Feeling State Addiction Protocol
(FSAP)
The Feeling
State Addiction Protocol (FSAP) is a
new treatment approach in treating
addictions and compulsive behaviors.
Ed Gresick is certified in the Feeling State Addiction Protocol.
Some addictions
and compulsive behaviors are created
when positive feelings become linked
with specific behaviors and
experiences. The linkage that is
created between a positive feeling
and a behavior is called a
feeling-state. When a feeling state
is triggered, the
addictive/compulsive physiological
response is activated, which results
in behavior or use of substances in
an addictive/ compulsive manner. The
person has lost the ability of being
in control of their behavior and
lost the ability to manage their
behavior or use of substances
resulting in out-of-control
behaviors and use of substances
including alcohol.
The seeking of
pleasurable feelings is part of
living a healthy life. There is
nothing wrong with feeling
excitement, adventure, fun, power,
part of, wanted, desired, satisfied
or close to someone. Normally these
feelings do not become fixated in
our minds with a particular
behavior, especially a behavior or
use of a substance, which becomes
self-destructive. The difference
between experiencing positive events
that are just pleasurable and a
positive experience that becomes a
feeling state tied to a
self-destructive behaviors lies in a
person’s emotional history.
The FSAP is a
way to de-link the feeling from the
specific behavior that has become
self-destructive. The FSAP leaves
that feeling in tact but simply
eliminates that feeling with that
specific behavior. For example, if a
feeling state of being “desired” is
linked with a person having affairs
the FSAP only de-links the need to
be desired with having affairs. That
person still will feel the need to
be desired in their primary
relationship. The FSAP does not take
away the healthy need most of us
have to be desired and felt in a
healthy relationship.
The good news
for treatment is that once the
feeling state is broken the person
automatically begins to find or
rediscover more appropriate ways to
obtain what they want.
As a highly
skilled addiction therapist I
integrate the FSAP into a
comprehensive treatment approach
that includes Cognitive Behavioral
Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy and
EMDR along with traditional
addiction treatment approaches. No
one therapy or approach is
appropriate for every one and I
integrate a “best practices” and an
“evidenced based” treatments into my
approach.