Addiction-Free Life: How Happiness is the Key

addiction-free happiness

In the book Never Enough, neuroscientist Judith Grisel, who specializes in addictive behavior, admits that “I regret to say that I haven’t solved the problem [of addiction].” This suggests that there may not be a definitive guideline for overcoming addiction, but there are definitely some great tools that can help facilitate the journey towards becoming addiction-free.

One such tool is the concept of going cold turkey, which involves complete abstinence from negative behavior. While this approach can work for some people, it is not effective for most, as it relies on motivation and willpower, which are limited resources. Once willpower is depleted, the addiction often resurfaces.

However, perhaps it is more powerful to avoid the negative behaviors associated with addiction, breaking the vicious cycle and embracing a virtuous cycle that leads to a life free from addiction.

For example, if we have a problem with drinking, we can avoid situations, places, and people that encourage drinking. Additionally, we can avoid other negative behaviors unrelated to our addiction, such as overeating, staying up late, and smoking.

Essentially, by reducing the number of negative behaviors we engage in, we decrease the desire for other negative behaviors, and vice versa. As a result, engaging in positive and healthy behaviors leads to a greater desire for more positive behaviors. For instance, if we exercise regularly, surround ourselves with healthy friends, and maintain good sleeping habits, we are more likely to avoid drinking.

In other words, going cold turkey is only one aspect of making meaningful changes in our lives. Instead, a truly complete transformation requires a complete shift in our mindset and actions.

Additionally, it can be helpful to state affirmations such as “I am not a smoker” or “I do not go to places that encourage smoking.” Similarly, we should identify who we want to be, such as “I go to bed early, I wake up early, eat healthfully, lead an active life, surround myself with positive people, and engage in fulfilling hobbies.”

By embracing a personal ideal and consistently living in alignment with it, we can become free from our addictions. And while this process may take time, introspection, and dedication to reinvent ourselves, it is worth it. Often, people become overly attached to their identities, even if they no longer serve them. However, the reward of this new life is an addiction-free existence filled with happiness. 

And while addiction may still exist, it will have fewer reasons to emerge, while there will be numerous reasons to abstain from engaging in addictive behavior.

Ultimately, the process of becoming addiction-free can be facilitated by seeking help from an expert who can provide guidance and support. This is exactly what Optimal Happiness offers, along with a comprehensive formula for becoming the best version of yourself and leading a happy life. So if you want to have a happier life, giving up on negative behavior that makes us unhappy, such as addiction, then I recommend contacting us for a free 30-minute assessment call.

Stay happy and addiction-free!

Roman Russo

Roman Russo

Roman Russo is the visionary founder, senior happiness coach, and Chief Happiness Officer of Optimal Happiness. He has written the revolutionary Optimal Happiness: The Fastest and Surest Way to Reach Your Happiest Potential, a must-read book about achieving our happiest potential. After researching this field for over eight years, Roman is confident that anyone can become happy and invites us to undertake this transformation. Are you ready to start living the life you always meant to live?

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“The problem is that of optimization,” states Roman Russo, author of Optimal Happiness: The Fastest & Surest Way To Reach Your Happiest Potential. Most people will tell you how to be less unhappy or more happy, but no one is speaking about how to be the happiest we can be. And this is the difference that makes all the difference. By not looking at our happiest potential, we fall short of achieving it. After all, we all have hundreds of ideas on how to be happier or less sad, but most people still feel like they are not living their best lives. As such, Optimal Happiness explores the question of how to be the happiest we can be, regardless of who we are, where we are from, and what our life circumstances are. It proposes a complete formula for happiness and explains how to optimize the formula so we can be happy today and forever, breaking down what it really takes to become one of the happiest people alive (spoiler: it isn’t what most people think it is).

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