It's one to thing to stop an excessive or addictive behavior; it's another thing to quit.

People in denial about their excessive behavior tend to say, "Oh, I can quit any time." What they mean is they can stop. Of course they can stop--for a day, a week or even a month. But then what?

To quit--as opposed to merely stopping--is to make a commitment.

This is why AA works for many people. It encourages a commitment to quitting rather than merely stopping. Yes, I personally disagree with much of the philosophy behind AA, such as "surrender to a Higher Power," and I believe this is why it often doesn't work. But they have the quitting part right.

Rehab encourages you to stop by making you stop--for 30 days, or whatever it is. But stopping is still not the same as quitting.

To stop means to temporarily alter one's behavior. To quit is to make a psychological and even philosophical break with life as you know it. Behavioral change follows--and has a chance of lasting--only once you quit.