Todays Post: The Cycle of Awareness, Addiction and Gestalt.

The Cycle of Awareness
In Gestalt we use a cycle of awareness or cycle of experience as displayed in the diagram below.

 

This cycle is a similar cycle as what an addict will go through.

1 Sensation: The addict feels an uncomfortable feeling/sensation in their being.

2 Awareness: They become aware of this uncomfortability and know they need to do something to make it subside.

3 Mobilisation of Energy: They get into action, to go and get the substance they use to make the uncomfortable feelings go away.

4 Action: This is the actual administering of the substance.

5 Contact: This is where they are intoxicated with the drug and the feelings they were avoiding have now been silenced.

6: Withdrawal: This is the relaxing and enjoyment of the effects of the drug as they are slowly wearing off.

This model is the same cycle that all people go through over and over again in everyday life, but the problem with addiction is that the cycle seems to go much faster and there is less withdrawal time. It follows on in the cycle back to step one which is the sensation which creates the desire for the drug all over again. In working with addicts in Gestalt one of the main goals is to support the client to own and integrate his or her drug using behaviour and its function in his or her life. Without looking at and understanding what function the drug taking played in their life, there is no way of knowing what to work on with the client.

When an addict is using, the drug is as much needed for them as anything, it helps them to survive when they do not have the necessary life coping skills that they need.  It helps them to shut down their pain when they do not have the internal or external support to deal with it in another way.