Smoking Addiction & Recovery Support Group
The CDC claims that nicotine is a "very addictive drug" that can be "as addictive as heroin or cocaine." Nicotine is typically eliminated from the body within 2 to 3 days, however, physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms may last for much longer depending on the individual. If you are trying to kick the habit, this community is dedicated to giving smokers the...
Just kidding, but still a good list regarding junkie thinking that I found elsewhere, probably posted here as well somewhere.
JUNKIE THINKING: One puff won`t hurt
RESPONSE: One puff will always hurt me, and it always will because I`m not a social smoker. One puff and I`ll be smoking compulsively again.
JUNKIE THINKING: I only want one.
RESPONSE: I have never wanted only one. In fact, I want 20 - 30 a day every day. I want them all.
JUNKIE THINKING: I`ll just be a social smoker.
RESPONSE: I`m a chronic, compulsive smoker, and once I smoke one I`ll quickly be thinking about the next one. Social smokers can take it or leave it. That`s not me.
JUNKIE THINKING: I`m doing so well, one won`t hurt me now.
RESPONSE: The only reason I`m doing so well is because I haven`t taken the first one. Yet once I do, I won`t be doing well anymore, I`ll be smoking again.
JUNKIE THINKING: I`ll just stop again.
RESPONSE: Sounds easy, but who am I trying to kid? Look how long it took me to stop this time. And once I start, how long will it take before I get sick enough to face withdrawal again? In fact, when I`m back in the grip of compulsion, what guarentee do I have that I`ll ever be able to stop again?
JUNKIE THINKING: If I slip, I`ll keep trying.
RESPONSE: If I think I can get away with one little "slip" now I`ll think I can get away with another little slip later on.
JUNKIE THINKING: I need one to get me through this withdrawal.
RESPONSE: Smoking will not get me through the discomfort of not smoking. It will only get me back to smoking. One puff stops the process of withdrawal and I`ll have to go through it all over again.
JUNKIE THINKING: I miss smoking right now.
RESPONSE: Of course I miss something I`ve been doing every day for most of my life. But do I miss the chest pain right now? Do I miss the worry, the embarrassment? I`d rather be an ex-smoker with an occasional desire to smoke, than a smoker with a constant desire to stop doing it.
JUNKIE THINKING: I really need to smoke now. I`m so upset.
RESPONSE: Smoking is not going to fix anything. I`ll still be upset; I`ll just be an upset smoker. I never have to have a cigarette. Smoking is not a need, it`s a want. Once the crisis is over, I`ll be releived and grateful I`m still not smoking.
JUNKIE THINKING: I don`t care.
RESPONSE: WHAT IS IT EXACTLY THAT I THINK I DON`T CARE ABOUT? Can I truthfully say I don`t care about chest pain? I don`t care about gagging in the morning? I don`t care about lung cancer? No, I care about these things very much. That`s why I stopped smoking in the first place.
JUNKIE THINKING: What difference does it make, anyway?
RESPONSE: It makes a difference in the way I breathe, the way my heart beats, the way I feel about myself. It makes a tremendous difference in every aspect of my physical and emotional health.
JUNKIE THINKING: One puff won`t hurt
RESPONSE: One puff will always hurt me, and it always will because I`m not a social smoker. One puff and I`ll be smoking compulsively again.
JUNKIE THINKING: I only want one.
RESPONSE: I have never wanted only one. In fact, I want 20 - 30 a day every day. I want them all.
JUNKIE THINKING: I`ll just be a social smoker.
RESPONSE: I`m a chronic, compulsive smoker, and once I smoke one I`ll quickly be thinking about the next one. Social smokers can take it or leave it. That`s not me.
JUNKIE THINKING: I`m doing so well, one won`t hurt me now.
RESPONSE: The only reason I`m doing so well is because I haven`t taken the first one. Yet once I do, I won`t be doing well anymore, I`ll be smoking again.
JUNKIE THINKING: I`ll just stop again.
RESPONSE: Sounds easy, but who am I trying to kid? Look how long it took me to stop this time. And once I start, how long will it take before I get sick enough to face withdrawal again? In fact, when I`m back in the grip of compulsion, what guarentee do I have that I`ll ever be able to stop again?
JUNKIE THINKING: If I slip, I`ll keep trying.
RESPONSE: If I think I can get away with one little "slip" now I`ll think I can get away with another little slip later on.
JUNKIE THINKING: I need one to get me through this withdrawal.
RESPONSE: Smoking will not get me through the discomfort of not smoking. It will only get me back to smoking. One puff stops the process of withdrawal and I`ll have to go through it all over again.
JUNKIE THINKING: I miss smoking right now.
RESPONSE: Of course I miss something I`ve been doing every day for most of my life. But do I miss the chest pain right now? Do I miss the worry, the embarrassment? I`d rather be an ex-smoker with an occasional desire to smoke, than a smoker with a constant desire to stop doing it.
JUNKIE THINKING: I really need to smoke now. I`m so upset.
RESPONSE: Smoking is not going to fix anything. I`ll still be upset; I`ll just be an upset smoker. I never have to have a cigarette. Smoking is not a need, it`s a want. Once the crisis is over, I`ll be releived and grateful I`m still not smoking.
JUNKIE THINKING: I don`t care.
RESPONSE: WHAT IS IT EXACTLY THAT I THINK I DON`T CARE ABOUT? Can I truthfully say I don`t care about chest pain? I don`t care about gagging in the morning? I don`t care about lung cancer? No, I care about these things very much. That`s why I stopped smoking in the first place.
JUNKIE THINKING: What difference does it make, anyway?
RESPONSE: It makes a difference in the way I breathe, the way my heart beats, the way I feel about myself. It makes a tremendous difference in every aspect of my physical and emotional health.
So funny that I said so many junkie lines for so many years! Thank goodness I'm on the response end now~
How true, just before jumping off the bridge - 'I don't care", "nobody else cares", "what diff does it make".
That's the way I used to think, when I was still a Junkie but
"freedom rang"
Good Post. Thank you
its so accurate it makes me laugh
Hugs Deb