Created by Dr. Patrick Carnes, the Personal Craziness Index (PCI) is a tool to help the person in recovery detect escalating risk for slips or relapse.
“The Personal Craziness Index (PCI) is based on two assumptions:
- Craziness first appears in routine, simple behaviors that support lifestyle balance.
- Behavioral signs will occur in patterns involving different parts of our lives.
Thus, we can be caught up in issues of cosmic importance and not notice that our checking account is overdrawn. If our checking account is overdrawn, we are probably out of socks as well, because we have not done our laundry. If this pattern is pervasive, there is a risk that our lives will become emotionally bankrupt as well–cosmic issues notwithstanding.”
The idea of the PCI is to consider twelve dimensions to figure out your top 7 indicators for encroaching “craziness,” and then take an inventory of your PCI each day, so you have an objective idea of where things are at for you in terms of your inner and outer environment. The twelve dimensions are:
- Physical health
- Transportation
- Environment
- Work
- Interests
- Social life
- Family & significant others
- Finances
- Spiritual life & personal reflection
- Other compulsive and symptomatic disorders
- Twelve-step practice and therapeutic self-care
- Healthy relationships
The PCI is highly personal. For some people, skipping workouts may not be a big deal. But for you, it might be an indication that you are not taking care of yourself or finding the right balance in life.
Inmates don’t usually have to worry about some categories, so double up on some other areas.
|| You can download a PDF copy of our Personal Craziness Index handout by clicking here.
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