1. Step four: Re-train the brain = Thinking about your thinking: here you need to learn to think differently about chocolate and things that trigger a desire for the addictive behaviour (stress).
2. You will have noticed by now that before you engage in your habit at moments when you did not want to do it you are often thinking things that ‘promote’ doing the habit. John a workaholic noticed that each time when he drank alcohol (although he wanted to stay abstinent), he said to himself: I really deserve it, so I must have it! I have to have a drink I can’t stand being without a drink for another minute. If the goal is to not drink alcohol, it is immediately clear that thoughts like this: Are not helpful Are not based on factual reality. Thinking that produces negative feelings and/or leads to behaving in an unhelpful way is called IRRATIONAL THINKING. If you want to ditch your addiction, you also have to ditch and replace your irrational thinking.
4. Now list these thoughts in the column on the left and see if you can identify the thinking error you are making.
5. From NATS to RATS Recognising your irrational thinking is one step, the next step is to replace it with more rational thinking. The thinking you listed on the previous page is what we can call negative addiction thinking (NAT) and in order to overcome your addiction it is important to replace that with rational addiction thinking (RAT). So in other words you need to go from NATS to RATS! Rational Addiction Thinking is based on: It is helpful to break the addiction It is realistic AND BELIEVABLE It acknowledges negative feelings (as opposed to denying them) It is focused on self-acceptance (as apposed to self-condemnation) It is focused on personal resilience (as opposed to ‘I can’t stand-itis!’) It is focused on personalpreferences (as opposed to demanding thinking).
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7. In summary To ditch your addiction Plan for it! Start by recording how much, how often, when and where Plan a gradual reduction (or if you must a sudden stop) Set up rules and regulations regarding your addiction Plan for rewards Change your life style: plan for the good things in life Go from NATS to RATS
