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Cognitive Dissonance: Or Why Heroin Addicts & Vegetarians Make Strange Bedfellows
Posted by melindaville • 7/23/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: cognitive dissonance, heroin addiction, interesting stuff about me, vegetarianism
Cognitive dissonance occurs when a person adheres to two contradictory ideas simultaneously. The contradictory ideas may center on a person’s attitudes and beliefs, as well as on one’s behavior. The basis for the theory is that we all have a motivational drive to make sense of our attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors—even when they are in direct opposition with one another.
As you will see if you read my post (and I hope you do!), when I was a heroin addict, I was also a vegetarian--because Goddess knows, I would never put that poison into my body (meat, that is).
I somehow was able to rationalize this behavior. Have you ever had two beliefs (or engaged in two behaviors) that were in total opposition with each other?
What's your story of cognitive dissonance?
blog.melindaville.com/2009/07/21/why-heroin-addicts-and-vegetarians-make-st...
User Comments
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I was a feminist (card-carrying member of NOW) married to an abusive husband...does that count?-
OH! My goodness, most definitely. Wow--that's cognitive dissonance at its finest (or worst, I should say).
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I lived a cognitive dissonant life pre-therapy. I've gained a great deal of clarity since those days!
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I think we are soul sisters, SV. I honestly do. In many ways, the two of us have led somewhat parallel lives.
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Yah, I've been getting a sense of that lately, too!
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Cognitive dissonance: the example that comes to mind for me is that I want to get a job working with people but I dislike doing the networking that would get me that job.-
Yep--that would definitely qualify--although in your defense, we all do that to a certain extent. I mean--we all put up with BS that we normally wouldn't because we have to for our jobs.
How's your graduate school stuff coming? -
I've been studying and took a practice GRE this morning. Verbal did ok. I just need to learn more vocab. Math did terribly! I have to do a lot of studying to get my algebra and geometry up to speed.
I talked to admissions counselor and she advised me to add more design to my portfolio. So I designed a schematic floor plan yesterday for a 3 bedroom, low income, sustainable home that is wheelchair accessible. I have a lot of work to do on it, but I've got the basic floor plan and that is a good start. -
When I was applying for grad school, I got the Princeton Review test prep for the GRE. It's actually a really good program--it teaches you how to take the test. Like, it shows you tricks to make the best guess if you don't know the anwer. It was really helpful with the math too. The other thing I recommend is having a new word sent to you each day (I did this and I totally aced the verbal section of the GRE). You can get the GRE 'word of the day' by going here:
www.greword.com/
I still have the old software if you want me to send it to you. I will! -
Thanks for the offer, but I have the Kaplan software and the Barron's software on its way. I also ordered the Barron's flashcards.
Thanks for the link. I signed up for the word of the day. -
Sounds like you are in good shape, Still. Let me know if I can do anything to help. I'm so glad you are doing this! I'm happy for you. Going to graduate school will probably change your life.
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I hope so.
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I'm full of contradictions:
I adore animals. I could practically join PETA and yet I'm a fan of greyhound racing.
I love philosophy and I think all philosophy is total crap.
Intellectually, I'm an atheist but most of the people I admire have deep spiritual convictions.
I'm a writer who doesn't believe in words.-
Those are great, NP! I think we are all a little quirky in some ways. And all of you are making me feel like I'm not so quite alone in my quirkiness!
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I'm passionate about the environment, yet at the same time, I suffer from terrible hay fever and mosquitoes seem to eat me alive. In other words, I love nature, even though it doesn't love me.
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That's not quite your fault though! Although, I find it a little odd that you drink diet soft drink--that seems a little bit out of sorts with other parts of your personality (that I know of!).
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I should hasten to point out diet soda is a summertime thing - in winter, I'd be drinking more rooibos tea.
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That sounds much more healthful.
I actually never drink diet soda--I do drink a lot of sparkling water (I am addicted to Gerosteiner fizzy water).
That diet stuff is scary, I think--all those chemicals! I am actually quite a health nut when it comes all down to it. My old vegetarianism isn't there any longer--but I am still a health nut about what I eat.
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I can't think of any examples. I find that really frustrating in other people so if I can't imagine ever doing it myself.
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Epi--you can just walk around and be that sterling example for all the rest of us.
We poor, mortals can only aspire to your level of self-actualization! -
Someone has to be perfect...might as well be me!
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Just keep being you, Epi. You make me smile. -
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Or somebody is in denial -
I don't know, Claire, "St. Epicharis" It does have a nice ring to it!
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hardy har
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I wasn't even joking just using to soften the blow
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yeah, I know...I can always rely on you to keep my grounded...
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Sorry
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liar! You love thwacking me back to earth!
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Well yeah, but I now feel mean!
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mwahahaha!
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I no longer feel mean! lol
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I do a lot of "health" stuff (was a Vegan/Vegetarian, goes organic etc) and yet I smoke and am reckless in other ways like riding motorcycles like a bat out of hell with no helmet on.
