Part 1: Video Lesson
In this video, Woody Schuldt discusses using the ABC method to identify and challenge false beliefs. ABC can be helpful when applied to addiction situations.
This video was neither produced nor supported by the Addiction Help for Me. Any reference to persons or products are not from Addiction Help for Me or its personnel but are, instead, added by the video creator or the platform storing the video.
Source: Therapist Aid. (2014, October 23). ABC model of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRRdSm4ZjX4
Part 2: Discussion
Below is an example of using the ABC method to analyze King David’s fall into sin from 2 Samuel 11. Taken from A Bible Guide to Overcoming Addiction by Stephen Baker. This will give you another example of how to use the ABC Chart.
“And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.” (2 Samuel 11:1-5, KJV)
King David ends up having sex with another man’s wife and she becomes pregnant. If we were to read on, we would discover that because he could not cover the indiscretion up, he ended up having her husband killed. Then, he married her. However, his sin was eventually discovered and punished.
Despite this horrible incident, David is shown in the Bible to be a good man and a heroic figure in the life of the Nation of Israel. Why did something like this happen to an otherwise good man? Let us use our imaginations and an ABC Chart to figure it out. In this case, we will do the A first, then the C and finally the B.
As we do this, we will use our imaginations when talking about David’s beliefs at the time. If you are making a chart for yourself, you will know what you believed, decide what was true and what was false, and be able to challenge these false beliefs.
Activating Events: 1. David stays home when other kings go to war. 2. David walks on his roof sometime after 3 p.m. He is looking down. It probably was not unusual for people to bathe in their gardens or open spaces that could be seen from the King’s Palace. 3. David sees a beautiful woman bathing.
Consequences: 1. David gets Bathsheba pregnant. 2. David tries to cover it up and ends up committing murder. 3. David tries to cover this up and ends up being exposed. 4. David loses fellowship with God and must repent. 5. David suffers long-term consequences for his actions.
Beliefs: 1. David thinks: “I don’t need to go out to battle like other kings. I have people that can take care of that.” (Maybe David was depressed at the time?) 2. David thinks: “I will take a walk on the roof and get some fresh air. Maybe there will be some hot looking babe taking a bath. That would be nice!” (Maybe David’s marriage isn’t going all that well.) 3. David thinks: “Wow! That woman is gorgeous! I am the king, and I can have her come to the palace and meet me. My wife is always critical of me anyway. She doesn’t appreciate me.” 4. David thinks: “I can have sex with her, and she probably won’t get pregnant anyway.”
Now, let us challenge these beliefs.
False Belief: “I don’t need to go out to battle like other kings. I have people that can take care of that.”
Challenge: “I am the leader of Israel. Even if I do not feel like going to battle, it is my job to do so. I should go.”
False Belief: “I will take a walk on the roof and get some fresh air. Maybe there will be some hot looking babe taking a bath. That would be nice!”
Challenge: “It’s not a good idea for me to go out on the roof and start looking. I am married. Things aren’t going well, and I am in a vulnerable situation. I am liable to sin. I owe it to God not to do this. I have too many good things to fall for something like this.”
False Belief: “Wow! That woman is gorgeous! I am the king, and I can have her come to the palace and meet me. My wife is always critical of me anyway. She doesn’t appreciate me.”
Challenge: “Even though I am the king, God is the King of Kings who appointed me as King of Israel. God wouldn’t want me to do this even though my wife is critical. Maybe my wife and I can get some help from Nathan (the prophet). I should not do this!”
False Belief: “I can have sex with this woman and she probably won’t get pregnant anyway.”
Challenge: “This is a huge risk! Even if we take precautions, she could still get pregnant and then what? What will God think of this? I know He doesn’t want me to do it!”
Source: Baker, S. (2020). A Bible Guide to Overcoming Addiction [E-book]. CrossLife Press. https://www.amazon.com/Bible-Guide-Overcoming-Addiction-ebook/dp/B08PB2HDFV/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Part 3: Download
The ABC Chart can be used to identify the event that started your addictive act. For instance, let us say that you had several drinks last night. What started the process? What were your beliefs? What were the consequences? Can you challenge any false beliefs? Can you develop new and better beliefs to use next time this temptation happens? Below is an ABC Chart you can download and try yourself.