Risky Behavior Addiction

The Risky Behavior Addiction Workbook provides helping professionals with cognitive and behavioral assessments, tools, and exercises that can be utilized to treat the root psychological causes of an addiction to risky behavior. It helps people identify and change negative, unhealthy thoughts and behaviors that may have led to an addiction to thrill-seeking and sensation-seeking. The activities in this workbook can help participants identify the triggers that can lead to an over-engagement in risky or thrilling behavior and help them discover ways to overcome and manage those triggers.

The Risky Behavior Addiction Workbook will help participants to achieve the following:

• Reflect upon the behaviors that were part of the addiction.
• Recognize that they are experiencing an addiction problem.
• Understand the triggers for preoccupation with various aspects of risk.
• Understand recurring patterns that indicate an addiction to risky behavior.
• Learn ways to live a new life without the need to obsess over taking risks.
• Develop greater self-acceptance and the ability to change ineffective behaviors.
• Build self-esteem in positive capabilities outside of risk-taking and sensation-seeking.

The Risky Behavior Addiction Workbook is a practical tool for teachers, counselors, and helping professionals in their work with people suffering from risky behavior addiction. Depending on the role of the person using this workbook and the specific group’s or individual’s needs, the modules can be used individually or as part of an integrated curriculum. The facilitator can administer an activity with a group or individual or use multiple assessments in a workshop.

The Five Modules

This workbook contains five modules of activity-based handouts that will help participants learn more about themselves and their addiction to risk-taking and thrill-seeking. These modules serve as avenues for self-reflection and group experiences revolving around topics of importance in the participants’ lives.

The activities in this workbook are user-friendly and varied to provide a comprehensive way of analyzing, strengthening, and developing characteristics, skills, and attitudes for overcoming an addiction to risky behavior.

The activities and handouts in this workbook are reproducible. Minor revisions to suit client or group needs are permitted, but the copyright statement must be retained.

Module 1: Risky Behavior Addiction
This module helps participants become aware of and explore feelings of being under- stimulated, leading them to compulsive thrill-seeking behavior. They are sensation- seekers or adrenaline junkies who pursue novel and intense experiences without regard for physical, social, lifestyle, or financial risk.

Module 2: Mindfulness of Risky Behavior
This module helps participants explore mindfulness related to their risky behaviors and adrenaline rush urges. They will learn mindfulness techniques and examine why they live externally, waiting for adrenaline rushes.

Module 3: Adrenaline Need
This module helps participants examine their need for the adrenaline rush they receive from risk taking. Adrenaline is produced by any behavior that creates fear or stress. When it becomes an addiction, it can have serious consequences. They will explore why adrenaline is a powerful hormone that propels them into action (fight or flight) when danger is sensed or when preparing for a risky or challenging experience.

Module 4: Risk-Taking Personality
This module helps participants realize that people addicted to risky behavior often display a personality that will do anything to avoid boredom and experience an adrenaline rush. They learn why this can lead to an addiction. Awareness of these traits can be the starting point of recovery from an addiction to risky behavior.

Module 5: Risk Prevention
This module helps participants discover the correlation between adrenaline and risk. They will learn that the best way to overcome their addiction to risky behavior is through prevention. They will learn tools and techniques for feeling calm. They are encouraged to reflect upon their lives and actions to discover the source of their addiction to risky behavior and adrenaline.

Risky Behavior Addiction Card Deck

Using the Discussion Starter Card Deck will break the ice, encourage openness, and help introduce a specific subject. Activity handouts included in these workbooks are reflective, easy-to-use exercises, presented in a variety of formats to accommodate multiple intelligences and different learning styles. Each question corresponds to a page in the workbook.