Over the past 1.5 years, I've shed 3 habits that I believe we're harming me physically, mentally, and spiritually. This my reflection on how they affected me and my gratitude for the freedom I now have from them. Those three things were nicotine, porn, and weed.
Nicotine
This was the worst of the "addictions" for me in that it was a true addiction. I'd used nicotine since I was ~21 and consistently (every day) for 5 years. For the entire final year of my use, I was disgusted with myself. I felt weak and ashamed. I didn't want to use nicotine but I couldn't stop. I would go to the store regularly and restock. I would vape and nicotine pouch from the moment I woke up to the moment I went to bed. I was a slave to nicotine. It owned me.
Eventually, I stumbled upon Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking. I will never be able to thank Allen Carr enough. It seems like the book was essentially hypnosis but it allowed me to quit immediately upon finishing. I've been nicotine-free for over a year and a half now and still get pulses of energy through my body when I think about the freedom and agency that I've regained. Nicotine was a leech on my existence and I am unbelievably thankful to be free of it.
Porn
To start, I wouldn't say I had an addiction to porn. I used it a few times a week, as much as I perceive any other male in their 20s uses it. The problem wasn't the use as much as the effects it would have on my mind. Again, I don't think it made me crazy or anything but I just don't believe we should be viewing something like sex, which is so primal and integral to our lives as humans, in such a falsified way. Nothing about porn is real but the sights and sounds of it can certainly influence your brain and your thoughts. It severely skewed my perception of women, relationships, and sex. I have been free of porn for ~1.5 years as well and generally feel I have a healthier mindset on women, relationships, and sex.
Weed
Lastly, weed. I'd used weed daily since I was about 20 years old. I took the majority of my college exams high, went to work high, and generally lived my whole life high until July of 2024. At that point, I just felt that I'd had enough. I felt like I was living in a haze. I felt stupid and lethargic. I felt unmotivated. I felt like I was watching my life rather than living it. Overall, I felt like I'd given enough of my life to weed. It wasn't serving me. The things I want to do in my life aren't facilitated by weed. Also, the modern day weed is not the weed of the 1960s. This is pharma-grade nuclear stuff that can seriously affect you. Speaking only from first-hand experience, it legitimately seems dangerous at this point. I feel my brain is still recovering from the damage I did to it with weed and I hope I didn't do anything too severe. There are people who can smoke every day of their lives, and at one time, I thought I was one of them. But now, I’m thankful to be free of weed as well.
Summary
These are just some reflections after a year or more of escaping three habits that I believed were affecting my life. I feel these habits had control of my thoughts and behavior, essentially over my life. I am extremely thankful to be free of them today. I still have other "issues", such as time spent on YouTube for one, but knowing I got over those three, which seemed insurmountable, gives me great confidence that I have control over my life going forward.