Although in my defense, a lot of the veganism was due in part to food allergies (no choice) and animal rights more-so than health.-
Now here's a woman with a case of CD that's close to my heart.
I also smoked when I was a vegetarian. And for awhile, I worked as a substance abuse counselor while I was smoking (and in fact, that was the catalyst for change--I felt like a hypocrite so I had to quit smoking). -
I do get a laugh when I see nurses and Sunday School teachers outside puffing away
Meh - since I don't do anything else, and I truly, truly love smoking (cigars are big in my house as well) I'll give myself this vice. That and my blessed coffee - which is a true addiction (I can stop smoking for days and not be bothered, but not so with coffee). -
I hear you, Anok--believe me, I would still love to smoke a cigarette now and then. I really enjoyed smoking. I'm not sorry I quit--but when we get together, don't be surprised if I sit reallyclose to you and try to inhale a little errant smoke that might waft my way.
Smoking was actually harder for me to quit than heroin was. I mean, the withdrawal was nowhere near as bad--but actually staying away from cigarettes was very tough--because I really loved smoking.
If I found out I was dying in a year, I would probably start smoking again.
And I totally get you on the cigars too. I even smoked a pipe for a while. -
I don't smoke indoors unless I'm at my mom's house, so I dunno if you'll get the chance for the contact high
My dad just quit, too. (I say just, I think it's been a year now). I think if it was really affecting my health I would quit. I managed to go two weeks without smoking, but that dreaded Goya painting did me in. It's one of the only times I felt an actual addictive need to smoke. (When I paint, that is). -
Well, you are younger than me--and I think there might come a time when you are ready to quit. That's the thing--you really have to be ready to quit. When people are ready, it's not that hard.
I have quite a few friends who still smoke--so I get a contact high off of them sometimes.
I can't wait to meet you in person! I am so excited already. In fact, you should bring your daughter if you would like to. She can go swimming while we talk. I'd love to meet my namesake ( )
I did tell you my nickname was punky when I was a kid, right? -
Yes you did, and I'm pretty sure the nickname comes with some sort of warning...
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Wow! That's an interesting mix. I love reading religious material of every kind but I hate religion. They say money is the root to all evil. I don't believe that. I believe religion is.-
@Shirley
- Actually, that's not the correct scripture quote. The correct quote is: love of money is the root of all evil.
By the same token religious doctrine is not in and of itself evil. It's the love of religious doctrine and dogma that's evil because it turns the words of men into an object of worship.
Religious legalists are hypocrites who evidence their love of or worship of doctrine and dogma, and miss the spirit of of the teachings, which are aimed at engendering love for your fellow man. -
Ahhh... same principle There can be too much religion love too.
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I have to agree with you, Shirley--I really do think that religion causes more harm than anything else!
And you engage in cognitive dissonance just like the rest of us!
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- Here's an example. When I was younger I knew that commercial ice cream contained ingredients that make me ill. However, I remember eating ice cream cones made from commercial ice cream when I was a teenager. How I did that was by pretending that ice cream was not bad for me. What I gained was being able fit in with my friends for a few hours in the evening. What I lost was a whole night spent on the toilet with my face in a bucket "running from both ends". What I learned was that ignoring the dissonant cognition would allow me to do things I might otherwise view as wrong or harmful.
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Yep! That's a great example of cognitive dissonance.
We all actually do it all the time--usually in smaller ways than my vegetarianism and heroin addiction. Just in the normal scheme of lives, we all need to try to rationalize/makes sense out of what we do that is seemingly nonsensical.
It's all just part of being human.
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I left a comment on your blog...my issue is men I say I want to leave them alone and yet I find myself back in the saddle with the same stick all over again.
Side note I'd never visited your blog before very cool (I know that's generic but I have been working like a mad woman today so cut me a little slack).-
I saw that Faith--and thank you so much! I left you a comment back (btw).
No problem, Faith--and to be honest, before today, I hadn't visited your blog before--but likewise, I liked yours too--and bookmarked it for future reference.
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@Melinda
- May we discuss how to reduce and/or eliminate cognitive dissonance?
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Sure--and that's actually a great question.
Now if a person is involved in a situation of cogntive dissonance that is really harmful (say for example, a woman is working at a battered women's shelter as a volunteer yet she is going home and getting beaten by her husband every night) then professional help is in order. And I would recommend going to a therapist who practices CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) which is one of the fastest, most effective, and most cost efficient methods of therapy.
CBT combines cognitive and behavioral therapies. And although a therapist can give specific exercises that help a person to change undesirable behaviors, a person can also do this on their own.
What I recommend to most of the people that I do pro bono work for is that they keep a journal of their thoughts as they are occurring--all of them--even the most outrageous. For example, if you are with a person and they make you angry--write about how it makes you feel--all the emotions involved and it's a good idea to do it as quickly as you can--as they occur.
When you read your stark emotions, a light often goes on as to how destructive a situation is. I know this happened to me--when I would write about something that was going on and I would read it over and say, "Wow! This is so mentally unhealthy for me" --it can help you view any part of your behavior more objectively, I think.
