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© 1997 George Cloward
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One of the topics I have tried to understand is some of the characteristics of a chemically dependant addict. Since I have a limited contact with this type of person, I can only give some general impressions that I have developed over several years.
The though comes to mind about these observations that are they the characteristic of the addict after the addiction or before? Since they are observations of the addicted behavior they can be called into disfavor as being the results of the addiction. I can certainly appreciate that observation. Yet each of these characteristics can be observed to some extent in non addicted individuals.
Everything that is done is done to excess. They are very inflexible in taking alternate choices. Those things which they do are very rigid and in most cases taken to the extreme. More is better may be their motto.
I noticed this characteristic in my teaching of adults. There are many person in a classroom who will literally do what they are told. You can test the premise while giving instructions using some NLP techniques and then observing some very interesting results.
I looked for this trait in addicts and saw it. I asked several persons who are involved in helping people through various disciplines if they saw this same characteristic. I got mixed statements. I think this is because they were treating patients without any regard to the feedback they were receiving. One person who was of national reputation working with alcoholics stated in an interview on television that literalness was a characteristic of all of his patients.
I found these individuals I observed slipped in and out of being associated. It depended on how much chemical they had in their system at the time. In many cases they were disassociated acting out something that they did not want to do, but had to do it to survive.
Denial of addiction would then be an disassociated condition. It would be a key indicator of the extent of the addiction. I noticed that those who were in this mode would be the ones most likely to not respond to direct therapy since they would believe that the do not need it. These are the ones that a direct induction to the unconscious mind would be the start to making changes.
I think that intoxication is analogous to a trance induction. The conscious mind is drugged, but the unconscious mind is listening.
It seems to me that their belief systems come from a mixture of associated/disassociated and fantasy/reality. While they can be contradictive about what they believe, you can never take their word for their beliefs since they change as the association/disassociated, fantasy/reality changes.
This is a characteristic that seems to permeate any addict. The support of the habit is the most important thing to them. It supersedes all. Children, parents, spouse, family, strangers any one is a target for the dishonesty.
The women that are addicted need money and use prostitution to get it. This is then a part that needs to be addressed. The addiction is also of sex and then need for it. Men who are addicted get their money from crime or from their prostitute girlfriends or wives. The men then need to have this part of their lives changed.
I think that in much of the dishonesty it comes from what I call the "Looking Glass" principle. See my comments later.
There is no other person who is as important as the addict. The only circumstances where I see this is with those individuals who have a strong bond with their lovers. Their lovers in many cases are supported by the addicts endeavors.
I see this in both men and women. The robbing of dates by prostitutes. The teaming up with their boyfriend to rob. They can be extremely vicious.
An appointment is something that they will have a hard time keeping. If they say "I'll be back in a few minutes," they will be totally oblivious as to the amount of time that they really will take. If you tell them that you will be at there location at a specific time, they will not be ready for you. You will have to wait for them. Only in the case where you may give them money will they be on time.
They do not have a sense of their own worth. There are many women who had early childhood traumas. These have in most cases been sexual in nature. Their being used by men for only one purpose and their having to use their bodies for the same reason that gave them the problems I think of as a double bind.
Their body is of no importance to them. They will treat it in any fashion they choose regardless of the results of their actions. Any pain that is an indication of some body part being traumatized is masked by the addiction. A good example is the loss of teeth. Heroin addicts will have large abscess in the mouth and will lance the obsesses to reduce the swelling. Their inattention to the underlying problem results in teeth loss.
Injecting in the hip can lead to bacteria or other types of infections that can result in gangrene. The masking of the pain by the heroin then cause the death of the addict. Many cases of this have been documented. Go to an intercity emergency room and ask any nurse or doctor.
This is what I call the "Looking Glass' syndrome. A heroin addict will use words that will indicate that their sense of the world is backwards. The way it would appear in a looking glass. An heroin addict will state that they are "Sick' when they are with out drugs and "Well" when they have injected themselves.
If you look at dishonesty as being a trait, then this is also a reversal of the world. What other characteristics are then the results of reversing the world?
This depends on the degree of intoxication with an alcoholic. The more they are intoxicated the more the mood swing. Some become violent, some become very maudlin.
If they are dependent on drugs, they will in many cases be codependant on some other activity or some personal relationship.
A good example is a heroin addict forming a relationship with a lover and then supporting the lover's habit. There are other relationships that are formed that are equally bizarre.
Some of the individuals that I knew could not make good decisions because of poor past experiences. They could not form a connection between what had happened in the past and what would happen in the future.
