Unstoppable: Once You Start You Can’t Stop

Do you ever find yourself going down a rabbit hole of activity, whether it’s binge-watching your favorite show, scrolling through social media or indulging in endless snacking? You’re not alone! Our brain is wired to seek pleasure and when we find something that satisfies us, our innate desire for more takes over. This concept is what psychologists refer to as the “hedonic treadmill” – the idea that humans are never fully satisfied and constantly strive for more.

It’s easy to see how this behavior can spiral out of control, leading to addiction or unhealthy habits. But why do we feel powerless once we start something? How can we break free from these cycles and regain control?

The Brain Science Behind Addictive Behavior

To understand why certain behaviors become addictive, let’s take a closer look at what happens in our brains. When we experience something pleasurable, like eating chocolate or winning a game, our brain releases dopamine – a neurotransmitter associated with feelings of reward and motivation.

The release of dopamine triggers the mesolimbic pathway – an area of the brain responsible for reinforcing behavior by associating it with pleasure. This process creates strong neural connections between the action (eating chocolate) and feeling (pleasure), making us want to repeat the behavior again and again.

Gradually over time, it becomes harder to gain satisfaction from small doses while requiring increasing amounts to achieve pleasure – which explains why people tend towards higher consumption/larger doses after initial periods usually via abusing substances such as alcohols/drugs/caffeine/tobacco smoking.

This unhealthy cycle spirals and morphs into addition where subjects may lose interest on other areas else but only concentrate on satisfying their urge

So be aware! Addiction creeps up slowlly

How To Break Free From Addictive Behaviors

Getting trapped into addictive behavior is not desirable, but take heart. There are strategies to overcome a cycle of addiction, and restore your normal life.

Here are some tips that can help you break free from addictive behaviors;

1. Find alternative activities

Find healthy replacements that provide similar pleasure to the activity or substance you want to quit. For example, if you’re trying to cut down on smoking try daily physical exercises instead.

Option	Example
Creating art projects	Painting/Drawing
Cooking and baking healthy food at home	Cook a health meal for yourself everyday
Join new interests/ hobbies

By finding a healthier outlet for your dopamine release (the good feels), it becomes possible to replace negative habits with positive ones leading gradually reduce craving urge towards addictions – one step at time.

2. Take Tiny Steps

Another effective way of breaking off addition is by executing baby steps as opposed changing entirely weeks long/habit resulting in shock/cravings relapse ,build toward small improvements leading up more significant changes over time-steps so tiny they almost seem effortless like taking one cookie less than usually during coffee sessions

This gives room for growth plus transitions reduction stress levels also plays a role

3.Master Relapse Coping Skills before quitting substance completely

An excellent strategy when it comes decelerating addictions process entails coming up strategies learned through situations enabling cope/control within self-associate temptations/pushback emanate from those outlets: they include;

a) Right Behavioral Responses:

Knowing how-to resist temptation rewards associated-endure reap benefits suppressing cravings stems via prepping beforehand i.e., bringing non-alcholic beverages( sugar-free options availble too)//mentally list resisting goals promtly thinking con’s vs pros/later outcomes attend support programs / checking new hobbies etc

b)Accommodating environment Changes:

Properly alter environment conducive acts limitations from previous enticing locations-erasing the source of toxicity, limiting exposure to sources that previously reinforced unhealthy behavior,ridding substances from home gatherings

c)Helping supplement alternatives:

-Leveraging medical assistance: teletherapy/medication
-Incorporating cannabis/hemp oils(non-psychoactive-heard about it?
-Replacement programs

d)Increasing self-support:

Join a online sober support group/challenge alonelinessthoughts. Reach out for help.

4. Distraction Techniques Utilization 🔨

when on the verge of relapse trying distraction techniques become helpful.
Here some few examples that maybe useful;

-Meditate
-Centring thoughts through active concentration (distractions response mechanism)
-Assorted Behavioral Interferences:- taking long walks, alter communication channels,
-Switch notifications off when drowsy
-find substitutes with more similar interests

5 Make A Plan🗓️ Of Action

It becomes beneficial mapping direction and courses prevent future temptation entrapment further delaying recovery process just by having specific objectives written-out/broken-down into tiny achievable progress increments

These can comprise daily routines/rewards for successful progress Checkpoints measurement systems-result accountability assessment integration techniques-if efficacy patterns discernoble-correction measures incuded-everything in order toward lower intensity transitioniying ending addiction cycle foreverstarting new healthy life!
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In all, remember:-trapping oneself in addiction is undesirable but not irreversible .Take decisive baby steps while accumulating small good feels towards building improve your lifestyle habits