Quitting a habit

[Fuddy1952]

In my case nicotine addiction was because I loved it. It started the day, every project, etc. It became a huge part of my life. Smoker friends can't even ride to the store without cigarettes.
So hating it in my case was the cure. My alcoholic brother, like alcoholics I've known won't admit they are. "I can quit any time", but never do. They love what it does for them.
Ironically every time his wife leaves him he sobers up (at least cuts way back). To him it's the cure for every problem. If he hated what it's doing to him, his wife, family, friends, etc., hate it with a passion, he would quit.
Yes, it's a weakness. It will continue as long as it takes precedence and supersedes marriage, work, physical health, etc. If you hate something passionately enough you'll get rid of it.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I think the psychology of that thinking is quite wrong and will in most cases only fuel the addiction. Obese people probably hate how they look and feel or how society treats them. BUT they LOVE food more. That addictive EGO simply does not care what it does to you or anyone else. It WANTS pleasure!

We in Canada have terrible graphic images of the worst cancer can do to you on our cig. packs. The EGO couldn't care less!

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I started dipping Copenhagen in the Marines when I had to stay up all night by myself in the Embassy. Other Marines dipped and said it's how they stay awake, and they where right. No sleeping while dipping!!! It lasted about 15 years. I quit dozens and dozens of times, but after about five days, I couldn't take it anymore and started back up. Then one day I was out looking for a fresh can and couldn't find any at all my regular places. By the end of the day, I still hadn't found a fresh can and was kind of annoyed that everything was so old. Next day was just as bad. I didn't really think about not having a dip all day, or the next day, but by the 3rd day, it hit me, so I bought bag of Doritos instead and gained 60 pounds in about 6 months, but didn't dip again. I thought about it, but just kept stuffing my face and gaining weight instead. I've never lost all the weight, and that's been an ongoing issues since quitting tobacco 20 years ago.

You remind me of a good friend of mine that passed a few years ago. Lew was career Marines, served in Nam, retired as a drill instructor, and was tougher than a cut nail. Anyway, he ATE Copenhagen... I'm pretty sure 24/7. I once watched him eat Popeye's chicken with a dip in. Man, I sure miss him. He was a true man of honor, once you earned his trust you never had to watch your back.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I watched my dad drink when I was younger and used to leave notes with his hidden liquor bottles asking him to quit. When I turned 20 years old I got drunk for the first time. I stayed drunk for many years. If I bought a 12 pack or 18 pack of beer I thought I had to drink them all. It was a problem I had. I finally quit cold turkey when my wife got pregnant with our son. I told her if he grows up to be an alcoholic he wouldn't learn it from watching me. I got back into church and reading the Bible more and God helped me quit and stay sober, it's been 7 years and 6 months since I've had a drink.

I went to church with a guy who drank, smoked and did drugs. He quit them all and said smoking was the hardest of the 3.

Way to go...:thumbsup: I had a similar problem with beer, except for me it was just a six pack, and I would finish that in 30 minutes then be done. But I quit that as well 22 years ago. I've found pretty much anything you hand off to God, he takes.

 

[Fuddy1952]

I think the psychology of that thinking is quite wrong and will in most cases only fuel the addiction. Obese people probably hate how they look and feel or how society treats them. BUT they LOVE food more. That addictive EGO simply does not care what it does to you or anyone else. It WANTS pleasure!

We in Canada have terrible graphic images of the worst cancer can do to you on our cig. packs. The EGO couldn't care less!

I think we're saying the same thing. Obese people to lose weight would have to hate FOOD. That's the key.
For me it didn't help people telling me to quit, not to do it, etc. I had to hate NICOTINE. I hated the power it had over me, I was stronger than IT. Overcoming an addiction is a personal thing. The addict has to admit it, wants to change and has to have power over it.
A reformed alcoholic friend passed recently at 74, sober for 10 years, would say "snakes" about alcohol.
Years ago we heard an interesting lecture, the fellow said ego=exit God out.

 

[Larry Caldwell]

We are healthier nowadays, but I sure missed the old timey staff meetings, with a pot of black coffee, cigs and cigars, and a dozen greasy donuts in the middle of the table. We would sit in there in a cloud of tobacco smoke, slugging coffee, and line out a weeks work in two hours. Those meetings were immensely productive.

 

[Industrial Toys]

Then, off to the four Martini Lunch. And driving back to the Office, perfectly relaxed.The word STRESS probably hadn't been invented yet.

 

[bunyip]

I think the psychology of that thinking is quite wrong and will in most cases only fuel the addiction. Obese people probably hate how they look and feel or how society treats them. BUT they LOVE food more. That addictive EGO simply does not care what it does to you or anyone else. It WANTS pleasure!

We in Canada have terrible graphic images of the worst cancer can do to you on our cig. packs. The EGO couldn't care less!

