Nicotine addiction

Tippy said:
Yeah but when you say you've "been there and done all that " what are you saying? That you have no addictions now? That you're content?
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I don't smoke, drink or do drugs, and I did them all. I have zero craving for them and don't think about using them. I don't buy newspapers or watch TV. I don't view any pornography and if I see an immodestly dressed woman, l look away.

I'm not going to list all of the addictions, there are more, I've conquered and I had no pride when I wrote those I listed. I'm not perfect. If I buy a cherry pie, I'll eat half of it in a sitting, with cream and Greek yoghurt. But having worked for years on Fortitude, I'm now starting on Temperance and have gluttony underlined on my chart.

No, I'm not contented. I want to become a saint, if God wills it and grants me the grace to acheive sanctity. All Christians are called to do so.

I understand your scepticism, but my credentials are bone fide. Not a boast, that would be sinful, just a formerly weak, pathetic man stating facts about his progress over the years, so that you know what God can do in your life if you let him.
 
Vas Incrementum said:
I don't smoke, drink or do drugs, and I did them all. I have zero craving for them and don't think about using them. I don't buy newspapers or watch TV. I don't view any pornography and if I see an immodestly dressed woman, l look away.

I'm not going to list all of the addictions, there are more, I've conquered and I had no pride when I wrote those I listed. I'm not perfect. If I buy a cherry pie, I'll eat half of it in a sitting, with cream and Greek yoghurt. But having worked for years on Fortitude, I'm now starting on Temperance and have gluttony underlined on my chart.

No, I'm not contented. I want to become a saint, if God wills it and grants me the grace to acheive sanctity. All Christians are called to do so.

I understand your scepticism, but my credentials are bone fide. Not a boast, that would be sinful, just a formerly weak, pathetic man stating facts about his progress over the years, so that you know what God can do in your life if you let him.
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Glad for you bro.
 
Vas Incrementum said:
I don't smoke, drink or do drugs, and I did them all. I have zero craving for them and don't think about using them. I don't buy newspapers or watch TV. I don't view any pornography and if I see an immodestly dressed woman, l look away.

I'm not going to list all of the addictions, there are more, I've conquered and I had no pride when I wrote those I listed. I'm not perfect. If I buy a cherry pie, I'll eat half of it in a sitting, with cream and Greek yoghurt. But having worked for years on Fortitude, I'm now starting on Temperance and have gluttony underlined on my chart.

No, I'm not contented. I want to become a saint, if God wills it and grants me the grace to acheive sanctity. All Christians are called to do so.

I understand your scepticism, but my credentials are bone fide. Not a boast, that would be sinful, just a formerly weak, pathetic man stating facts about his progress over the years, so that you know what God can do in your life if you let him.
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The real question is whether a life free from vice is the only path to contentment. It has always been an issue for me with 12 step. Ok we dont drink and call each other every day but now what?

It's also way easier for you to dunk on me for 'whining' when I've been open about my struggles and you have not.
 
Vas Incrementum said:
You don't need a support group to quit nicotine, you need to toughen up. Far too many of your posts appear to me to be you fishing for easier softer ways. Pray (I counselled you in another thread about having a disciplined prayer life and you ignored me), dig in and grind out results. Put the time and effort in like I, and many others, had to do. If you fail, start again. And stop whining, all it does is reinforce weakness.

Yes, I've been there and done all that. I speak from experience.
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I don't know why you think 12 step is 'easier' or 'softer' than white knuckling addiction as well. Such groups originated from Christian principles. I don't disagree that I often look for the easier solution but it seems unfair to disparage someone who is looking to commit to a 12 step program as being weak since such programs are not easy if they are followed as intended.
 
Tippy said:
The real question is whether a life free from vice is the only path to contentment. It has always been an issue for me with 12 step. Ok we dont drink and call each other every day but now what?

It's also way easier for you to dunk on me for 'whining' when I've been open about my struggles and you have not.
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It's not a question for realists, for those who are serious about coming out of bondage, it's only a question for those who want their cake and to eat it too. "God make me holy, but not too holy". I can only think that you haven't suffered enough because by the age of 29 I was crushed and willing to do anything to get better.

