Relief From Craving Is The Only Reward
Craving and withdrawal can make you insecure, irritable, anxious or agitated. Though there is no physical pain, it causes mental agony giving us a feeling that something is not right. For example, smokers believe that withdrawal is a physical trauma caused by not satisfying their craving. But eight hours after putting out the last cigarette, a smoker is 97% nicotine-free. 9 This happens every night during sleep. Only during the day does he feel the need to smoke every hour to fix his craving. After three days of not smoking, a smoker is 100% nicotine-free. Yet smokers relapse because of craving after months of abstinence. 9 The truth is withdrawal and craving is almost always psychological even for smokers & alcoholics.
We associate our bad habits with pleasure because we see them satisfy our craving, but dont see them causing it. Our craving is not cured by our bad habits but is caused by it.
We might have started doing our bad habits for many reasons, but the only reason why we keeping doing them is to feed the craving. Every time we do our habit, the craving is satisfied temporarily. This provides a temporary relief, putting us in a normal state of mind. But by doing our habit, we have set ourselves up to experience craving again in the future. The more we feed our craving, the more it takes to satisfy it. Smokers go from one cigarette to chain smoking fairly quickly.
Look At Your Own Habits
What example are you teaching children with your relationship to electronics? When you have idle time how do you spend it? If you are checking your phone and needing constant stimuli, it might be time to wean yourself down from your own technology addiction.
Need something to keep hands busy and productive? Take up a hobby. Watch yourself through the eyes of your child and show them that you are willing to detox from electronics, too. Sometimes we need to reevaluate technology and the huge advancements and accessibility to understand how connected weve become.
Theres no app that can replace the importance of time spent in nature and with other humans.
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Tips For Finding The Best Drug Addiction Treatment For You
Remember that no treatment works for everyone. Everyones needs are different. Whether you have a problem with illegal or prescription drugs, addiction treatment should be customized to your unique situation. Its important that you find a program that feels right.
Treatment should address more than just your drug abuse. Addiction affects your whole life, including your relationships, career, health, and psychological well-being. Treatment success depends on developing a new way of living and addressing the reasons why you turned to drugs in the first place. For example, your drug dependency may have developed from a desire to manage pain or to cope with stress, in which case youll need to find a healthier way to relieve pain or to handle stressful situations.
Commitment and follow-through are key. Drug addiction treatment is not a quick and easy process. In general, the longer and more intense the drug use, the longer and more intense the treatment youll need. And in all cases, long-term follow-up care is crucial to recovery.
There are many places to turn for help. Not everybody requires medically supervised detox or an extended stint in rehab. The care you need depends on a variety of factors, including your age, drug-use history, medical or psychiatric conditions. In addition to doctors and psychologists, many clergy members, social workers, and counselors offer addiction treatment services.
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Are Alcohol Addictions And Porn Addictions Similar If So In What Ways
Alcoholism and porn-watching have some things in common, such as:
- An inability to control a desire, such as to drink alcohol and/or watch porn
- Neglecting areas of your life that do not involve porn and/or alcohol
- Drinking alcohol and/or watching porn, despite the consequences
Note:Researchers have found people, who suffer from porn addiction, experience the same brain changes as alcoholics.
Less Coffee More Decaf
Millions of people choose to break their coffee addiction by switching to decaf coffee. Simple: decaf coffee has lesser caffeine content. you love about regular coffee. Cut your regular coffee with decaf so you can get the best of both worlds and slowly start to transition your way out of drinking excessive amounts of caffeine.
Some people compensate for their lack of energy with a strong cup of coffee. Instead of adding creamer, milk, and sugar to your cup, make your coffee weaker. Sure, it will not taste as great, but it will still give you an energy boost while cutting into the amount of caffeine you are consuming.
Drinking decaf and making your coffee weaker is a great way to transition into being less dependent on caffeine. Using this strategy might make coffee less appealing to you, and you might remove caffeine from your routine altogether. It comes down to moderation. If you can moderate the amount of caffeine you drink, you are not addicted.
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Practicing Somatic Exercises Might Help
Overdependence on a partner or relationship can be a maladaptive, or unproductive, strategy for coping with difficult emotions.
Somatic therapy, which helps you tune in to your own physical and emotional responses to stress, could help you reestablish a sense of self and develop emotional regulation skills, according to 2018 research.
While somatic therapy often works best with the support of a trained therapist, you can try these four exercises at home.
How Do You Stop Being Addicted To Something
Many people in the recovery community feel that you can never really stop being addicted to drugs or alcohol, since cravings can continue to challenge you years after your last drink or drug. Though your addiction may never go away, you can take steps to maintain your sobriety so that you can live a life free of drugs and alcohol.
To begin the process of breaking an addiction habit, take the following steps.
