The main point of this book is to outline some of those tools and strategies in a constructive and practical manner to help the reader better help others. The field of substance abuse has been oriented toward the very sick for far too long. How many individuals who developed a new substance use disorder had overcome or successfully treated their initial substance use disorder? Use it to try out great new products and services nationwide without paying full pricewine, food delivery, clothing and more. In any case, theres cause for concern when a behavior or substance creates any level of harm in your life (or meets any criteria for addiction). While almost any behavior can become compulsive or addictive, some are more common. Cross addiction is a concept that implies that if a person has developed a severe substance use disorder (the term for addiction) to one substance, that person is at a higher risk to develop a substance use disorder to some other substance. In fact, individuals who attempt this process of trying to deal with substance use issues effectively can still make progress regardless of the eventual outcome. It is very difficult to make sense of the types of observations that are reported by clinicians who base their concepts on personal experience and then relate these observations to a broader notion. It did not take long for me to curiously wonder about those people who could not make it in treatment due to an inability to accept key 12 Step concepts such as powerlessness or Higher Power. Even when OCD sufferers know their obsessive actions are unnecessary and even harmful, they find it impossible to even consider the idea of stopping them. If we are not continuously working on changing for the better on some level, then life can get pretty mundane and meaningless. People with advanced addictions will continue their addictive behavior, even when they understand that doing so is harmful to themselves and others. In other words, even if someone never stops using substances (abstinence) there still can be a measurable level of progress. And I take a lot more care on the escalators. For example, when considering going on a diet, think about how many times a person may experience little bursts of inspiration until finally one day they stick with the diet and actually start losing weight. However, the Escalator accepts people exactly where they are at and uses the principle some change is better than no change .Therefore if the only thing that someone is willing to do is reduce their use for now, then it is better to start from there than do nothing at all. Sign up for wikiHow's weekly email newsletter. Although it was a very bad accident, it turned out also to be quite a good accident. Taking the Escalator - Addiction Group Therapy Tools that are Super The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user. This icebreaker gives people in the group a chance to make a statement and get some encouragement. As touched upon earlier, the Escalator focuses more on the. Alicia is a Minnesota-based freelancer who writes for Ria Health and various other brands in the health and wellness space. The Truth About Liquid Courage: Finding Confidence Without Alcohol. I dont think about my future, I focus on each day as I live it. In reality, if that were the case, someone else would be hard at work looking for another course of treatment for the one third of people who do not respond to the most widely accepted method. In the meantime, while awaiting the miracle cure, we need to focus on how we can change and make adjustments in our lives in order to break negative patterns related to substance use issues. The term cross addiction is relatively new but is something that has always been seen in clinical practices. The farther down the road we go, the closer we get to our destination and goal. An explanation of overcoming addiction using the method outlined in the Taking the Escalator: An Alternative to the 12 Steps - http://www.takingtheescalator.. The Escalator promotes abstinence as the ideal way to stay out of trouble and then make progress and positive change but at the same time this method acknowledges that people have different paths toward their goals that are not all abstinence based. In other words, many individuals start using drugs and alcohol so early in life that they never had a truly developed a state or level of functioning that they could recover to. So if change is to some degree inevitable, we might as well focus on changing for the better which is what the Escalator is all about. A few hours later, some time around midnight, I realised I would have to rush otherwise Id miss the last tube. How the Escalator Forever Changed Our Sense of Space Of course, the key difference between a compulsive behavior and a habit is the ability to choose to do them or not. Our challenges are designed to help people change their relationship with alcohol by shifting mindsets. I used to be a big drinker, but epilepsy and alcohol dont mix. 1 Such addictions may extend well beyond alcohol and other substances of abuse, including compulsive behaviors such as hair pulling, skin picking, gambling and excessive shopping are also addictions. 10. There are many ways to try to define addiction but they all mean just about the same thing. In summary, abstinence should always be considered for its simplicity and basic effectiveness. toregainaformerandbetterstateorcondition. Let the front wheels rest on lower step and the back wheels rest on a higher step. But when I tried working again after my accident, I couldnt even tell customers the names of the fish. When someone ends up staying inspired long enough to maintain the changes, improvement and progress that they made in the upward change process that is the most desirable outcome. By using our site, you agree to our. Some believe that a drug is a drug is a drug, and that if youre in recovery from anything, you should avoid everything. Typical of the denial stage of addictions, the individuals refuse to admit that their behavior is harmful. However, the Escalator views addiction slightly differently that the traditional disease model. Research looking at what particular factors predict the notion of a substitute addiction or a cross addiction could shed more light on this issue. In the case where someone begins using substances in adolescence and in some cases even in childhood, there is no original former and better state or