At least 8 of my quit attempts failed because I tried to smoke “just now and then”.
I desperately wanted to believe that I could be like them, and I tried really hard to do it. Certainly, they are not addicted like you are, or like I was. What about those people who can just smoke on weekends? Personally, I think they may be aliens in disguise. All of us have one thing in common - we’re completely done with smoking. If you do the research, you’ll find that all ex-smokers agree on this issue. You don’t have to like this advice, but for your own sake, you should make peace with it. But once you do, you can’t smoke ever again. You don’t have to quit now (we’ll get to that part soon). Once you break the addiction, you’ll think much more clearly. Step 4: Make PeaceĪre you bargaining in your mind? Are you trying to rationalize a future where you can smoke cigarettes now and then? If so - forget it. I’m an addict, and I understand the addictive nature of nicotine. It helps me in my mission to remain smoke free.
Even after all these years as an ex-smoker, I believe that a single drag might be enough to reignite the dopamine pathways and send me right back into addiction. That belief, whether it’s true or not, serves me well. But you know what? Even after all these years without a cigarette, even with my daily Qigong and Tai Chi practice, even with all the acupuncture I’ve received - I’m still not sure if my dopamine pathways are 100% back to normal.Īnd it doesn’t matter. Even when major stresses come into my life, I still don’t feel any urge to go buy a pack.
If someone offers me a cigarette, I say “I don’t smoke” without hesitation, and without a second thought. I can sit in a bar, surrounded by smokers, and have zero desire to smoke. By the time your dopamine pathways heal, by the time you MIGHT be able to take a drag without getting addicted, you’ll no longer have any desire to do so. Rankin that there is “no such thing as an incurable illness”, and I’ve seen the incredible power of self-healing in myself and thousands of students.īut when it comes to nicotine, it can take years to heal those pathways. No wonder your brain changed.Ĭan those dopamine pathways heal? Probably. Think about how many cigarettes, day in and day out, you’ve smoked. If you’ve been smoking for a few years, then your brain has been conditioned to responded to nicotine. In other words, smoking physically changes your brain. After years of smoking, those pathways get altered. It crosses the blood-brain barrier and messes with your dopamine pathways. I stopped myself midway, as if waking from a nightmare, but wow - that’s addiction!
It was surreal, as if I wasn’t in control of my actions. So why do I still call myself an addict? Once an addict, always an addict. Especially with nicotine, the king of addictions.ĭuring one attempted quit, let’s call it attempt #5, I actually picked up someone’s half-smoked cigarette from the ground. And you won’t have to fail 14 times like I did. If you follow the steps below, then you’ll succeed too. I’ve helped dozens of students to successfully quit smoking. How did I know? Because you’re reading this article. If your answer was “no,” or if you found yourself arguing with the question, then you’re not ready. Right now, this very instant, can you honestly say that you are ready to never take another drag from a cigarette? Not a single drag. Not convinced? Still think you’re ready? Fine. I’ve done it hundreds of times.” – Mark Twain Others lasted as long as 9 months.īut all 14 attempts had one thing in common - I wasn’t ready. The sooner you admit that you’re not ready, the sooner you’ll be able to quit once and for all. You’re not ready to quit.Īnd that’s okay.
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