It's remarkable that you are smarter about psychiatry than even my psychiatrist. Are you also a doctor? My doctor told me that the problems I was having with focus and concentration, and therefore being able to do my job, and therefore being able to remain calm, which is necessary to my survival, would likely get much worse before it got better and her prediction was that I would not return to a normal capacity for focus for at least a year because of the ways in which various drugs including nicotine had altered my brain chemistry. Your father's brain chemistry is different than mine is different than moes is different than the book writer's is different than my doctor's is different than everyone's. On the advice of my doctor, a former neurologist, I smoke e-cigs rather than losing my mind, my job, my home and my life. My GP has also endorsed this course as has my therapist. Keep your self-help book and I'll keep my nicotine, especially since it does virtually no damage to my health and since quitting it does. By the way, I did my first three months on the patch. I was a week into zero nicotine when I realized I couldn't understand the words people were saying to me and was unable to communicate at work. And being that I am a theatre director that was finding it impossible to communicate with a designer because I couldn't make English out of her questions or out of my answers, I called rehearsal early that night, drove to Walgreen's, paid $10 and got my mind back. To the extent that I ever have possession of my mind. For a mentally ill person, "it's all in your head" is an offensive thing to say. For me it is anyway because it is, without exception, a thing to say to dismiss things that are in one's head as less serious than ones in their bodies. I am sorry that your dad is sick. I know how hard it is for family members. And I am glad that you and he were able to get out from under your addictions to nicotine, but that is not my major health problem. And I doubt it's moes' either.
No. I quit drinking, drugs and smoking and I spent tens of thousands of dollars on mental health care and I did three years in treatment and I have really only gotten worse. I had some beers and shots in the last month because I just said **** it, but it wasn't fun for me anymore so I didn't so much quit again as I quit remembering to do it. I'm not planning on doing anything more for my health. I have a degenerative disease (or two) and treatment has not improved my circumstances. I'm more likely to go back to smoking than I am to weaning myself off of anything. But, like I said, I'm kind of grossed out by smoking now so I probably won't do that either. And, in a way, I wish I'd never quit smoking or drinking or drugs because those things used to be fun for me and now nothing is.
And as long as you recognize that and remember the important reason that led you to quit, you'll have the power over those damn good vices.
Same here. Picked it up in my 20's, smoked a couple of packs a day for a few years, then quit cold turkey and it worked fortunately. I only started smoking because I enjoyed drinking and smoking together, once I quit drinking, smoking wasn't a big deal. I smoke on really cold days and vacations, unlimited. I don't know why, just chose a couple of occasions where I'd really enjoy smoking and not feel guilty about it. It helps that it's rarely cold here. I was very succesful curbing "that" urge by watching videos that analyze smoking/tobacco at a higher level than "SMOKING BAD QUITTING GOOD", and what was really helpful was watching the documentaries about the owners of the big tobacco companies. I thought to myself that I'm a procrastinator. I know this. I'm sure of it. If I let my natural instincts dominate this process, I'll be trying to quit till I'm too old for quitting to make a difference. Every single true fact you acquire about smoking and tobacco makes you better at fighting addiction to it. At the same time, I have this twisted idea that with some things to deny yourself something that you desire, you have to know the extremes of being without it as well as the extremes of enjoying it. For me at least, the once or twice a year when I smoke, I think back to that feeling of desperation for that nicotine hit. While I'm smoking, I think about the things I really really like about smoking. When you realize that, aside from addiction, there are very few things to enjoy from cigarettes - it gives you perspective on size of the whole problem and how much of it is in your head. We know a lot of it is in our head, but it drives us crazy to know exactly how much of it is mental, and how much chemical/biological. The though of being enslaved by some rich people who infuse chemicals into some leaves and use tons of your money to keep it legal for as long as possible to fill their pockets for as long as possible - that really disgusted me. Just another victim. No one wants to be that. I need a vacation. Here's an interesting video which showed me that our potential (in terms of health) may be higher than we typically believe: <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8iYpxRXlboQ" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> Hope that helps.