condition to return to once the drugs are removed. In this example, the person spends weeks working on the house and it is a great struggle. Any attempt that someone makes toward getting better from a substance use issue in which there is a degree of inspiration and at least some change in a positive direction can be considered as a positive and valuable experience. Two key differences between compulsion and addiction are pleasure and awareness. There is something to be gained each time anyone attempts the process of upward change. Awareness: People with obsessive-compulsive disorders are typically aware of their behaviors and are bothered by the knowledge that they have no logical reason for doing them. This blog is a space for sharing ideas, experiences, links to books, articles, and websites in relation to recovery from alcohol & drug addiction. No, Cross-Addiction Isn't Real (And Other Myths - Drug Rehab Options There are many people who are thinking about change and there are others who are being required to change yet neither may be ready to consider that they have an addiction and they may never be ready to accept that label. The reason that formal research methods are employed to develop theories that lay the foundation for practical treatment is to minimize the effect of bias and subjectivity when considering the broader aspects of behavior. People in recovery from substance or alcohol use disorders may end up replacing their primary addiction with something else. The answer starts with a combination of two key concepts: >stimulationorarousalofthemind,feelings,etc,tospecialor unusualactivityorcreativity, >thestateorqualityofbeingsostimulatedoraroused, Inspiration is a combination of motivation and insight, which are at the very core of the Escalator. It is important to note that the Escalator is primarily focused on substance use however, any difficult to stop, compulsive habit can be interchanged with substance use issues. Secondly, the data was self-reported data, which can sometimes be unreliable. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behaviour or unique IDs on this site. The notion of an increase in the vulnerability to develop another form of substance use disorder following recovering from a different substance use disorder seems to have some relevance in terms of common sense reasoning. I had been a manager in the fishmonger departments at Selfridges and Fortnum & Mason, and I used to add all the bills up in my head. Consider another example: If there was a fatal disease that had an available course of treatment that could cure two thirds of those inflicted with the disease, would it be fair to cast off the other third who did not respond to the accepted treatment as hopeless? "The Escalator method provides an array of specific tools and techniques for this challenging engagement process. Biology Prefixes and Suffixes: phago- or phag-, Cleanup vs. Clean Up: How to Choose the Right Word, How Psychology Defines and Explains Deviant Behavior, Operational Definition of Behavior in a School Setting, Behavior and Classroom Management in Special Education, Understanding Hyperthymesia: Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory. Social Psychology Experiments and Studies - Verywell Mind Updated: August 15, 2022. The Internet is huge! Lost - Taking the Escalator therapy activity intro - YouTube Unfortunately, however, for many individuals faced with a situation where they must look at their own substance use issues, striving for the ideal recovery may be out of reach for a variety of reasons. For all of the success that the 12 Steps have had there are still a huge number of individuals who have not responded. There are some caveats to any research study, and this particular study has a number of particular strengths and potential weaknesses. Starting where you are and moving upward. Most compulsive behaviors attributed to OCD are extremely time-consuming, cause major distress, and impair work, relationships, or other important functions. Its not always easy to tell if youve developed a cross dependence, especially when it comes to behavioral addictions. The 2 Most Psychologically Incisive Films of 2022, The Surprising Role of Empathy in Traumatic Bonding. What is most important is that people learn to embrace change with an open mind and also develop the insight needed to make the proper decision about abstinence in their particular case. Compulsive behaviors are actions a person feels driven or compelled to do repeatedly, even if those actions appear to be irrational or pointless. The biggest mistake people most often make is that they often want to be the exception to the rule when it may not be a choice. A much better disease to contrast with addiction is to compare substance abuse instead with the common cold. anyself-restraint,self-denial,orforbearance. The Escalator is designed to help people to look within themselves for inspiration, hope and change while using others for guidance and support. In statistical terms, individuals with a history of successfully addressing their substance use disorder were significantly less likely to develop another substance use disorder compared to individuals who were unable to address their substance use disorder in the time period covered by the study. Lets start by examining the commonly accepted: Disease Model of Addiction: *All words and phrases in this book where definition is provided was taken completely or in part from the online dictionary: www.dictionaryreference.com. >People who have tried 12 Step meetings for a reasonable amount of time with an open mind but have come to the conclusion that they do not feel right now that the meetings are helpful or beneficial enough to keep on trying to attend. (For example, 12 Step groups have come a long way with regard to accepting mental health issues and issues such as medication however there are many people with mental health issues who still feel like they can not fit in due to their coexisting issues). The Escalator Viewpoint on Abstinence: Abstinence of course is the ideal. Taking the Escalator: Express by Kenneth Pecoraro | Goodreads Based on the most recent available research, it appears that the notion that an individual who has completed recovery program for a substance use disorder is at greater risk to develop another substance use disorder is the exception rather than the rule. This maneuver only works if you have another adult with you. I