol.

5. You need to unpick what was happening for you in the time before you were not addicted. What was going on in your life generally before addiction. Work, family, intellectual stimulation, social life, relationships, interests, lifestyle habits such as diet and exercise?

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