Nov. 25th: Mindfulness and Addiction Flashcards
What are features of addiction?
(11 symptoms)
Dont think you need to memorize all of them, just a few and what determines severity
- Using more of the substance than inteded
- Failure to cut back despite desire to do so
- Much time spent seeking/recovering from use
- Cravings & urges
- Problems in daily life
- Continued use despite use casing problems in relationships
- Choosing use over important activities
- Use despite associated danger
- Use desptie physical and/or psychological probems because of use
- Tolerance
- Withdrawl
What characterizes mild, moderate and severe addiction?
- Mild: 2-3 symptoms
- Moderate: 4-5 symptoms
- Severe: 6+ symptoms
How do we diagnose addiction?
Clinically diagnosed
Can activities be addictive? What is the current official stance on this?
- Yes
- Currenly 1 behavior on offical adiction list (gambing) but movement for more is present (shopping, sex, work)
What types of factors are involved in the etiology (development) of addiction?
Addiction has been linked to
* Personality (low evidence)
* Reinforcement history
* Genetic predisposition
* Environmental factors
Generally accepted that addiction involves diverse underlying factors
What about addiction makes mindfulness relevant for its treatment?
Application of mindfulness as a treatment involves awareness of the problem and seeing things for how they really are
- How might mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) be relevant for the treatment of addiction through awarenes?
- Affect regulation/acceptance?
- Reducing harm?
- Helps identify triggers or monitoring risky situations
- Helps with tolerance and acceptance; impermanence of states (axiety is okay, panic attacks wont last forever)
- Less lapses and relapses (view without judgement and more curiosity)
What is the difference between a lapse and a relapse?
- Lapse: A temporary state of participating in addictive behavior
- Relapse: Not even trying to prevent participation in addictive behavior
Lapse: 1 cigg after learning Ryan Gosling died but not again after
Relapse: going back to smoking a pack a day after learning Ryan Gosling died
What is urge surfing?
- A mindfulness-based technique used to manage cravings or impulses by observing and accepting them without acting on them
- Like how a wave has a rise -> peak -> then drop off
What do recent review studies find? What are some unanswered research questions?
- More studies support MBI’s and find positive outcomes like reduced cravings and staying in treatment
- Less adherence to mindfulness than other interventions (why?) and less research on addiction to behaviors
What do MBI’s for addiction look like?
They focus on:
* Enhancing self-awareness
* Emotional regulation
Through meditation or body awareness or other mindful techniques
Think of the reasons that MBI’s may be helpful for addiction. Do any of them map onto Shapiro’s or Langer’s model?
- Shapiro: MBIs help individuals with addiction by fostering intentional choices, focused awareness of cravings and triggers, and an accepting attitude to reduce self-judgment and build resilience.
- Langer: MBIs promote cognitive flexibility and disrupt automatic behaviors, encouraging present-moment engagement and alternative coping strategies for cravings.
Think through what one or two exercises may look like in a MBI for addiction?
- When noticing a craving or urge to participate in addictive behavior, step aside and find a quite place to perform a 5 minute brreathing exercise
- Be mindful of the situations that may induce cravings, and try to not place yourself in those situations
