How to Break or Moderate a Habit or Addiction

Addictions are habits. Some addictive substances grab you physiologically as well, but above all, you respond to a habit. After two weeks without smoking, you are over the nicotine. And yet, people often go back to smoking after this time. Marijuana is apparently not physiologically addictive at all, but it can be very hard to give up. In gambling, sex addiction, compulsive risk taking (e.g., shop stealing), there is no external chemical substance involved at all.

All addictive drugs trigger dopamine (the “craving neurochemical”) to stimulate the pleasure/reward center. So do gambling, shopping, overeating and other, seemingly unrelated, activities. Go shopping: dopamine. Smoke a cigarette: dopamine. Computer games: dopamine. Heroin: dopamine. Orgasm: dopamine. They all work somewhat differently on the brain, but all raise your dopamine.

 Habits and thoughts are connected, thoughts CONTROL EMOTIONS, and then affect behaviour, which, in turn, becomes a habit.  CHANGING THOUGHTS, THEN MAKING A PLAN, IS THE KEY.

 One very powerful barrier to change, is a habitual thought. In a given circumstance, a thought pops into your head, emotion follows, then habitual behaviour.

 WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT

The first step is to become  a detective, work out what triggers your habit, and you will find invariable thoughts and emotions associated with your habit. You will track down the triggers that activate these thoughts. After this, YOU can be in control.

 When you are your own observer, the emotions are not as powerful.

 HABITS FILL A VOID. To get rid of a habit, replace it with something else.

Part of the habit of smoking is having a rest from activity. Find another way to rest or relax.

FORMULATE A PLAN. Failing to plan is planning to fail. Ask yourself - When my triggers occur what are my thoughts going to be? What can they be replaced with? How am I going to satisfy my emotions and needs? Do I need help? Do I need hypnotherapy to help deal with unconscious thoughts and emotions ?

 Above all, BE KIND TO YOURSELF. A habit is very hard to break. When you have succeeded for once, pat yourself on the back, reward yourself with something.  If you slip back, that’s okay, you'll do better next time. Work out what got in the way, and modify your approach. However, remember to break a habit you have to be willing to work very hard.