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Share your quitting journey

Out of the frying pan and into the fire

Chuck-2-20-2011
0 7 37

Really, that’s what it’s like to lose a quit I think. After trying for hours, days or weeks to reach that end to an addiction, we suddenly lose our focus and find ourselves back at the base of the mountain. We realize that all we’ve gone through was for nothing. The emotions are incredible as we face feelings of failure because we know that somehow we did this to ourselves.

But the reality is that this scenario can be avoided simply by understanding our addictions a little better. When we choose to quit their seems to be that endless nagging internal voice telling us in a lot of different ways that something’s wrong. Coupled with the withdrawals of the first week smoke free, this can be a terrible discomfort to say the least.

To me there’s two ways to look at that first week. We can see it as hell week and spend the entire week fighting with ourselves and trying to get to the other side. Or we can see that first week as opportunity. You see, though we feel like hell, this is a good time to learn what we’re facing. This is a good time to get to know that addict within just a little better because the bottom line is that the two of you are in for quite a ride together and since the addict within is actually the enemy, it’s always a good idea to know what he’s up to.

I have always called my internal voice the addict within. I mean after all, it’s like a second voice running through the mind and to me a good way to deal with that voice is to give it some kind of name just so it has to come out of hiding. So that you can get to know this part of your brain that seemed to have popped up out of know where to harass you because to the addict within, what we’re doing when we deprive the brain of nicotine is completely wrong!

WE know that what we’re doing is the right thing but somehow our own minds are telling us that it’s not. And so we face a constant struggle with ourselves at first. But if you take a little time to learn about this little brat that makes you want to do what you know is wrong, then when the physical part of the withdrawals are over with your better prepared to deal with that crazy voice. You can learn to tell it to shut up! This should bring about the laughter that Dale often mentions. And it’s really hard to take that voice seriously once you can see the humor in the fact that it’s there.

So though it’s hard. Though it takes time. In the end you’ll find that it was time well spent. And so long as you can deal with that little internal voice and learn to either laugh at it or ignore it then you’ll be fine because this is the part of us that we must overcome to be free. This is a part of the journey that must be lived because until we can see the addict within for what it really is. Until we can take the wind out of it’s sails and push it back to where it really belongs then we can never be completely free.

This is what takes time. To deal with our internal selves. So hang in there my friends. Though it takes time to learn our addictions, every step that toward that goal is a step toward freedom. Every day that we wake up filled with a resolve that is way more powerful then our addictions is a new day on the path to freedom. Every time we tell that internal voice to shut up and realize that this is the part of the mind that has always created the triggers is a step toward freedom.

So when you wake up in the morning the first thing to do is smile because you know at that moment that today is going to be a good day. Today is going to be a day of resolve. Today is the day that I will once again look to my future of freedom and know in my heart that this is how to quell that nagging voice once and for all for you see, this is the day that I will once again face myself with confidence. This is a day that I will win!!

Keep your eyes on the prize! It’s so worth the effort!!

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