The President is a Drug Addict

[hwc]

WASHINGTON (AP) - One day after signing legislation giving the government unprecedented power to regulate tobacco, President Barack Obama is admitting that he's sometimes "fallen off the wagon" in his own effort to stop smoking.

Obama told reporters Tuesday that he's "95 percent cured." But he added that "there are times where I mess up."

He said he's not a "daily" or "constant" smoker, and that he doesn't smoke in front of his kids.

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Baaaawaaahaaaa. If that ain't junkie talk, I don't know what is.

What do you think, Become an Ex'ers? I bet we could give him some tough love if he came around here with that nonesense about being 95% cured. He's still chewing nic gum and smoking after 2.5 years. Doesn't sound anything like "cured" to me. Hell, I haven't had a cigarette in 16 months and I don't claim to be 95% cured. Smart guy like that, with his own Surgeon General, you'd think he wouldn't be such a dumbass about his own drug addiction. We've all been there, I guess.

Papa Jimmy? Peggy? Connie? Advice? I can just hear jonescarp!

Does he really think his kids don't know he smokes? Baaaawaaahaaa haaaaa.

"Fallen off the wagon". "Messing up". That sounds so cute and cuddly. Like a stuffed bear having a boo-boo. If he ever accepts that he's a drug addict, he might have a fighting chance to quit. Until then, he's just playing games with himself. Poor guy.

[kellie_a]

At least this president CAN speak period. Which is a good step. And to further that, he CAN speak without a microphone taped to his back. Those are two good leaps right there.
Connie, I totally agree with what you said above. Ditto! Right on!!
For the rest of this discussion though, what would you do, or rather WOULD you do anything different, if indeed you knew this topic was a TRIGGER for someone that is trying to stop smoking? Would you keep doing what you're doing and posting political things over and over again? Just wondering.
And, what you may think is good support in the form of tough love, may not be what the "slipper/relapser" (for lack of a better term) may be needing at the moment. Just saying.

[nicole]

i would have to respond to that sayin I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANYONES QUIT BUT MY OWN. And if this discussion is going to "trigger" someone...then they dont have to read it. Quits (i have learned) are about you....your quit your feelings your strength and your choices. Yes there have been times that was like oh i want to go smoke, i had the junkie thoughts.....but my sense of reasoning....and knowing myself well enough that if i did take one puff...i would be a full time smoker again stopped me. Its what you make of it. Someone said that to me early in my quit and i didnt get it...I get it now. (i agree about this one being able to talk......but he talks to slow that my a.d.d. wont let me understand him...so its all the same for me)

[kellie_a]

So, why torture someone with it? I'm not understanding your point. Or is there one?

[nicole]

?
i think i missed something.

[kellie_a]

Yeah, me too...

[sandee]

It’s NOT about the politics, it’s NOT about a “habit” It’s NOT about will power. There is NO SUCH THING as being 95% quit…You get it or you don’t. It’s that simple! It really is. Mr. Obama just hasn’t gotten it yet, and needs to stop pretending that he is not the addict that he is.

[kellie_a]

True, Sandee. Very true. You hit the nail on the head.

[kellie_a]

Who said that "someone is looking for a trigger and an excuse to light up..."? That was strictly a hypothetical question when I stated what was quoted above. Did I name names in my statement? Hmm...

As for anyone that might think that they can sneeze AND control my quit or anyone else's quit is absolutely preposterous as stated above in this comment "Hold on - wait - I might sneeze - but I probably shouldn't do that cuz it might be a TRIGGER for someone and it might stress them out so much that they might CHOOSE to break their own quits and smoke... Sheesh!!" in MY OPINION... It's most useful to me when people can talk logically or within reason. Or am I not supposed to be on this site for smoking cessation aid? Is there something I'm not getting here?

[david-hibling]

Actuallly with the currant world problems perhaps we should just let Obama "be" for a while - we all know that some of us have three days to seven days of "hell" week when we stop - imagine if he decides to stop now and then has a meeting with the Iranian president? Can you imagine the conversation afterwards "Sorry Mr Ahmadonjad - the remark "you old camel jockey" was simply because i have stopped smoking - I am sure you understand!!" Lets send Mr President a link to this site and tell him when he has his next vacation thats when he should set his quit datz and we will all be there for him!

