Social skills as an addiction prevention tool

We are sure that on some occasion you have wondered what causes someone to fall into an addiction.

Well, let us tell you that in reality, there are many reasons why you can fall for it. One of the reasons is that a person does not feel good about himself, that he has a very low level of self-esteem, that he is very impulsive or that he seeks a refuge from the pain of her existence.

And although it may seem surprising to you, lack of social skills is also a major trigger for someone to become addicted.

• Related article: "The 14 most important types of addictions"

What do social skills have to do with addiction?

The truth is that it has more to do than you might think. Before going into analyzing this question, it is important to establish what we are talking about.

A) Yes, social skills are behaviors that are learned from our childhood in the environment in which we move and that they are largely responsible for how we behave and relate to others.

We give you an example: shyness implies that it is very possible that that person does not have the necessary social skills to be able to relate correctly with other people. That is going to take its toll on her, and it is going to make her feel bad about herself. The reverse is even possible.

That same lack of social skills would cause him to monopolize any conversation, and that could have equally negative consequences.

What social skills are there and are they important?

Yes, there are countless social skills that serve to help us relate to others. Obviously, talking and mentioning each and every one of them could take us an authentic eternity, which is why we are going to focus the discussion on those that are relevant to addiction specifically.

1. Be able to say no

It is important that when we face an addiction, there are times when we have a hard time saying no. This, when rejecting a temptation to consume it is essential.

Although it may not seem too important to you, it is actually a giant step to reject an offer from the addicted object.

2. Accept help from others

We always say that with the help of others we are stronger. It is a fact. If you are not able to ask for help before something happens to you, it is possible to go to the consumption of an addiction to take refuge and alleviate the suffering. For that reason you must train this aspect, ask for help and be able to accept it.

3. To converse

You are a person with a lot to say, with a lot to give. You don't need anything to "let go of your tongue." If you are insecure or shy, maybe you may feel the need to go to some addictive object to be able to converse with other people. In this sense, training disinhibition is basic. Work it from now.

4. Express what you feel

Have you ever been overwhelmed by feeling things? It does not matter if it is anger, anger, fear or sadness, it does not matter, the thing is that those feelings do not allow us to be who we are. If you are not able to get it out, it can be a factor that influences the development of an addiction to silence what you feel. It's much healthier, and you know it, talking.

These, although they are obviously not the only social skills that exist, are some of those that have a great influence when it comes to being able to fall into addiction in any of its shapes. It is essential that we learn to manage and handle them, since in this way we will not only be preventing, but it will allow us to feel more complete, better with ourselves and with the people around us.

• You may be interested in: "Assertiveness: 5 basic habits to improve communication"

Are you assertive?

Being assertive is essential to be able to develop and improve social skills. But don't worry, that can work, and we can help you.

The training process, let's say, consists of perform exercises and exemplify situations in which it is difficult to act and react appropriately.

Without a doubt, assertiveness is one of the most important skills that an addict must work on, since thanks to her, he will be able to express those feelings or thoughts without adopting an aggressive or harmful point of view for them themselves.

While it is important for the addict to act appropriately, he must also put himself in someone else's shoes. You must assume that if they offer you a glass of wine, they do so without malicious intent, but it is the addict who must put up the barrier. You do not want to consume, and you must express it so bluntly. Not.

It is a learning process

Maybe it seems to you that it is a big company for you, and that you will never be able to achieve it, but nothing is further from the truth. Acquiring various social skills is one more tool you have to fight addiction. It is up to you to develop them or not.