For those who suffer from addictions, specifically substance and sexual addictions, it’s important to be aware of the cycle of addiction. The addiction cycle begins with triggers, leads to preoccupation and fantasy, which in turn leads to ritualization. This is followed by acting out and then remorse and despair over the actions taken.

Triggers are the things, both external and internal, that push any addict to relapse. They can include people, places, activities, and even thoughts and feelings. It’s important to learn how to both avoid and manage your triggers, as it is the most viable point the addiction cycle can be broken.

Preoccupation and fantasy lead people to cope with emotional discomfort through addictive behaviors. Fantasy is when an addict falls into a euphoric recall, selectively remembering only the positive aspects of their addictive behavior. Negative aspects of the addiction are forgotten, which leads to ritualization. When in this stage of the cycle, the addict spends a great deal of time looking forward to the next stage- acting out.

All these steps in the cycle lead to acting out- a relapse into the addiction. Acting out includes rationalizing the destructive behavior being indulged in. However, acting out leads to consequences, and eventually, intense feelings of shame and guilt. These feelings of remorse can cause the cycle to begin all over again.

If the addiction cycle is understood, the necessary steps to stop the cycle can be taken, and recovery can begin.