Breaking Bad Habits part 2

Addictive behaviors are habits that have become second nature. You go about your daily routine without giving these behaviors a second thought. If you have become obsessive with alcohol, sex, drugs, food, or any device you feel like you have to have every day to cope with life pressures it’s an addictive behavior.

In an article by Elizabeth Hartney, PhD The Difference Between an Addiction and a Compulsion “Addiction is a broad term, which is used to describe an entire process by which people (or animals) become dependent on a particular substance or behavior in order to cope with life. This dependence becomes so important to the individual that they will persist in using the substance, or engaging in the behavior, even when it is harmful to themself, their family, and other important areas of their life.”

Many people feed their addictions by focusing on past hurts and traumatic experiences. Experiences like; rape, a loss of a child or loved one, cheating spouse, abuse and molestation, loss of income or position, bad relationships, lack of a father or mother, all these can have a great emotional and psychological effect. Addiction has become a way to mask the pain. They have mental pictures of these terrible bad experiences in their mind. They have a mental record player playing in their mind and they keep hearing it over and over. The thoughts are as painful as the past event.

Hartney also states, “In contrast, compulsion is a quite narrow term, which is used to describe the intense urge to do something. Compulsions are a small but important part of the addictive process, and are also a major part of obsessive-compulsive disorder.”

When you are addicted to substances your body becomes depended on it. It craves for it. You are controlled by it. Addictions start by thoughts than become compulsive urges. You have a strong desire for alcohol or drugs. Many addictions start out as having fun, peer pressure or trying to cope.

Learned behaviors, generational curses and personality pathologies are terms used to define how some behaviors are passed down from generations. From Wikipedia, “Personality pathology refers to enduring patterns of cognition, emotion, and behavior that negatively affect a person's adaptation. In psychiatry and clinical psychology, it is characterized by adaptive inflexibility, vicious cycles of maladaptive behavior, and emotional instability under stress.” Generational curse is a biblical term which means behaviors and spiritual sins are passed down from one generation to the next. Learned behaviors are learning and modeling the behavior of your parents, siblings, or someone in your early childhood development. Behaviors good or bad can be learned and copied.

You can break the cycle of bad habits and addictions. In part 3 of breaking bad habits I will share with you some tips to help you get free.