Tapsearch Com EditorControlled Habits
October 14th 2008 21:05
By Ray Tapajna, Editor and Artist at Tapart News and Art that Talks - continuing study of habits relating to personality, character and self-improvement
Conditioned Reflex can play a part in getting rid of habits. A reflex in general is a movement involuntarily in response to some stimulus. The most common example is what happens when a slight blow is struck under the knee cap - the foot kicks out. This is called a natural innate reflex. But there are also acquired reflexes. When you step back from the curb to get out of the way of traffic, you are using an acquired reflex. When you brush a bug away is another one. We could take advantage of this ability to get rid of our bad habits.
The nerves can be trained to react to certain stimulus to become a reflex. When we do this it is called a conditioned reflex.
Making a habit bittersweet - making it easier to say goodbye to an old habit - after all is said and done, that old habit was never really our friend .
There are examples of addicts being placed in a drab room except for the presence of a well lighted bar with a colorful array of alcohol beverages. The patient is given an antromorphine or emitine and told to help themselves to a good drink. As soon as the beverage hits their stomach, the patient becomes ill. All he can see is the liquor , all he can smell is the liquor - so that he forms a violent association with the liquor and the nausea.
After a short time, even an attractive liquor ad is sufficient to make him ill. This conditioned reflex breaks the hold liqour has over the alcoholic. The side affects wear off but the dislike of liquor remains for a longer period of time. With a little effort, he can keep the relfex alive for a very long time. If nothing else, it gives him a start in avoiding the habit that captured him.
The mother who wants to stop her child from sucking its thumb puts something bitter on the thumb. She is using a conditioned reflex too. The child starts associating bitterness with sucking their thumb.
Put yourself in "time out".
Individuals can decide what their own particular "bitterness" could be. They can choose a penalty that they can apply everytime they give in to the habit they do not want. The penalty can be a strong one or a light one depending on what it takes. We put a child in "time out" when they are out of order and it usually works after a time. We can do the same thing by denying ourselves something we like when we fall into our bad habit.
There is more to getting rid of habits than just the above methods. That is why, alcoholics put their trust in a higher power realizing how weak they are on their own.
There is also power in knowing that control of a habit is always possible. The whole history of Alcoholic Anonymous is most inspiring along this line. Seeing others doing what we thought was impossible and making it possible is a good way of starting. A careful study of what triggered the habit should be done. It can be done in a group or in quiet meditation. You can call on the inner child for help knowing that the innocent child in you as never left you. Just know the older child in you will try to fool the innocent inner child in you.
Thinking offense instead of defense is another way to travel. Excusing ourselves is no longer an option. However, forgiveness is always the top option. But we must be driven to resist our enemy on any front knowing that from our own example and the examples of others no habit is strong enough to interfere with our search for the ideal life. This should become a doctrine in the training of our wills. We need to exercise our wills and intellect to chose what we really want in life. Every good deed enhances this power of good. Motives are what triggers good choices. We can be our own observer watching our good habits come into us as we watch the old bad ones fade away. Everthing is born again with our power of knowing what is best and knowing what is not. And when we see an apparent lack of progress, we can still know we can prepare again and again for the next jump over the voids in our lives. We can indeed overcome with the help of all powers inside and outside of us - from the finite to the infinite power of all eternity.
One easy thing to do is to just say or pray God help me now ! And then you will be ready for a new adventure in your life.
Conditioned Reflex can play a part in getting rid of habits. A reflex in general is a movement involuntarily in response to some stimulus. The most common example is what happens when a slight blow is struck under the knee cap - the foot kicks out. This is called a natural innate reflex. But there are also acquired reflexes. When you step back from the curb to get out of the way of traffic, you are using an acquired reflex. When you brush a bug away is another one. We could take advantage of this ability to get rid of our bad habits.
Making a habit bittersweet - making it easier to say goodbye to an old habit - after all is said and done, that old habit was never really our friend .
There are examples of addicts being placed in a drab room except for the presence of a well lighted bar with a colorful array of alcohol beverages. The patient is given an antromorphine or emitine and told to help themselves to a good drink. As soon as the beverage hits their stomach, the patient becomes ill. All he can see is the liquor , all he can smell is the liquor - so that he forms a violent association with the liquor and the nausea.
After a short time, even an attractive liquor ad is sufficient to make him ill. This conditioned reflex breaks the hold liqour has over the alcoholic. The side affects wear off but the dislike of liquor remains for a longer period of time. With a little effort, he can keep the relfex alive for a very long time. If nothing else, it gives him a start in avoiding the habit that captured him.
The mother who wants to stop her child from sucking its thumb puts something bitter on the thumb. She is using a conditioned reflex too. The child starts associating bitterness with sucking their thumb.
Put yourself in "time out".
Individuals can decide what their own particular "bitterness" could be. They can choose a penalty that they can apply everytime they give in to the habit they do not want. The penalty can be a strong one or a light one depending on what it takes. We put a child in "time out" when they are out of order and it usually works after a time. We can do the same thing by denying ourselves something we like when we fall into our bad habit.
There is more to getting rid of habits than just the above methods. That is why, alcoholics put their trust in a higher power realizing how weak they are on their own.
There is also power in knowing that control of a habit is always possible. The whole history of Alcoholic Anonymous is most inspiring along this line. Seeing others doing what we thought was impossible and making it possible is a good way of starting. A careful study of what triggered the habit should be done. It can be done in a group or in quiet meditation. You can call on the inner child for help knowing that the innocent child in you as never left you. Just know the older child in you will try to fool the innocent inner child in you.
Thinking offense instead of defense is another way to travel. Excusing ourselves is no longer an option. However, forgiveness is always the top option. But we must be driven to resist our enemy on any front knowing that from our own example and the examples of others no habit is strong enough to interfere with our search for the ideal life. This should become a doctrine in the training of our wills. We need to exercise our wills and intellect to chose what we really want in life. Every good deed enhances this power of good. Motives are what triggers good choices. We can be our own observer watching our good habits come into us as we watch the old bad ones fade away. Everthing is born again with our power of knowing what is best and knowing what is not. And when we see an apparent lack of progress, we can still know we can prepare again and again for the next jump over the voids in our lives. We can indeed overcome with the help of all powers inside and outside of us - from the finite to the infinite power of all eternity.
One easy thing to do is to just say or pray God help me now ! And then you will be ready for a new adventure in your life.
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