How to Break an Addiction
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Created by Clive
Addiction is a loop: a trigger hits, you crave relief, you act, you feel better for a moment, then you pay for it later.
Start by writing your loop in one line: “When I feel X, I do Y, because it gives me Z.”
Remove easy access: delete numbers, block sites, change routes, clear the house, carry less cash, and make the “yes” harder than the “no”.
Plan for the first ten minutes of a craving, because that is the peak: drink water, walk fast, message someone, shower, or do press-ups.
Swap the reward, not just the behaviour: if the addiction gives comfort, find comfort; if it gives excitement, find excitement; if it gives numbness, find safe rest.
Tell one person the truth and ask for one specific job, like “check in at 9pm” or “hold my keys”, because secrecy feeds relapse.
Relapse is data, not doom: ask what trigger you missed, what need you were trying to meet, and what guardrail you will add next time.
