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The Three-Headed Dragon

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2778

A quick update...

My BiL is doing OK... occupational therapy rehab for the stroke for some time to come. He had to have a defibrillator (sort of like a pacemaker) attached, too. He's lucky my sister is a nurse and was home with him at the time! Anyways, when I talked to my sister, I asked her if she was smoking enough for the both of them. She said that she really was going to quit now... that makes me VERY happy!

Thank you VERY much for your thoughts and support!

Love and peace to you all!

Jim

Quit Meter

$49,230.00

Amount Saved
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Days: 1196 Hours: 19

Minutes: 1 Seconds: 1

Life Gained
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6564

Smoke Free Days
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196,920

Cigarettes Not Smoked

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2508

Jim, So sorry to hear about your brother in law and your sister...

My thoughts and prayer will be with you and your family during this difficult time.....

Red...

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 1140

Hey Jim,

Sorry to hear of your brother in law. My thoughts are with you.

I'm not getting on the bandwagon for criminalizing cigarettes. I think that may have made it harder for me to quit and kept me from being a productive citizen all these years. It is a horrible addiction that drives us to believe and do all sorts of stupid things. I am so grateful that going to jail was not one of those things. ...OK 'nuff with my little soapbox before I get tossed out on my ear.

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$25,950.85

Amount Saved
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Days: 710 Hours: 10

Minutes: 38 Seconds: 40

Life Gained
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5039

Smoke Free Days
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100,780

Cigarettes Not Smoked

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2778

Hey Dori!

Ain't it the truth!

Jim

Quit Meter

$49,230.00

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 1196 Hours: 19

Minutes: 1 Seconds: 1

Life Gained
Quit Meter

6564

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

196,920

Cigarettes Not Smoked

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 153

I wish your brother in law well Jim . . . and I agree that tobacco products should be illegal. Imagine if some food product for example caused tha amount of illness and suffering that tobacco does. The item would be off the shelves in a blink.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 187

Jim, sorry to hear about your brother in law. Hope he's ok.

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2778

Hey Dori!!!

Great post! You've got a good question here... "yet why is smoking one of the most relapsable of addictions?" My thoughts are that smoking "used to be" allowed most anywhere and most any time and it is legal!!! You can't go to jail for smoking and you can't get fired for going out for a smoke break. So... the addict can get the fix anytime without any repercussions, except for the repercussion of one's failing health! There are other legal drugs that one could use, but not at any time one may need their fix. Personally I think that smoking tobacco should be banned every and outlawed! That stuff will kill you!

BTW... I just found out yesterday that my brother-in-law was admitted to ICU for a heart attack and stroke... I'm betting both he and my sister wished that they had both quit smoking! I wish that they had, too.

Jim

Quit Meter

$49,230.00

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 1196 Hours: 19

Minutes: 1 Seconds: 1

Life Gained
Quit Meter

6564

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

196,920

Cigarettes Not Smoked

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11226

Great post Dori!

Thanks for sharing.

Ashley, Health Educator

Here to help :)

13 years ago 0 +0 / -0 153

Since we have so many new members lately I thought it would be useful to talk about a really good metaphor that I had learned when I was going through my day treatment program for alcohol addiction over 3 years ago. One thing that we were taught is that most addictions, whether behavioural or substance, are very similar in terms of how we use them and how they effect the pleasure center of the brain. The 3 headed dragon of addiction represents the physical, psychological and emotional aspect of addiction. We must cut off all 3 heads of the dragon to be successful in the long run. In other words, we can quit smoking (i.e. eliminate the physical dependence) but we must also deal with the psychological (i.e. the mental, emotional and behavioural pieces that kept us smoking) and the spiritual (i.e. our inner self-awareness). We are aware that the physical withdrawal is done with in a relatively short time, yet why is smoking one of the most relapsable of addictions? Well, I think it is because we've used cigarettes to cope with stress, celebrate happy events, reward ourselves for completing tasks, help us stay awake, as a soother when we're upset . . . .and I'm sure we could all go on and on with the reasons. So now we have to find healthy AND satisfactory alternatives. This is where everyone's suggestions on this website become so useful. For me, excercise is an amazing positive and healthy coping mechanism. I'm a bit if a fanatic actually . . . but, it's not everyone's cup of tea.

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