Joe..I feel compelled to respond to this post.
As you could see from my posts,I am one of those people who has been struggling with my quit. Have I been fixating on it? Yes. Do I need professoional help? Maybe..
It's not as black and white as you may think. I'll give you a bit of my history and see if you still think that I should feel as you do..
I became addicted to cigarettes at the age of 12, It was soon followed by marijuana,alcohol...all the way to cocaine by the time I was 19. I came from a so called disfunctional household and I was a very angry child, I lacked in self worth and confidance. I married at 16, had my first child and was divorced at the age of 19. I placed my daughter with my mother during the height of my addiction while I attenmpted to get help. After many failed attempts at getting "clean",and falling into an abusive relationship for 7 years, I became suicidal. Did I mention that I was also bulimic? I went to A psychiatrist who told me that suicide wasn't illegal as one cannot charge a dead person and he couldn't help me.I tried drug rehabs but was told that they could not accommodate me as I was actively suicidal. I tried mental institutions but was told they couldn't help me because I was a drug addict. I tried an eating disorder clinic (before a panel of experts) but was told that my case was too complicated since I was suicidal and using drugs.
I saw numerous counsellers, and spent time in detox centers.
I finally received help from a church and came to believe that there is a God.
To make a long story short...I have been free from cocaine for 9 years, I had 2 more children,I remarried my Ex- husband and took in his 3 young children. I am now working on getting rid of this final addiction..That's right nicotine. I no longer beat myself up for all the mistakes I've made but I do sometimes dwell on where I could be had addiction not taken over my life.
I have been taking zoloft for 10 years as I do believe that I have been self medicating to cover up a life long depression and I also think that I suffer from ADD. However,Theres not a doctor around who would treat me for this as it involves an addictive drug (ritalin). As for counselling, the psychologists and Doctors around here ( I now live in a small town(my hometown))ag