ACQUISITION, DEFENDING AND EGO
GRATIFICATION: STYLE DRIVES OF THE SEVEN
DEADLY SINS AS SEEN IN ADDICTIVE
RELATIONSHIPS AND RECOVERY
Presented By:
Brigitte L. Lank Ph.D.
Founder, Lank Institute for Sexual Addiction and
Recovery (LISAR)
www.drlank.com
S.L.A.P E.G.G: LITERATURE REVIEW
ACQUISITION STYLE DRIVE (ASD)
ACQUISITION STYLE DRIVE (ASD)
High Score
Target Deadly
Sins
Personality
Traits
Acquisition
Style Drive
(ASD)
•Lust
•Greed
•Dis-satisfaction
or excessive
appetite for more
•Gluttony
•Sexual lust
•Avarice and
over-indulgence
•Dependence
DEFENDING STYLE DRIVE (DSD): SLOTH
AND WRATH
DEFENDING STYLE DRIVE (DSD)
High Score
Target Deadly
Sins
Personality Traits
Defending
Style Drive
(DSD)
•Sloth
•Idleness
•Wrath
•Depression
•Avoidance
•Anger
EGO GRATIFICATION STYLE DRIVE
(EGSD): ENVY AND PRIDE
EGO GRATIFICATION STYLE DRIVE
(EGSD)
High Score
Target Deadly
Sins
Personality
Traits
Ego
Gratification
Style Drive
(EGSD)
•Pride
•Narcissism
•Envy
•Jealousy
SELF ASSESSMENT: STYLE DRIVES OF
ADDICTIVE RELATIONSHIPS AND RECOVERY

Instrument (75 Items)




Style Drive: ASD = 25 Items
Style Drive: DSD = 25 Items
Style Drive: EGSD = 25 Items
The Rating Scale
6 point Likert scale
 Requires a person to rate items along a well-defined, evenly
spaced continuum.
 Used to measure the direction and intensity of style
drive/attitude
 Responses for each item are weighted from zero to three





a score of 3 assigned to the responses farthest in the “symptomatic”
direction
a score of 2 for the immediately adjacent response
a score of 1 for the next adjacent response
a 0 score assigned to the three responses farthest in the “asymptomatic”
direction
SAMPLE ITEMS



Acquisition Style Drive (ADS) (Lust, Greed, Gluttony)
 Item 2. When I walk through a store I fantasize what I could buy if I had more
money.
 Item 14. I feel insecure in my romantic relationship(s).
 Item 38. Should a cashier give me $10 too much change, I would keep the extra
$10.
 Item 62. I have been unable to stop my sexual behavior even though I know it's
inappropriate.
Defending Style Drive (DSD) (Sloth, Wrath)
 Item 3. The pleasure and joy has gone out of my life.
 Item 9. I hold resentments.
 Item 21. It takes great effort for me to do simple things.
 Item 45. I feel hostility to insignificant irritants.
Ego Gratification Style Drive (EGSD) (Pride, Envy)
 Item 1. I make myself known whenever I see my partner talking to someone
who could be considered a romantic option.
 Item 55. I am frequently envious of others or think that they are envious of me.
 Item 58. I lack empathy and or do not recognize or identify with others' feelings.
 Item 67. I demand excessive amounts of praise or admiration from others.
SCORING: TO DETERMINE STYLE DRIVE SCORES, ADD
TOGETHER ALL ITEM SCORES FOR PARTICULAR STYLE
DRIVE.

Defending Style Drive (DSD)
Subscale items: 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 36, 39, 42, 45, 48,
51, 54, 57, 60, 63, 66, 69, 72, 75
Subscale Score: _______

Acquisition Style Drive (ASD)
Subscale items: 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 26, 29, 32 35, 38, 41, 44, 47,
50, 53, 56, 59, 62, 65, 68, 71, 74
Subscale Score: _______

Ego Gratification Style Drive (EGSD)
Subscale items: 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34, 37, 40, 43, 46,
49, 52, 55, 58, 61, 64, 67, 70, 73
Subscale Score: _______
ASD (LUST, GREED, GLUTTONY) AND
ADDICTIVE RELATIONSHIP
Pattern of out of control behavior
Inability to stop despite negative consequences
Ongoing effort to stop/ limit behaviors
Inordinate amount of time spent on sexual matters
(obtaining sex, being sexual, and recovering form sexual
experiences
 Persistent pursuit of high risk behaviors





Reverse Invasion
Increasing amounts of sexual experiences
Sexual obsession fantasy as primary coping too
(Lust may include chronic affairs, prostitution,
compulsive sexual episodes)
 Preoccupation (Relational)



(If you are sexual with someone you will have them in your
power; using sexual seduction to gain power)
DSD (SLOTH, WRATH) AND ADDICTIVE
RELATIONSHIP





Severe mood changes around sexual behavior
Neglect of important social, occupational, or recreational
activities because of sexual behavior
 Avoidance may include indulging in pornography,
voyeurism
Intrusive Sex/Eroticized Rage
 Boundary Invasion
 Covert Invasion
 Erotic form of hatred
 Anger may include dangerous sexual practices or
anonymous sex
 When angry one may use sex to “get even” with a
partner or have sex when resentful with a partner
Preoccupation (Isolated or Online Anonymous)
Severe consequences because of sexual behavior
EGSD (PRIDE, ENVY) AND ADDICTIVE
RELATIONSHIP

