The 4th and final law in James Clear’s Atomic Habits refers to the final part of the habit loop, the reward. In order for a new habit to form and be sustained, any reward must be satisfying. The difficult thing about this step speaks to our biology and evolution. As...
A patient called the other evening. He finished his rapid opiate detox about a week ago. He has a very physical job and is the father of a 4-month-old baby, Noah. Noah is the reason he finally decided he had to stop his drug use once and for all. He has been using...
While it is widely accepted that substance use disorders and behavioral addictions are complex psychosocial/spiritual conditions and not just bad habits, I believe that incorporating insights from the highly studied topic of habit change can be a boon for anyone...
James Clear, author of Atomic Habits defines the Habit Loop as consisting of four components: the cue or trigger, the craving, the response and the reward. By breaking each component down he offers strategies for those who are attempting to create a new habit or...
Patients who have stopped using opiates and gone through the withdrawal process often wonder why their energy is so low and ask about ways they might boost it. After extended use of opioid pain medications such as Oxycontin, Percocet®, Opana®, Dilaudid®, Vicodin®,...