Genecanuck

Receptionists

The Nicotine Addiction Story. Quitnet Re-post, November 23, 2005. From GidgetPicklebrain on 11/23/2005 12:47:15 PM THE NICOTINE ADDICTION STORY The Nicotine Addiction Story Nicotine is probably the most addictive of all drugs we know of. The addiction process is very complicated, with dopamine receptors, neurotransmitters, etc. This illustration is an oversimplification of the process, but helps smokers to understand the reason for the difficulty in quitting. Imagine that you have a factory in your brain which makes acetyl choline (you really do, but it doesn't quite work this way.) The acetyl choline workers work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no breaks, no vacations, no union representation. Acetyl choline is an essential part of our nervous system and without it we could not function very well (ask a smoker who is trying to quit how they feel and you will know how acetyl choline works.) These factory workers work day and night and produce as much acetyl choline as the body needs. That amount is determined by the foreman who does continual blood testing to make sure there is an adequate amount available. After about 10 or 12 years you decided to try a little tobacco (either smokeless or smoking.) In 7 seconds th nicotine is in the brain and the foreman cannot tell the difference between acetyl choline and nicotine. He announces to everyone, "I don't know what is going on, but there is plenty of acetyl choline available. It looks like you can take a break". The factory workers go out on the lawn, in the sunshine and have a glorious time. They are only out there about 30 minutes and the foreman calls them back in. He tells them that the acetyl choline levels have dropped and they will have to resume production. The factory workers continue to work 24 hours a day, but they also remember how nice it was out on the lawn. You decided to have another cigarette. The foreman hardly gets the words out of his mouth and the factory workers are all out on the lawn. Again because the half-life of nicotine is just one half hour, they are soon called back in. You try tobacco again, with their encouragement — and again — and again. Pretty soon you are smoking quite regularly and the factory workers are on the lawn most of the time, having a wonderful time. So you become fully hooked and smoke on a regular basis. The factory foreman tells the workers, "You haven't been needed for quite some time. Why don't you go on vacation. I'll call you if you are needed." So they take off to the Caribbean. They are there for many years. Finally you decide you've got to quit smoking. You stop. The foreman checks the blood levels and panics. He starts trying to round everybody up, by sending letters and telegrams and making phone calls. The factory workers have to say goodbye to all their friends, find their cool-weather clothes, make airline reservations and prepare to leave. They are not happy and they let the foreman know that. He passes that information on to you and you give in and start smoking again. One day you finally make it. You quit. It takes one month for the factory workers to get home and start working again — but they never forget the Caribbean.

Not one puff ever! Tulip Festival in Ottawa, Courtesy of iStock

Thank you for bumping this up @Doreensfree

Sex Is in the Heel, Kinky Boots Soundtrack

Quitting is the best thing a smoker will ever do. Quitnet Repost, Sept. 19, 2003 From palNdrom on 5/14/2008 11:16:04 AM Quitting is the best thing a smoker will ever do for themselves. There are no 2 ways about that. Everyone knows that smoking kills, stinks, costs....etc. etc. etc. There is nothing good, satisfying or fulfilling about it. Logic and common sense dictate that smoking is bad and quitting is good. So why is it so difficult to do the sensible, logical, good thing? Smoking brings you down, it makes you weak, it encourages you to hide, it hinders you from being comfortable, it forces you to give up control. And all this so that it can ultimately kill you. Let go of the mistaken belief that you've lost something or lost part of yourself. Be proud that you are finally doing the right, good, healthy, logical, sensible thing! That you are showing your loved ones and children that you feel worthy and that they should too. That everyone has a right to be/do the best that they can. You only get one life. This heavy sense of loss or deprivation is an unnecessary burden. Let it go and feel your shoulders rise, your scowl erase, your back straighten, your steps lighten and your spirits lift. Once you do that, you'll KNOW you can do or deal with anything else. Mady

Well, its still Sunday evening in Canuckland.... but pledging not to smoke on Monday.

@QuittingGirl... wishing your mom a speedy recovery. And good for you for keeping your quit during a very difficult period! And thank you for your support. Hugs, Gene

Shaddap You Face Joe Dolce • Shaddap You Face

Hello @Deggit. Welcome to the Quittrain. I know how you feel because I have been there many times and good for you for giving this new quit another shot. Maybe this will be your BEST shot. It is never about having courage or lacking the "will" to quit. Smoking is an addiction. And yes, you probably had your reasons for starting many years ago. But you likely got to the point that you found all kinds of reasons in life to smoke... like it was an exclamation point for everything. You will find lots of support here from people who will offer you support. We have all been where you are now. The best place to begin is to not focus on quitting forever. Just one minute, one hour, one day at a time. Please come here often, read posts, get to know others here and come here for support when you are struggling. Join our Daily Not One Puff Ever pledge You've got this @Deggit... and we have your back. Regards, Gene

