What Does Lasting Addiction Recovery Involve? Massimo Rigotti

Lasting addiction recovery involves more than stopping a behavior: it also means recognizing the deeper struggles behind it, rebuilding confidence and choosing change for yourself. Addiction recovery professional and author Massimo Rigotti shares this perspective on The Elisha Show with host Amb. Elisha Arowojobe, drawing on his journey through more than 20 years of addiction and his path to sobriety.

Key takeaways

• Stopping an addictive behavior may not resolve the emotional needs or struggles connected to it.
• Lasting recovery begins with a personal decision to change, rather than change made only to satisfy someone else.
• Replacing one addiction with another can leave the underlying problem unresolved.
• Smartphones can become a way to escape boredom, anxiety or uncomfortable situations.
• Turning off notifications, charging a phone outside the bedroom and switching to grayscale are practical ways to reduce phone dependence.

Why is stopping an addiction not always enough?

Stopping a behavior may not address the deeper struggles that helped sustain it. Rigotti’s account emphasizes understanding those struggles as part of lasting recovery, rather than treating the visible behavior as the whole problem.

He connects his own addiction struggles with a search for love and acceptance. That experience points to a useful distinction: changing what you do and understanding what you may be seeking through that behavior are related, but not identical, parts of recovery.

How can you recognize the needs behind addictive behavior?

Recognizing the needs behind addictive behavior starts with self-awareness about the patterns and feelings connected to it. Rigotti highlights the importance of noticing hidden patterns and the deeper emotional needs that may sit beneath an addictive behavior.

His discussion also stresses that support may need to be personalized, because people can have different patterns to recognize. The aim is not simply to label a behavior, but to understand what it does for you and what might remain unresolved if the behavior changes.

Can one addiction be replaced by another?

Yes. Replacing one addiction with another can leave the underlying problem unresolved, so a change in behavior does not automatically mean the deeper struggle has been addressed.

Rigotti also draws a connection between addiction and smartphone use. A phone can become a way to escape boredom, anxiety or uncomfortable situations; noticing when that pattern appears can help clarify whether a new habit is serving as another escape.

How can you reduce phone dependence?

Practical steps include turning off notifications, charging your phone outside the bedroom and switching the screen to grayscale. These changes can make phone use less automatic and help establish healthier digital habits.

Each step targets a different part of phone use: notifications can prompt attention, keeping a phone nearby at night can make it easy to reach, and grayscale changes the screen’s appearance. The ideas are concrete ways to start changing your relationship with a smartphone.

About Massimo Rigotti

Massimo Rigotti is an addiction recovery professional and the author of The Digital Sober Method. He shares his experience of more than 20 years of addiction and sobriety, and has turned his recovery journey and personal loss into a mission to help others.

Frequently asked questions

What does lasting addiction recovery involve?

Lasting recovery involves more than stopping an addictive behavior. Rigotti emphasizes understanding the deeper struggles beneath addictive patterns, rebuilding confidence and making a personal decision to change.

Why might someone replace one addiction with another?

One behavior may take the place of another without resolving the underlying problem. Rigotti’s discussion highlights why recognizing deeper emotional needs matters: a change in the behavior alone may not address what was driving the pattern.

How can I tell if I use my phone to avoid uncomfortable feelings?

Notice whether you reach for your phone when you feel bored, anxious or uncomfortable. Rigotti describes smartphones as a possible way to escape those situations, so paying attention to when you use yours can help reveal a pattern.

What are practical ways to use my phone less?

Try turning off notifications, charging your phone outside the bedroom and switching the display to grayscale. These are practical steps Rigotti shares for building healthier digital habits and reducing phone dependence.

Does recovery start with someone else asking you to change?

Rigotti emphasizes that lasting recovery begins with a personal decision to change. Other people may be part of someone’s life, but his central point is that the choice to pursue change needs to be personal.

This article offers general information, not professional advice. Listen to the full conversation with Massimo Rigotti on The Elisha Show for more about his recovery journey and approach to healthier digital habits.