Can PCM help identify stress points for addiction?
Yes! A basic definition of addiction is “a pathological relationship with mood-altering experiences that has life-damaging consequences”. Let’s break it down.
Pathological relationship. We continue to do it even though it’s hurting us and those around us. Sounds like chronic second-degree distress. We can’t see the forest for the trees, seek to feel justified in our behavior, and get out of touch with reality.
Mood-altering experience. Getting psychological needs met is a mood-altering experience. If we don’t get them met positively, we’ll attempt to get them met negatively. Drugs can easily provide temporary “recognition of work”, “recognition of person”, or any other need, depending on the drug and how it is used.
Life-damaging consequences. The side-effects of going through life in second degree distress using drugs or other experiences to negatively meet psychological needs.
Psychological Needs, Phase Issues, Drivers, Scripts, and Myths are some of the tools we use to help persons identify triggers, cope with stress in positive ways, and make changes to their habits of addiction.
If you are a behavioral health practitioner, the Process Therapy Model (PTM) is a terrific way for you to learn and apply PCM in your clinical practice. A three-day seminar will equip you to get “Key to Stress” profiles on your clients and give you a wealth of information for patient education, goal-setting, and treatment planning. Nate Regier, Ph.D., and Jeff King, LSCSW are licensed clinicians and are certified trainers in the PTM.
