The aftercare session was very interesting this evening, discussing the RET (Rational Emotive Therapy) Model and relating it back to the previous week’s topic, Acceptance. This reinforced in me why I need to do things differently in recovery.
In addiction, I was always justifying and rationalising the reason for me to have a drink, making excuses and letting people down.
In recovery, I must focus on my feelings and attitudes and stay on top of my headspace, spiritually and mindfully. Not letting my pride and ego take over, making sure that I share how I feel, and setting and sticking to boundaries. I must always respond positively, which means that I must come out of my comfort zones and do things differently.
Changing my thinking will lead to changes in my behaviour:
| Thoughts | I am responsible for my thoughts | This directly impacts how I feel |
| Emotions | If I change my thought choices | I can control my emotional response |
| Actions | If I can control my emotional response | I can react with a more positive and rational behaviour |
Change Process:
Changing my thinking will not be easy, and it is a process that I will need to go through every time I have a thought. Over time, the more that I practice this process, the more control I will have over my emotions and actions.
- Recognising and labelling my feelings
- Being aware of how I show my feelings
- Looking for the cause of my feelings
- Evaluating the effects of my feeling on myself and others
- Identifying coping strategies
- Practising these coping strategies
- Putting the new coping strategies into action
- Evaluating the coping strategies’ effectiveness and changing them if needed.
I must challenge my emotions and the thinking behind them!
