RECOGNIZE REFRAME REPLACE
Brain Science is finally catching up to the teachings of the Bible. Behavior science acknowledges that values and purpose are paramount in behavioral change. The Bible teaches values and purpose are the main navigational tools in life; loving God and loving others. The best antidotes to addiction are joy, competence and connection—joy is the capacity to take pleasure in the people, things, and activities that are available to us; competence is the ability to master relevant parts of our environment and the confidence that our actions make a difference for ourselves and others. Connection can be a mindful, curious, joyful personal relationship with Jesus Christ!
We all have addictions. Psychiatrist/Psychologist Judd Brewer sates: "The simple definition of addiction is this: continued use (of a substance or behavior) despite adverse consequences." Continued use despite adverse consequences. That goes way beyond drugs and alcohol. That could mean continued use of almost anything! Dr. Brewer explains how addictions are just habit loops, "Trigger-Behavior-Reward." What we need to do is replace the rewards of our bad habits with more powerful rewards of mindfulness, curiosity and joy.
Addiction Psychiatrist, Lance Dodes, states: "All addictions are caused/driven by one underlying emotion: intolerable, overwhelming, helplessness." (When one feels helpless, they feel trapped, powerless and out of control). We always have a binary choice to regain control or escape the trap of feeling, "Helpless." We have free will. We can regain control with displaced behaviors or direct behaviors. Managing your emotions to work for you instead of against you, is your Emotional IQ (EQ). EQ is vital to managing any hurt, hangup or habit. "A fool vents all their feelings, but a wise person holds them in control." Proverbs 29:11
We all have addictions. Psychiatrist/Psychologist Judd Brewer sates: "The simple definition of addiction is this: continued use (of a substance or behavior) despite adverse consequences." Continued use despite adverse consequences. That goes way beyond drugs and alcohol. That could mean continued use of almost anything! Dr. Brewer explains how addictions are just habit loops, "Trigger-Behavior-Reward." What we need to do is replace the rewards of our bad habits with more powerful rewards of mindfulness, curiosity and joy.
Addiction Psychiatrist, Lance Dodes, states: "All addictions are caused/driven by one underlying emotion: intolerable, overwhelming, helplessness." (When one feels helpless, they feel trapped, powerless and out of control). We always have a binary choice to regain control or escape the trap of feeling, "Helpless." We have free will. We can regain control with displaced behaviors or direct behaviors. Managing your emotions to work for you instead of against you, is your Emotional IQ (EQ). EQ is vital to managing any hurt, hangup or habit. "A fool vents all their feelings, but a wise person holds them in control." Proverbs 29:11
RECOGNIZE: Recognize the behavior; the trigger and the HURT that comes with it! What are you emotionally feeling right before you decide to take that drink, watch porn, get angry, etc. (Happy, Sad, Fear, Anger, Shame). Be with the feeling but don't let the feeling become you. Quantify (1-10) it and state where you feel it anatomically. Off load the feeling by writing or talking about it. Emotions are always temporary.
REFRAME: Reframe the Hangup with thinking and reason. What is your best available option for being happy? The only way you will stop desiring corrupt behavior and change your behavior is by seeing more happiness in the change than in the using. Do a simple Cost-Benefit Analysis of your benefits. Analyze, investigate, be curious, discover and re-think the pros and cons of our behavior (Hangup). How will you regain control? With Displaced or Direct Behavior?
REPLACE: Replace the old Habit, with new high value behavior or rewards. Empower yourself and regain control over helpless, powerless, trapped feelings with a high value activity that makes you feel in control. What is the best high value behavior? A surrender personal relationship with Jesus Christ that empowers you with Christ Driven Behavior, that honors God and makes us New Creations in regaining control of our helpless feelings. When we grow close to God, He grows close to us with fruits or values of the Holy Spirit! It's not just faith, it is science and reason. When neurons fire together, they wire together. Where attention goes, neuro-firing flows and neuro-connection grows!
With Pastor Nate, at Celebrate Recovery in Rolling Hills, we learn to Recognize our Hurt, Re-frame our thinking that results in a behavioral Hangup and Replace the bad Habit (temporary quick fixes), with other high value rewarding behaviors that are important and empowering. Remember, the secret to self control is best served with Christ control. In other words, acting with empowering Christ Driven Behavior, that honors God. Christ Driven Behavior is the best high value behavior! Remember, Christ provides the power to change your life with the fruits or values of the Holy Spirit! We become New Creations! With Pastor Nate, Recovery is an adventure in curiosity, awareness, mindfulness and self discovery and that is a Celebration.
REFRAME: Reframe the Hangup with thinking and reason. What is your best available option for being happy? The only way you will stop desiring corrupt behavior and change your behavior is by seeing more happiness in the change than in the using. Do a simple Cost-Benefit Analysis of your benefits. Analyze, investigate, be curious, discover and re-think the pros and cons of our behavior (Hangup). How will you regain control? With Displaced or Direct Behavior?
REPLACE: Replace the old Habit, with new high value behavior or rewards. Empower yourself and regain control over helpless, powerless, trapped feelings with a high value activity that makes you feel in control. What is the best high value behavior? A surrender personal relationship with Jesus Christ that empowers you with Christ Driven Behavior, that honors God and makes us New Creations in regaining control of our helpless feelings. When we grow close to God, He grows close to us with fruits or values of the Holy Spirit! It's not just faith, it is science and reason. When neurons fire together, they wire together. Where attention goes, neuro-firing flows and neuro-connection grows!
With Pastor Nate, at Celebrate Recovery in Rolling Hills, we learn to Recognize our Hurt, Re-frame our thinking that results in a behavioral Hangup and Replace the bad Habit (temporary quick fixes), with other high value rewarding behaviors that are important and empowering. Remember, the secret to self control is best served with Christ control. In other words, acting with empowering Christ Driven Behavior, that honors God. Christ Driven Behavior is the best high value behavior! Remember, Christ provides the power to change your life with the fruits or values of the Holy Spirit! We become New Creations! With Pastor Nate, Recovery is an adventure in curiosity, awareness, mindfulness and self discovery and that is a Celebration.
The Victory Prayer:
Lord, I invite you into my life today. Guide my footsteps and help me make wise decisions in order to manage my feelings, my emotions. Help me to regain control over emotional circumstances in life, that make me feel helpless, trapped, powerless and lacking control. I accept that I cannot control everything and I delegate that control to you, so that you will transform my thinking and empower me, through the Holy Spirit. Empower me to regain control over adversity with (Direct), assertive, Christ Driven values and behavior and not with (Displaced substitute behaviors), the quick fixes or mood changers of chemicals and other errant behaviors. Always allow me to be sensitive to Your Will, especially if You desire to change my thinking, plans and behavior.
Lord, I invite you into my life today. Guide my footsteps and help me make wise decisions in order to manage my feelings, my emotions. Help me to regain control over emotional circumstances in life, that make me feel helpless, trapped, powerless and lacking control. I accept that I cannot control everything and I delegate that control to you, so that you will transform my thinking and empower me, through the Holy Spirit. Empower me to regain control over adversity with (Direct), assertive, Christ Driven values and behavior and not with (Displaced substitute behaviors), the quick fixes or mood changers of chemicals and other errant behaviors. Always allow me to be sensitive to Your Will, especially if You desire to change my thinking, plans and behavior.