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Know How To Stop Your Coffee Addiction Easily: 9 Helpful Tips
If youre reading this, then the chances are that you have a coffee addiction. As a coffee addict myself, I know how difficult it can be to break the habit. In fact, caffeine is one of the most addictive substances in the world! But theres no need to feel bad about yourself as long as you know what to do and when to do it, quitting caffeinated beverages wont be hard at all. So, how do you stop your coffee addiction?
There are several strategies you can use to break a caffeine addiction. The most effective strategy is to figure out what drives your addiction and subsequently fixing it. Timing your coffee breaks is also an effective method to help you keep track of how much coffee you drink daily.
Several factors can lead to caffeine addiction, but just as many strategies exist to stop an addiction. In this article, you will get insight into what might be driving your caffeine addiction, as well as what to do to break it. It is time to stop being dependent on coffee to get through your day and start taking back control of your energy.
Read on to learn how to stop your coffee addiction.
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With Tech Addiction On The Rise Its Imperative To Understand The Risks Of Technology Overuse And Learn Strategies To Keep A Healthy Balance
Do you have a friend who cant stop staring at their smartphone? Does this same friend unlock their phone over 60 times a day because of FOMO? Does your friend sometimes feel trapped by technology, enslaved by the prominent role it has taken in their business and personal life? If so, your friend needs serious help.
How did youI mean, your friend, get so hooked on tech?
Well, since the beginning of the 21st century, Internet usage has increased by over 1,000%, and today the world is more connected than ever. Of course, we know technology has driven countless beneficial changes, but it has also created serious, unforeseen challenges.
Technology addiction, commonly termed Internet Addiction Disorder, or IAD, is a 21st-century epidemic that is impacting large numbers of people. Studies on the populations of America and Europe suggest that on the high-end, Internet addiction could be affecting as much as 38% of the population.
This is a staggering number, but it makes sense considering the widespread integration of the Internet into nearly all aspects of modern life. Not surprisingly, business people are an especially high-risk segment for IAD, with business today being more synonymous with technology and the Internet than ever before.
So what is the exact cause of Internet Addiction Disorder?
Heres are 5 ideas to kick your tech addiction and take back control:
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Your Personal Stop Smoking Plan
While some smokers successfully quit by going cold turkey, most people do better with a tailored plan to keep themselves on track. A good quit plan addresses both the short-term challenge of stopping smoking and the long-term challenge of preventing relapse. It should also be tailored to your specific needs and smoking habits.
How Does Alcohol Abuse Contribute To Porn Addiction
Dr R. Y. Langham
Behavioral disorders, like alcohol abuse, alcohol use disorder, alcoholism, and other process addictions like porn addiction have skyrocketed in recent years. And, while porn addiction is not included in the DSM-5 , it is still a real problem. And, while some therapists assert that porn use can quickly become addictive, others believe that porn-watching is not a significant problem that needs remedying.
But, even therapists, who believe porn use is a real problem are unsure of its true influence and processes. Still, the general assumption is that porn triggers the users reward system, sparking feelings of joy, satisfaction, euphoria, and happiness whenever accessed. Thus, porn behaves similar to alcohol in the body, increasing ones risk of addiction.
So, is alcohol linked to porn use? Yes. Many times porn addiction and substance abuse go hand-in-hand. In fact, studies suggest that porn addiction and substance abuse often occur together. A 2005 study found that approximately 31% of porn addicts reported past or current struggles with alcoholism. As a result, researchers have concluded alcoholism and porn addiction are closely linked with one addiction fueling the other, making recovery challenging, but not impossible.
Alcoholism and porn addiction are considered compulsions that are hard to control or stop. These two addictions tend to feed off each other, so it is common to have an alcohol addiction and porn addiction at the same time.
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When We Use Willpower To Quit We Fail
We usually try to break bad habits using willpower, which makes us feel we are making a sacrifice. A Harvard study showed the 12 month success rates of people who used the willpower method to quit smoking with no education or support was 6%. 2
When using willpower to quit, we find life extremely unpleasant and difficult and have to be cautious all the time to prevent relapse. This is because the desire to do the habit always remains inside us.
10% of former smokers who abstained from smoking for ten years showed ongoing cravings even years later. 3 Mere abstinence does not mean we have broken our habit. It just means we dont allow ourselves to do our habit. A person who does not drink alcohol but who is constantly thinking about alcohol is not a non-alcoholic but is an alcoholic who does not let himself drink.
We see the benefits of breaking our habits but also believe it provides us with something which we are now depriving ourselves of. This makes us miserable, vulnerable and increases desire that begins to obsess us. We try to overcome this by not thinking about our craving but that only makes us more obsessed.
