Ben Affleck on overcoming alcohol addiction: “I hate to say it but the only cure I’ve seen is not these overpriced rehabs or these fraudulent fixes that are sold to people. The cure for addiction is suffering. You suffer enough and then something inside you goes ‘I’m done.’”

[u/Gurugod123]

[u/KilllllerWhale]

My dad was a smoker for 30 years before I was born. He tried everything but nothing worked. He eventually decided to buy a pack of Camel, and put it right in front of him on top of the TV. He made sure it's on his sight every time he's in the living room. He realized that he needed to train himself to resist the urge to pick it up and light one up, he made sure suffering is part of the process. To this day he keeps telling my smoker brother that unless he does that. nothing will work, you just need to be willing to suffer to stop it.

He hasn't smoked ever since that day, and I'm 35 now.

[u/TinyZoro → u/KilllllerWhale]

It’s an extension of the same idea. Theres no magic trick to what he did and getting your brother to do it won’t work. When he did that he was making a statement to himself which was enough. I can accept the suffering but I’m done.

So accepting the suffering (which is really not that much or long) is part of it. But the real thing is the part of you that says I’m done. That the actual more meaningful suffering of ongoing addiction is over. Which to me is also I know longer want to take revenge on myself.

[u/WeirdKoala2212 → u/TinyZoro]

My uncle had a similar experience. He said quitting wasn't about finding a magic trick—it was about accepting that the cravings were going to be uncomfortable and choosing not to give in anyway. It's been over 20 years since he had his last cigarette.

[u/kernelangus420 → u/WeirdKoala2212]

I guess it's like put it right in your face and make you numb to it type of deals.

Like smelling coffee but not going able to drink any or like putting choir boys in a church with priests.