after just over 15 years off and on,i'm still trying to kick this destructive habit.
only smoke once a week,but once a week too much,gave up for 8 months,,but htought i would get that same high i got when i first started using,,unfortunately,,i wasted my time,,its nothing like that anymore.
one day i will give it up,,,,for good,but it is one hard drug to kick,,any advice would be great,,they say that realizing its a problem is the first step,,but i've realized for a long time now and its made no difference,,as soon as the weekend comes i start to think like a crackhead(what a degrading name for it,,but thats what we are).
i've got a lovely wife and kids a good job and i risk that for this sh*t.
i'm gonna try my hardest this time and i'll keep coming back here to let you know how i get on.
thanx for listening
regards simon
just been reading other posts on here and have realized how insignificant my problem is,,some of the stories i,ve read tonight are heart wrenching.
maybe i should feel blessed that i haven't reached them levels.
i don't use with anyone else,,i become like a squirrel,hiding with its nuts.
i need to kick this by august cos thats when we are going on holiday and to attempt to give up smoking together.
wish me luck
quit by August???
!!!!
You will be gone by August.
Honestly. If you have read stories, and realized something... then the connection, and starting factors to addiction are there. Espically if yuor hiding and using yourself. Soon as I started using alone, it just seemed to easy to do it again. and again. If you realie this. stop now.
take a break for a few days. see thedifference. Show yuorself how addicted you are. pick a number of days. 2, 3 a week. and try not using.
If yuo can do this, then yes yuor not lost yet.
But putting a stop date till august only means yr giving yuorself an excuss to use for many more months to come. each use makes the drug stronger, and harder to stop.
So please.
Please take it seriously. If anything show yuorself yuo can cut back for a week.
If yuor giving yuorself till August. Give yuorself a week now.
If you cant stop now. what makes yuo think it will be any easier in August.
I wish you not luck, but hope.
i think i miss wrote the bit about august,,what i meant was i am giving up now,,i only smoke once a week but thats too much.
i fully intend on being clean long before august.
even once a week is addiction i feel especially for over 15 years of use,,i have been in the situation where i started using more but not anymore,,i just know that if i keep on this path it will get worse again.
and i want to stop for ME not just my family
Simon, cutting your usage considerably, is a great start. Keep trucking. "All or nothing" has gotten me... well..."nothing!" If you choose to begin by cutting your usage then, great. Don't let anyone discourage the improvements you've made. Cold turkey doesn't work for alot of us. You may be the exception...
as i only smoke once a week it should be easier for me than many others and if that is the case,,i so feel for all that are smoking nearly every day,,cos it's bloody hard to stop on just once a week.
again thankyou for listening,,,prays and hope for you all
Simon,
Like you, I've been reading other posts and realize that my problem is not as huge as some other folks. But nevertheless, I have a problem. I've been smoking crack since January of 2008 about once every 7 to 10 days. I don't want to be here in 10 or 15 years, saying I've been smoking crack for 10 or 15 years. I want to stop now before my brain becomes rewired. I don't need crack to feel pleasure, and i don't want to reach that point. I think about crack everyday, all the time. I learn a lot reading the other posts, and I know I don't want to suffer any losses because of crack. I need to break this demons hold of me. In my right mind, I can't justify smoking crack ever again. After nine days off crack, I smoked again last night. Today I feel horrible. The pleasure I got from crack yesterday lasted a couple of hours at most, but the pain will last for 24+ hours. In my right mind, I can't rationalize smoking crack. I get weak, and give into the demon. The hardest day for me is Friday. I don't want to smoke crack anymore. I wish I never did.
Addiction is not a pissing contest. We don't measure our addiction against eachothers. Do you realize if we did that what kind of trouble we would be in. For instance. Who has a worse problem? An addict who smokes a half gram of crack every day or an addict who smokes 3 and a half grams once a week? Both addicts are consuming the same amout of dope. Who has the problem? The person who uses once a day or the person who uses once a week?
Both people have a problem. Both people are escaping from their feelings. Both people are emotionally unavailable. The person who uses once a week is thinking all week long about that one day so the drug still consumes them. The other addict just gives in to the craving but controls the amount. Both are addicts.
How you choose to quit is up to you. As long as you are taking active steps towards that end. If you use once a week, see if you can use once every ten days then every two weeks and so on until you forget about it. Then there is another factor.... how much are you using once a week??? maybe you could just use less and less once a week.