Do you feel like a smoker who just isn't smoking? Quitnet Re-Post, September 19, 2003 Today as I re-read this post, I found myself wondering if I was just waiting for some life catastrophe to happen to go back to smoking. I remember past lost quits. Arguements with partner, a death in the family, high stress at work, loosing a job etc. All high stress points in life. And using that as an excuse to smoke again. Well, people who don't smoke manage to cope with these life events WITHOUT SMOKING. I never want to go back to smoking and I'm keeping my quit. Gene DO YOU FEEL LIKE A SMOKER WHO JUST ISN'T SMOKING? From leejay on 9/19/2003 10:49:35 AM Somebody posted this question when I was about 5 or 6 months quit and it really hit home with me. I realized I hadn't 'conquered' anything...I was just waiting until it was time to smoke. It was like I was waiting for a big enough disaster or heartbreak or anger so that I would have an excuse to smoke. That's when I figured out I 'wasn't getting it', the freedom you find when you quit smoking. If you are feeling that way, maybe you should do some serious thinking about this quit you have going. It's hard to let go of the idea that you will never again be able to smoke. I used to get through one day at a time. But at 6 months I realized I was still hoping someday I could smoke. I took a step back and looked at my life since I had quit, checked how I was feeling physically and then remembered how I felt while I was still smoking. I finally realized I never wanted to go back to smoking. I still had the desire to smoke or the craving to smoke, but I decided I was never going to smoke again. So now I could let go of that idea, and my quit became easier. Maybe up to that point I wasn't ready to admit I was really quit and it was a keeper. I'd failed so many times when I tried to quit I certainly didn't want to blow this quit. So I quit waiting for a catastrophe to hit, giving me an excuse to smoke. Now I know there is no excuse to smoke. Are you just waiting for an opportunity to lose your quit? I hope not. Leejay

Man’s best workout partner., Readers Digest Photo

Hindi

Not one puff ever!

So you want an EASY quit. Quitnet Re-post, March 3, , 2011 Good morning. Some tough love in this old quitnet re-post. KTQ. Gene REPOST: So you want an EASY quit? From: CarlyKicksButts Date: 2011-03-03 23:12:39 Cool. I wanted that too. BADLY. I didn't want to go through withdrawal, discomfort, the UNKNOWN. I didn't want head fog and hot flashes and quitzits and a bad chantix reaction. I didn't want insomnia or days when I was so tired and drained that I didn't even want to stand up. I didn't want to be thinking about cravings round the clock. And I didn't want to have to sit through the whole process without the one thing that would make me feel better...a sickarette! But as the saying goes, the only way out is THROUGH. I'm here to tell you that it is NOT as bad as you think. The first few days are hard. SO WHAT???? So you pay your dues in hell week and heck week, weak week, and eventually....you are not only fine, you are EXCITED about your quit and HAPPY about it! It doesn't take long to get to that point, and you kind of forget the roughness of those first few days. In the scheme of life, this is a SHORT price to pay for FREEDOM. So you want an EASY quit? Too bad. Suck it up, brace yourself, hold on to the Q, and get ready for a roller coaster ride you will be THRILLED you went on!!!! REALLY! Carly

Not One Puff Ever

Well, in the best tradition started by our friend @bakon ... its time for all of us special window lickers to pat ourselves on the back for another smoke free week. I guess that makes me a proud window licker.... :):) So who is a Certified Window Licker this week?

Firefly

A thank God its Friday Bunny

Bon Jovi - It's My Life (Official Music Video)

Also Struggling Here, My Quitnet Re-post, November 3, 2008 Good morning, Yes, this is me over 15 years ago. I am determined that this is my LAST QUIT. Not one puff ever! Gene Also struggling here From Gym_Genecanuck on 3/11/2008 4:51:57 PM Greetings, I want this quit to be MY LAST!!!! I came here a few days ago, when I was on day four of my last quit... here I go again. I feel like I am sliding sliding sliding and ramping up my smoking to the level it was a few years ago. I was a pack a day smoker; quit in 2004; have had several slips; never really got right off the patch. Have a partner that smokes at home. Today, I is my new Day 1. I am determined not to smoke for the rest of the day. I am heading home and I know that my partner will have cigarettes in the house. He can smoke four cigs a day and keep it at this level. If I have one cigarette, I know that I will be chain smoking. That is my pattern. Once I finish abusing my body, I will go back to a patch and suffer to get the ciggies out of my thoughts and body for a few weeks. This cycle of abuse is insane. Ok, I am finished my rant. I hope to get to know members of this club because I want to make March 2008 the month when I REALLY STOP SMOKING. Big sigh... thanks for listening.....

Not One Puff Ever!

Identifying Triggers: Quitnet Re-post, May 12, 2023 RE: Identifying triggers.... From MutinyFever on 5/12/2003 6:43:46 PM ~ 219 dayz Anything can be a trigger. An ashtray, snow, a pack of cigs, a good dinner, a movie, waiting for a bus, getting off the bus, a fight, a birth, a victory, a joy, sex, drinking, dancing, singing, asthma, winning a bet, losing a bet, work, stress, bedtime, waking up, a commercial, a baby crying, seeing an old friend, losing an old friend, breathing... The thing is no one can really control triggers. They happen. People say, stay out of the situation, but that is not the trick to quitting. That is just a way to make it easier. The trick to quitting is enduring cravings, one after another, one at a time, FOREVER. If that sounds hard, it should because it is. Thankfully cravings don`t keep coming forever, or they get spaced very far apart at least, eventually. But don`t count on that time. Don`t think about that time. Don`t wish that time were here. Experience what is now. There`s a good reason to. It is because if you experience the pain of this moment, you will realize that smoking caused this. If you really let yourself realize that, you will never want to do this to yourself again. There`s another good reason. It is that if you are really honest, you will realize this is not that bad. Chemo would be a good deal worse than this craving. Admit it. You can handle this. Commit to handling this craving each and every time it comes. Face it. The monster has blunt teeth. I am sorry you are craving. I totally sympathize, because I have been craving pretty hard myself from time to time. I can only say, this is the way our lives are now. I don`t avoid smokers. I don`t avoid triggers. Cigarettes and the triggers to smoke are just everywhere. I am simply committed to enduring all my cravings, one at a time, without ever smoking. I wish for everyone, the strength to endure. Long and long from now, you will realize you haven`t had a craving for as long as you can remember. Be happy now. Michael