Cognitive Dissonance and Addiction Behaviors Elevate Addiction Services

cognitive dissonance and addiction

A better understanding of how substances of abuse change cognitive processes is needed to develop new therapeutic agents to treat addiction and ameliorate cognitive deficits. This is a complex issue, however, as different drugs of abuse appear to alter different cognitive processes and cell signaling pathways. Even among users of the same drug, cognitive impacts will differ depending on variations in environmental factors and genetics. Understanding the influence of an individual’s genetic background on the manifestation of symptoms is a critical area for future research, holding the promise of informing more effective treatments that can be tailored to the individual’s genotype. Finally, understanding how prenatal exposure to drugs of abuse changes neural development should be a high priority, as prenatal exposure increases the new generation’s susceptibility to addiction and other problems. The relapse prevention programme combines a variety of cognitive behavioural strategies33.

cognitive dissonance and addiction

What are Cognitive Distortions?

Set healthy boundaries from the beginning and reinstate them if someone crosses a line. By being assertive about your values, you can minimize continued conflict from the start but also empower yourself to hold that space for your needs. “You’re more likely to feel guilty if you’re doing something that goes against your values,” notes Dr. Prewitt. Understanding our mechanisms with which we reduce dissonance and recognizing when it occurs are key to making informed and https://ecosoberhouse.com/article/what-spiritual-malady-means/ constructive decisions. Self-awareness and mindfulness practice empower us to notice inconsistencies in our thinking and find the space between dissonance triggers and our reaction so we can choose a response we are truly happy with. These 17 Positive CBT & Cognitive Therapy Exercises [PDF] include our top-rated, ready-made templates for helping others develop more helpful thoughts and behaviors in response to challenges, while broadening the scope of traditional CBT.

How to Fuel Positive Change by Leveraging Episodic Memory

Negative emotional states, such as anxiety, depression, anger, boredom are often dealt with by using substances, interpersonal conflicts that the person cannot cope with effectively or resolve and the social -pressure to use a substance31. Others high cognitive dissonance and addiction risk situations include physical states such as hunger, thirst, fatigue, testing personal control, responsivity to substance cues (craving). The RP model highlights the significance of covert antecedents such as lifestyle patterns craving in relapse.

2. Research Model

For example, a person who receives a positive review at work might reject the idea that they are a competent employee and attribute the positive review to political correctness, or to their boss simply not wanting to talk about their employee’s performance problems. The mental filter can foster a decidedly pessimistic view of everything around you by focusing only on the negative. Also known as “Black-and-White Thinking,” this distortion manifests as an inability or unwillingness to see shades of gray.

  • Another ‘fallacy’ distortion involves expecting others to change if we pressure or encourage them enough.
  • Or, as we often see in cases like this, you might double down and convince yourself that the official is still really wonderful—and just made one mistake.
  • Drugs alter normal brain structure and function in these regions, producing cognitive shifts that promote continued drug use through maladaptive learning and hinder the acquisition of adaptive behaviors that support abstinence.

A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance – Leon Festinger

cognitive dissonance and addiction

Dan brings a unique and modern perspective to substance abuse and the problems faced by addicts, families, and society. Dylan’s skills are high stress tolerance, Critical thinking, good coach, great work ethic, good communication skills, great at problem solving, great time management. Thomas has worked at EAS for over 8 years and has held every clinical role in the company.

cognitive dissonance and addiction

  • These distortions in our thinking are often subtle, and it is challenging to recognize them when they are a regular feature of our day-to-day thoughts.
  • Perhaps one of the most basic features of the human psychological condition pertains to a strong tendency to reduce cognitive dissonance (see Festinger & Carlsmith, 1959).
  • While several factors affecting discontinuous usage intentions have been explored in previous research, the specific factors and mechanisms impacting discontinuous usage intentions among users of pan-entertainment mobile live broadcast platforms remain undefined.
  • Such cognitions can be about behaviors, perceptions, attitudes, emotions, and beliefs.
  • A total of 15 questionnaires were excluded, and finally, 391 valid questionnaires were collected, with the effective rate of 92%.

These two psychologists literally wrote the book(s) on depression, cognitive distortions, and the treatment of these problems. Imagine a song played with the wrong notes – that’s how it feels when our thoughts and behaviors don’t align. This is what cognitive dissonance is, but it’s not a dead end; it’s an invitation to grow. We will navigate its complexities, uncover its underlying theory, identify its signs, and delve into the emotional experiences it brings about.

  • The four key elements of PST are problem identification, generating alternatives, decision making, implementing solutions, reviewing outcomes and revising steps where needed.
  • Since participants in the $20 condition had a more substantial justification (higher pay) already, they were further assumed to perceive less dissonance than those in the $1 condition.
  • However, there are some occasions when you may want to second guess what your brain is telling you.
  • This “Jumping to Conclusions” distortion manifests as the inaccurate belief that we know what another person is thinking.
  • While data collection is a necessary aspect of AI-driven systems, it is equally important to implement technical measures to prevent unauthorized disclosure of personal information, thereby preserving the privacy of users.
  • Clinical and laboratory research has implicated pre-natal exposure to methamphetamine in both cognitive deficits and altered brain structure.
  • These findings expand upon previous research on discontinuous usage intentions among social media users and offer insights into the underlying psychological mechanisms among users of pan-entertainment mobile live broadcast platforms.
  • Cognitive dissonance is the discomfort you feel when you have two contradictory beliefs or values.
  • In an intriguing experiment, Festinger and Carlsmith (1959) asked participants to perform a series of dull tasks (such as turning pegs in a peg board for an hour).
  • Tim is an experienced and talented administrator and director of mental health and addiction treatment facilities.
  • Each of these drugs has been shown to acutely enhance learning and/or attention (Del et al., 2007; Kenney and Gould, 2008; Mattay, 1996).

Cognitive Dissonance in Social Psychology

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