Cravings and Habits — Understand the Potent Power of Cravings in Habits Formation

Dreams seem to be spurred on not by reason but by desire, not by the head but by the heart — Fyodor Dostoevsky

Photo on Pixabay

A horrific accident happened in 1998.

A Piper Alpha oil platform in the North Sea. The rig was ripped into two as a result of a gas explosion that was triggered by a gas leak.

Those who survived had two choices.

• to jump as far as 150 ft. down into a fiery sea
• to face certain death on the disintegrating rig

All our actions are driven by inherent human desires.

Survival is the major one.

Our binging habits are also driven by desires.

• We don't eat junk food because we love food but because of the desire and the feeling, it offers.
• We don't smoke because a cigarette itself is tasty but because it makes us feel good.
• We browse on social media because we want to feel a sense of belonging. We want to feel wanted.

The craving, which is the feel-good effect associated with our habits is the result of dopamine.