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YOU ARE NOT YOUR ADDICTION

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YOU ARE NOT YOUR ADDICTION

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 880

Breather:

Unaddiction, yes that is a good description...I like that, even if it is not a word (maybe it is)...I am glad that I am not the only one that is surprised to be alive everyday. There is something magical about that simple fact. In point of fact I do believe that there is a higher power at work here.

I don't really know what fear is, but I sure do know when it is around. I suppose we could go back to the basic fight or flight mechanism for a good description. Like Kelly, the very thought of quitting once made me very anxious. I always knew that I was using cigarettes in a very unhealthy way (as if there is a healthy way to use them). I used them as a kind of anti-depressant. There where other things I used for the same purpose, but none was as difficult to shed. For my money cessation was the best decision I ever made...

I hope that you are doing well, you certainly have done a wonderful thing for yourself...

stay well

nonic

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$71,106.00

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Days: 1556 Hours: 21

Minutes: 34 Seconds: 38

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6772

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203,160

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14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 816

nonic What a wonderful series of posts you've written here. I too am fascinated by the consciousness we humans have attained. I can't beleive there are people ( and I know some ) who are unimpressed by this. It was Albert Einstein who said something like , We are born into this world without being told why we are here and what the plan is for us. Basically left here to find our own direction. I think addiction is round as our brains are sperical and addiction comes full circle. Fear I've heard is only a lack of faith. Whether one beleives that they have what it takes to arrest addiction or beleive in something greater than themselves that can conquer the addiction recovery is then possible. In time unaddiction if that is a word can become the order of the day. If it isn't a word it should be. Today I prefer to be unaddicted. Excellent for you. breather

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 880

Tiana

I like that, we are greater than our fears. This is very hard thing for me (and I am guessing here), many others to understand...

stay well

nonic

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$71,106.00

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Days: 1556 Hours: 21

Minutes: 34 Seconds: 38

Life Gained
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6772

Smoke Free Days
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203,160

Cigarettes Not Smoked

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 880

Kelly

So good to hear from you again and look at those numbers...You have come a long, long way on this journey. Ain't it good to get something done? This is a difficult addiction because it's nature is not defined by its substance. There is much more to it than meets the eye. At least that is the way it has been for me. It may not be so for others.

I have come to the conclusion that all addictions are based in fear. And when it comes to contemplating "laying down the squares", one is forced to deal with old man fear. Depending upon the relationship the individual has with the addiction this presents many problems. The good news is that, if one really looks at it and doesn't run away from "the ugly stuff", the challenge can be met.

Sometimes I wish I was born with an owner's manual. A kind of reference guide to figure myself out. But since I have yet to come across that particular publication, I have to continually go back to the drawing table and rework the plan. But then again, that may be what its all about. I really don't know... in any case it sure has been interesting.

The one thing that I always keep in mind is the fact that we are here at all. The miracle of consciousness always intrigues me. The one thing I do know with regard to addiction, is that any required, repeated action (the basic definition of addiction) is not a good thing. I believe that we are born to experience many things, but we must always guard against any of those things becoming the be all and end all of our life experience.

It's kind of like a river...Here we are floating down this river (experiencing consciousness) and every now and again we get hung up on a rock. In this case cigarettes. And instead of just letting it go and getting on with floating down the river, we cling to that rock. It is very hard to do this, because the force of the river continues to urge us forward with its own force. But cling to the rock we do...Some how we must always find the courage to just let it go...

stay well

nonic

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$71,106.00

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Days: 1556 Hours: 21

Minutes: 34 Seconds: 38

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203,160

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14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 967

Well sir Nonic, as always it is wonderful to read your insights. I completely agree with you. My fear of quitting stopped me for years from even making an attempt. It ruled my life. It has taken me three years to rediscover myself, and I still have my moments, but I know who I am now. I am a non smoker.

I have many other fears in my life that I wish I could get under control. I know I can, if you can make it through the cessation process, you should be able to attack anything head on. It is funny, but only a mear six months ago did I stop having the smoking dreams almost nightly. It just took my mind that long to let go. One day I realized I had stopped having the dreams, and realized my mind finally gave up on the thought of smoking again. Thank GOD!

Depression, Anxiety...alcohol use...they have all found a place in my life...BUT, I don't smoke.

Hope this finds you well...

Kelly

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 653

Hi Nonic,

Great food for thought. Definitely fear can be an Achilles heel. It is important to know and believe that we are greater than our addictions! Thanks for that reminder!

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14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 880

Olivia Jane:

Yes, that is very true. Facing things square on can be difficult. And in the case of any addiction, there is no room for timid side-ward glances. Fear is a common element among us humans. It can be difficult to control and often impossible to ignore. But what we must not do is give in to it.

I have long thought that we are on this planet to do something. When it comes to fear, we can either react to it by struggling to MAKE THINGS happen (ie arrive on cessation island) or we face it by struggling to KEEP THINGS from happening (ie not getting cancer). The latter is the motivational message given to us by graphic anti-smoking commercials and messages on packs of cigarettes. The former motivational message is the one that lives within ourselves. The latter comes to us from outside sources. The former wells up from our most inner beings.

We can use fear in a positive way by taking positive action. That action involves changing our lives in a way that makes smoking an unnessary element in our lives. How we do this is dependent upon the makeup of the individual. But it is my belief that we all have the capability of defeating our addictions. We must, however, know who we are in order to be successful. That can be difficult. But at the end of the day I know that we are not our addictions. If we are not our addiction, then the answer to the cessation riddle must reside in our ability to understand who we really are...

stay well

nonic

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$71,106.00

Amount Saved
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Days: 1556 Hours: 21

Minutes: 34 Seconds: 38

Life Gained
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6772

Smoke Free Days
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203,160

Cigarettes Not Smoked

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 70

Fear is the mind killer...Dune

Excellent post. Thank you!

Olivia Jane

14 years ago 0 +0 / -0 880

Hello Fellow Travelers:

Our addiction is a many headed beast, a sort of Hydra. The addiction itself has many elements. But of all the inter-dependent pieces of this addiction, there is one that breaks my heart more than any of the others. And the irony of this is that the element of which I speak is one that springs from our own inner beings. Fear.

As I read the posts, I can almost sense, beneath the words, a subtext of pure fear. It is understandable. While fear is indeed one of the Hydra's heads. Fear is not built into cigarettes at the factory. No, we manufacture our own fear. In many ways fear is a trick of the addiction. And we are the magicians.

Fear does not serve us well on our journey to cessation. Fear, in fact, keeps us addicted. Until we begin to come to terms with our fear, we will remain addicted. Until we desire cessation because we know that we will regain our health, we will remain addicted. Until we want freedom more than we are willing to accept servitude, we will remain addicted.

Perhaps one way to do this is to see that we are not our addiction. We were not born addicted. Somewhere along the line we made a bad choice and choose to smoke. So be it. But that choice is not who we are today. We should celebrate cessation as a second chance, a way to correct a past error. How often does that come along?

Fear is difficult to control. I have no illusions about that. When we seek cessation, we seek change and change can be upsetting. Most people do not particularly relish change and some do fear it. But in this case there is no reason for fear. We need to take that fear and turn it into hope. Fear will keep us addicted. Fear is the addiction's friend. Hope on the other hand is the seed of cessation.

We are not our addiction. But if we are not careful it is possible for us to become our fears. And if we choose to become our fears, we will, once again choose our addiction...

stay well

nonic

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$71,106.00

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 1556 Hours: 21

Minutes: 34 Seconds: 39

Life Gained
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6772

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

203,160

Cigarettes Not Smoked

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YOU ARE NOT YOUR ADDICTION