[kellie_a]

LOL @ David... Thanks. I needed a good chuckle. I could see that if I was in hell week AND the President too. 🙂

[nicole]

i got what you were saying peggy. I just didnt get "So, why torture someone with it? I'm not understanding your point. Or is there one?" i didnt understand what that meant so thats why i was saying i think i missed something. I dont know if i missed some underlying thing that happened or if the hypothetical question involved a different blog that blends with this one or what. I was just saying that I'm not responsible for another persons quit...just my own. And ckoalaco was saying that if someone wants to smoke it doesnt matter what we say, or do, they will smoke. Point blank. Ckoalaco has been here for a while lol....and in the short time that ive been here i have seen it where someone will reach out and say i want to smoke....then the next post will be.....oh im having a bad day.....and then the next one will be like....oh i cant control it...then the next one is ...oops i slipped im so angry ... IMO i dont understand that because i havent slipped. I dont know the feeling and personally i dont have tolerance for it. Im sure i would look at it differently if i slipped and i would want...understanding...if i had slipped (this is why i dont respond to slipped posts, i can not offer advice). anyway ckoalaco was just saying if someone wants to smoke nothing we say or do will stop them and as an addict they will use whatever excuse they can to lite up? (right ckoalaco, i dont want to be putting words in you keys) I dont know if im explaining what im trying to say right. I think that this site is for support and you should use it. 🙂 I dont know if im helping or not! im just gonna shut up lol.

[kellie_a]

I'm sorry. I'm not getting what you were saying now when you said "Ckoalaco has been here for a while lol...." ... Is there a meaning in that too? I'm not getting your point. The site went "live on March 31, 2008 and I joined July 13, 2008. That was a lapse of almost 4 months since I joined and the site went live.

[nicole]

i was just saying that im sure in time that ckoaloaco has been here shes seen a lot...and if youve been here that long then youve seen it too... thats the point i was trying to make.

[kellie_a]

I don't really consider this "over-reaction". I was simply stating my opinion on here as does everyone else. Or so I thought we were allowed to express our opinions. Or is that not allowed here, Peggy? I solely expressed my opninions and asked some questions. Did it rub you the wrong way? With the sneeze remark and all, that's what I would assume.

As far as a history between you and I, I'm at a loss here. I don't recall you and I ever having a "past". Did I forget something here? Or was it something I didn't know about? You and I used to be friends on here, I thought. And now, not so much, I presume?

[kellie_a]

"Meee-ooowww!!! Can you say animosity?? Wow!! I really do hope that feel better now that you've gotten that out of your system."
WTH, Peggy? Just when I think I am understanding you, you go and throw something like this in here. You have me totally confused right now.

What did I say above about simply stating my opinion? I was simply stating my opinion and then I asked if you thought that wasn't allowed here. You state your opinion. Everyone else states their opinion. I simply stated mine.

Isn't that what I said above too? That we used to be friends? I stated that I'm not sure where that had changed. You mentioned that we had "moved on". Moved on from what?

[david-hibling]

It is so constructive to finally realise that smoking is not a HABIT you can control but an ADDICTION that you need to stop - full stop - I of course agree with Connie Peggy hwc - you either smoke and are a smoker or you quit and are a quitter there is no in between!!! I will say though when I stopped smoking almost a year ago I was less intolerant of slips until - er I slipperd - and had to start all over again - it was a struggle and hell - (so please anyone who has just quit DONT SLIP NOT ONE PUFF) However the person on this site who really helped me has not yet written on this blog and seldom does so but her no nonsense yet understanding and "wise forgiveness" taught me something - there is a fine line when offering support to someone who has relasped - you do not want to offer so much forgiveness that it makes some one feel its okay to relapse and become a serial "slipper" as Peggy so rightly says this is life and death folks - but at the same time if God only hung out with the pure and non-sinners his work each day would be over hy 7.30am and he could spend the whole day playing Holf with St Peter - I am sure those of you who believe in God know he never stops listening or working with even the most repeated sinnner!! I think the aim of support here is to keep re-affirming the message and then sooner or later it will dawn on those reching out for help here to quit - what it is all about (peggy has a special word for the momennt that I have temporarily forgot!) I took me longer to get it than some - er but perhaps quicker than your President - its too serious to play around with - its not some disgusting habit but a lethal addiction - its just some of us need a bigger safety net than others before we know we will keep fon flying for good

[mary-schinnerer]

