As a psychologist, I can help you overcome your bad habits.

Many Americans make New Year's resolutions to quit bad habits, according to statistics.

According to data from the United Health Foundation, 72% of U.S. adults engage in at least one unhealthy behavior, such as smoking, overeating, excessive drinking, or "doom-scrolling" on social media instead of sleeping.

As a California-based psychologist, Dr. Adi Jaffe has experienced the dangers of unhealthy habits, having struggled with drug addiction himself.

He shared with Planet Chronicle Digital during an on-camera interview that he got trapped in the world of drugs and alcohol from the middle of high school until a few years after college.

"All individuals, regardless of gender, age, race, or income, can be affected by addiction."

Despite ending up in jail, Jaffe eventually got clean and went back to school, eventually earning two master's degrees and a PhD in psychology.

"My goal is to comprehend my past experiences and then share the lessons I've learned with others who are facing similar challenges."

"Addiction doesn't separate by gender or age or race or income — people of all walks of life are impacted."

Jaffe's upcoming book, "Unhooked: Free Yourself from Addiction Forever," provides a step-by-step program to help people overcome harmful habits and improve their mental health.

Jaffe shared with Planet Chronicle Digital some of his tips and insights.

Recognizing the behavior

Jaffe pointed out that addiction can manifest in various ways, not just through the use of drugs or alcohol.

According to him, if you consistently engage in a behavior that prevents you from being fully present in your life and bothers you, but you can't stop it despite trying multiple times, then that behavior qualifies.

In addition to substance abuse, addictive behaviors may include spending hours on your phone scrolling through negative news, overeating, compulsive gambling, or engaging in other unhealthy activities.

People can be addicted to work and success, too, Jaffe noted.

"He stated that when things become challenging, individuals often turn to work as a means of escaping difficulties. However, this can lead to an unhealthy dependence on success or performance, which can have negative consequences similar to other addictions."

Social media is another form of addiction, the expert said.

"When your phone buzzes or pings, you're intrigued by the novelty of not knowing what's there, which releases dopamine, and you can't resist checking it."

Identifying the ‘hooks’

Jaffe stated that people often believe that the behavior itself is the issue, but there is usually an underlying cause for unhealthy or harmful choices.

"The behavior was actually a medicine of sorts for a problematic undercurrent."

Earlier in your life, there was pain or struggle or emotional discomfort, which led you to do it, he said.

"You found that the behavior you engaged in alleviated the discomfort you were experiencing. Therefore, the behavior served as a form of treatment for an underlying issue."

At 14 or 15 years old, social anxiety was Jaffe's "hook."

He confessed to Planet Chronicle Digital that when someone offered him a bottle of vodka at a sleepaway camp, he drank it to avoid looking uncool.

"As soon as I began consuming alcohol, I experienced a sense of belonging and no longer felt anxious. I felt confident in my ability to communicate with others. Consequently, I concluded that alcohol had resolved this issue."

Jaffe stated that although everyone has unique hooks, there are also commonalities and recurring themes.

"We commence our existence attempting to evade the unease of the attachments."

Replacing the habit

Jaffe asserts that one of the biggest mistakes people make after identifying an unhealthy behavior is attempting to stop it without a plan.

He remarked that people often make New Year's resolutions to stop doing things they dislike, such as eating unhealthy foods or being lazy.

A psychologist pointed out that replacing a negative behavior with a positive one is the most crucial aspect of kicking a bad habit, according to research.

"Jaffe stated that instead of solely trying to eliminate bad habits, we must replace them with something else."

To quit smoking, one might keep gum or sunflower seeds in their pocket, he said.

"You just have to keep going."

If someone is too focused on work, they may need to delegate some tasks to others.

Jaffe highlighted that the journey of quitting a bad habit is not always smooth and flawless, and that occasional setbacks do not necessarily mean defeat.

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He said it's okay to fail multiple times while working on changing this.

"You just have to keep going."

On January 7th, Jaffe's book "Unhooked: Free Yourself from Addiction Forever" will be released.