There are various different successful types of behavior modification techniques an individual can use to overcome addiction. Behavior modification is anticipating the thoughts that person is going to have and teaching them how to handle those thoughts in a more constructive and positive fashion. A person needs to understand that they can only control their addiction one minute at a time. Therefore, when they start to slip into the belief that they cannot handle the challenges ahead of them, they must reflect backwards onto the positive changes they have made in their life since their last episode of falling into addiction.
This is the only way that a person can successfully handle addiction because constant validation through behavior modification is a successful method of handling addictive behavior. If a person is capable of believing that they are able to be a success for short-term, they will be more likely to think that it is possible for them to remain a success long-term. Finding trigger points is also extremely important. If an addict understands their personal trigger points, they can then pull themselves away from the behavior before it can become an issue.
Constant changing in thought is extremely important and self-evaluation must be part of an individual’s daily routine. Behavior modification only works if the other person has a positive support system to verify that they are making positive progress. Many addicts fell into addiction because they did not have the proper support system when they sought out the addictive behavior. It is very important that they receive verbal validation for every day that they tried to combat their addiction. Behavior modification is something that a person must want to go through and they must understand that it is possible for them to slip into negative behavior at any time.
Rewarding oneself for staying on the successful path is extremely valuable. It is a good idea for any addict to journal about their desire to return to the negative behavior. This will allow them to process their feelings in a very positive fashion. Many times, addicted individuals do not realize the changes that need to be made in their behavior until they are confirmed with their emotions in a tangible way. Failure to do this is the same as running away from the opportunity to make positive and permanent changes in an individual’s life.