I see this type of behavior in a classroom environment. Persons are taught two topics that can be related to each other. The person learning the two topics cannot form the relationship that the two topics have in common and then use the topics to form a third learning.
This is one characteristic that I have noticed. If the question is formed to take into account their literalness then they will make a decision that is not in their best interest. In many cases they will be set upon by others who know they cannot say no and then the person is off and running with a binge or other destructive behavior.
This is the same as the story by R. Bandler of the person who was on the operating table and heard the doctor refer to them as a big blimp. After their physical recovery they had a hard time with other behaviors. The intoxication masks the conscious mind. The unconscious mind is still operating.
In a family environment any comments about the individual relating to the stupor is then understood by the unconscious mind directly. This could then lead to great feedback to continue their behavior. If I am as reported by my family/friends/strangers while I am passed out, then when I am sober I must then return to what they think I am. Since I am very literal I will literally act out what you tell me to do.
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If I had the resources I would provide a place for the addict to be safe. This is a physical environment that is nurturing in its support of the addict. I don't think it is useful to have the addict return to or be associated with their family on a continuous basis. I think that the environment that created their addiction still exists in the family and all of the "Anchors" that were there in the past still exist. I became very well acquainted with a woman who's husband was an alcoholic. The one statement I could make was that she had much to do with his problem.
I agree with this premise of AA and NA. It is one of the methods of giving the person a reference to resources that the person needs. If you can take the religion out of it and replace it with a spiritual experience I think you can make a profound impact on the future of the person's life. There should be some linking of this aspect with any NLP technique. I think that a direct induction or metaphor would be a good way to get some movement in this direction.
I have a profound respect for R. Bandler's methods. I have used them in many ways in the last five years that I have been studying them and using them to see how they work. The method that Bernard Frit explained in, "Decision Strategies (II)", "The Addicts Typical Decision Strategy," is the starting place for change. Since I did not attend the seminar nor have I been privy to R. Bandler's thoughts on this subject, I will just make my thoughts known and then let the chips lie where they may.
Getting a new decision strategy is what I would call the first step This would then get them out of the loop of addiction. But what about all of the other characteristics that I listed above. Don't they need work?
What I would do is recreate for the addict the strategy of how to differentiate between reality and fantasy. One day I was reading while having donuts and coffee in a local donut shop. A woman of about 40 years of age passed by my table and made a comment about what I was reading. We chatted for a minute or more and then she went up to the counter to make her purchase. When she came back she continued the conversation. As we talked she little by little became esoteric in her judgments. She wandered off into a fantasy land where several government agencies were trying to take her in.
It was as if for her there was no discerning of how she coded her reality and fantasy. My response to it was how did she do what she did? I wanted to know. Since it was a casual conversation I had no way of finding her and talking with her. So I determined the best way is to find out how I determine what is fantasy and reality.
Reality to me is a sphere about me at a distance of twenty or more feet. It depends on the location on the Cartesian coordinates in x, y & z, three dimensional. On the horizon and all about me is a band of grey fencing and in that wide band about me is the borderline between reality and fantasy. Fantasy is on the other side of the fence.
This fence has panels in it that can be opened and shut. When I want fantasy to become reality I open one of the panels and then move the fantasy on this side of the fence and give it color, motion, three D and sound. It depends on the subject whether it has a frame about it. That which is reality for me is close and dramatic.
When I started asking my associates who are familiar with NLP they started reporting various strategies. Each bore submodality distinctions. Each was different.
It is my thoughts that you must give the addict a way of coding reality and fantasy in such a manner that they will know when they cross that barrier between them.
The literalness of the addict must be approached in some method to teach them when to make the right decision. I think that literalness and the ability to say no are the same manifestation. How can you say no when you literally believe what you are being told is true.
One of the problems that addicts have when they are dried out is that they now find themselves at a disadvantage to the rest of the world. They start looking at all that they have lost and all of the time they have wasted. They then get depressed and the cycle starts again.
I think that "Timeline" therapy, "A la George Cloward" is one possible solution to this. One of the things that you will discover very quickly in all of the population is how few really have any future. That is a perceived, visible and viable future. Goal setters, entrepreneurs, athletes and others who understand about visualization of a goal and the stepping into the picture to experience the having of the goal are people who have coded their future.
In R. Bandler's writings, "Time for a Change," Pg170, he quoted, " Have these people grab hold on to their time-line into the past and go scrrreeech moving their time-line into their vision." This way you can see the mistakes and not make them again. What I do with timeline therapy is get the person aware of their time lines and their physical location.
