Let’s talk about how to get rid of addictions.

And no, I am not talking about hardcore addictions like heroin or cocaine addiction. I'm going to talk about soft addictions, maybe like cigarettes.

Almost everybody has at least some soft addictions, like cigarettes, sugary foods, or soft drinks like Coke. If you want to be free of such an addiction, then the first step is to acknowledge that you are addicted. Yeah, I know that sounded so cliché.

For years, I have been saying that I'm not addicted to smoking. I used to smoke a packet a day back in the time, and now I only smoke whenever I feel like smoking. I have total control over my mind as to when I want to smoke. It's not like if I don't smoke then I'm having some physical discomfort that forces me to smoke.

So I say that I'm not addicted because I can control when I want to smoke. I smoke when I feel like smoking.

If you’re also like me, who thinks and talks like that, then you have to be honest with yourself.

Why do you feel like smoking? Agreed, you smoke whenever you feel like smoking but why do you feel like smoking? If you acknowledge that smoking is bad then the fact that you still feel like smoking and you act on it is also an addiction. It doesn’t matter how you rationalize it.

Some may call it a habit. But the habit that is not easy to change is addiction of sorts.

Agreed?

Okay, now let’s understand the mechanics of addiction.

Minimum Daily Pleasure

I credit this insight to Scott Adams.

He says that we humans need some minimum amount of pleasure daily to function and get through the day. And we will try to get that pleasure one way or another.

Dopamine, the hormone released into our brain, is the pleasure hormone. That's what makes us feel any kind of pleasure or happiness.

Whenever you smoke, whenever you indulge in something that may not be healthy for you but you still want to do it, it releases dopamine and gives you some pleasure. So if you want to get rid of that “addiction”, you have to find alternative ways of dopamine release.

Without a minimum amount of dopamine release for a period of time, you can’t remain mentally healthy. Dopamine is the requirement for good mental health.

You will notice that people who don't have a lot of sources of pleasure, people who are not successful in anything, and who are having sad, gloomy lives are more prone to falling into addictions. That’s because, in their life, that addiction is the only source of pleasure.

So if smoking gives you pleasure and you want to get rid of it, then you need to replace that with something else. Maybe eat something delicious instead, or have a Diet Coke.

The Best Replacement

It’s not necessary that you need to replace one consumption with another, because consumption is not the only thing that releases dopamine.

The minimum level of daily pleasure can also be attained through fulfilling hobbies or socializing. Above all, I think the best replacement for the thing that you are addicted to is something that improves you and increases your odds of success.

Exercise comes first to mind.

Once you exercise, and do a hard workout, it releases dopamine in your brain. It gives you pleasure and it gives you a sense of accomplishment also. And it has got health benefits too. So not only in the short term but also in the long run, you only benefit from doing that.

So the best way to get rid of any addiction is to work out and get your dopamine from there, but if that is too much for you then as I said earlier, the thing that you need to understand is that you just have to replace the pleasure from that addictive activity with something else.

If you're not replacing the source of pleasure, it's not possible to get rid of addiction, because the fundamental thing about addiction is that we need a minimum amount of pleasure in our life to go on living. If you don't have that pleasure coming in from the non-harmful activities then your mind will find the harmful activities to derive the pleasure from.

Find the non-harmful activities that release dopamine to fulfill your need for the minimum amount of pleasure.

I think this will help to an extent for you to figure out your addiction and work on getting rid of it.