You think I'm dunking on you because I have your number and it rankles. That's your pride. There's nothing noble about you being open about your struggles if you aren't willing to graft. And that's the difference between us: pain made me willing to become docile, follow direction and put the work in, whereas you are not willing to do so, so you come here looking to have your milquetoast attitude validated.
 
Tippy said:
I don't know why you think 12 step is 'easier' or 'softer' than white knuckling addiction as well. Such groups originated from Christian principles. I don't disagree that I often look for the easier solution but it seems unfair to disparage someone who is looking to commit to a 12 step program as being weak since such programs are not easy if they are followed as intended.
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I never said such a thing. I've mentioned on RoK many times I had been through the 12 steps. And stop being dishonest. You've previously criticised AA in this thread and now all of a sudden you're committing. Which is it?
 
Vas Incrementum said:
It's not a question for realists, for those who are serious about coming out of bondage, it's only a question for those who want their cake and to eat it too. "God make me holy, but not too holy". I can only think that you haven't suffered enough because by the age of 29 I was crushed and willing to do anything to get better.

You think I'm dunking on you because I have your number and it rankles. That's your pride. There's nothing noble about you being open about your struggles if you aren't willing to graft. And that's the difference between us: pain made me willing to become docile, follow direction and put the work in, whereas you are not willing to do so, so you come here looking to have your milquetoast attitude validated.
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Dude I came here being honest with my struggles and trying to solve a problem. Berating someone and acting like they suck and are weak cos they haven't beaten it doesn't really help. It really just says more about your attitude towards yourself and addiction generally.

Also, if your life truly is as amazing as you say you wouldn't dunk on strangers on the internet.
 
That's the thing, you're not being honest for the most part. The most honest thing you've written in relation to your addictions was, "no, basically I agree. That's me.", when I called you out.

I'm not your equal Tippy, I'm many decades sober and I'm giving you sound advice. There is no easy soft way. Now go find yourself a sponsor who is hard line AA and commit to the steps. Buckle down and do 90 meetings in 90 days.
 
Tippy said:
Dude I came here being honest with my struggles and trying to solve a problem. Berating someone and acting like they suck and are weak cos they haven't beaten it doesn't really help. It really just says more about your attitude towards yourself and addiction generally.

Also, if your life truly is as amazing as you say you wouldn't dunk on strangers on the internet.
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It seems to me that the man is coming from experience and trying to inspire you instead of coddling and enabling you, not dunking on you.
 
Tippy said:
The real question is whether a life free from vice is the only path to contentment. It has always been an issue for me with 12 step. Ok we dont drink and call each other every day but now what?

It's also way easier for you to dunk on me for 'whining' when I've been open about my struggles and you have not.
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No need to ask questions like this.

More important to acknowledge that rationalizing enslavement to multiple vices is definitively not the path to contentment.
 
Batman said:
I managed to quit CT 3 months ago immediately after starting Wellbutrin. It might be worth looking into. I don't even get cravings anymore.
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What was the tradeoff with the wllbutrin? I hear that can be a nasty drug but does work for addictions.....

Chantix works and works incredibly effectively but it also turns you into a maniac because you're going to be having wild demonic dreams every night.
 
FrancisK said:
What was the tradeoff with the wllbutrin? I hear that can be a nasty drug but does work for addictions.....

Chantix works and works incredibly effectively but it also turns you into a maniac because you're going to be having wild demonic dreams every night.
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It's an atypical drug in many respects. As long as you stay within the normal dose range the side effects are minimal. The only side effect I experienced was constipation and minor sleep issues though its not that bad and got better over time. I was amazed at how easily I was able to quit on it. I basically had zero WDs or cravings.
 