Believing our problems can be easily solved by doing our bad habits we begin to question our decision to break our bad habits. Finally, we accept defeat and cave in. This minor relapse makes us feel bad and we indulge in the very same habit that made us feel bad, to feel better.
Using Alcohol To Socialize
Socializing is one of the top reasons heavy drinkers give to explain their overindulgence in alcohol. A beer or a glass of wine can seem like a quick and easy way to lower inhibitions and have a laugh with friends. But all too easily, alcohol can become the only way to get along with people, leaving you feeling bored or anxious in situations where everyone is sober.
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Get A New Stress Reliever
Its very hard to stop drinking at first because the stress makes you want to drink heavily. However, the most important thing to do when you first start your new recovery plan is to find a new outlet.
Running is an amazing way to focus all of your emotions into one activity. Taking up exercise as a form of stress relief is a great excuse to finally join a gym.
Some other healthy ways to relieve stress are:
- Swimming. Water is soothing and you can get in shape while easing your anxiety.
- Writing. Keep a journal about your recovery or start creative writing.
- Music. Listening or playing an instrument can help calm your mind immensely.
- Cooking. Time to learn some new healthy recipes!
Note: It is normal for people with alcohol dependence to experience symptoms such as a headache, nausea and sweating when they start to detox. However, if you experience any of the following, you should seek emergency help either at the ER or a detox centre :
- Severe vomiting
Start Breaking A Bad Habit And Forming A New One
Shaping our everyday activities and even how we feel about ourselves, habits can either make you or break you. New Years resolutions are similar to trying to break a habit. We have a goal in mind, we prepare tools to help us succeed, and we make an effort to keep up the goal. So why do most New Years resolutions and attempts at breaking a bad habit fail?
Willpower and strength to stay away from temptations decreases. As a result, motivation generally decreases, leaving us caving into our past and forgetting all about our goals.
Dreams of reaching the finish line are also given up so easily. Say you want to start eating healthier. You start to eat fruits and vegetable every day for two days. On the third day, someone brings donuts into the office. Can you have one? You have been doing so good so one donut wont hurt, right? All it takes is being okay with that one donut for you to be okay with ice-cream later on and then pizza for a midnight snack. Considering you are eating vegetables, you are okay with having the donut because you are still eating healthy at other times.
Achieving goals and forming new habits dont work this way.
Caving in is all too easy when you are comfortable where you are. You give up trying to reach a goal because it seems unreachable or you are satisfied with something in-between where you are at the moment and the goal you are trying to reach.
Break free from addiction.
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Addictive Behaviors Vs Addictive Traits
Rather than focusing on personality traits when considering addiction risk, it may be more beneficial to observe and examine behaviors. If you tend to have a higher risk for developing addiction due to some of the factors above, engaging in certain habits or behaviors may be more problematic for you.
Is There Such A Thing As An Addictive Personality
The concept of an addictive personality refers to the idea that people who develop addictions share similar personality traits that can lead to other addictions. According to this idea, if a person recovers from one addiction like alcohol, they are at high risk of developing other addictions, like gambling. However, research has shown that the concept of an addictive personality is a myth. There are no universal personality traits that are found among people with addictions.
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How Is An Alcohol/porn Addiction Usually Treated
Most studies suggest that people, who can quit porn, can fully recover and regain healthy sex drives and sex lives. At this time, there are no medications specifically designed to treat porn addictions, however, porn addiction specialists and therapists usually turn to therapy as the first line of treatment. Alcohol addiction treatment typically involves detoxing, and/or admittance to an inpatient or outpatient alcohol rehab treatment program.
Some therapists treat a comorbid addiction independently, while others treat both addictions simultaneously. It just depends on the therapist and your comfort level. Ultimately, however, researchers have found that psychotherapy is beneficial for people, who suffer from porn addiction and alcoholism.
Treatment for a comorbid alcohol/porn addiction may include:
Our Habits Controls Us
From the outside, it would seem that our bad habits is a matter of choice. Smokers, for example, do make the choice of trying their first cigarette. But no smoker has ever made a decision that they will keep smoking for the rest of their lives. We often fall into the trap thinking we can stop whenever we want, only to realize that we no longer have any control. When we watch the first episode of a TV show, we end up binge watching multiple seasons at a stretch because we cannot stop ourselves. Every addict wishes inside that he had never started because life was fine before their addiction but now they are hooked and cannot enjoy life without satisfying their craving.
Researchers from National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism trained rats to press a lever to get a piece food. The researchers later electrified the floor so that when the rat walked to get the food, it received a shock. In a different experimental setting, the rat recognized the danger in the electric floor and would avoid it. But when the rat saw the lever, the habits took over and the rat would press the lever and go for the food and get electrocuted every time. The rat could not stop itself in spite of being aware of the danger because the habits were so strong. 1
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