Since this is different for many individuals you will have to understand that there are nuances of this description. This is a description for a person who codes the future in front of them to the right of center and the past behind them. If you will take care in your sensory acuity and in their language patterns, metaphors etc, you will have all of the information given to you before they are even aware of it.
Once they are aware of the location of their timelines, have them take their right arm and point at the future. Since the past is behind them have them swing their left arm out and to the left. Have them attach the timelines to their hands so they can be moved.
I generally preface this with asking the part of them responsible for the time-lines if I can do this. I also tell the part that if this does not work out for them, to move the timelines back to their original position. I ask though that the part give it two weeks to see if it works.
I then have the person very rapidly move both hands with extended arms to the center before them, hit their hands together and then bounce back to a position that is comfortable where both timelines can be seen.
Once they have done this and I make an ecology check to make sure the timelines have moved. I then let them relax and talk for a few minutes. I then have them think about where their timelines start and then have them push the timelines out a ways until they have some room for today.
I then relax and make an ecology check. If you want to you can setup finger signals before you start and use them to check out everything after you have made the move.
The next step is to go onto the past timeline and select an experience that was of outstanding value. A happy experience with a lot of submodalities attached to it. Marriage, birth, vacations, athletic experience as some that I have been given.
When they have extracted the experience move it into today so you can examine it. Have them double the size of the picture , sounds, feeling etc to make the experience beautiful. I have yet to find someone who did not have a great experience in the past, but if you do, then create one for them and put it in the past for their reference.
I then take them through a discovery of all of the submodalities. One person used their experience of learning to become an airplane pilot. The submodality of color was blue. A person who used marriage used the color of yellow. Get them to recognize all of the submodalities. Brighten the colors, increase the sounds, reinforce the feelings. Bring those submodalities alive.
The next step is to have the person take out the content of the experience and then keep all of the submodalities. Have them increase all of the submodalities as much as possible. Now make two of the submodalities of the experience. Take the second one and have them move it onto the future time line in the tomorrow position. Have them make the other picture in the present fade away .
Have them look at the bright spot in their future. Let them enjoy the bright future they have created for themselves. Ask them to take the picture in the future and make two of them. Then four, then eight, sixteen, thirty-two etc. You may reach a limit with some so stop when they cannot increase the number of these pictures.
Then have them place one of the newly created pictures at one week. Select holidays, birthdays and other events that are know and have them place pictures on these. Then place one out at one year, two years out, and one to five years. Have them then look at their future and see if it is not now a bright and beautiful future.
Return to the past and take all of the great experiences that were in the past and brighten them up. Take all of the great learning examples and brighten them. Take all of the poor experience and make them black and white still pictures.
The next step after an ecology check and some time to relax is to help them create a self that they would like to be. Someone that is easily attainably. Once they have that self created, you may have to help, then have them place that self on the future timeline in the tomorrow position. I sometimes anchor a place in the room where we are and have them stand in theat location and create all of the feelings, etc. that they will experience with the new person one day out. I then anchor those experiences, have the person step out of the circle and then have them place the experiences on the tomorrow position of their time-line.
I then have the person get out of their chair and walk out to that position and then experience the self that they have created. I keep a dialog going to make sure they are experiencing the new self. I watch very carefully for the feedback from their physiology and word patterns.
I have approached the next part with several variations. One, I have given instruction directly to the unconscious mind. I have established an anchor by looking just to the persons left on a line of sight with their cheekbone and with a defocused eyes and my best trance voice anchored this spot for any time I need to talk directly with their unconscious mind. I invariably do this just as a possibility I might need it in the future.
I then use this anchor to give the unconscious mind the task of taking the person to the spot every morning and experiencing the new self. I tell that unconscious mind that I want the new self to have specific new characteristics for each day. When the person has experienced the new self then the unconscious mind is to then add one of the characteristics I think is important to the new self for the next morning.
I also instruct the unconscious mind to create those characteristics it thinks will promote the person to the level that we have previously agree upon. I should think that Reframing here might be an alternative, with a new part being selected for the task of improvement.
I have pretty much abandoned that approach, not because it really worked, but I have used the new behavior generator in its place. After a talk with the person, and depending upon the circumstances, with most I do this in two steps at two different days, I then come back and install a new behavior generator. I create the trash can to get rid of the old behavior and then create an alternate behavior to replace it. A supportive behavior.
I know those who have used the time-line method have many variations for using the time-lines. Robert Dilt's book, "Changing Belief Systems with NLP," is also excellent. The book, "Timeline Therapy," by James & Woodsmall is one that I have not read, but I'm sure has some other thoughts about this process.
