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 alcohol excessively, or “doom scrolling” on social media instead of sleeping, 72% of American adults report engaging in at least one unhealthy behavior, according to data from the United Health Foundation .
Dr. Adi Jaffe, a California-based psychologist, knows firsthand the dangers of unhealthy habits, which he once struggled with drug addiction himself.
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‘I became trapped in the world of drugs and alcoholfrom the middle of high school until a few years after college,” he said during an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital.
Dr. Adi Jaffe, a California-based psychologist, struggled with drug addiction in his youth and now helps others overcome unhealthy habits. (Adi Jaffe, PhD)
“Addiction is not separated by gender, age, race or income; people from all walks of life are affected.”
Jaffe eventually spent time in prison before getting clean and returning to school, where he earned two master’s degrees and a doctorate in psychology.
“I wanted to understand what happened to me – and what I’ve hopefully done over the last fifteen years is bring those lessons to others who are struggling.”
“Addiction is not separated by gender, age, race or income; people from all walks of life are affected.”
Today, Jaffe focuses on helping people overcome addiction and improve their addiction mental health. In his upcoming book – ‘Unhooked: Free Yourself from Addiction Forever’ – he shares a step-by-step program to help people free themselves from harmful habits.
Jaffe shared some of his tips and insights with Fox News Digital.
Recognizing the behavior
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 is almost always an underlying reason for those unhealthy or harmful choices. (iStock)
“If you engage in behavior for 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 stop it even though you’ve tried again and again – for me does that qualify,” he said.
If you’re addicted to substance abuse, addictive behavior can include hours of ‘doom scrolling’ on your phone, binge eatinggambling or indulging in other unhealthy activities.
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People can also be addicted to work and success, Jaffe noted.
“When the going gets tough, they want to go to work,” he said. “They believe that success or achievement will make them feel better, but it can cause harm like other addictions.”
“Doom scrolling” on social media is a potentially addictive behavior, the psychologist noted. (iStock)
Social media is another form of addiction, the expert said.
“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.”
Identify the ‘hooks’
Many people assume that the behavior itself is the problem, Jaffe said, but there is almost always an underlying reason for those unhealthy or harmful choices.
“The behavior was actually a kind of medicine against a problematic undercurrent.”
“The reason you do it is because at some point earlier in your life there was pain, struggle or emotional discomfort,” he said.
“And you discovered that if you showed the behavior, that discomfort disappeared. So the behavior was actually a kind of medicine against a 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 years old, he was his “hook.” social anxiety.
“And when someone handed me a bottle of vodka at sleepaway camp, I drank it because I didn’t want to look uncomfortable,” he told Fox News Digital.
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“Once I started drinking, I no longer had anxiety and I felt like I belonged. I felt like I could talk to people. And so I realized that alcohol had ‘solved’ this problem.”
“Once I started drinking, I no longer had anxiety and I felt like I belonged. I felt like I could talk to people. And so I realized that alcohol had ‘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 hooks.”
Replace the habit
Once people identify unhealthy behaviors, one of the biggest mistakes they make is trying to stop them without a plan, Jaffe said.
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“We try to stop ourselves from doing what we don’t like,” he noted. “Especially around the New Year, 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 with a bad habit positivethe psychologist noted.
The most important aspect of breaking a bad habit is replacing negative behavior with positive behavior. (iStock)
“We need to stop trying to just eliminate bad habits — it’s not working,” Jaffe said. “We need to replace them with something else.”
For example, if someone wants that quit smokingThey could keep chewing gum or sunflower seeds in their pockets, he said.
“You just have to keep going.”
Or, if someone is too focused on their work, it may mean letting go of certain tasks and delegating them to other people.
Jaffe also emphasized that the process of breaking a bad habit isn’t always perfect or seamless, and that making an occasional mistake doesn’t equal failure.
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“It’s okay to fall flat on your face a few times while you work to change this,” he said.
“You just have to keep going.”
Jaffe’s book, “Unhooked: Free Yourself from Addiction Forever,” will be available on January 7.
