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Share your quitting journey

You Must Realize

SimplySheri
Member
6 9 120

~~Before you can break out of prison, you must realize you are locked up.~~  Unknown

Too many quitters never realize this.  Some may not want to think about the addiction, others don't understand it.  A few more may even reject the idea that they are 'addicted' to cigarettes.

Take the time to educate yourself, please, about this addiction....because that is what it is.  Even if you only smoke three cigarettes a day, the fact of the matter is if you can't do without them, you are addicted.  If you have that 'need' to smoke, you are addicted.  If you feel more and more stressed until you finally get to take that first puff and the relief is so overwhelming, you are addicted.  Not just those who scrounge for change to buy that one more pack.  Money has nothing to do with addiction.  Not just those who sit and smoke three packs a day.  The amount you smoke has nothing to do with addiction.  Not just those who get ill.  Physical health has nothing to do with addiction (although poor health is one possible result of smoking). 

Addiction is all in your head.  It's how your neurotransmitters function with and without nicotine (and all those chemicals they add into it).  With the drug, your neurotransmitters happily shoot throughout the brain, making your body feel happy, relaxed, calm.  Without the drug, your neurotransmitters shoot "Something's wrong!!!!" throughout your body, making you tense, irritable, anxious.  And you will continue to feel this way until that first drag.  And so the cycle of "ah, I feel better" continues.  Trapped by wanting to feel good, you continue to smoke.

Playing Russian Roulette with your health....with life itself....is not in your best interest.  Being chained to your addiction is not in your best interest.  Shelling out money to feed your addiction is not in your best interest.  So what can you do?

The only good thing about addiction is that recovery CAN happen.  You can cut your ties, break free from that prison, and regain control over your life!  It's do-able.  It may be the hardest thing you ever do, but I promise you that it is the most powerful thing you'll ever do as well.  It is freeing, it is exciting, it is amazing.  You are saving your life and regaining control over it.  You will never regret quitting....and I can promise you that there will come a time when you will regret continuing to smoke.  Head to recovery....understand your addiction, make your quit plan, look forward to life!  You can.  But its up to you if you will.

God Bless Our Vets!!

Sheri

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