Word: marlatt
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...call it the "f___ it" effect, the idea that once you cheat, you've blown it, so you might as well binge. In traditional 12-step programs for addiction, that line of thinking is encapsulated in the slogan "A drink equals a drunk." But understanding and overcoming AVE, says Marlatt, is crucial to conquering a problem behavior or dependency in the long term. You have to know what to do when you fall off the wagon to learn how to stay on it. (See the top 10 food trends...
While studying cigarette smokers who were trying to quit in the 1970s, Marlatt discovered that people who considered the act of smoking a single cigarette after their quit date to be a complete defeat and evidence of an innate and permanent lack of willpower were much more likely to let a momentary lapse become a full-blown relapse. That was the start of Marlatt's work on AVE. Since then, he has become one of the world's leading authorities on preventing relapse. (See photos of vintage cigarette...
...change problem behaviors - whether it's overeating, overspending or smoking cigarettes - will slip at least once. Whether that slip provokes a return to full-blown addiction depends in large part on how the person regards the misstep. "People with a strong abstinence-violation effect relapse much more quickly," says Marlatt. A single slip solidifies their sense that they are a failure and cannot quit, creating a self-fulfilling prophecy...
...what should you do instead? For starters, don't berate yourself for being weak. Instead, tell yourself, "I made a mistake. What can I do differently next time? How can I learn from this?" says Marlatt. "This happens to almost everybody. It's not just...
...most common mistakes addicts make is focusing on whether they are strong enough to change rather than on specific methods of coping. "It's like trying to ride a bike," says Marlatt. "You make mistakes and learn, and you don't give up if you don't immediately find your balance." If the bicycle is missing a wheel or is otherwise broken, then it requires fixing - simply willing it to work is not going to help you ride...