BESOCHEMPS

A depiction of BESOCHEMPS, the 5-headed dragon. This is a very helpful way to look at and better understand the complex relationships we often call addictions.
This stunning and sobering depiction of the 5-Headed Dragon, BESOCHEMPS, was created by the very talented Santiago Bautista. Each of the heads is different and influential to varying degrees. Subsequently, each person has a unique relationship with their substance of choice.

If you haven’t yet heard of the 5-Headed Dragon, BESOCHEMPS, you’re either new here, or I haven’t been doing my job. (Please don’t scroll away yet – we aren’t a cult and this discussion about a 5-Headed Dragon is neither frivolous nor foolish.)

Over twenty years ago I began serving brave folks intent upon reclaiming their freedom from their hellish relationships with tobacco. It seemed logical to asked the group to share their personal experiences and I attempted to recall mine. I had been “smober’ for over 10 years but it took more than 25 quit attempts before I found a quit that I could live with. I had started smoking (despite already being asthmatic) at age 12 at church camp. (Holy smokes?) Eventually I developed a 3-pack per day habit. (And on days when drinking or other drugs were in play, I could smoke 4 packs per day.) So I had plenty of experiences to share with the brave folks in my groups.

I had always been a fan of Creature Double Feature and a great friend turned me on to Dungeons and Dragons when I went away to college. And so the beast was birthed – a Dragon with five heads, one representing each of the five motivators:

Around the room I started to see eyes open wide as people started to see their foe more clearly. This BESOCHEMPS model was a better way to help people see their relationship with tobacco. Anecdotally, lots of folks started having more success quitting smoking. This “fictional” beast was real enough to help thousands of smokers. They were able to use it for their own good and for the good of the people who loved them.

When compared to the US unassisted quit rate (people quitting on their own) people using BESOCHEMPS had a quit rate six or seven times higher! And for some of us “soot-suckers,” adding medications can boost quit rates even higher. Please remember that this site is searchable and you can learn more about each of the “heads” of the “dragon.” And depending upon where you are located, you can attend QuittersWin groups where folks “speak dragon.”

PROLOGUE: The BESOCHEMPS model of addiction has been used to successfully address every sort of illicit substance use, and even compulsive behaviors that aren’t directly related to a substance (gambling, binge-spending, cutting, etc.) The dragon has helped brave folks reclaim their freedom in substance use treatment settings, hospitals, faith-based organizations, mental health settings, academic institutions, community based groups, and correctional facilities. For more information or to request a private response to questions, please feel free to CONTACT me.

BESOCHEMPS has helped countless individuals break out of the prison of addictions.

You deserve to be free.

You don’t need to do it alone.

 

1 thought on “BESOCHEMPS”

  1. Pingback: Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss! - QuittersWin

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