The Nicotine Addiction Story
Nicotine is probably the most addictive of all drugs we know of. The addiction process is very complicated, with dopamine receptors, neurotransmitters, etc. This illustration is an oversimplification of the process, but helps smokers to understand the reason for the difficulty in quitting.
Imagine that you have a factory in your brain which makes acetyl choline (you really do, but it doesn't quite work this way.) The acetyl choline workers work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no breaks, no vacations, no union representation. Acetyl choline is an essential part of our nervous system and without it we could no function very well (ask a smoker who is trying to quit how they feel and you will know how acetyl choline works.)
Imagine that you have a factory in your brain which makes acetyl choline (you really do, but it doesn't quite work this way.) The acetyl choline workers work 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, no breaks, no vacations, no union representation. Acetyl choline is an essential part of our nervous system and without it we could no function very well (ask a smoker who is trying to quit how they feel and you will know how acetyl choline works.)
These factory workers work day and night and produce as much acetyl choline as the body needs. That amount is determined by the foreman who does continual blood testing to make sure there is an adequate amount available. After about 10 or 12 years you decided to try a little tobacco (either smokeless or smoking.) In 7 seconds th nicotine is in the brain and the foreman cannot tell the difference between acetyl choline and nicotine. He announces to everyone, "I don't know what is going on, but there is plenty of acetyl choline available. It looks like you can take a break."
The factory workers go out on the lawn, in the sunshine and have a glorious time. They are only out there about 30 minutes and the foreman calls them back in. He tells them that the acetyl choline levels have dropped and they will have to resume production.
The factory workers continue to work 24 hours a day, but they also remember how nice it was out on the lawn. You decided to have another cigarette. The foreman hardly gets the words out of his mouth and the factory workers are all out on the lawn. Again because the half-life of nicotine is just one half hour, they are soon called back in. You try tobacco again, with their encouragement — and again — and again.
Pretty soon you are smoking quite regularly and the factory workers are on the lawn most of the time, having a wonderful time. So you become fully hooked and smoke on a regular basis. The factory foreman tells the workers, "You haven't been needed for quite some time. Why don't you go on vacation. I'll call you if you are needed."
So they take off to the Caribbean. They are there for many years.
Finally you decide you've got to quit smoking. You stop.
The foreman checks the blood levels and panics. He starts trying to round everybody up, by sending letters and telegrams and making phone calls. The factory workers have to say goodbye to all their friends, find their cool-weather clothes, make airline reservations and prepare to leave. They are not happy and they let the foreman know that. He passes that information on to you and you give in and start smoking again.
One day you finally make it. You quit.
It takes one month for the factory workers to get home and start working again — but they never forget the Caribbean.
Thanks to Mike & Flynn from the Qmunity at www.quitnet.com for this very insightful and interesting story.
posted by Peach @ 7:01 PM
4 Comments:
Dear Peaches,
Thanks for this great post. I was only a social smoker. I was stressed out once and during a week I had bought a couple of packs of cigarettes. Which are soo cheap in q8....its cheaper than candy. I quickly got addicted...and then began the long struggle to quit. I finally did and didnt smoke for 4 months. Only to return after bieng offered cigarettes at a gathering.
I am going to start by process tomorrow. My quit date is set 2/4/05,
Thanks for the post,
Misguided
Way to go misguided, I am proud ;) It's really the best thing you can give your self. You really don't know what ur missing out on. And you are absolutly right, ciggs are disgustingly cheap in kuwait! not that I ever thought so when I was still a smoker ;)
and I guess your not so misguided anymore eh! (^.^)
oh yeah and welcome to my blog ;p
what is your Q nick name if I may ask, so I can add you to my quit buddies.
Peach 7abebty...thank you for this post and I have to admit...smoking is one thing in my life I couldn't get rid off...I quit a million times before...but if I see someone with a cigarette (which is very often since half of my friends are smokers) I get the urge to smoke...I really wanna quit...the longest I ever been without a cigarettes was for 10 days but I was dying...and during those 10 days I was cheating because I was smoking sheehsa!
so yeah I hope and I really have to work harder on quitting once and for all....I really wanna join your club now :)
wish me luck dear :**
Well I guess then all you really need is the right support ;) and the first support you should start looking for is your own. You can find that in any store deep down inside of you & it’s so tough not the whole world smoking in front of it could weaken it’s resolve if it put it's mind to it ;)
But god daym girl, sheesha!!! Lol that’s like a whole kirz!! Allah y3eenich ;) but you know 10 days is not bad at all. Hell if you can go 10 days without a cigg who’s to say you can’t go an entire life time without one?!! Nicotine only stays in your body 3 days and that's when the craves peek. And a crave only lasts three minutes. The rest is mental. Good Luck sweets, I trust in the power of your self ;)
Post a Comment
<< Home