Batman said:
It's an atypical drug in many respects. As long as you stay within the normal dose range the side effects are minimal. The only side effect I experienced was constipation and minor sleep issues though its not that bad and got better over time. I was amazed at how easily I was able to quit on it. I basically had zero WDs or cravings.
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Thanks for the reply and info, are you still using it? Did you use it specifically for kicking nicotine or for something else and it also helped with that?
 
FrancisK said:
Thanks for the reply and info, are you still using it? Did you use it specifically for kicking nicotine or for something else and it also helped with that?
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I was prescribed it for severe depression.

Normally I refuse to take antidepressants and prescription medications in general, but I did a bit of research on it and it seems promising, especially since it serves a dual purpose in my case.

It sort of helps but not a whole lot. The effects overall are fairly subtle, even at the maximum dosage.
 
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I was taking 5htp for a while as an OTC anti-depressant and I noticed it reduced the effects of nicotine a bit for me. Eventually I got sick of the dazed and confused feeling and just went off everything.

I'm on day 10 now I think and still nic free. Massive cravings today especially on my lunch break and after work but just have to remember that I can do activities to improve my life instead of buzzing my brain on something empty.
 
I've heard one caller during a live Catholic radio program say he couldn't quit smoking so out of desperation he walked into a church and left his pack of cigarettes on the altar acknowledging his hopelessness, said he couldn't help it and called out- Jesus this is your problem not mine anymore or something like that, and was freed instantly, said he walked out and never felt the urge again. I know not everybody will have his struggles cut short, like at the gym- no pain no gain.

Lest somebody mistake it for making a spell, it's nothing of the sort. My explanation is that for the sake of his faith which led him there, God showed him mercy and gave him the grace he was begging for. Out of the many different places he could have gone to, or the things he could have done, he took the time and went out of his way to come to Jesus. Like the centurion who set out to find Him to plead for help, absolutely certain the Lord wouldn't sent him away, putting all of his faith in the power of Jesus. Pious Jews would make pilgrimages to Jerusalem to the temple, Christians still make these types of sacrifices, and this guy made a small pilgrimage and God showed him His favor.

I started smoking a little bit around the age of 6 going on 7, I'd argue with and point out to my older friends that they had already taken their first communion oaths not to smoke or drink before turning 18. When they had their summer school break usually, sometimes during the schoolyear, one to three a day each, sometimes more. All my mother told me was children couldn't smoke when I asked her when she was busy in the kitchen, I wish she had told me it was toxic- I thought what's good for adults...

Nobody in my home smoked, but all of the neighbors did, I liked the smell of incense in church and somehow it didn't occur to me at that time inhaling smoke was something bad. That area of Poland was probably as backward as rural Ukraine is now, maybe not as much. A 5 year old could buy vodka and cigarettes with his candy money at the government owned country store without any problems.
My mother caught us a few times as the smell is impossible to hide, I remember being scared and having to breathe on her. I liked the tobacco flavor lingering in my mouth but after a few years we heard in the media how one cig shortens your life by a few minutes and that was enough for us to quit for good. After that we smoked only occasionally joking that there go 5 or 6 minutes lol, by seven or eight grade I was not drawn to smoking anymore.

Once in HS during the long lunch break I dropped a bomb out of nowhere that any girl who smokes is not a lady but trash, everyone went silent, I had no idea many of my 16 year old female classmates had been sneaking out every day for puffs, standing on building and street corners or hiding from the teachers in courtyard gateways like bums. Snorting on powdered tobacco became fashionable among kids around that time so I wouldn't refuse if a friend offered me some, you have to try different things, but everything under control. I would only ever smoke at parties if others already were, I figured it was better than choking on second hand smoke. Tried pot a few times in HS just to evaluate it critically and to see what all the rage was about, I knew better than to try a harder substance, but I felt that it was safe to take several tokes here and there from different people's joints who were happy to share their happiness lol, I didn't intend to become a toker even if I happened to like it, it was nothing but a rigidly controlled experiment.

Thank God I can smoke if I wanted to without fear of getting addicted, but I really hate that smell now. Maybe a cigar some Cuban negra rolled on her thigh could do once in a while.
 
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