There are many ways. I just stopped. Be aware cocaine takes 72 hours to leave your system. After that there is no cocaine in your blood stream. That (day three) is always the hardest day for MOST addicts not all but most. Day three is when we talk ourselves into using again. What I have been reading here is that some of you can hold off a little longer, but the obsession is still there because after 7 to 10 days you use again. I believe with more positive self talk you have the ability to kick. If you can get past day three you can stop using. Just tell yourself.
The problem I find with your post is that it eminates an "all or nothing" kind of point of view. The problem with an "all or nothing" point of view is that if a person believes in "all or nothing" and try their best at whatever and their best is not the "right measure" then they are left with the belief that they are innately incompetent and will ultimately give up trying. Take in the instance of a child learning in school if for whatever reason the child is slower to catch on than the other students a good teacher would not enforce a belief in the child that it is the childs fault by repremanding but to allow the child to work at his or her own pace is the right thing to do even giving extra attention or making accommodations if necessary to assist the child...no difference with adults.
The problem I find with your post is that it eminates an "all or nothing" kind of point of view.
I'm assuming you're referring to Tasi's post.
I'm also assuming you read her entire post.
The following pull quote is from the end of her post.
excrackerjack wrote:
How you choose to quit is up to you. As long as you are taking active steps towards that end.
There are many ways. I just stopped.
Doesn't that statement alone go to show,
her point of view, where quitting is concerned,
does not advocate one or the other.(all or nothing vs tapering off)
As a matter of fact...
doesn't she suggest ways for the poster to taper off?
excrackerjack wrote:
If you use once a week, see if you can use once every ten days then every two weeks and so on until you forget about it. Then there is another factor.... how much are you using once a week??? maybe you could just use less and less once a week.
So, I hope you can see why,
I'm a little confused by your statement.
Iamempowered wrote:
The problem I find with your post is that it eminates an "all or nothing" kind of point of view.
Iamempowered wrote:
The problem with an "all or nothing" point of view is that if a person believes in "all or nothing" and try their best at whatever and their best is not the "right measure" then they are left with the belief that they are innately incompetent and will ultimately give up trying.
I'll just respond to this,
with a previous statement of yours.
Iamempowered wrote:
Just because i tried something and failed what gives me right or anyone else the right
to tell someone that they will fail...not my gig.
_________________ If you can not stand for something, you will fall for everything
Lynn if you read the first 2 paragraphs of anestasia's post they seem to contradict the last 2 pararaphs. And the last point of your post doesn't make sense to me. Elaborate.
I think Anastasia is consistant in what she writes. What I get from Anastasia's post is to smoke less crack, fewer times, less and less until you stop doing it. Personally, I feel that I shouldn't smoke crack again. Maybe that is an "all or nothing" approach. I think that abstinance from smoking crack is the only thing that will kill the demon crack. If I allow myself to think that relapse is part of recovery, then I'm giving myself a green light to smoke crack again. I'm just doing my best to not smoke crack, and I don't want to allow myself any thoughts about smoking crack being OK. If I fall off the wagon, I learn from my mistakes and get back on. But I don't want to think it is OK to smoke crack, no matter how many days I can stay clean.
Addiction is not a pissing contest. We don't measure our addiction against each others. Do you realize if we did that what kind of trouble we would be in.
now she proceeds to explain the trouble we would be in..
Quote:
For instance. Who has a worse problem? An addict who smokes a half gram of crack every day or an addict who smokes 3 and a half grams once a week? Both addicts are consuming the same amout of dope. Who has the problem? The person who uses once a day or the person who uses once a week?
Both people have a problem. Both people are escaping from their feelings. Both people are emotionally unavailable.
She is saying if you consume ANY amount of drugs then "unacceptable" "it's a bad thing" etc.
Quote:
The person who uses once a week is thinking all week long about that one day so the drug still consumes them. The other addict just gives in to the craving but controls the amount. Both are addicts.
In the statement above she is saying basically the same as the paragraph above it.. "if you are an "addict" then any amount of drug use is unacceptable".
Now she switches and is saying that it is okay if you are using but as long as you are working towards ending using. Contradiction!
Quote:
How you choose to quit is up to you. As long as you are taking active steps towards that end. If you use once a week, see if you can use once every ten days then every two weeks and so on until you forget about it. Then there is another factor.... how much are you using once a week??? !!!!maybe you could just use less and less once a week!!!!!.
Bingo!!!!
Now comes the conclusion of a tolerant pep talk.But in the beginning of her post she claims we would be in all kinds of trouble if we compare "addicts" meaning we are all the same and we all need to stop immediately because blah, blah, blah..
