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The minute we decide to quit smoking our Addictive Minds crank up into full gear. They have one simple objective – OUR NEXT FIX! They may look very different but the goal is always the same. How long they pester your quit journey depends on YOU!
Some folks refer to Addictive Minds as Nicodemons but they’re really only speaking of a part of themselves.
Addictive Thoughts are often referred to as cravings. I personally like to reframe the word craving as Addictive Thought because it has less power over me. Craving seems somehow relentless, irresistible, undeniable.
Addictive thought sounds like what it is – just a thought and I get to decide to obey the thought or diss it – kick it to the curb!
Fusion is a blending or melding together of a thought and the thing it refers to –the story and the event. For Example, “I want a cigarette” or “I’m going to relapse.”
In a state of fusion, it seems as if:
*Thoughts are reality
*Thoughts are the truth
*Thoughts are important
*Thoughts are orders
*Thoughts are wise
*Thoughts can be threats
Defusion allows us to relate to thoughts in a new way, so they have much less impact and influence.
Become the witness to your thoughts. Examine them with kindness and curiosity.
Here are some ways to defuse your thoughts:
(1) Take the statement “ I want a cigarette.” Now say it this way out loud, “I’m having the thought that I want a cigarette.”
Now make the statement, “I notice that I’m having the thought that I want a cigarette.”
It feels a lot less loaded, doesn’t it?
(2) Now take the same thought and sing it to the tune of Happy Birthday.
“I want a cigarette right now!
I want a cigarette right now!
I want a cigarette, I want a cigarette!
I want a cigarette right now!”
That one always makes me laugh out loud!
(3) Give your craving a name: “Here comes the ol’” I gotta have a cigarette” story, again!"
You’ll begin to recognize that your thoughts are just that – a story!
(4) Rename the object or event: “I want a dead leaf wrapped in paper and dipped into 7000 deadly chemicals.”
I like the short version: “I want a sickerette.” Sounds pretty ridiculous, right?
(5) Thank your Mind: “Thank You, Mind, for reminding me how much I want to be Free from Addiction.
Addictive Thoughts (cravings, remember?) remind us that we’re in the healing process of a very challenging Addiction.
(6) The Funny Voice Technique: Pick an animated cartoon character such as Mickey Mouse, Shrek, or Homer Simpson. Hear the character say the thought that’s bothering you.
My favorite is Daffy Duck!
Notice that you haven’t tried to change the thought, get rid of it, argue with it, push it away, debate with it , distract from it or replace it.
You have merely seen it for what it is: a string of words passing through your head. When you defuse your Addictive Thoughts, you recognize that:
*Thoughts are merely sounds, words, stories, or bits of language.
*Thoughts may or may not be true; we don’t have to automatically believe them.
*Thoughts may or may not be important. We can choose to pay attention only if they’re helpful.
*Thoughts are definitely not orders; we certainly don’t have to obey them.
*Thoughts may or may not be wise.
*Thoughts are never threats – they can’t make me smoke!
So how can you tell whether a thought is an Addictive Thought? If you’re not sure, you can ask yourself:
*Does it help me to become the person I want to be?
*Does it help me to build the sort of relationships I’d like in my life?
*Does it help me to connect with what I truly value?
*Does it help me, in the long term, to create a rich, full, and meaningful life?
OR
Does it lead me right back into the Addiction I’ve been trying so hard to let go of?
Defuse from your Addictive Thoughts and you’ll have more of an opportunity for Freedom from being driven by them. You’ll get control of your own steering wheel for a change!
[Resource: The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris]
