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Oct 10 08 5:40 PM
Congratulations Don on navigating your first week without nicotine! Every time I read excitement such as yours it helps me call my own amazement, lingering fears and hope that just maybe this was it, a keeper! Here's a few articles that came to mind when reading your first post: Crutches Sleep adjustments Crave episodes: the bigger the better If we can only dump needless anxiety generating fears this can be the most amazing awakening we've ever known. If returning to a mind that goes days and eventually weeks without once thinking about wanting to use nicotine then what on earth do we have to fear!!! Our fears were bred by a chemical addiction that had our mind convinced that that next nicotine fix was every bit as critical as eating food. Our survival instincts teacher was long ago taken hostage by an external chemical that by chance was able to activate the brain's reward pathways. We were used to food dopamine "aaah" reward sensations when anticipating eating or actually eating food and sensing the onset of punishing anxities and cravings when we went too long without eating food. What none of us were prepared for was having those same brain circuits reward and punish us into believing that our next nicotine fix was as important as eating. It is normal to be afraid but allowing false fears to thrive deprives us of the ability to cherish the beauty unfolding around us. We leave nothing of value behind. Every chemical that nicotine controlled already belonged to us! Everything we did while nicotine addicts can be done as well as better without it. Celebrate arrival of recovery challenges, Don, as each is another opportunity to reclaim an emotion, activity or honesty in thinking. Embrace recovery, don't fight it!! Regardless of the situation there was always only one rule that provides 100% odds of success here and now ... no nicotine today! Enjoy your journey and homecoming! Breathe deep, hug hard, live long, John (Gold x9)
If we can only dump needless anxiety generating fears this can be the most amazing awakening we've ever known. If returning to a mind that goes days and eventually weeks without once thinking about wanting to use nicotine then what on earth do we have to fear!!!
Our fears were bred by a chemical addiction that had our mind convinced that that next nicotine fix was every bit as critical as eating food. Our survival instincts teacher was long ago taken hostage by an external chemical that by chance was able to activate the brain's reward pathways. We were used to food dopamine "aaah" reward sensations when anticipating eating or actually eating food and sensing the onset of punishing anxities and cravings when we went too long without eating food. What none of us were prepared for was having those same brain circuits reward and punish us into believing that our next nicotine fix was as important as eating.
It is normal to be afraid but allowing false fears to thrive deprives us of the ability to cherish the beauty unfolding around us. We leave nothing of value behind. Every chemical that nicotine controlled already belonged to us! Everything we did while nicotine addicts can be done as well as better without it.
Celebrate arrival of recovery challenges, Don, as each is another opportunity to reclaim an emotion, activity or honesty in thinking. Embrace recovery, don't fight it!! Regardless of the situation there was always only one rule that provides 100% odds of success here and now ... no nicotine today! Enjoy your journey and homecoming!
Breathe deep, hug hard, live long,
John (Gold x9)
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