DenaliBlues

"..what I did do was close responses to normal dopamine that take time to heal and recover...." Yes. I, too, found quitting to be a deeply disorienting experience. To this day, I firmly believe that smoking scorched my brain chemistry. By force-feeding nicotine to my dopamine receptors, I desensitized them to other signals. Now that I have quit, I need to rebuild the neural pathways that allow me to experience other sensations of gratification and fulfillment. The path is slow and circuitous at times... but healing does happen.

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vulture

Judge Judy

nope

NOPE

Well done! And happy anniversary!

NOPE

deceit

Temptation lurks in the tall grass, waiting to pounce when we are stressed, angry, sad or otherwise vulnerable. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had to fend off a big wave of “longing” to smoke. Those waves come… and then they go. Just let them pass on by. As addicts, we may always miss our drug of choice. That’s natural for longtime smokers. But it doesn’t need to control us. I have found that it sometimes helps if I reframe those moments as memories or nostalgia. I know smoking sucks and won’t make me feel better, so I’m not actually craving smoking per se. I’m just having a strong memory… a recollection of smoking, not an actual temptation to smoke again. A subtle distinction, perhaps, but one that I find empowering. Keep the quit!

Nutria

Yutzes

Quarterback