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I also am a survivor of addiction.

And now realize that I am stronger for it (not stronger for the addictions--yes, several--but stronger for having defeated them).

It is interesting just how addiction is a lot like the facehugger alien in the movie "Alien"...

The harder you try to pry it off, the tighter it grips your head. With drugs and alcohol, the alien's grip is manifested in depression and obsession.

Ergo, to get rid of the alien (and it can be gotten rid of), one must use strategy instead of force.

Peterson touches on a little bit of it in this video.

Religious faith certainly is a major element in this battle. And physical exercise is a powerful tool also.

Strenuous and regular (i.e. daily) cardio exercise floods the brain with dopamine and endorphins and other chemicals not even identified yet, many of which are not only the same as those produced by the drug to which one is addicted but also helpful in breaking free of the drug.

Not to state the obvious, but exercise not only helps fight the depression the "alien" uses to stay attached to your face, it also builds your ability to endure the pain of recovery such that recovery has a positive element of excitement and optimism.

Though exercise is not a panacea, it is (for me at least) a replacement for addictive substances which brings pride to replace the shame of chemical addiction.

Good post. I quit smoking cold turkey two and a half years ago by exercising like a maniac, and have kept it up. When I tell people I lost weight after I quit smoking they usually say they haven’t ever heard of that. I just did cardio by running, push ups, pull ups and sit ups instead of doughnuts. After the first month of cold turkey I got a vape with 0% nicotine to see if duplicating the ritual of smoking would help. I used it a few months then stopped using it.

One thing I think a lot of folks don’t realize is that it is also much harder to become depressed when you are in really good shape. A danger though is if you hurt yourself or get sick and can’t work out. So for me it’s smart to always be as careful as I can. I increase duration and difficulty by microscopically ridiculous amount only. The point for me is to be able to want to exercise, to make it a habit you look forward to. You will miss those endorphins if you get hurt or you do too much so your mind will want to anything but work out again.

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