I see Nicotine Addiction as a Social Issue that has disastrous medical consequences.
The rationale that Addicts have a disease has a lot of weight, especially because it's backed up by a lot of high-level bodies, like NIDA (National Institute on Drug Abuse). NIDA funds about 90 percent of addiction research in the world. It is a self-perpetuating system. The problem with this model as an Addict is you relinquish responsibility for your actions: "Nico-Demon made me do it!"
A lot of addiction experts feel that self-motivation, self-empowerment, self-directed activities, self-designed goals for addicts' own progress are critical steps on the road of overcoming Addiction. The medical model says you're a patient and you have to do what the doctor tells you.
Our brains have been hyjacked by a chemical called Nicotine. The very structure of our brains has changed. BUT we still do have within us an Executive Control that can override our thought processes and set us FREE eventually allowing new healthy thoughts about Nicotine and Smoking to develop. It's Executive Control that brought you and me here to this website in spite of our Addiction. Executive Control knows that what we're doing is not a good choice and it has the ability to choose differently!
I can tell you what motivated me but you have to find what motivates YOU and remind yourself very often in order to maintain that momentum that will get you through those first challenging days!
You also have to empower yourself with new sets of coping skills that will help you endure and relieve stress, anger, frustration - all those emotional upsets that send you running to your Sickerettes! What can you do instead?
You will need to stage your LIFE differently with activities that you choose to fill the hour and a half to two hours a day that you were accustomed to waste smoking. Boredom is a trigger so how will you not get bored? Plan for it! What will you do instead?
You must set goals for yourself, some very short term and others long term. Know how to get through the next 5 minutes without smoking and learn how to get to your first Month, first 100 days, through No Man's Land, onward to your First Year, your First 1000 days and yes, even beyond!
We can show you how we did it. We can give you lists and lists of motivations, game plans, maps for the future but your Recovery belongs to YOU! Only you can direct yourself on the Journey of Recovery!
Make that Executive Control in your Brain in charge! Set aside your Addictive Thoughts - refuse to pay attention to them! Make the decision to earn your FREEDOM and then READ, READ, READ! Learn about your endless options of what to do instead and relearn how to live Smoke FREE!
YOU CAN DO IT! More people have quit than those who smoke! There's no reason you can't Become an EX!
For more information about these ideas you can refer to Dr. Marc Lewis a Neuroscientist,University of Toronto Professor Emeritus, current faculty member at Radboud University in Nijmegen, Netherlands and author of The Biology of Desire: Why Addiction Is Not a Disease
