How To Overcome Addiction Finally. Steps To Break Addiction Bad Habits And Be Free.
FIRSTLY WHAT IS ADDICTION?
Addiction can be defined as a compulsive behavior that is very difficult to control or stop doing. It is a chronic, relapsing brain disease that is characterized by compulsive drug seeking and use, despite harmful consequences. Addiction is the term given to a pattern of behavior that causes negative consequences for the individual.
It is considered a brain disease because drugs change the brain they change its structure and how it works. Most people assume that addiction refers only to those who have a compulsive need for a particular substance such as alcohol or drugs.
The most common are alcohol and drug addiction, but people do not just become addicted to illegal drugs. In fact, prescription drug addiction has been a growing problem for some time and in all parts of the world.
FORMS OF ADDICTIONS?
Chemicals or substances produced outside the body and ingested to achieve a change of some sort.
Chemicals produced by the body itself as a result of a behavior or participating in an activity.
Chemicals, substances or activities taken or undertaken to allow another addiction to continue.
Getting High on Something Other Than Drugs or Alcohol
Binge Eating Disorder: Such As Food Addiction.
Gambling Addiction
Sex Addiction
Not been able to do without the Internet
Shopping Addiction
Video Game Addiction
Plastic Surgery Addiction
EXAMPLES OF ADDICTION
- Alcohol Addiction
- Drug Addiction
- Gaming Addiction
- Pornography Addiction
- Eating Disorders Addiction
- Internet Addiction
- Sex Addiction
- and so on
An addiction, for example, may arise from unexpected social, emotional or environmental pressures. Sudden changes in our environment, family situation or working conditions can threaten our comfort, safety, and way of life. In case of danger, we are victims of painful emotions that prevent us from approaching the situation optimally.
HOW TO OVERCOME ADDICTION HABITS FINALLY
The following are steps to follow to get over the bad habits of Addictions...
(1) MAKE A LIST OF POSITIVE CHANGES YOU WANT IN YOUR LIFE
Now that you've detailed all the negative effects of your addiction, think about how much your life will improve once you've kicked the habit. Create a picture of your life post-addiction. How do you want it to look?
Maybe you'll feel a sense of freedom you haven't had in years. You'll have more time to spend on people, hobbies, and other pleasures. You'll be able to save money again. You know you're doing everything you can to stay healthy. You'll feel immediate physical improvements. You'll feel proud and confident again.
(2) SEEK ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF PLEASURE
Everyone wants to feel good, but unfortunately, mass media and societal norms encourage unhealthy ways of attaining pleasure. Because of social engineering, many people have become convinced that mind-altering substances, lustful relationships, material items, food, and technological gadgets will pave the way to a higher state of existence.
In order to truly overcome an addiction, you need to reflect deeply on your life and figure out why you choose harmful substances and behaviors to fill the emptiness. Start replacing the destructive practices with more wholesome activities or foods, like exercising and consuming more fruits and vegetables. Fill your life with a wide variety of fun, engaging activities that will make you feel satisfied and happy so that you don’t resort to quick fixes to achieve the same goal.
(3) GENERATE A NEW BEHAVIOR
Having gone through the self-evaluation process, you are now ready to create a new empowering behavior that replaces your addiction. And this is of course of paramount importance.
To eliminate a habit, you need to replace it with something else that satisfies the same needs you were craving while indulging in your addiction.
With this in mind, think back to the previous step where you questioned the benefits you derived from your addiction. These benefits are in essence the needs you seek to satisfy while indulging in your addiction. Your new behavior must fundamentally address these same needs. In other words, it must fulfill the same desires of your addiction, but in healthy and beneficial ways.
You must essentially convince yourself that indulging in your addiction is no longer worth your time. Likewise, you must convince yourself that your new empowering habit/behavior has far more value and long-term reward. Ask yourself:
Reshaping your belief systems is never an easy or straightforward process. It takes work and effort. However, there are certain steps you can follow that will help speed up this process. I outline these steps within the Complete Guide on How to Overcome Your Limiting Beliefs.
(4) DISTANCE YOURSELF FROM PEOPLE WHO ENCOURAGE ADDICTIONS
If you want to eliminate drugs and alcohol from your life, it won’t help to hang out at bars with former drinking buddies or surround yourself with drug abusers. You need to find people who value healthy lifestyles and more positive habits, like exercising, playing music, eating nourishing foods, and following their passions in life.
Your current friends may not understand why you can’t include them in your life anymore, but you have to do whatever will help you break free of harmful habits. Ultimately, you get to choose your own friends, so make sure you surround yourself with uplifting people who have your best interest at heart.
(5) STAYING STRONG ON THE ROAD
For men who struggle with a pornography or sex addiction, traveling away from home can be a time of temptation. Learn how to set appropriate behavioral boundaries, maintain accountability, anticipate and resist common triggers and stay strong on the road.
(6) GET SOME NEW GOOD FRIENDS (BUDDIES)
It works for Girl Scouts, depressives, and addicts of all kinds. I remember having to wake up my buddy to go pee in the middle of the night at Girl Scout camp. That was right before she rolled off her cot, out of the tent and down the hill, almost into the creek.
Our job as buddies is to help each other not roll out of the tent and into the stream, and to keep each other safe during midnight bathroom runs. My buddies are the six numbers programmed into my cell phone, the voices that remind me sometimes as many as five times a day: “It will get better.”
(7) DISTRACT YOURSELF
Any addict would benefit from a long list of “distractions,” activities than can take her mind off of a cig, a glass of Merlot, or a suicidal plot (during a severe depression). Some good ones: crossword puzzles, novels, Sudoku, e-mails, reading Beyond Blue (a must!); walking the dog (pets are wonderful “buddies” and can improve mental health), card games, movies, “American Idol” (as long as you don’t make fun of the contestants…bad for your depression, as it attracts bad karma); sports, de-cluttering the house (cleaning out a drawer, a file, or the garage…or just stuffing it with more stuff); crafts; gardening (even pulling weeds, which you can visualize as the marketing director that you hate working with); exercise; nature (just sitting by the water); and music (even Yanni works, but I’d go classical).
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