This seemed to have gotten highly "personal", and I am not so sure the "dirty laundry" should have been aired out here ... I certainly hope the apologies were meaningful as well as accepted ... And we can all now move on...
I've had a particulary difficult past several days, and would do a "fine" job of rubbing salt in on a few- to - many folk myself, however it, like smoking a cigarrette, wouldn't lessen the difficulties for me one bit ... In fact it would only complicate it.
President Obama, as every one of us, is dealing with a horrendous addiction. Like him, I tried to quit without much success many times. Fallen from the wagon and rolled all the way to the foot of the mountain, I never felt "cute and cuddily, like a stuffed bear having a boo boo" ... I felt roughed and tumbled with the self esteem of a lowly peon with no place to go! This quit I decided to do it as I "meant business", much like a parent would do with an out of control child. So I got help and support - here - from each and every one of you, new quitters and the successful "oldies". When we come here it's our decision, our time... So shall it be for everyone, including the President's, no matter his suport network.
I like David's suggestion ... Can an invitation to Become An EX be sent to President Obama???
One last thought ... We all infuence and affect each other here ... and out in the "real time" world ... As a sensitive - if this had been my first look in on this support network I probably would not have felt comfortable enough to stay. While we are addicts without a doubt, I think it's important to note Become An EX is not a re-hab, it's a support network.
Peace and bright smiles ~ Mary

[kellie_a]

Did I miss something here? When you said, "So, to have someone use a blog like this as an excuse to smoke....HA!!! ", who on earth could you be talking about? Who did this?

[kellie_a]

There was nothing in that statement that said you were referring to anything hypothetically. You said, and I quote it from above, "So, to have someone use a blog like this as an excuse to smoke....HA!!! Sorry, not buying!" Where did that say, or hell, even imply hypothetically anything? I didn't see anyone using this blog for that reason. Why keep this going? And that is NOT a hypothetical question. At all.

[kellie_a]

HAHAHA... You're so nut getting out of me what you're fishing for. What is the problem, Connie? You tell me...

[kellie_a]

And I don't appreciate you demanding me to let anything go. You don't have that right.

[kellie_a]

And then you DEMAND me to do something when you are clearly the one that has kept this going after I kindly asked "Why keep this going?"... Geez...

[karen-williamson]

Wow, what a mixed bag of comments I've just read through! I'm just here to put my 2 cents worth in. I'm fairly new at this compared to some of you & have more time under my belt than others--just made it through 26 days! Just so you will al know, this is my 2nd and final time to quit after 25 years of smoking. I know this to be true because for the first time in my life I WANT TO QUIT. I'm a colon cancer survivor. In 2002 it was found, I had surgery & went through chemo that put me back in the hospital & I almost died from it. I quit smoking for 3 months (It's really embarassing when in the hospital for cancer to roll your IV bag out the hospital door with you to smoke a cigarette!) I was then told by the doctors to "do more chemo" even though I'm lacking an enzyme required to break down the poison & get it out of your body--therefore chemo was poisoning me to death. I told them "not in this lifetime". Even after all that I started smoking again--because I wasn't to the point of really wanting to quit. Needing to quit--should quit--not the same as wanting to quit. So I hope I will always be compassionate to others who try to quit & don't succeed and to those who haven't even arrived at their "wanting to quit" stage yet. It is possible to nice, supportive, compassionate, understanding and remember the times you weren't as strong while helping someone with facts and some plain talk about quitting. I was a very defensive smoker--as in "don't you touch my damn cigarettes"--therefore intimidation, bullying, telling me a "have" to or "can't" do something doesn't work. Not saying anyone here is trying to do that. I'm just trying to say different things work for different people and nothing will work until a person is really ready & to the point of wanting to quit more than wanting to smoke. Thanks for letting me vent. 🙂

[mary-schinnerer]

I implied what? I stated that if this (blog) had been my first look in on this support network I probably would not have felt comfortable enough to stay ... And, again I state : Become An EX is NOT a re-hab, it's a support network.
I was not implying anything, just merely making my opinion known, without insult or injury toward anyone.
I am here because smoking is not an option for me, I am an addict, and I do not ever want to take another fall off my damn wagon ... it hurts too much and it has become ever so difficult to climb back aboard.
Geez ... I feel for everyone, including President Obama ... I have been in those shoes so many times - I know what it is like to cycle around the simple fact : NOT ONE PUFF = an EX SMOKER ... PERIOD.
Become An EX has been ONE of my TOOLS to QUIT and REMAIN an EX!
I am not leaving the network and I am not smoking ever again.
This blog, nor any other, could ever have the power to be a trigger (???) - I am the one who has that (negatve) power onto myself, and myself alone. This is true for everyone.
Karen ~ Keep up with your labor of self love and care. The road ahead may not be easy, but so little in life is worth it when it does come easy. You are doing great having made it 26 days!
~ Mary

[mary-schinnerer]

Connie ~ Please read all which you have written ... I was simply replying to that which you wrote. Truly - It is okay, and I got your hypothetical point(s). Brightest of smiles to you and everyone!!! ~ Mary