Want to break a bad habit? Here's what science says
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Ian Hamilton is an associate professor of addiction and mental health at the University of York and Sally Marlow is an addictions researcher at King's College London. It's a new year and many people are in the mood for making a fresh start. And that often means giving something up (cigarettes, alcohol , junk food). Unfortunately, the odds of sticking with new year's resolutions are not good. Come February, 80% of people will have given up giving up. So what can we learn from the 20% who make it? Some might just be lucky, but most – whether they realize it or not – will be using techniques based on scientific evidence. While you might feel you have little in common with people who overcome drug dependency, you can benefit from the techniques that have been shown to help this group. The two Ps Perseverance underpins most stories of successful change, and it can take anywhere from six to 30 attempts to quit for those de