u/DrMo-A-Ali

Almost all of us are addicted to something—be it smoking, alcohol, toxic relationships, or others. We undoubtedly know the harm they cause, yet when we decide to abandon these habits and break the addiction, we fail once, twice, or even dozens of times. We fall into a closed loop: we decide to quit, we persist, we suffer, and then we relapse.

This happens simply because we try to "remove" bad habits. I’m not joking—trying to simply "get rid" of pornography, for example, keeps you trapped in the addiction cycle. When you drop a bad habit, you leave behind a void of energy that needs to be discharged. If you are the type of person who plans to add good habits only after you’ve recovered from the brain-altering effects of addiction, you will gain nothing—you will simply relapse.

Therefore, you must work on finding alternative solutions for those habits rather than just quitting and watching. During your recovery journey, monitor the triggers that lead to a relapse and cut them off. Most importantly: when you relapse, continue practicing the new habits you are trying to acquire. Do not stop, even if you are exhausted, and even if you only perform that new habit for a few tiny minutes on the day of your relapse.

This is what helped me overcome my own bad habits, based on my years of experience trying to quit them and my background in the medical field as well. Share with me your thoughts and your struggles with breaking your habits.

Almost all of us are addicted to something—be it smoking, alcohol, toxic relationships, or others. We undoubtedly know the harm they cause, yet when we decide to abandon these habits and break the addiction, we fail once, twice, or even dozens of times. We fall into a closed loop: we decide to quit, we persist, we suffer, and then we relapse.

This happens simply because we try to "remove" bad habits. I’m not joking—trying to simply "get rid" of pornography, for example, keeps you trapped in the addiction cycle. When you drop a bad habit, you leave behind a void of energy that needs to be discharged. If you are the type of person who plans to add good habits only after you’ve recovered from the brain-altering effects of addiction, you will gain nothing—you will simply relapse.

Therefore, you must work on finding alternative solutions for those habits rather than just quitting and watching. During your recovery journey, monitor the triggers that lead to a relapse and cut them off. Most importantly: when you relapse, continue practicing the new habits you are trying to acquire. Do not stop, even if you are exhausted, and even if you only perform that new habit for a few tiny minutes on the day of your relapse.

This is what helped me overcome my own bad habits, based on my years of experience trying to quit them and my background in the medical field as well. Share with me your thoughts and your struggles with breaking your habits.

Almost all of us are addicted to something—be it smoking, alcohol, toxic relationships, or others. We undoubtedly know the harm they cause, yet when we decide to abandon these habits and break the addiction, we fail once, twice, or even dozens of times. We fall into a closed loop: we decide to quit, we persist, we suffer, and then we relapse.

This happens simply because we try to "remove" bad habits. I’m not joking—trying to simply "get rid" of pornography, for example, keeps you trapped in the addiction cycle. When you drop a bad habit, you leave behind a void of energy that needs to be discharged. If you are the type of person who plans to add good habits only after you’ve recovered from the brain-altering effects of addiction, you will gain nothing—you will simply relapse.

Therefore, you must work on finding alternative solutions for those habits rather than just quitting and watching. During your recovery journey, monitor the triggers that lead to a relapse and cut them off. Most importantly: when you relapse, continue practicing the new habits you are trying to acquire. Do not stop, even if you are exhausted, and even if you only perform that new habit for a few tiny minutes on the day of your relapse.

This is what helped me overcome my own bad habits, based on my years of experience trying to quit them and my background in the medical field as well. Share with me your thoughts and your struggles with breaking your habits.

BDNF

Do you remember the magical effect spinach had on the famous character Popeye? There is another "formula" that does the exact same thing for all of us—strengthening our minds and our focus. It is the BDNF protein.

This protein is what grows new neural connections and strengthens the links responsible for focus and memory. It also protects the Prefrontal Cortex from damage caused by intense stress. This explains its name, BDNF:

• B = Brain

• D = Derived

• N = Neurotrophic

• F = Factor

Essentially, it is "brain food." But the important question is: how do we get it? To stimulate the production of this protein, you need to engage in any physical activity that raises your heart rate. I don't care what it is—the key is to find a type of movement you enjoy or a sport you love and practice it regularly.

My request here is simple: I’m not asking you to become a professional athlete. I just want you to be someone whose brain secretes enough of this "maintenance hormone," BDNF, to keep the system running.

From my book : Digital Discipline

Do you remember the magical effect spinach had on the famous character Popeye? There is another "formula" that does the exact same thing for all of us—strengthening our minds and our focus. It is the BDNF protein.

This protein is what grows new neural connections and strengthens the links responsible for focus and memory. It also protects the **Prefrontal Cortex** from damage caused by intense stress. This explains its name, **BDNF**:

• B = Brain

• D = Derived

• N = Neurotrophic

• F = Factor

Essentially, it is "brain food." But the important question is: how do we get it? To stimulate the production of this protein, you need to engage in any physical activity that raises your heart rate. I don't care what it is—the key is to find a type of movement you enjoy or a sport you love and practice it regularly.

My request here is simple: I’m not asking you to become a professional athlete. I just want you to be someone whose brain secretes enough of this "maintenance hormone," BDNF, to keep the system running.

From my book : Digital Discipline

Dr.Moamen Eid