Friday, October 2, 2009

Addiction - A 1-Step Program

Before I explain the 1-step program to help you with addiction, let me explain that I was personally involved in both drinking and smoking for the better part of 15 years. I was a smoker to the tune of a pack of cigarettes a day and drinker to the tune of at least 8 beers a day. I didn't keep a running tally of my drinking, but 8 beers a day had to be the average. Some days more, some days less, but my average had to be eight. Having explained how deeply involved I was in both practices, now let me explain how it was that I walked away from them forever.
I heard a great quote that stated, "Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change." This might sound incredibly obvious, but as you let it sink in, and think about it for a while, that quote id quite profound. So profound, as a matter of fact, that it's basically all I did to walk away from both smoking and drinking forever. That's right, I changed the way I thought about both practices, and the act of engaging in both practices changed. It's true, and I did it without 12 step programs, pills, patches, meetings, or drugs.
I simply changed my thinking, or "what I thought" about both drinking and smoking, and very quickly the act of doing them changed. By very quickly, I'm talking about a six to twelve month process. I began thinking about how easy stopping was going to be, even while I was still engaging in both practices. Rather than telling myself how difficult stopping was going to be (which is what most people do), I told myself how easy it was going to be. Rather than telling myself how horrible the nicotine withdrawals were going to be, I did the opposite and told myself that I would have no problem.
As I said, I did this for six months to a year and during that time both practices became a complete and utter hassle. The way I felt after waking up hung over started to seem like it wasn't worth it. Being out of breath after very minor physical activity seemed terrible. I was beginning to tire of the entire process. Soon the day came when I looked in my pack of cigarettes and realized that there was only one left. Rather than going to get a new pack, I looked at that cigarette and said, "This is it, I'm done." I proceeded to smoke that cigarette and haven't smoked again.
Drinking followed closely behind, with a very similar circumstance occurring. The stopping of both of these "addictions" was as easy as changing my thinking. I realize that this may sound crazy and unrealistic, but it's what I did. These things don't have to be difficult, unless of course you believe they do, in which case they are and I surely can't help you out.
Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country…..Montana!
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