Rose Ann Forte: Why holiday temptations aren’t just willpower
Holiday temptations often arise because the brain reacts to seasonal stress, social demands and familiar cues that activate established behavior patterns. Rose Ann Forte, a behavioral habits and addiction specialist, notes that understanding these neurological responses offers a starting point for change when alcohol, sweets and similar habits surround people during celebrations. She emphasizes that deciding to change frequently falls short without preparation for sustained transformation through mind renewal instead of relying on willpower alone.
Social pressure, stress, grief, family dynamics, and abundant food and alcohol can intensify difficult patterns, Forte said.
Forte hosts a podcast and created the 12-week Choose Freedom program. The program integrates practical behavior-change strategies with neuroscience and biblical wisdom to address why decisions alone prove insufficient and how individuals can prepare for lasting change. Her approach draws on the principle that the brain supports renewal of thinking and behavior patterns.
We CAN renew our minds and change patterns of thinking and behavior because that’s how our brains were designed, Forte said.
Forte explores these principles in three books. Her signature title, The Plans He Has for Me: A 12-Week Daily Devotional for Freedom from Alcohol, has earned seven awards and leads readers through 12 weeks of alcohol-free living. The award-winning Prepare to Quit examines the preparation often overlooked before successfully altering entrenched habits. She co-authored Transformed by His Promises: A 12-Week Devotional for Freedom from the Psychological Slavery of Life-Interfering Behaviors with Dr. Karl Benzio; the book carries endorsements from Dr. Daniel Amen, Dr. John Townsend, Dr. Tim Clinton and Jim Daly, plus a foreword by Duke University’s Dr. Harold G. Koenig.
Forte’s books and Choose Freedom program supply science-informed strategies that help people identify habit patterns, handle temptation and make deliberate choices during the holiday season and afterward. She recently released a free five-day devotional on the YouVersion Bible App to assist with resisting various temptations over the holidays.
A diagnosis can help determine the level of care someone needs, and medical guidance may be essential when stopping certain substances, Forte added. But you don’t need a diagnosis to decide that something no longer belongs in your life.
The Choose Freedom framework presents a faith-based, neuroscience-informed model that helps individuals address life-interfering thoughts, emotions and behaviors through mind renewal. It equips users, churches and counselors with practical tools for transformation without stigma, shame or performance-based expectations. The program pairs structured reflection with scriptural grounding and brain-science insights to support new habits and mindsets, allowing participants to begin at any stage without prior rock-bottom experiences or exhaustive prior attempts.
