Understanding and admitting that you have an issue is the first way to change. When you quit a toxic habit, you leave room for something beautiful to take its place.

Like, shopping, in a way, has the same dynamic as smoking. Because what happens in shopping is, you're bored, you're frustrated, you have this negative emotion and instead of letting the emotion play out, be honest, confronting it, and letting yourself feel pain, you go buy something that takes you out of yourself and feels fun and exciting. But you have to go back to yourself.

Lead the least secretive life you can.

If you take away someone's Internet and they freak out, that's a sign they're addicted.

I got addicted to the addiction book. I actually started developing all the addictions of the people in the book that I was writing about, without realizing it.

I have an addictive personality myself and one of the things I've learned is, you're always in recovery. Part of my healing process is being a mentor and teacher and helping people. Yet, at the same time, I have to be very careful about my own addictions.

Understanding and admitting that you have an issue is the first way to change. When you quit a toxic habit, you leave room for something beautiful to take its place.