found myself growing in my concern for those individuals who disagreed with or had difficulty grasping the 12 Steps and other similar or related concepts. Im a lot kinder now that Im sober. Renaming the Process Taking another Look at Recovery. You should be receiving an order confirmation from Paypal shortly. The Taking the Escalator Method is focused on enhancing and sustaining these three essential qualities in the diagram (Insight, Internal Motivation and External Motivation/Support) to establish and drive the positive changes needed for inspiration and progress toward treatment and overall lifestyle goals www.takingtheescalator.com f In fact, Id probably be in more trouble now if it hadnt happened. Taking the Escalator is an easy to understand method developing the inspiration to overcome the struggle with managing addictions. The focus will primarily be on Twelve Step recovery. I was in an induced coma for a week, and I remember having these powerful, vivid dreams. Even when some of the most resistant, hard-headed, and argumentative individuals end up getting help for substance use issues, (which is usually against their will which makes matters even more challenging), the goal of those trying to help these individuals is to somehow instill even a small degree of inspiration. But in the hospital they discovered a blood clot on my brain and operated that evening; they also put in a metal plate to stop my skull collapsing. Avoid shame. Gearing treatment toward only the most severe (in this case those who may be considered addicted) neglects the much larger population of those who are in earlier stages across the spectrum or who have only some of the qualities of the disease but not others. wikiHow is a wiki, similar to Wikipedia, which means that many of our articles are co-written by multiple authors. Nevertheless, the Escalator is also not a method that promises help with or promotes controlled use, because as stated earlier, many people will find out that in their case, controlled use may just not be an option for them. The more idealistic hope that people need to accept that they are an addict or alcoholic is in actuality not a requirement for self-improvement. A few hours later, some time around midnight, I realised I would have to rush otherwise I'd miss the last tube. Are you covered for addiction treatment? Other people may hear of some of the expectations involved with traditional recovery models and consider these goals to be unrealistic, unreasonable or out of reach. This new perspective behind the Escalator can be best explained by first expanding upon the way we look at addiction, recovery and sobriety. Give everyone a chance to have a turn Share mason.script.plugins.twitterTweetPlugin.tweet Welcome Elevators have a unique, precise, and tightly constrained mission. If followed wholeheartedly, success in recovery is not far off. For example, suppose a 400 pound obese man had diabetes and was receiving treatment for heart disease. We have all heard the warnings from our sponsors, counselors or friends, that there is no safe way for "the addict" to ever drink alcohol, take prescription stimulants, or use cannabis for the rest of their lives. It is also consistent with many strict disease models of addiction where individuals are unable to make rational choices regarding substance use due to changes that occur in the brain. We are current and former members of theBOOM Rethink the Drinkcommunity where we also blog privately, in an anonymous, supportive forum, open to anyone hoping to stop drinking or just slow down. The process outlined in this book is called the Escalator. According to the Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation, over 210 billion passengers use elevators in the U.S. and Canada each year. Shes at university shes amazingly intelligent. Academia.edu no longer supports Internet Explorer. This amazing method will change the way the world looks at addiction which is long overdue. To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Redefining the Problem A Different Look at Alcoholism, Addiction and Dependency. If you're going down, do the opposite. Try finding an elevator instead. PDF Challenging Thoughts Worksheet - University of Washington Everyone has some kind of story where they were on a path in a direction that was not working for them and they were able to somehow turn it around and get moving in the right direction. Longley, Robert. Thats the most important thing for me now. Our admissions navigators are available to help 24/7 to discuss treatment. Finally, the Escalator is focused on two of the most critical factors for successful growth in the upward change process: Motivation and Insight. Ria Health offers several FDA-approved medications for alcohol use disorder. takingtheescalator.com Addiction and Substance Use Resources, Non 12 Step Motivational Harm Reduction Tools for Substance Use & Mental Health. Researchers in future should use objective measures of substance abuse in similar studies. Nevertheless, regardless of how an attempt in the upward change process ends, if there were periods where both inspiration and progress were present there was a degree of success that is useful and valuable. From day one, Ria Health has offered support for the Sinclair Methoda medication-based approach to moderate drinking or abstinence with a 78 percent success rate. The Psychology of Compulsive Behavior. I only remember little bits and pieces of what happened. Shame is a basic feeling of inferiority. For instance, exercise may have helped calm your anxiety early in recovery. In order to better explain how this new method works, a great place to start is to actually look at some of the key terms often used in the world of substance abuse, addiction and recovery. only remember little bits and pieces of what happened. http://www.panynj.gov/path/rules-regs.html, http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/01/26/safety.mistakes.parenting/, http://www.dllr.state.md.us/labor/safety/escabrochure.shtml, http://pancakesandfrenchfries.com/2009/10/how-to-take-a-stroller-on-an-escalator-a-tongue-in-cheek-guide/. When one is taught the disease model of addiction, one of the most powerful illustrations is the comparison of addiction to a widely accepted disease like cancer. Cross dependence means essentially the same thing. Get in touch with our team today, and learn how we can support you towards a sustainable recovery.