On his YouTube channel, comedian Theo Von recently interviewed former president Donald Trump. During one segment of the dialogue, the following discussion took place when comparing alcohol to cocaine:
Trump: Is cocaine a stronger up?
Von: Yeah, yeah.
Trump: So you’re way up with cocaine more than anything else you can think of?
Von: Cocaine will turn you into a damn owl, homie. You know what I’m sayin’? It’ll… you’ll be out on your own porch, you know? [widening eyes and elevating shoulders, as to simulate the appearance of an owl] You’ll be your own street lamp. You’re freakin’…
Trump: And is that a good feeling?
Von: No, horrible.
Trump: It’s a miserable feeling.
Von: But you do it anyway.
As a matter of self-disclosure, I enjoy Von’s comedy. Regarding the interview, I appreciate how the comedian was able to describe his experience with substance use/abuse that wasn’t entirely pleasurable – and to do so in an arguably humorous way.
In particular, Von stated about addiction, “They say that it’s cunning, baffling, and powerful.” Whether it relates to gambling, porn, alcohol, eating, or cocaine – that will apparently turn you into a dawn owl with a watchful eye and focused concern – addiction is worth briefly discussing herein.
Merriam-Webster defines addiction as a “compulsive, chronic, physiological or psychological need for a habit-forming substance, behavior, or activity having harmful physical, psychological, or social effects and typically causing well-defined symptoms (such as anxiety, irritability, tremors, or nausea) upon withdrawal or abstinence.”
The American Society of Addiction Medicine adds, “Addiction is a treatable, chronic medical disease involving complex interactions among brain circuits, genetics, the environment, and an individual’s life experiences. People with addiction use substances or engage in behaviors that become compulsive and often continue despite harmful consequences.”
In my psychotherapy practice, I don’t specialize in treatment or management of addictions. This is because the psychotherapeutic modality I utilize is a transdiagnostic approach to behavioral health care. Thus, I address issues with which clients present and without pathologizing people.
The model I use to treat addictive behaviors is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). Developed in 1955 by the late psychologist Albert Ellis, Ph.D., REBT serves as a self-help modality requiring personal responsibility and accountability (collectively “ownership”) for effective use.
Specifically, REBT theory uses the ABC model to illustrate how when Activating events (“Actions”) occur and people maintain irrational Beliefs about the events, these unhelpful assumptions – and not the actual occurrences – are what create unpleasant cognitive, emotive, bodily sensation, and behavioral Consequences.
In particular, there are four predominate irrational beliefs which people use: demandingness, awfulizing, low frustration tolerance, and global evaluations. Addressing these, the ABC model incorporates Disputation of unhelpful assumptions in order to explore Effective new beliefs.
Furthermore, this helpful psychotherapeutic modality uses the technique of unconditional acceptance to relieve suffering. This is accomplished through use of unconditional self-acceptance, unconditional other-acceptance, and unconditional life-acceptance.
Additionally, foundational components incorporated into REBT relate to Stoicism—a philosophical practice valuing four virtues (wisdom, courage, temperance or moderation, and justice) as a means of achieving eudemonia—a life well-lived, as well as humanism—the process of healing oneself.
As well, REBT is influenced by existentialist principles—essentially positing that each of us will inevitably die and that we can search for purpose and meaning as a method of living a well-lived existence. Still, the REBT model isn’t solely one of philosophical founding.
REBT also uses a scientific approach to helping people stop disturbing themselves. This is especially helpful when testing hypotheses through use of negotiated homework exercises. Importantly, all of the REBT techniques require frequent (and I mean daily) practice.
In regard to addiction, Michael Broder, Ph.D. stated in Clinical Applications of Rational-Emotive Therapy, “Addicts generally have two things in common: (1) They strongly believe they cannot happily survive without that to which they are addicted. (2) They realize that whatever they crave is bad for them.”
This speaks to Von’s admission during his interview with Trump. As well, Broder highlights the unproductive beliefs which cause disturbance of behavior with addiction.
Although cocaine may turn you into a damn owl, described by Von as a “horrible” experience, people addicted to the substance may irrationally believe that they must use or abuse the substance at any rate. For a moment, imagine this belief-consequence (B-C) connection.
“I know I’m gonna overspend in an attempt to escape reality,” someone who is about to use or abuse cocaine may think, but, “I can’t stand living without cocaine even though I realize that it’s bad for me.” Does this sound like a narrative indicative of pleasure-seeking?
