There are addictions that I have that I?ve been trying to break for
months, but without success.

What are the best ways to break negative addictions?

It is not clear what your "addictions" are, and I will not ask you to specify.

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Clarification of Answer by loopaction-ga on 02 Apr 2004 11:23 PST

I apologize for the first incomplete answer. We had a power failure here.

I hope my answer below helps answer your question.
____

It is not clear what your "addictions" are, and I will not ask you to
specify. The most crucial and important step is that you are searching
for advice and help. And that is a big step.

There are many ways to break negative addictions and many opinions on
how to deal with them.
An interesting article that deals with the labeling of negative
addiction can be found on ABCnews.com.
http://abcnews.go.com/sections/community/2020/chat_addiction030422.html
It gives insight into multiple types of addictions from smoking to
heroine and alcohol.  It also gives insight that, in Dr. Shaler's
opinion, that an addiction is a choice, that "There is no such thing
as an involuntary behavior".
Additionally there is a book written by Dr. Jeffrey Shaler called
"Addiction is a Choice".

Another view on addictions and how to beat them can be found at the
coachville training center  http://www.topten.org/content/tt.BG44.htm 
 where they have a list of "The Top 10 Ways To Help Stop A Bad Habit
Or An Addiction", written by Dennis R. Tesdell, Member: International
Coach Federation.

But the most recommended approach from all resources I found is that
seeking professional help and a support network will be most
beneficial to anyone with a strong addiction they are finding hard to
break. This can be through your local YMCA, Alcoholics Anonymous, or
by asking your physician or trusted friend or clergy member that you
are in need of help so they can offer you their guidance and support.

To contact the YMCA           http://www.ymca.com/index.jsp
Alcoholics Anonymous          http://www.alcoholics-anonymous.org/

Best wishes to you on your road to recovery.


If you would like futher help and clarification, I will need more info
on your addiction and what city/state you reside in.

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Request for Answer Clarification by markabe-ga on 03 Apr 2004 20:47 PST

Are there any articles such as the one at
http://www.topten.org/content/tt.BG44.htm ?

I ask this because my addictions are not the type that support groups
would address; they are more like bad habits.

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Clarification of Answer by loopaction-ga on 04 Apr 2004 08:38 PDT

To help you find more information regarding bad habits and breaking
them, I went to Google search and typed in the key words 'breaking bad
habits'.
Below are links similar to the "top ten" article I found. I hope you
find them informative and insightful.

From About.com, "Bad Choices, Bad Habits"
http://depression.about.com/cs/selfhelp/a/breakbadhabits.htm

"How to Break Habits and Form Good Ones"
http://www.suite101.com/showcase_book.cfm/16353        is a book that
goes into great detail on how to recognize bad habits, deal with them
and eventually form good habits to replace them with.

"Breaking Bad Habits"
http://www3.azwestern.edu/psy/dgershaw/lol/BreakBadHabit.html

There are even Bad Habit Coaches such as
http://www.proactive-coach.com/change/bad-habits.htm

Please remember, bad habits can be from eating with your mouth open,
smoking (which can also be considered an addiction) to biting your
nails. I have provided you with general advice because your question
covers a very large scope.

And with any addiction or bad behavior, it may be wise to seek
professional help if it becomes too hard to break on your own or
causes an interference with your everyday life.

Most importantly, remember that breaking any bad habit or addiction is
very hard to do and may take many tries before you can beat it. Don?t
get discouraged and keep trying.

I wish you the best of luck.

If you are willing to suffer only moderate discomfort, you likely will
not succeed. You must generate an extreme desire, and be willing to
make big sacrifices.
 If you make a pact with Satan, You will likely aquire worse
addictions to replace the ones you escaped.
 Some people claim success aided by hypnosis, transendental meditation
and/or prayer.   Neil

The best way to break negative addictions is to look at the underlying
causes as to why we are addicted in the first place.  I suffered from
several destructive addictions but until I was better able to
understand why I did this and then to find a way to take better care
of myself, emotionally, I was unable to break them.  Many 12 step
programmes help to break such addictions and are widely available to
anyone.  For more information see www.alexandramassey.co.uk

I agree getting to the root of the problem is the key to breaking
negative addictions. This is usually the driving force behind the
addiction. I learned when I finally got clean off of drugs and alcohol
through a drug rehab program that utilizes this approach in a holistic
way. They have more information at http://www.drugrehabcenter.com .

Although recovering from any addiction is challenging, it is not
impossible. With determination and support the addiction can be beat.
Good luck and i wish you a speedy recovery. I found a good drug
addiction/rehab page and thought you might want to take a look at it.
http://www.addiction-spot.com/drug%20addiction/directory/Addiction+Recovery%0D/