Week 7 Addictive Behavior

Instructions for Week 7: In Week 7 you will write a 3-5 page paper conceptualizing your "abstinence" experience, specifically addressing: How has it brought a higher level of awareness to you regarding addiction and relapse? In what ways, if any do you think you felt like or had experiences like or behaved like an addict? How did you like having to alter many of your daily activities to accommodate your addition? What was the hardest part of this exercise?

*** NOTE: I attached my journal entries during this time, I chose to try and not drink the Bolthouse Mocha Cappuccinos drinks (because I can’t do coffee since my anxiety is super fragile to it and I get chest pains) I did in one entry end up “relapsing” and drinking some because I forgot

But basically incorporate the Bolthouse drink into the paper and tie it together with what I also wrote about in the journals while giving examples of actual substance abuse from articles!

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Journal Entry (Week 5)

As time has gone by, I have been more occupied with working and other things such as hobbies. I have found it to be easier to not cave in and buy one of the drinks since I have gotten used to the routine. I almost entirely forgot about it all together until I seen someone have one of the other flavoured drinks. It makes me wonder if this is how others feel if they see someone abusing a substance they don’t use and how it affects them (or if it only affects them seeing someone with the same drug they usually use). It gave me another perspective.

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Journal Entry (Week 6)

I’ve made it towards the end of trying to not cave in and buy any of the Bolthouse drinks. I will admit in the beginning it was quite tough. I noticed I have been dealing with other things in life which has occupied my mind and thoughts also my cravings have been all over the place which I feel is a substitute for the drinks. It helped me but of course when comparing this to people who are addicted to substances it is still different. The point is I have learned it is not as easy as people think it to be and relapses do happen but it does not make you a worse person or discard your previous progress.

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Journal Entry (Week 4)

So far, my resistance for wanting to drink the Bolthouse has gotten better. I find it to be extremely tempting at times though because I genuinely enjoy it. This makes me think about substance abuse and how it’s easier said than done to quit something you are so prone to and something that is basically a routine to you. The drink even though it doesn’t have drugs in it has a flattering taste and is enjoyable for me which makes me think how easy it is for people to relapse unintentionally and go back to abusing substances. It really has put it in a better perspective for me that quitting something you enjoy or being forced to quit takes a lot of resilience.

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Journal Entry (Week 2)

For this journal entry I will focus on not having caffeine. Funny enough as I have gotten older, I have gotten sensitivity for caffeine because my anxiety is terrible, so I get chest pains. But I drink the Bolthouse Mocha Cappuccino as a substitute for the strong caffeine from Starbucks or Dunkin’s for example. I used to do decaf but that makes me drowsy and sluggish, and half decaf and half calf doesn’t always work because every worker makes my coffee different (too much decaf or too much caffeine so I’m affected either way) and coffee at home doesn’t hit the same. I plan to not be tempted and buy the Bolthouse because it is so good, but it doesn’t give me the terrible side effects that caffeine typically would, but I am insanely addicted to it nonetheless. I will continue to update my journal entry and we shall see if I relapse because I really do love these and they’re the closest thing I drink that is coffee related.

Instructions for Week 7: In Week 7 you will write a 3-5 page paper conceptualizing your "abstinence" experience, specifically addressing: How has it brought a higher level of awareness to you regarding addiction and relapse? In what ways, if any do you think you felt like or had experiences like or behaved like an addict? How did you like having to alter many of your daily activities to accommodate your addition? What was the hardest part of this exercise?

*** NOTE: I attached my journal entries during this time, I chose to try and not drink the Bolthouse Mocha Cappuccinos drinks (because I can’t do coffee since my anxiety is super fragile to it and I get chest pains) I did in one entry end up “relapsing” and drinking some because I forgot

But basically incorporate the Bolthouse drink into the paper and tie it together with what I also wrote about in the journals while giving examples of actual substance abuse from articles!