1. Identifying and shaping positive feedback loops is so under-appreciated. As true for the spiral upward of exercise, healthy diet, good sleep, etc. as the downward dynamic you describe.
5. Absolutely. I used to say that cigarettes were my most reliable friends. Always there for me; always made me feel better. I imagine you've seen the idea that addiction is a consequence of loneliness/isolation. I think that's probably taking it a bit too far, but I'm sure that feeling belonging and love protects against it to some degree.
4. Doesn't work for me either, at least for a certain kind of addiction. One year on Halloween I had been sugar and refined-carbs free for months, had a fun-size Butterfinger at work, and then had a pint of ice cream that evening. Same thing with cigarettes.
It would be a good book. Let me know if you want to collaborate on it.
Yeah, the difference between willpower while shopping and willpower all the time is huge. No one would try to quit smoking with cigarettes around the house. I was almost a year off sugar when I went to work at one of those shops with the pastry chefs and piles of snacks... It wasn't long before the stress and easy availability knocked me off the wagon.
This mirrors my experience remarkably. Quitting smoking and becoming a runner in my 20s was transformative for many reasons, perhaps most of all by replacing regular feelings of shame with pride.
I'd love to kick sugar for good. It's inflammatory, destabilizes my concentration, make my moods less steady, and interferes with deep sleep. I've tried many times and many ways. But it's such a strong addiction (it's a big part of what the dopamine system was built to make sure we get!) and short of going keto, you can't take the kind of absolute approach that worked for this author and me with nicotine, alcohol, etc. because all carbs hit that reinforcement system. If anyone with addictive tendencies has figured this out, I'd love to hear how.