Statistics show that more than a third of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, many of which are aimed at breaking bad habits.
Whether it’s smoking, overeating, drinking too much or “doom-scrolling” on social media instead of sleeping, 72% of American adults report engaging in at least one unhealthy behavior, according to the United Health Foundation.
dr. Adi Jaffe, a psychologist from California, knows firsthand the dangers of unhealthy habits, which he once struggled with drug addiction yourself.
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“I remained trapped in the world drugs and alcoholfrom mid-high school to a few years after college,” he shared with Fox News Digital during an on-camera interview.
dr. Adi Jaffe, a psychologist from California, struggled with drug addiction in his youth, and now helps others overcome unhealthy habits. (Adi Jaffe, Ph.D.)
“Addiction does not discriminate by gender, age, race or income – people from all walks of life are affected.”
Jaffe eventually spent time in prison before getting clean and going back to school, earning two master’s degrees and a doctorate in psychology.
“I wanted to understand what happened to me — and what I’ve done in the last 15 years, I hope, is pass those lessons on to others who are struggling.”
“Addiction does not discriminate by gender, age, race or income – people of all walks of life are affected.”
Today, Jaffe focuses on helping people overcome addiction and improve theirs mental health. In his upcoming book — “Unhooked: Free Yourself from Addiction Forever” — he shares a step-by-step program to help people break free of harmful habits.
Jaffe shared some of his tips and insights with Fox News Digital.
Behavior recognition
While many people think of addiction as drugs or alcohol, Jaffe noted that it can take many forms.
Many people assume that the behavior itself is the problem, the psychologist said — but there’s almost always an underlying reason for those unhealthy or harmful choices. (iStock)
“If you engage in any behavior over long periods of time that robs you of your ability to be fully present in your life – and it bothers you, but you can’t find yourself to stop it, even though you’ve tried over and over – to me that qualifies” , he said.
In substance abuse addiction, addictive behaviors can include “doom-scrolling” on your phone for hours a day, overeatinggambling or engaging in other unhealthy activities.
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People can also be addicted to work and success, Jaffe noted.
“When things get tough and tough, they want to go to work,” he said. “They believe that being successful or being successful will make them feel better, but it can cause harm just like other addictions.”
“Doom-scrolling” on social networks is a potentially addictive behavior, the psychologist pointed out. (iStock)
Social media is another form of addiction, said the expert.
When your phone buzzes or pings, you don’t know what’s there, so it’s a novelty that’s interesting and releases dopamine, he said. “You almost literally can’t help yourself.”
Identifying “hooks”
Many people assume that the behavior itself is the problem, Jaffe said — but there’s almost always an underlying reason for those unhealthy or harmful choices.
“The behavior was actually a kind of cure for a problematic undercurrent.”
“The reason you do that is because at some point earlier in your life there was pain or struggle or emotional discomfort,” he said.
“And you found that that discomfort went away when you behaved like that. So that behavior was actually a kind of cure for the problematic undercurrent.”
Statistics show that more than a third of Americans make New Year’s resolutions, many of which are aimed at breaking bad habits. (iStock)
For Jaffe, when he was 14 or 15, it was his “hook.” social anxiety.
“And when someone gave me a bottle of vodka at a sleepaway camp, I drank it because I didn’t want to look awkward,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“When I started drinking, I didn’t have anxiety and I felt like I belonged. I felt like I could talk to people. And so I realized that alcohol ‘solved’ this problem.”
“When I started drinking, I didn’t have anxiety and I felt like I belonged. I felt like I could talk to people. And so I realized that alcohol ‘solved’ this problem.” (iStock)
Everyone has different hooks, Jaffe said, but there are similarities and patterns.
“We start living our lives trying to escape the discomfort of the hook.”
Changing the habit
Once people recognize an unhealthy behavior, one of the biggest mistakes they make is just trying to stop it without a plan, according to Jaffe.
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“We try to prevent ourselves from doing what we don’t like,” he pointed out. “Especially around New Year’s, people might say, ‘I’m going to stop eating bad food or I’m going to stop being lazy,'” he said.
However, research has shown that the most important aspect of breaking a bad habit is replacing the negative behavior positivenoted the psychologist.
The most important aspect of breaking a bad habit is to replace the negative behavior with a positive one. (iStock)
“We need to stop trying to simply eliminate bad habits — that doesn’t work,” Jaffe said. “We have to replace them with something else.”
For example, if someone wants to stop smokingthey might keep gum or sunflower seeds in their pockets, he said.
“You just have to keep going.”
Or, if someone is too focused on work, it may mean letting go of some tasks and delegating them to other people.
Jaffe also stressed that the process of breaking a bad habit isn’t always perfect or flawless, and that giving in once in a while doesn’t mean failure.
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“It’s okay to fall flat on your face a few times as you work to change it,” he said.
“You just have to keep going.”
Jaffe’s book, “Unhooked: Free Yourself from Addiction Forever,” will be available Jan. 7.