Some people who report various addictions describe their use/abuse as behavior related to relieving pressured beliefs inside their minds or the craving sensations within their bodies. Rather than joy or pleasure, they seek to alleviate discomfort, anxiousness, or other unpleasant experiences. Regarding this matter, Ellis stated:
Many therapies, such as behavior therapy, try to relieve people’s neurotic symptoms—their phobias, obsessions, compulsions, and addictions. Some therapies, such as existential analysis and psychoanalysis, try to go “deeper” and help clients change their philosophy, and thus prevent them from creating new symptoms in the future.
REBT goes still further and aims for a profound new philosophy as well as for relieving symptoms. It also helps people become unanxious and undepressed about their neurotic problems.
Installation of a new philosophy to life is a matter of moving from something like, “I must be turned into a damn owl, even if cocaine use isn’t good for me,” to a more rational narrative such as, “Although I can lie to myself about the ability of cocaine to relieve my discomfort, the substance actually causes more problems for me than it’s worth.”
Relief of symptoms thus follows one’s B-C connection. This is where personal ownership is vital. Programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) focus on this element in order for successful outcomes. Regarding the topic of personal ownership used in this manner, Ellis stated:
If you are a substance abuser hell-bent on obtaining alcohol, you are more than willing to go through lots of trouble to get what you want. Later, when you bring on too much trouble, you see how crazy you were to stubbornly persist at getting momentary good feelings and relief.
Then you invent the “fact” that forces outside your control were “responsible” for your self-defeating behavior. Your Belief that when you compulsively drink you easily get “out of control” is prevalent in our culture. This mistaken Belief, as writers like Stanton Peele have argued, may actually cause you to give away your power and behave irresponsibly.
How so? Because it tells you that you aren’t responsible for what you do. Not only do codependency books and Recovery preachers on TV help you think you are out of control and powerless. Even some researchers devoutly believe in “powerlessness.”
Adapting a healthier philosophy for rational living isn’t particularly difficult. However, taking personal responsibility and accountability for one’s own symptoms, beliefs, and behavior is difficult. Nevertheless, something that is hard isn’t necessarily impossible.
Suppose an AA approach to addiction requires active participation, taking personal ownership of your circumstances, and acknowledging that you aren’t in control of your cravings, behavior, or addiction. Are you prepared to submit your powerlessness to a higher authority?
Are you ready to regularly attend meetings and perhaps take on a sponsor with whom you frequently meet in order to address your self-disturbed behavior? If so, wonderful! Even with that approach, personal ownership is a shared element with REBT.
Now suppose that you aren’t interested in AA. Maybe you’re considering whether or not REBT, which is a form of cognitive behavior therapy, can help you to stop turning into a damn owl. You may want to be prepared to do difficult things. For instance, consider what Ellis once stated:
You, again, have a number of nutty philosophies. Some of them are as follows, some of the major ones. “It’s not only hard to stop this addiction, but it’s too hard!” And again, “It’s not only hard, but it shouldn’t be hard and it certainly shouldn’t be that hard,” as it indubitably is.
And another one, “I deserve to have it easier. I deserve to give up smoking without any effort whatsoever, so magic should occur,” that will happen. “I should be able to get away with this. Other people, of course, again, are gonna die in the gutter if they drink, but not I!”
Ellis described the requirement for difficulty in attaining one’s interests and goals in regard to overcoming addiction. As well, he provided examples of common self-disturbing philosophies which serve as barriers to success in accomplishing goals.
Alteration of unhelpful philosophies, taking personal ownership of one’s reaction to uncomfortable psychological pressure and unpleasant physiological sensations, and pushing through the difficulty of frequent REBT practice is an alternative to something like an AA approach.
Now suppose that it’s accurate to assume that cocaine will turn you into a damn owl, homie, and that you’ll be out on your own porch staring at passersby. Von described this experience as “horrible.” Is this the standard of living you desire?
Whether or not you opt for an AA-style approach, REBT, or some other challenging method of helping you to address your disturbing experience is up to you. However, I invite you to consider that an “easy” path to success with overcoming addiction may not be pragmatic.
For those prospective clients who contact me and request an effortless approach to wellness – whether regarding addictions or not – they generally wind up disappointed by their unfavorable beliefs about my advocacy for hard, promotion of difficult, and practice regarding challenge.
Therefore, if you’ve come across this blogpost and would like assistance with your maladaptive behavior related to video game, work, substance, shopping, or other forms of addiction, I encourage you to prepare to do difficult things. After all, “easy” will turn you into a damn owl, homie!
If you’re looking for a provider who works to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply helping you to feel better, I want to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
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