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Balanced Life Development - Addictive Behaviour Solution, Preston (2025)

It appears that a behaviour of mine might be modified by distraction, substitution, altering a way I look at it, or altering a way I look at an issue. I might like to have a bit more balanced life and maybe to modify or get rid of a behaviour that isn't helping me as much as it did, or is actually hurting me a bit.
7:00pm to 8:30pm TUESDAY
The Bridge - Preston Neighbourhood House
218 High Street PRESTON VIC 3072
Phone Hugh - 0402 400 761
Help@bld.org.au

18/10/2025

https://www.practicalrecovery.com/prblog/addiction-treatment-is-sick-not-the-people-treated/

Labels in addiction treatment can be dangerous - we have continued to make the same mistakes. It is time we change our thinking.

12/10/2025

There is a vast difference between ’simple’ and ‘easy.’
The following might provide a piece of my puzzle - with a bit more consistent effort, I might move a bit more in a bit more helpful direction.
Whatever I can do is OK.

Podcast Episode · The Mel Robbins Podcast · 02/10/2025 · 1h 19m

18/08/2025

How might I move a bit away from an addictive behaviour?

Moving a bit away from an addictive behavior has been found to involve multiple layers — mental, emotional, and behavioral. What has been shown to be a bit helpful on this path is:

Developing a Bit of an Understanding of What is Tending to Drive a Behavior.
In The Biology of Desire, Marc Lewis explains that addiction is likely less a disease and probably more a form of deep learning. It often started from a place of seeking relief or pleasure in what I saw as a difficult world. When I understand a bit more that my brain is trying to help me cope — just in a way that backfires — it might help to soften my inner resistance to change and give me a bit of acceptance compassion and space for my own process.

Changing a Habit Loop I Operate Under.
Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit outlines the habit loop: cue → routine → reward. What I find helpful is putting in a bit of effort to identify what is tending to trigger a behavior in me, then experimenting with inserting a healthier routine that offers a better outcome or a similar reward — like relief, distraction, or connection.

Rewiring My Identity a Bit.
James Clear in Atomic Habits shares that a small action tends to compound and reinforce a bit of my identity. When I choose one small behavior each day that aligns with who I prefer to be — rather than just what I want to stop or reduce — I might start to see myself a bit differently. This might tend to help a behaviour change feel a bit more likely and feel a bit more of a stable process.

Practicing a Bit More Self-Compassion Rather Than Control.
In The Science of Stuck, Britt Frank suggests that feeling stuck is other than a flaw — it is likely a sign something inside of me would benefit from understanding or acceptance. As I stop trying to control or crush an addictive urge and instead get curious about what it was trying to protect me from, I might feel a bit less afraid of it and be a bit more able to allow myself to grow.

Using a bit of Self-Hypnosis or Visualization
Some have found that self-hypnosis or a guided visualization practice has helped reprogram a subconscious pattern. Melvin Powers' Practical Guide to Self-Hypnosis offers a structured way to train the mind toward a new behavior with less of a suggestion of force. A meditation practice and gratitude have been shown to be helpful. Relaxation, understanding, acceptance.

One of these steps — understanding, experimenting, reframing, practicing, and exploring — might gently enable me to move in a bit more helpful direction. What I’ve found is that even a small shift can move past inertia, and from there, a bit more movement becomes possible in my mind.

How might it help me as I choose to explore one of these areas a bit more deeply?

Send a message to learn more

07/08/2025

How might I cope with an addiction craving of mine?

When I feel an addiction craving, one helpful approach might be to first recognize it as a 'signal' rather than a 'command.' In The Biology of Desire, Marc Lewis describes how a craving is not a sign of a disease, it is rather a signal that my brain is seeking relief or reward in a patterned way. This idea has helped me pause and ask, “What might I really be needing right now?” instead of reacting impulsively.

From The Power of Habit, I’ve learned that a craving is part of a habit loop — cue, routine, reward. When I can identify a cue (like stress or boredom), I might choose to insert a different routine — such as going for a short walk, calling a supportive friend, or practicing a breathing technique — to chase a bit of the same reward, like comfort or stimulation.

Atomic Habits introduces the idea that reducing friction makes a new behavior a bit more likely. When a craving appears, having a healthy alternative ready — like a chore, an exercise, a playlist, or a journal — might make it a bit easier to pivot. James Clear also points out that “self-control is a short-term strategy” - it is what I do consistently that matters a bit more than what I resist once.

When a craving 'feels' a bit overwhelming, a practice like self-hypnosis (described by Melvin Powers) can be a powerful tool. Using a simple script, I’ve found that I can calm my mind a bit and refocus it a little, often breaking the loop of a compulsive thought just long enough to regain a bit of clarity.

What’s helped me a bit isn’t eliminating a craving entirely, it is rather learning a bit to respond to it with some curiosity and as much compassion as I can, instead of common human shame or urgency.

Creating a bit of space for a life I have decided I prefer to have.

Send a message to learn more

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