Wow, Batman. I thought I would be pumped to read more about your situation but this is a little sad in a way. Or maybe I'm reading the last line wrong. But I wish you all the success you need to find something to replace your ex-vices. Because you are on the right path...it just doesn't look so defined yet. Same with you Moes! You guys are doing great!
That is what addiction does though. It alters the brain chemistry so that after awhile you need that particular chemical to feel normal.
Sorry to hear about that Batman but have you tried or considered things like Yoga, meditation and Tai Chi? Studies have shown that things like those can alter brain and body chemistry that could help. Also I don't know what type of degenerative disease you have but if it is neuromuscular those things could also help.
Too many people think they know how other people operate, then get angry when they are wrong. I'm not ungrateful for advice, but I caution anyone peddling "miracle" cures. If one thing works for you, good. Just do me a favor and stop trying to tell people they are brainwashed and its "all in your head". There are paths you cannot walk, roads you cannot fathom.
Since this is directed to me, as I am the only one saying this, I will reply...then I won't speak about this subject again. In fact, feel free to not read further, as I truly don't care whether or not you or anyone else smokes, I'm just offering an easy way out. I was just responding to a hyperbolic thread topic that I related to completely at one time and now don't have to worry about. I am not someone who has not been there. As I stated, pack a day for 15 years. Smoke when I woke up, smoke before going to sleep. Tried to quit cold turkey numerous times and failed due to the nic fits. Tried the patch, tried Nicorette, etc... I am not someone who has not been in the bowels of nicotine addiction. I am also not one of those annoying ex-smokers who brags about quitting to people who still do smoke...always HATED those people. I had people tell me all the time about ways to quit and I always blew them off...I didn't WANT to quit...I thought I enjoyed smoking...the taste, the ritual, etc.. and then we had our first child. And when he was 18 months, he grabbed a marker and pretended to smoke it and said "Daddy". That made me realize that I needed to stop, regardless of whether or not I wanted to. My father recommended this book, he a 3 pack a day smoker for 40 years, and asked that I just take 4 hours and read it. What did I have to lose? So I did...and stopping smoking was the easiest thing I ever did. Regardless of background or situation, nicotine addiction is the same for everyone. Whether it's stress, boredom, unhappiness, happiness...it's all the same...drug addiction (just like alcoholism...though nicotine much less harmless in regards to your behavior to others and yourself than say alcohol or heroin or something of that nature). I have given the book as a gift to 10 people, all of whom have different backgrounds and situations but all of whom smoked at least half a pack a day...and all 10 have never smoked again. All 10 have laughed about how the addiction was mental and how easy it really was. It's not a "miracle" cure (hoax), it just puts your mind in the right place by destroying every argument that you as a smoker have as far as why you smoke. You obviously are not ready and that's cool...I was 33 when I finally stopped and had been smoking since I was 13. But when you are, bookmark that amazon link. What do you have to lose? Hell, if you end up reading it one day and it doesn't work, I'll buy you a carton of Camels, Marlboros, P-Funks, American Spririts...whatever you smoke.
Blake - I'm not really saying that you're wrong, and I know you mean well and obviously the book does help many people. I just think what BJ is saying does hold some merit, he's dealing with brain chemistry issues that influence his entire wellbeing. Sometimes these things are more delicate than just "oh its all in your head". I am curious to read the book, if I'm struggling again I'll probably check it out. I'm doing much better today, been using a new e-cig (ditched the god awful Blu) and I have felt very relaxed and not prone to anger.
Resisting... urge... to... trololololol... tryin'... to... resist... arrrgghghghghghg... can't... fight... the... urge... to... It's all in your head, you lazy ass! You mad, bro?
i dont know if you were trolling or was srs but im pretty sure a month ago, you said something in the lines of "its all in your head" in regards to addiction. You said something along the lines of "put them all in the andes mtns and see if they are cured now"
I don't think OP is a smoker. What smoker who really wants to quit gets on a message board whinning about unable to quit? This sounds more like someone bragging about the coolness of smoking. Seek professional help if you need to man. Ex smoker here and I can tell you that it's all in your ****ing mind. Feel the urge? Drink a beer. Your fingers are used to the cigarette? Bite them hard.
