How long does it take to break an addictive habit? Is the ‘21’ or ‘90’ number of days the golden rule when it comes to overcoming addiction, or is it just a myth? In this article, I am going to discuss a relatively controversial topic – the timeline required for breaking an addiction.
Why Breaking an Addiction is so Challenging
It is widely accepted that quitting an addiction of any kind is incredibly difficult. Quitting smoking, recovery from a drug, or breaking a pattern of gambling are just a few examples of addictions that many people find challenging to overcome.
The challenge does not come from the fact that some individuals lack motivation or willpower. Quitting an addictive habit is so difficult because addiction changes the neurochemistry of the brain, creating automatic associations between a habit and a certain emotional reaction. For example, some people might not necessarily be addicted to the act of smoking itself, but rather to the temporary relief they get from nicotine.
Habits become embedded in the structure of our personalities and find their ways into our daily routines and practices. As a result, they become automatic, which is why we do many things without full awareness. In order to break an addiction pattern, we have to change our habits and adopt new ways of coping that replace the addictive ones.
21 Days
There are many self-development books and practices that claim to help people break an addiction in just 21 days. Although this timeline might work for some people whose addiction problem is quite recent or superficial, there is no sound scientific evidence for this claim. Furthermore, trying to reverse a long-standing addiction problem in just 3 weeks can feel impossible for someone who deals with serious withdrawal effects.
The concept of 21 days originated from Dr. Maxwell Martz’s self-help book called Psycho-cybernetics. The author, a plastic surgeon, claimed that it took his patients around 21 days to adjust to their new physical features. However, extending these principles to addiction recovery can seem rather unrealistic. In reality, it takes people a lot more than that to replace destructive habits.
90 Days
It is important to keep in mind that the recovery process is based on many individual variables. Even though there are individuals who might achieve excellent results in 90 days, it is difficult to apply this specific timeline to everyone. Some people might be able to recover sooner, while others need a lot more support and may find themselves relapsing more often.
There is no magic number that can guarantee someone’s recovery process length. Even if implementing new behaviors in 90 days can make a significant difference in the recovery process, it is best not to get attached to a strict number of days. Changing a habit requires patience, consistency, sustained effort and goal-directed actions. Therefore, introducing new habits in the first 90 days can build a strong foundation for long-term recovery.
Dealing with Withdrawal Symptoms
One of the most challenging aspects of quitting an addiction is dealing with the unpleasant effects that come with the withdrawal stage. When someone gives up a long-standing habit, they might experience mood swings, irritability, altered sleep patterns, and an intense urge to seek the old source of their addiction.
In the case of substance misuse, the withdrawal is also caused when the drug starts getting out of one’s system. Addiction alters biology and neurochemistry, hence giving up on a habit or substance leads to temporary chemical dysregulation.
Treatment Programs
There are now multiple treatment options available for almost all types of addictions. In the case of substance misuse, treatments can include a rehabilitation program where individuals are supported during the withdrawal stage. They usually receive interventions from medical professionals who support them with the detoxification process, followed by psychological and behavioral interventions. For other addiction types, there are various treatment options such as psychotherapy, community-based interventions, and behavioral approaches.
Relapse Prevention
Any recovery process should focus heavily on preventing potential relapses. Since the urge to go back to old habits can be so strong for those in recovery, any well-designed intervention should aim to reduce the likelihood of relapse. This means helping those in recovery build strong emotional regulation skills and a close support system.
Lifestyle Changes
Breaking addictive habits entails replacing unhelpful routines with healthy ones that promote recovery. This can mean changing one’s social circle if the addiction was encouraged by a certain group, adopting a healthier diet, and making changes in one’s environment. Lifestyle changes can also entail a number of modifications in one’s daily routines and habits.
A Final Word
Quitting any addictive pattern can be immensely challenging. Although everyone recovers in their own time, some people find it useful to implement new changes for a number of weeks or even months prior to fully quitting their addiction.
Recovery, however, does not happen overnight. It requires adequate support and interventions, and a solid support network that can help individuals when they are more likely to fall back into relapse. Therefore, quitting addiction entails dealing with unpleasant withdrawal effects, building good emotional regulation skills and sticking to an efficient treatment plan.
