Automatism

Automatism: The state or quality of being automatic: the power of self moving: automatic, mechanical, or involuntary action. Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary
Mental processes recede from consciousness over time with repeated use…. (And) become automated, but because we did not start out intending to make them that way…. We aren’t aware of it. J.A. Bargh and T.L.Chartrand (1990).
Automatism: a condition in which an individual is consciously or unconsciously, compelled to the performance of certain acts, often purposeless and sometimes foolish or harmful. Stedman’s Medical Dictionary 21st.ed (1966).
Take bicycle riding or swimming for example, we learn how to do them and they become automatisms. These two examples are either foolish or harmful, however, relapsing from alcoholism or drug addiction is extremely harmful. When we learned how to swim it took effort and persistance. However, once we learned to swim, it became effortless and irreversible. Now if it ever became really important for us not to swim again we could say “I’ll just stay in shallow water”. The problem with this is if the water rises and the person’s feet leave the bottom they will automatically be swimming again. The best resolve would be to stay out of the water altogether. Similarly, alcoholic’s or drug addicts must abstain from alcohol or drugs. When recovering alcoholics or addicts start making up excuses as to why they are drinking again “I just have a few drinks to unwind or “I don’t drink any more than anyone else does’ etc. They are standing in shallow water and the water is rising. When an alcoholic or drug addicts starts using again, it’s only a matter of time before the automatism takes over again. A full relapse is coming. An acquired automatism is a good way to explain a relapse from addiction.