All that you have stated here is very true (although trying to get a person to come out of his or her denial and into reality is probably the most difficult feat to accomplish), but what is just as important, if not more so, are the following 2 things - extricate yourself from the environment and the people that reinforced your bad behavior, and surround yourself in positive environments and persons whom are looking out for your best interest. If you are a drunk, you cannot continue hanging out at the bar with your barfly drinking buddies and expect to abstain from drinking. If you are a drug addict, there's no way you can become clean if all of your speed dial buttons on your phone connect you directly with a shit bird drug dealing friend. But trying to remove yourself is much easier said than done because we are creatures of habit, it is very uncomfortable and frightening to step outside of our comfort zone, and the people that are bad influences in our lives will try to keep us in that relationship. Without a mentor in your life who really pushes you in a positive direction, is completely open and candid, and is in contact with you frequently push you in a positive direction, it is very difficult, If not impossible, for a person to change negative habits and continue on the road to progress without "backsliding".
All that you have stated here is very true (although trying to get a person to come out of his or her denial and into reality is probably the most difficult feat to accomplish), but what is just as important, if not more so, are the following 2 things - extricate yourself from the environment and the people that reinforced your bad behavior, and surround yourself in positive environments and persons whom are looking out for your best interest. If you are a drunk, you cannot continue hanging out at the bar with your barfly drinking buddies and expect to abstain from drinking. If you are a drug addict, there's no way you can become clean if all of your speed dial buttons on your phone connect you directly with a shit bird drug dealing friend. But trying to remove yourself is much easier said than done because we are creatures of habit, it is very uncomfortable and frightening to step outside of our comfort zone, and the people that are bad influences in our lives will try to keep us in that relationship. Without a mentor in your life who really pushes you in a positive direction, is completely open and candid, and is in contact with you frequently push you in a positive direction, it is very difficult, If not impossible, for a person to change negative habits and continue on the road to progress without "backsliding".