Then, of course, you tell yourself that if you quit smoking, you might gain weight, which is also bad for your health. Again, an addict’s brain is different from someone who is not addicted to drugs and alcohol. For example, a person who tends to binge drink will justify their behavior by saying it is just a couple drink when in reality it is an excessive amount in a short period of time. Addicted individuals crave drugs and alcohol, which distorts their ability to process information. When making the choice of whether to use or not, they believe in holding onto the ideas and comfort of engaging in things that they know are bad and irrational to a majority of other people. At Granite Mountain Behavioral Healthcare, our team aims to help our clients with addiction and Alcoholics Anonymous mental illness recover.
Cognitive Dissonance and Addiction: Unraveling the Mental Struggle in Substance Abuse
Alcholics may be also angry https://ecosoberhouse.com/ with the world and blame others for their drinking (“I wouldn’t drink if you didn’t do whatever”). This provides them with a “reason” to drink which would diminish cognitive dissonance according to theory. It also helps them to play the victim which diminishes their perception of their responsibility in the behaviour. A smoker displaying the optimistic bias will believe that she can offset one risk against the other. So she could argue that because her cholesterol levels are healthy she is able to take risks in other areas. Such an argument will not stand up to rational inspection but it will help to silence the cognitive dissonance.
COGNITIVE EFFECTS OF ACUTE DRUG ADMINISTRATION
This study highlights important key antecedents of the decision to discontinue SNS use, namely cognitive dissonance, guilt, self-accountability, and perceived self-efficacy, and the mechanisms underlying their influence. It also explains the nonlinear effect of guilt on the decision to discontinue SNS use. When you feel either physical or psychological discomfort, make a note of it to yourself.
- A person who feels defensive or unhappy might consider the role cognitive dissonance might play in these feelings.
- The anonymity and confidentiality of the study were also guaranteed, with no personal identifying information collected.
- Moreover, experimental techniques that prevent neuronal activity and networking inhibit learning.
- Acknowledging and confronting addiction does not mean that a person will be defined by it; there are many pieces to an individual’s identity, and integrating them can be key to recovery.
- Matching interventions to the stage of change at which an individual is, can maximize outcome.
- Recovery is for a lifetime so it helps to have strong connections to a sober community that supports long-term recovery goals.
Relapse prevention
In one study, 5-year-olds whose mothers had used alcohol, cocaine, and/or opiates while pregnant ranked below unexposed controls cognitive dissonance and addiction in language skills, impulse control, and visual attention. There were no significant differences between the two groups of children in intelligence, visual/manual dexterity, or sustained attention; however, both groups placed below the normative means on these measures (Pulsifer et al., 2008). Another study documented memory deficits in 10-year-old children who had been exposed prenatally to alcohol or marijuana (Richardson et al., 2002). Emotionally, individuals with addiction experience guilt, shame, and sadness due to their inability to control their behavior and the consequences it has on their lives. If you or someone you know is facing the psychological struggle of addictive behaviors, it is crucial to seek help and support.
Check in with your feelings
As another example, chronic amphetamine and heroin users show a deficits in a range of cognitive skills, including verbal fluency, pattern recognition, planning, and the ability to shift attention from one frame of reference to another (Ornstein et al., 2000). The decisionmaking deficits resembled those observed in individuals with damage – to the prefrontal cortex, suggesting that both drugs alter function in that brain area (Rogers et al., 1999). Examples of cognitive dissonance in addiction include viewing non-abusers as boring, believing substance abuse is a sign of artistic life, and dismissing warnings about the dangers of substance abuse as propaganda. A recent study conducted by addiction specialists at a treatment facility in 2020 revealed that 75% of participants experienced cognitive dissonance during their recovery. Successfully managing cognitive dissonance significantly increases the chances of maintaining long-term sobriety. This highlights the importance of addressing cognitive dissonance in addiction recovery programs.
What Kind of Addiction Treatment Is Covered by Insurance?
- Co-occurring disorders (addiction and substance disorder coinciding) can be managed with dual diagnosis treatment.
- This can optimize the live channel recommendation algorithm and personalize the platform to individual users.
- For individuals to resolve Cognitive Dissonance, they must be willing to do the work required to shift their beliefs, attitudes and behaviours into alignment with each other.
- Carrie’s focus is on leading the client to a future where they feel confident and have the ability to make the necessary changes in their life.
A therapist trained in CBT techniques can teach you to use willpower and logical thinking to work through distorted justifications and deconstruct all the mechanisms you put in place to validate your drinking or drug habit. Cognitive Dissonance is not always a bad thing, and like any kind of pain or distress, it is communicating something to us. If there is a behavior you’re having trouble changing, the things you’re doing to reduce cognitive dissonance may be getting in your way. A skilled counselor can help people recognize and change self-destructive thoughts and beliefs and change behaviors. For example, a type of cognitive- behavioral therapy called dissonance- based therapy has been evaluated by researchers to be effective, even long term, for young women with eating disorders (Stice, Rhodes, Shaw, & Gau, 2011). The other half, however, given insufficient justification (only $1) for their behavior, experienced dissonance between the knowledge that the task was boring and the reality that they were misleading a fellow participant into believing it was interesting.
