
1. Why are
habits so hard to break?
2. What
exactly is the SPC HABIT BUSTER TM
program?
3. Why
would The HABIT BUSTERTM program
work for me?
Question -- Why are
habits so hard to break?
Answer -- There are two main reasons most
habits are hard to break. First, many habits seem to
fill a basic need most people have today - the need
to relieve stress and/or the need for pleasure or
happiness. Since the vast majority of people are
either stressed or depressed a good part of the time,
one can see how easy it is to fall prey to certain
habits especially habits of excess. This also
explains why people who stop one bad habit (e.g.
smoking) without doing something about the need
factor often find another (e.g. overeating) taking
its place.
The second major reason habits are hard to break
is that even if you can do something about the needs
that a habit fulfills, once a habit is deeply
ingrained, it becomes automatic, involuntary or
sub-conscious i.e. the old habit automatically kicks
in before you have a chance to replace it with a new
positive one.
Thus, if you wish to break a bad habit, you need
to (1) take care of the need factor and (2)
re-program yourself so that the new positive habit
automatically kicks in before the old one does. This
handbook presents a program that has effectively
dealt with both of these factors.

Question What
exactly is the SPC HABIT BUSTER TM
program?
Answer - The Habit
BusterTM program
presented in the handbook is an outgrowth of a highly
effective proven method for giving people greater
control over all aspects of their lives. The method,
referred to as Self-Programmed
Control2
(SPC )3, was
developed by clinical psychologist Alfred A. Barrios,
Ph.D., as a result of years of research in the areas
of higher order (Pavlovian) conditioning, cognitive
restructuring, guided imagery and biofeedback. There
are basically three parts to the Habit BusterTM program:
Part one
presents some simple but powerful SPC techniques for
increasing your mental focus and willpower. This
gives you a strong feeling of hope and confidence
that you can indeed accomplish your goals.
Part two
involves a unique biofeedback device called the Habit Buster
Biofeedback Card.
This device allows you to eliminate the urge or need
for the habit right at the moment of need. Whenever
you feel the urge, instead of reaching for your habit
you will reach for the card and perform the SPC techniques
on the back until the urge has disappeared.
Part three involves
a procedure known as focused visualization or
Self-Programming. In the more highly focused and
relaxed state of mind produced by the SPC techniques, you
will be able to self-program in the new habit so that
it will automatically kick in before the old one has
a chance to rear its ugly head.

Question -- Why would THE
HABIT BUSTER work for me?
Answer --This habit breaking program has
been tested and researched in at least four different
colleges and universities. The results achieved at
East Los Angeles College, UCLA, Santa Monica College
and Southwest College will give you some idea of how
effective this program can be for habits of excess.
An anonymous questionnaire given to a total of 313
students at the completion of the SPC class asked the
students to (a) list those areas they had been
excessive in prior to the class and (b) indicate
which of these areas they had overcome as a result of
the class. The following are the tabulated results of
the percentages of students overcoming their
excesses: