Another article from a few years ago. I strongly related to what the animal trainer described when I heard it because I had experienced such a state many times prior to realizing I couldn't do it alone (cold turkey) and opted for the Wellbutrin route to freedom.

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Several months ago I heard a dog trainer who specializes in over-reactive dogs refer to something she called the limbic state. According to her, the limbic state is a condition where the limbic system (the most primitive part) of the brain takes control of the animal. Once the animal is in this state, the handler has little chance of calling it off the target. An animal in the limbic state will focus exclusively on the target, ignoring everything else including pain and damage to its body. Indeed, if the handler gets between the animal and the target, the animal will likely go right through the handler, doing whatever is necessary to remove the obstacle (handler) from its path. This is why breaking up a dog fight is so dangerous, and even a beloved family pet may turn savagely on its owner.

So whats this got to do with quitting, you ask? People are a subtype of animal, and we all have a limbic system. The limbic system contains the fight or flight, the reflex/instinct, and the reward/pleasure centers. This is where our addiction resides.

Slippers and relapsers are often criticized for their weakness, both by themselves and by others. But I don't think it is always a weakness. I think that, sometimes, there is nothing they can do about it. The addiction rears its ugly head and the limbic system literally takes control over the conscious mind, and no power they have in them can stop it.

However, not every dog is reactive and therefore its conscious, rational mind can exercise greater control over the primitive limbic system. These dogs can be called off the target, even during a fight. Breeding and training have a great influence over that control (hunting dogs vs. attack dogs). The same goes for people. Some are more genetically predisposed to being able to maintain conscious control. Training helps, too. Preparation before quitting, learning as much as you can about the causes of what you are experiencing, is quite powerful. Even slips/relapses may be beneficial, if lessons are learned and applied to future quits.

This is not intended to be a blanket, wholesale excuse for anyone who slips. I just thought this may shine a slightly different light on slips/relapses.