Many would say, and perhaps you yourself have been told, that it takes 21 days or 3 weeks to break a habit. But is it really true? Whether it’s a drug, alcohol, gambling, or nail-biting habit, you only have to avoid doing it for 21 days and you’re changed–or so they say. Let’s take a look at just how long it would really take to break a habit and kick it for good.
Is It Only a Myth?
The 21-day period for kicking a habit started when Dr. Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon, observed his patients who underwent surgery such as a nose job, reconstructive surgery, or even limb amputation. He observed each of his cases and saw that it took about 21 days for each patient to get used to seeing their new face. For amputees, they have this condition where they can still feel their limbs, called a “phantom limb” but this condition disappears after around 21 days.
Dr. Maltz published his findings in a book, Psycho-Cybernetics, which paved the way for the belief that the change you want to happen can be done after 21 days. His findings influenced diet fads and the idea of breaking any habit, good or bad.
What’s Wrong With It?
Maltz’s findings made people believe that they can break and form habits within 21 days. It’s a hard and fast promise that left people short. However, according to Maltz himself, habit forming actually takes a minimum of 21 days.
In 2009, a study was made to determine just how long it takes to break a habit, and they found out that the average time it takes for a new behavior to become automatic is actually about 66 days. Again, this is just the average. In the research it too 96 participants between 18 days and 254 days to form or break a habit.
Getting rid of drug abuse
If you have been living a lifestyle of drug abuse, then you’ll know that quitting your habit for good doesn’t just happen overnight. Neither does it usually happen in 3 weeks. Perhaps you yourself may have tried to quit and be sober many times, but you have a hard time because your expectations are all twisted.
Once you decide to be sober and get the help you need, you can find that being sober and staying that way can be hard at first, but it becomes easier as you go. Knowing that it takes over 2 months or more can allow you to be more patient and trusting with the process.
Still, in cases wherein there is indeed drug addiction, the case may be different. Self-medication and just going “cold turkey” on addiction may not work as you would hope. Treatment is most often necessary, and this can take many months to a year. Meanwhile, full recovery is a life-long commitment.
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