Stopping negative behaviors will also prevent the diseases that are the result of those behaviors, according to health care professionals.

But, tackling obesity, tobacco use, or lack of exercise can be much more difficult than taking a medication for one of the diseases that it caused.

Tracy Best, program director at Pavilion Mental Health, says it’s a matter of understanding ourselves.

“One of the things I would look at is having to replace how we see ourselves,” he said. “Jared, the spokesman for Subway restaurants, I think one of the reasons he was able to change was that he began to look at himself as a person who was not overweight. Then he was able to move into the behaviors that made that a reality.”

Best said our ideas about our roles in life can produce a huge influence on our behavior.

“We all have images in our heads of who we are; it may be fat, it may be shy, and we don’t realize how powerful those images are,” he said. “And we also don’t realize that we have the power to change these pictures of ourselves. So, unless I change how I see myself, there’s no real reason to go through the discipline and the steps to do it. I think that no matter whether we are going to stop smoking or change our weight, we’ve got to, one, change how we see ourselves and, two, keep focused on what we want and why.”

Best said some people are forced to change and some choose to change.

“We have to have a real, big purpose,” he said. “What I mean by that is that people often won’t quit their poor diet or quit smoking until something traumatic happens, like a smoker who quits because he get emphysema. The key part is creating that powerful purpose on our own without having life do it.”

Best said it’s better to make the decision on our own by facing reality.

“The key is to empower ourselves instead of letting life dictate how we’re going to do it,” he said. “We talk to ourselves like we’re going to live forever. We deny that we’re going to die. But the more that we have the attitude that we don’t have time for later, that we don’t have time for someday, we can break through that denial. We don’t have the luxury of someday; it’s got to be now. Sometimes we need that sense of urgency to motivate us do some things that we need to do.”

Ex-smoker Phaedra Herren said her road to recovery took years before she found success.

“I tried to quit several times during the last years but it just didn’t work,” she said. “This time I set a date. I really wanted it, and I asked God for help.”

Herren also backed up her anti-tobacco arsenal with appropriate medications.

“I used the patch, then I used the nicotine gum,” she said. “The health department gave me the patches, and I bought the gum. It was my time to quit smoking.”

Herren said she has been satisfied with her new lifestyle.

“I have four kids ages 15, 11, 6 and 3,” she said. “They were all very happy when I quit. It was a matter of my health, my children’s health, my desire to quit, and wanting to live a healthy life.”

Sandy Taber, clinical social worker with Green Country Behavioral Health, used obesity as an example of how a person may undo their negative behavior pattern.

“One of the most important things to determine is, ‘Is this something that I want to change?’” she said. “Some people are content with their size and some are not. It’s a matter of what’s working for you and what’s not working for you. For people who say this is something that is important for me to change, they need to get engaged with letting other people help, monitor their food intake, and eat a well-balanced diet.”

Not trying to take on the task alone is another way to increase chances of success.

“Any way possible to identify supports; people who can help me with this, people who share my desire to make some changes,” she said. “It’s a matter of asking, who’s going to support me in this? Because, if we don’t, it’s going to be less likely that we can reach a goal.”

Knowing how much you can accomplish is also a way to spur success.

“And that’s another thing; setting realistic goals,” Taber said. “I know often times at the beginning of the year people set New Year’s resolutions, like saying ‘OK, I’m going to drop 30 pounds in one month.’ That’s not going to happen. If the goal can be realistic, we can create some manageable steps.”

Taber said getting clear on where we are going and taking reasonable steps are two of the best ways to change a negative behavior.

“What are those things that we want to learn, and those things that we want to foster in our work area, wherever we are and whatever we’re doing,” she said. “It’s amazing how we can make one small change and that can affect not only us but the other people who are closest to us.”



Reach Keith Purtell at 918-684-2925 or Click Here to Send Email