Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Dual Addiction and Smoking

Did I tell you I quit?

Yep, I finally did it.

Well.... circumstances made it easier than it should've been.

I'll still take all of the credit, thank you very much.



Last October I got a headache.
I get them sometimes.
Bad.
Sometimes they last for weeks.
This one did.
Five weeks and a few days.

BUT
I was extremely sensitive to odors while I had this headache.
Anything with an odor seemed obnoxious.

The second day of the headache, I went outside to smoke a cigarette and it was REALLY gross.

but i smoked it anyway.

The next day I went outside to smoke a cigarette and it was REALLY gross.

and again, I smoked it anyway.

The next day when I was about to walk outside to smoke a cigarette, I thought to myself "it's gonna be gross.  I'll do it later."

Five weeks later, when the time the headache was gone (and odors weren't offensive) it was RIDICULOUS to start smoking again.

I wanted to.
I still do sometimes.

But.... I don't want to smoke forever.
I just don't ever want to quit RIGHT NOW.

I'll quit later.

But I realize that.... if, after having not smoked for 5 weeks, I return to smoking, then I must face that I am going to be a smoker for the rest of my life. 

If I don't stay quit this time, then when?

So I'm done.

I've been trying for a long time.
I've written about smoking cessation several times.  Here's one entry.

Statistically when someone has dual-addictions, they are more likely to relapse if they continue in any of the addictions.  People who quit smoking in rehab centers are less likely to return to drugs or alcohol than people who don't quit smoking.

Lots of people in recovery say to tackle one addiction at a time.
and that worked for me.
but studies are showing that ceasing all addictive behaviors simultaneously is likely to be a more successful approach.

However you decide to do it.... all at once, or one at a time..... claim your independence.

5 comments:

Still thinking said...

Congratulations and I wish you well. My mother was one of the post Great WW II generation who succumbed to the marketing of tobacco before anyone really knew the side effects.

In her 60's she developed emphysema and tried to stop but could not. In her 70's she developed a form of lung cancer which led to her death at 72. She died well, surrounded with love.

That is life. I had a friend who stopped smoking in her 40's but who later developed a smoking related cancer and died at 62. That is life as well.

I am fairly philosophical about addictions/compulsive behaviours now. A lot depends on WHY you want to keep going and WHY you want to stop ~ and then one makes the choice. You've helped many through this blog and I come back regularly because there is so much of value here. God bless :)

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Anonymous said...

Dual addiction is not uncommon. I welcome further updates to hear how you're getting on, and how your life has changed since the last post, six months ago for better or worse. I have also featured you on my gambling addiction website.