Entitlement
 Need to break rules to meet needs
 When demands are high, sex is used for reward
 Have sex for deservability
 Taking advantage of someone sexually may be
arousing

Sexual obsession fantasy as primary coping tool
 Narcissistic exposure may include exhibitionism
 Jealousy may include compulsive masturbation
ASD AND CO-EXISTING OR DIFFERENTIAL
DIAGNOSIS
Anxiety Disorder
 Adjustment Disorder, With Anxiety
 Substance Related Disorder/ Sexual Disorder
NOS

Impulse-Control Disorder

Bipolar Disorder

Dependent Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality Disorder

Antisocial Personality Disorder

DSD AND CO-EXISTING OR DIFFERENTIAL
DIAGNOSIS
Depressive Disorder

Adjustment Disorder With Depressed Mood

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
 Bipolar Disorder
 Avoidant Personality Disorder
 Malingering
 Bereavement

EGSD AND CO-EXISTING OR DIFFERENTIAL
DIAGNOSIS
Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Borderline Personality

Partner Relational Problem

NEUROLOGICAL PROCESS OF STYLE
DRIVES
Style
Drive
Sin
Neurotransmitter
Effects
ASD
Lust
Greed
Gluttony
•Norepinepherine
•Serotonin
•Dopamine
•Impulse
•Appetite
•Sex
•Aggression
DSD
Sloth
Wrath
•Norepinepherine
•Serotonin
•Dopamine
Energy
•Alertness
•Anger/
Irritability
•Memory
•Idleness/
Avoidance
EGSD
Pride
Envy
•Serotonin
Obsession
FROM VICE TO VIRTUE: ASD
High Score
Target
Deadly Sins
Personality
Traits
Relationship
Recovery
Goals
Acquisition
Style Drive
(ASD)
•Lust
•Dissatisfaction or
excessive
appetite for
more
•Abstinence
•Greed
•Gluttony
•Chastity
•Purity of
soul
•Sexual lust
•Altruism
•Avarice and
overindulgence
•Temperance
•Self-restraint
•Dependence
FROM VICE TO VIRTUE: DSD
High Score
Target
Deadly Sins
Personality
Traits
Relationship
Recovery
Goals
Defending
Style Drive
(DSD)
•Sloth
•Idleness
•Diligence
•Wrath
•Depression
•Zeal
•Avoidance
•Integrity
•Anger
•Forgiveness
•Composure
RELATIONSHIP RECOVERY GOALS
FROM VICE TO VIRTUE: EGSD
High Score
Target
Deadly Sins
Personality
Traits
Relationship
Recovery
Goals
Ego
Gratification
Style Drive
(EGSD)
•Pride
•Narcissism
•Humility
•Envy
•Jealousy
•Humbleness
•Kindness
•Admiration
12 Steps
ASD
DSD
EGSD
Step 1
We admitted we
were powerless
over our addiction
- that our lives
had become
unmanageable
Abstinence
* Dependence
Integrity,
Diligence
*Depression
Admiration
Step 2
Came to believe
that a Power
greater than
ourselves could
restore us to
sanity
Chastity
*Avoidance
Humbleness
Step 3
Made a decision to
turn our will and
our lives over to
the care of God as
we understood
God
Self-restraint
Abstinence
*Dissatisfaction
(appetite for
more)
*Avoidance
*Narcissism
Step 4
Made a searching
and fearless moral
inventory of
ourselves
*Sexual Lust
(may be
highlighted from
sexual inventory)
*Procrastination
*Anger
*Pride (may be
obstacle to selfexamination)
12 Steps
ASD
DSD
EGSD
Step 5
Admitted to God,
to ourselves and
to another human
being the exact
nature of our
wrongs
*Dissatisfaction
Composure
Kindness
Step 6
Were entirely
ready to have God
remove all these
defects of
character
Abstinence
*Dependence
*Avoidance
*Pride
Step 7
Humbly asked
God to remove our
shortcomings
Temperance
Forgiveness
Humility
Step 8
Made a list of all
persons we had
harmed, and
became willing to
make amends to
them all
*Dependence
*Avoidance
*Pride
12 Steps
ASD
DSD
EGSD
Step 9
Made direct
amends to such
people wherever
possible, except
when to do so
would injure them
or others
Altruism
Integrity
Forgiveness
(SelfForgiveness)
*Narcissism (Shift
from unhealthy to
healthy )
Step 10
Continued to take
personal
inventory and
when we were
wrong promptly
admitted it
Altruism
Diligence
Composure
Zeal
Kindness
12 Steps
ASD
DSD
EGSD
Step 11
Sought through
prayer and
meditation to
improve our
conscious contact
with God as we
understood God,
praying only for
knowledge of
God's will for us
and the power to
carry that out
Purity of soul
Integrity
Humility
Step 12
Having had a
spiritual
awakening as the
result of these
steps, we tried to
carry this
message to other
addicts, and to
practice these
principles in all
our affairs
Temperance
Altruism
*Idleness
*Avoidance
*Depression
Kindness
THANK YOU
For additional information about
Acquisition, Defending and Ego Gratification:
Style Drives of the Seven Deadly Sins as seen
in Addictive Relationships and Recovery,
links to other resources, or request an electronic
copy of this presentation go to:
www.drlank.com