The Mindfulness Workbook for Addiction

by Williams, Rebecca E., Ph.D.; Kraft, Julie S.

• ISBN13: 9781608823406
• ISBN10: 1608823407
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2012-08-01
• Publisher: New Harbinger Pubns Inc
• More Book Details
• Purchase Benefits

Summary

Most addictive behavior is rooted in some type of loss, be it the death of a loved one, coming to terms with limitations set by chronic health problems, or the end of a relationship. By turning to drugs and alcohol, people who have suffered a loss can numb their grief. In the process, they postpone their healing and can drive themselves further into addiction. The Mindfulness Workbook for Addictionoffers readers an effective program for working through their addiction and grief with cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). Created by two psychologists who work for Veterans' Affairs, this mindfulness training workbook is effective for treating the emotion dysregulation, stress, depression, and grief that lie at the heart of addiction. No matter the loss, the mindfulness skills in this workbook help readers process their grief, determine the function their addiction is serving, and replace the addiction with healthy coping behaviors.

Author Biography

Rebecca E. Williams, PhD, is a psychologist specializing in recovery from mental illness and addictions. She is a program director at the Veterans Affairs Healthcare System, an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego, and is coauthor of Couple Therapy for Alcoholism. Julie S. Kraft, MA, received her master's degree in marriage and family therapy from the University of San Diego, and currently treats clients struggling with both addiction and mental health concerns at Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital in San Diego, CA.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	p. xi
Introduction	p. 1
Getting Started	p. 2
Who Can This Book Help?	p. 2
How to Use This Workbook	p. 3
Getting to Know the Main Concepts and Skills
Emotions	p. 7
The "No Feeling" Contract	p. 8
Loss and Emotion	p. 8
Unraveling Your False Beliefs about Emotions	p. 11
Emotion Dodging	p. 15
Getting to Know Your Feelings	p. 19
Thoughts	p. 27
How Thoughts Connect to Emotions	p. 27
Repeat-Offender Thoughts	p. 29
Why Is Your Thinking Misleading?	p. 36
Considering the Evidence	p. 37
Distracting Thoughts	p. 41
Behaviors	p. 47
A Ghost Fleeing Bullets	p. 47
Self-Fulfilling Prophecy	p. 48
Choosing the Opposite	p. 51
Values	p. 58
Learning More about Choosing the Opposite	p. 64
Mindfulness	p. 69
Observing Your Mind without Judgment	p. 70
Imaginary Lions	p. 71
Practicing Mindfulness	p. 72
How to Breathe	p. 75
Radical Acceptance	p. 76
The Serenity Prayer	p. 78
Fight, Flight, or FLOAT	p. 79
Looking at Your Losses
Loss	p. 85
What Is Loss?	p. 86
Why Look at Old Losses?	p. 86
Taking a Look at Your Losses	p. 88
Exploring the Impact of Your Losses	p. 93
Connecting Your Losses	p. 98
Addiction	p. 103
What Is an Addiction?	p. 104
Uncovering the Time Line of Your Addictive Behavior	p. 115
Switching to Another Addiction	p. 119
Journey to Wellness	p. 119
Connecting Addiction and Loss	p. 123
The Loss-Addiction Cycle	p. 124
The Addiction and Loss Time Line	p. 126
Loss Anniversaries	p. 129
Moving Forward
Mindful Grieving	p. 141
Coping after a Loss	p. 143
Nothing Works?	p. 145
Radical Acceptance Revisited	p. 148
Personal Resiliency	p. 150
Grieving the Loss	p. 151
Resiliency in Action	p. 153
Relationships	p. 155
Basic Communication Skills	p. 157
Identifying Unhealthy Relationships	p. 164
Healing Broken Relationships	p. 168
Building a Healthy Social Support System	p. 178
Managing Social Discomfort	p. 180
Recovery, Relapse Prevention, and Beyond	p. 185
Nutrition	p. 186
Sleep	p. 189
Fitness	p. 192
Work	p. 195
Fun	p. 198
Resources for Your Journey	p. 205
References	p. 213
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