In the post Reasons to Quit Smoking, I mentioned that the enjoyable things in life aren’t inherently problematic, and abandoning the world and its pleasures isn’t the solution either. The issue starts when anything that brings pleasure (a brain reward) turns into a problem and eventually a crisis that blocks other things in life. These pleasures aren’t necessarily smoking or other drugs, they can be anything that makes you feel good, from binge-watching a series to being in a relationship. From cigarettes to your Pharmaton multivitamins.

Giving up pleasures is only a good idea if you’re certain they can’t exist in your life in a harmless and sometimes subtle way. Let me put it differently. First, you should only pursue a pleasure if you’re sure that you control it, not the other way around. Second, when you reach a point where you feel that a pleasure is becoming the center of your moments, you should step away. This comes from the assumption that you want to live fully, life with all its details and both good and bad experiences, not just getting high on one of these pleasures.

Professor Bruce Alexander believes that the opposite of addiction isn’t awareness, but connection, the bond between humans. To control any kind of addiction, from food and drinks to sights and consumables, alongside strong willpower, you need relationships with other people, friends, and acquaintances. Loneliness minimizes the chance of maintaining this control.

Stay clean, free, and happy :)

Currently listening to Küçük Sevgilim by Mor ve Ötesi