We have had those for a while too, created a new market for an external pack holder so you can't see them, with obesity I think a lot is the sugar addiction even though you are not aware that you are having it in what are not regarded as sweet foods.
Also onm cigarettes, they are not alloweed to be on display and advertising has been banned for many years now but it doesn't stop people smoking,
The worst offenders are the young females who take it up moreso than males.

 

[dragoneggs]

Then, off to the four Martini Lunch. And driving back to the Office, perfectly relaxed.The word STRESS probably hadn't been invented yet.

I don’t know about 4 Martinis but I barely remember 2! Good ole days at a desk job designing airplanes. Yikes!

 

[Industrial Toys]

We were assured that the four day work week was coming, but all we got was more and more stress it seems.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

My mom had the strangest smoking habit. No smoking all day long, but after her bath, she'd get in bed and smoke 2 cigarettes while she watched TV. She always kept the lit cigarette in an ashtray on her bed stand.


Funny story.

I did not smoke. I worked 2nd shift in a mfg plant with a group of pretty wild guys. So we ate lunch mostly together in the break room about 9 - 9:30 pm. One guy always smoked a cigarette after eating (this was in the late '80's), while the rest of the guys would go outside to have a smoke. That left about 4 of us in the breakroom. One night, I cut a loud toot at the table and this guy (a good buddy of mine) came unglued. I thought we were going to have to throw down. I could tell he was used to not having people stand up to him. He told me that was rude. I told him I'd been breathing his 2nd hand smoke for almost 3 years and I still owed him a thousand farts. I told him if he'd smoke outside, I'd fart outside. He eventually calmed down and we went on playing cards for a bit longer.....The boss eventually put up a room divider in the break room so we could separate smokers from non smokers.

 

[CobyRupert]

I believe the best way to cure addiction is by hating it. Hate it with a passion! Anyone who waits until there's a problem it's usually too late.
Of course for many prayer is good also, knowing you're not alone.

In my spiritual explorations, HATE and FEAR are amoung the absolute worst and destructive of human conditions.

What you HATE, you attract. No one should know that better than me!

Not sure IndustrialToys.
I hate poison. I hate to think what would happen if I drank bleach or rat pellets. I don’t find myself attracted to them by doing so.

If I can change my mind to think of other substances (or activities) as poison too, I think that can be beneficial.

...instead of associating them with the enjoyment they once had prior to being an addiction ( and a problem).

 

[k0ua]

p.s. If I could only kick my sugar addiction. Now that stuff is really POISON

Hi my name is James, and I am a sugarholic. I have been clean and sober and off sugar for 7 weeks. Very low carbohydrate intake too in the last 7 weeks. But NO sugar or anything that contains it. It has not been particularly easy. To know I will never be able to eat another glazed donut or a bowl of real ice cream.. well it is pretty darn sad.

Never used tobacco, Very little alchohol, I don't think even a beer in the last 5 years. I don't drink coffee. But I did my share of everything sugar. I tried coffee a couple of times when I was a deputy sheriff. ALL law enforcement drinks coffee. I didn't. I loathe the smell of burning tobacco. I loathe intoxicated people. Chewing tobacco while it doesn't affect me like smoking in my presence seems like a very nasty rude habit.

I never understood the attraction to cigarettes. I tried a few as a youngster. They hurt your lungs, taste awful and really stink. I don't get it. The concept of drawing hot smoke into your lungs by choice just seems crazy to me. I don't do drugs (except sugar) and never did. Nope never ever even once. Not even MJ. I am proud of that. But there is that "danged" sugar. That crap is a drug just as sure as cocaine. i think the addiction is as strong or stronger. Don't believe it? Try quitting it for a couple of months.

 

[k0ua]

The boss eventually put up a room divider in the break room so we could separate smokers from non smokers.

having a smoking section in a room is like having a peeing section in the public pool. And just as effective. One thing I always like about working in Arkansas was no public restuarant allowed smoking by state law. You could go to any one of them and never worry about say "non smoking please". Like a non smoking section helped much.

 

[bunyip]

I HATE tax, I am not addicted but they won't let me stop paying it.

 

[k0ua]

I HATE tax, I am not addicted but they won't let me stop paying it.

Forced addiction!

 

[4570Man]

I beat that addiction for about an hour once.

 

[mjarrels]

I was a fingernail chewer all my life. Got assigned to NAS Cubi Point in the Philippines in the mid 80's and knew that every thing I touched would be filthy. Road the bus to the main gate one evening and never chewed a nail again quit cold turkey. This is no chit.

mark

 

[Doofy]

I was a fingernail chewer all my life. Got assigned to NAS Cubi Point in the Philippines in the mid 80's and knew that every thing I touched would be filthy. Road the bus to the main gate one evening and never chewed a nail again quit cold turkey. This is no chit.

mark

mjarrels,
Were you a Marine Corps Drill Instructor in San Diego in 1972? Your name brings back a lot of memories (not all bad either).

 

[mjarrels]

No, I was a Navy Chief.

mark