I think another way (the easiest) is to simply listen to your heart. Take the same example of the woman working in the shelter. Deep in her heart, she knows that she is in a destructive relationship--and I really believe that we all really do know when something is not good for us. The trick is being able to listen to your inner heart--and then to gather the courage to change--and trust yourself to change.
I have found that the thing with self-improvement and growth is that we should not expect perfection from ourselves. It's all baby steps. If I can wake up tomorrow a little more enlightened that I was today--if I can be a little better as a person, more caring, more helpful, more tolerant--then I am making huge strides overall. It's all about taking baby steps up the mountain. -
Whoa! Nelly.
"CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) which is one of the fastest, most effective, and most cost efficient methods of therapy."
Not sure I agree with that, although I do like some aspects of CBT, especially as you mentioned the thought record which you can get here:
www.nelpd.org.uk/assets/pdf/CBTThoughtRecord.pdf
It takes hard work to combat those negative thoughts and sometimes CBT is a path to a quick fix, because you have not dug deeper and really got to the bottom of why you are in that situation. -
@Melinda
- Thank you for the great answer. I have found that the personal journal blog I have been keeping for years is a remarkable resource. Without doubt, this journal of my innermost thoughts has provided me with insight into my subconscious mind that would not have been possible otherwise. In it I can see evidence of creativity, as well as, dissonance. I can also witness raising self awareness that's helping me control my response to stress and to cope with pain.
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@Claire--well, I have to say that I really believe that a good number of people can truly be helped by simply changing their behavior and not going through the years and years of psychotherapy.
Now for some people, psychotherapy is the way to go--truly--but for many people, if they change their behavior so it is no longer destructive then their lives become much better--and that's really the goal of any therapy, I think: to make our lives more manageable and to improve quality.
CBT IS one of the fastest, most effective and least expensive approaches to therapy, which is why I like it so much. Another reason I like it is that people can really do many therapeutic exercises completely on their own: you can take the tools you learn from CBT and practice them long after you have finished with your therapist.
The biggest reason I advocate this kind of therapy is that most people simply cannot afford to go through years and years of psychotherapy. I have seen people spend literally ten years in psychotherapy and still be unhappy because their behaviors that made them unhappy remained the same. I say, you change your destructive behavior--then you become happier in the process and to me, that is really the bottom line with any kind of therapy.
Melinda -
@TT. I am not surprised that you used your journal in this manner--which gives journaling an added bonus. Most people who journal don't analzye their thoughts the way I advocate for CBT. I learned how to pick out negative thought patterns in my journaling--and in fact, now it is second nature--I spot destructive (stinking thinking, I call it) right away. When you can spot those negative thought patterns like that, it makes it much easier to change them.
Melinda -
I definitely agree that years and years of therapy is not at all effective for a good number of people.
But CBT is only going to work if you are already motivated for change and have some idea where you want to go or what you want to achieve.
I am a big advocate in self help and using the tools that some aspects of CBT provide. There are some great online tools that are free to use if you would like them?
I am not a fan of CBT mainly because it is the only type of therapy that is really pushed by the NHS over here in the UK, and six weeks of CBT (what gets offered) is not going to help a lot of the issues that you would go to your GP about.
My own personal style, that we were taught, is the Integrative approach, which is CBT, Person Centred and psychodynamic, plus a few others to a lesser extent. Then you use which you think is appropriate for each client, as they are all different. -
@Claire--I should first probably qualify my credentials; I am primarily a research psychologist--and indeed, my field is actually biopsychology; I look at the biological explanations to behavior, such as neurotransmitter and hormonal interactions and genetics. I am sure you probably know more about counseling approaches than I do (at least the most current ones, as I finished my studies in undergraduate psychology in the 90's--and didn't study counseling psychology as a graduate student).
I do think an integrative approach to psychology is always the best idea--and this goes for research psychology as well as counseling psychology. After all, people are all so unique and something that works well with one person might not work as well with another. My own experience with CBT has been hugely successful--not just for me but for quite a few cases I have seen first-hand. I do believe that a self-help approach can be helpful too--and actually (as mentioned) this is one of the things I liked about CBT is that you can use its tools without the aid of a counselor, once you know how the tools work. I also found it to be so effective because CBT focuses directly on changing negative thought patterns and on specific behavior change. Whereas true psychotherapy on average (in the U.S) last 7+ years, CBT can take care of many problems in less than a year. When (in the U.S), most insurance only pays for a small portion of thereapy, this can be the most cost effective way to seek mental health help.
Melinda
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I think behavior change is the main ingredient in overcoming one's difficulties in life. Awareness of one's body and posture in the here and now, how one walks and talks and physically reacts to events and situations, accomplishes more than analyzing past behaviors and so-called unconscious motivations. Just my opinion.
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Personally, I agree with you. I think that if you change your behavior so that it is no longer maladaptive, then the reasons for stress or unhappiness are often solved.
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