Bgaineshunter,
Casey's right that we think that we can start to smoke occasionally and be fine... and then before we know it, we are back at our addictions. We have one, and then don't have any increased cravings, and suddenly, we think that we can smoke socially and be fine. Most people, however, can't do that. There's a specific genetic defect that allows social smokers to be that way... their bodies break down nicotine at a slower rate and they don't need nicotine as often and don't have cravings when they don't smoke. I know for a fact that I don't have that gene! No matter what, I can't have just one! I too have done the same thing you have. I have blown quit after quit after quit because I thought that I could smoke "just one" or I could be a social smoker. That's the quickest way right back into our addictions.
But I also think that there's more to it than that. I have found through personal experience that slipping gives us the excuse to slip again... and again... until it's not just a slip... we're right back into our addictions. When we slip once, we haven't strengthened our coping mechanisms... in fact, we've weakened them. Whatever was a trigger before is still a trigger and after you slip, it becomes an even bigger trigger because we've proved to ourselves that we WILL give in if we are faced with that trigger. So then, we're in a similar situation, and our brains think "well, I smoked last time I was in this situation, so I can smoke this time." And then that situation, or maybe a different one, arises, and we smoke again... and again... and again. And before we know it, we're back in our addictions.
The best way, of course, to avoid both of those scenarios is to just not smoke. That way, we don't have that "well, I did it last time..." excuse. Congrats on 36 days! That's awesome!
Crave the Quit!
Pam
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 10/28/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 292
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 7,323
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1205.96
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 21 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 13 [B]Seconds:[/B] 28