I have a lot of faith in time-line changes as I have described. When a person joins my company I want them to be un contaminated by computers or teaching. Both of those experiences create a person who cannot relate to a beginning user. I start by crating a timeline for them that makes their future bright an a place to want to be. I then use the new belief generator and any other NLP tools that I may need to get this person moving in a positive direction. I have been very successful in developing a number of people using this method.
An example is one young man who came to me with no teaching experience and no computer experience. Eighteen months later he resigned and took a job as the head trainer for another computer company. I can cite several other examples. I must confess that I do interview and select the best using NLP techniques to pre qualify them. I'm sure that any person would change using time-line therapy, but I need them to have specific characteristics at the beginning. I have developed a list of the characteristics that I know will give me a successful candidate.
In the treatment of an addict I think that you will need to know what the personal characteristics should be to get the addict back on track and making a productive life for them appear and be realized. That's why I think that time-line therapy can be beneficial. It can be used to create the characteristics by placing them on the future timeline and then have the person associate with them and then return to the present.
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I cannot emphasize the acquiring of sensory acuity. If you do not have this you will never be able to make the necessary changes. You need to be consciously aware of the feedback you are getting from the client. Once you are consciously aware and practice enough you will move it to an unconscious awareness. You will automatically be using it without knowing about it. Review R. Bandler's book, "Time for a Change," page 150. Actually all of chapter VIII is useful.
A sense of values has to be created for the person to start functioning again in a "normal' way. While there are many good places to get values, those contained in the New Testament part of the Bible are of exceptional worth. The ten commandments is also a good place to start. Being honest, having respect for other persons person and their property. How do you install that?
Why not specific trance inductions giving that person a new place on their past timeline that contains those values. Or go to the past timeline and find them and bring them out and brighten them up. I'm just letting my mind run at this point with ideas that keep occurring to me.
My current project is with a 40 year old woman who's husband is in jail. She has an interesting background with her addiction to Heroin starting at about 15 years of age. She has been on a methadone maintenance regime for about six months. It is being paid for by Medical (State of California Medical Plan.) She is on Aid for Dependant Children for her 13 year old son and on Social Security Disability because of her addiction. Her brother in-law and 21 year old son live with her. Her monthly income and support from the others just covers basic necessities.
I met her through a mutual friend that I had helped in reducing their dependancy. When I met Margie I was impressed that here was a person who was in the process of wanting to make changes in their life, but did not know how to do it. She has a good sense of values and exhibited some of the characteristic that I listed. The one characteristic that she does posses is honesty. I think that there may be some question to that ,but for the most part I feel that she is honest. I could not really detect any incongruency when I talked with her, but I felt that I should just be cautious.
I have done little with her in NLP techniques. I have just been gaining her trust and developing a rapport with her. Well I guess I did do one thing with her. I anchored the door of the methadone clinic to the thoughts of reducing her dosage. About a month after I did that I heard her for the first time talk about reducing her dosage and possibly getting off of the drugs all together.
I anchored the entrance door color, green to reducing her dosage by 1 MG every time she saw the green door of the clinic. I used some metaphors of opening a door to your future, getting into the swing of it, turning the knob to new pleasures etc. I was going after the literal part of her. Entrance is also a word that just occurred to me at this writing. Think about the word. I'm going to use that in my next discussion with her.
In a recent conversation with her she recounted the problems she was having with her 13 year old son. I have never seen him and after her description I took her through some discussion about what her son was doing. I guessed him to be very kinesthetic. The next time I saw her she confirmed what I told her to look for. She also tried out a few of my thoughts on decontaminating your home. Michael Grinder talks about decontaminating a classroom in his book, "Righting the Educational Conveyor Belt." I thought why not do the same thing with discipline in the home.
People give their children an aversion to food by anchoring the dinner table to discipline. They discipline everywhere in the home. The home soon becomes a place to be avoided. Anchors are strong methods of getting change. Make sure the change is supportive.
Why not select a place where discipline is administered and then use that place the next time that you decide to correct some infraction. If you also anchor a specific tone of voice, body posture etc, you can get discipline reduced down to a movement towards the discipline area.
This is why I think that an addict needs to be taken out of the home or environment that has such strong anchors for them. If they cannot be removed from the environment, they need to be given a part that knows when an anchor is creating a problem and them make them aware of what's going on.
One of the great things about being an author of any subject is that once published you no longer own the rights to your opinion. You are at the critics mercy. I have published enough stuff in my time to know that with the publication of my thoughts that this treatise will be taken apart by others. Excellent, I will gain some very valuable insight from those comments. I'm just expressing some observations.
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