No one loves a bad habit yet millions are addicted to behaviors threatening their lives. All addictive habits started as a means to satisfaction but a long the way they turned their hosts to helpless victims. Alcohol, gambling, cocaine, smoking, eating, the internet, video games, and sex are some of the most addictive habits.
Addicts have failed to overcome their habits and others have succumbed to their addiction. A billion-dollar industry has been created in response to the need for regaining sobriety. Some addiction survivors overcome their habits after visiting a rehab and others did it on their own. In this article, I will share how you can break any habit on your own.
Why Breaking Addictive Habits is difficult?
Before we go into how to break bad habits, we must understand the reason overcoming addictions is difficult. It all starts in the mind. The brain creates habits through the reward system. The brain develops a preference for every satisfying habit.
For every habit, a neuron bond is created. As we repeat a habit, the bond becomes strong to the point the brain automates it. An automatic habit is difficult to break unless the brain if entirely configured. The mind of an addict is configured to prefer the bad habits even though destructive.
Bad habits like video games, internet, smoking and drinking have an immediate reward system. Everyone prefers a habits that gives immediate satisfaction over delayed. As we engage in these habits, they become automatic. We begin doing them even when we do not want.
The brains ability to automate behaviors is both a blessing and a curse. Its a curse when you use it to automate bad habits and a blessing if you use it for good. The only way to beat addictive habits is use to learn new habits.
Acceptance
Acceptance is the first stage towards overcoming addictive behaviors. Acknowledge inability to control yourself when a certain habit is triggered. Your mind loves to be in control. When it detects lack of control, it begins to find a way to get control.
Acknowledging kills the desire to do the bad habits. It weakness the neuron bonds that automate bad habits. A desire for engaging new habits gets formed and the brain starts forming new bonds for new habits.
You might find yourself engaging in the bad habits after acknowledging weakness but your desire to overcome the habits will be greater. You will not experience change after admitting weakness until you engage the second step.
Change Your Identity
Changing your identity is the icing on the cake. All addictive subconsciously identify as addicts to their behavior. They believe they should be doing drugs, playing video games, having lust or spending time on the internet. They justify their habits despite struggling to quit.
They started the habits with a little belief and the belief turned up to be their identity when they did the habit for a long. No addict expected to be addicted to their behavior. All of them want a way out of their habits. Man have unsuccessfully tried to quit.
When you acknowledge a habits is addictive, you send a signal to the brain saying, This is not who I am and the brain responds by asking if this is not me, then who am I.
The answer to this question can turn an alcoholic to a sober person immediately. You must change your belief about the person you have been believing you are. You must begin by rejecting your identity as an addict.
If you are an alcoholic start identifying yourself as an sober person. If you are a sex addict, tell yourself you have control over your sexual appetite. If you are a smoker, start calling yourself a non-smoker.
Believing your new identity, configures your brain entirely. You become a new person immediately. Every bond that tolerated bad habits gets loosed immediately and you become free from the bondage of bad habits.
You must also stop believing that people overcome bad habits gradually. Its false. Habits are easy to break once you understand how to apply the two steps.
Note
Following the two steps guarantees results. I people overcoming their addiction easily by applying them. It can also work in your life regardless of your level of addiction.
However, I am not overlooking the importance of visiting rehab center. By all means, visit medical practitioners. They are experts for a reason. If you happen to beat your habits by visiting the centers, it a win for you and us.
The two steps I have suggested will definitely work because the desire for change come from within just like the bad habits started from within. Every bad habit is an indication of a belief system accepted in the mind. The best way to solve is introducing a new system.
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