Quote:
There are many ways. I just stopped. Be aware cocaine takes 72 hours to leave your system. After that there is no cocaine in your blood stream. That (day three) is always the hardest day for MOST addicts not all but most. Day three is when we talk ourselves into using again. What I have been reading here is that some of you can hold off a little longer, but the obsession is still there because after 7 to 10 days you use again. I believe with more positive self talk you have the ability to kick. If you can get past day three you can stop using. Just tell yourself.
Addiction is not a pissing contest. We don't measure our addiction against each others. Do you realize if we did that what kind of trouble we would be in.
now she proceeds to explain the trouble we would be in..
excrackerjack wrote:
For instance. Who has a worse problem? An addict who smokes a half gram of crack every day or an addict who smokes 3 and a half grams once a week? Both addicts are consuming the same amout of dope. Who has the problem? The person who uses once a day or the person who uses once a week?
Both people have a problem. Both people are escaping from their feelings. Both people are emotionally unavailable.
She is saying if you consume ANY amount of drugs then "unacceptable" "it's a bad thing" etc.
What she is saying is....addiction is addiction.
No matter how bad your addiction is, it's still addiction.
She is addressing the posts,
which were already there before she posted.
It doesn't matter if you shoot heroine every day,
or smoke crack once a week....addiction is addiction.
Just because you aren't out stealing or selling your body,
doesn't make you any less of an addict, nor, make you a better addict.
Just as you proceeded to tell us the problem with
an 'all or nothing' attitude...
she proceed to explain the problem with,
measuring ones addiction against someone else's addiction.
In other words....making comparisons.
Oh, I'm not that bad...I don't have a problem.
I'm not unemployed, living on the streets,
and stealing, like so and so is.
There is a problem when an addict is comparing,
their addictive behavior to another addicts behavior.
There is a problem when an addict is measuring,
their consumption and frequency against another addicts usage.
Why...cause an addict is trying to validate their addiction.
They don't have a problem since their not as bad as so and so.
Validation is denial.
Like my counselor used to say....
Whatever you haven't done and wherever you haven't been....
is only a YET away!
And, besides all that...DRUGS ARE BAD!
Drugs are unacceptable...Drugs are a bad thing!
Iamempowered wrote:
excrackerjack wrote:
The person who uses once a week is thinking all week long about that one day so the drug still consumes them. The other addict just gives in to the craving but controls the amount. Both are addicts.
In the statement above she is saying basically the same as the paragraph above it.. "if you are an "addict" then any amount of drug use is unacceptable".
Now she switches and is saying that it is okay if you are using but as long as you are working towards ending using. Contradiction!
excrackerjack wrote:
How you choose to quit is up to you. As long as you are taking active steps towards that end. If you use once a week, see if you can use once every ten days then every two weeks and so on until you forget about it. Then there is another factor.... how much are you using once a week??? !!!!maybe you could just use less and less once a week!!!!!.
She laid out what she felt was a problem with tapering off.
I don't feel she had switched her position and was now saying,
it's o.k. to use as long as your goal is to quit...
therefore, contradicting herself.
I feel she had made her position known, laid it out,
and was being supportive anyway.
She could have easily remained adamant...
not encouraging them but, discouraging them instead.
D*mned if we do, d*mned if we don't.
Someone either wants to quit or they don't.
An addict who says they are trying to quit,
by weening themselves off of drugs,
is not someone who is really trying to quit,
let alone, someone who is willing to quit.
_________________ If you can not stand for something, you will fall for everything
The problem with an "all or nothing" point of view is that if a person believes in "all or nothing" and try their best at whatever and their best is not the "right measure" then they are left with the belief that they are innately incompetent and will ultimately give up trying.
keepitreal wrote:
Posted: Nov 12, 2006
Are you ready and willing, to stop getting high?
Not...Do you want to stop, but, willing & ready to stop.
I'll tell you why the difference is important.
There is not one addict, I believe,
that does not want to STOP getting high.
But, that doesn't mean they are ready & willing to do so.
If you are not ready and willing, but trying to stop,
every time you use will work against you, fooling you into believing,
you can't stop, your a loser, your weak, why bother.
Making it that much harder to know when you not only want to stop,
but, that you are at a point of being ready and willing to do so.
_________________ If you can not stand for something, you will fall for everything
Home
Contact Us
Search
Chat Rooms
Forum
Disclaimer & Policies
Forum FAQ
Search
Usergroups
Preferences
Members List
Fun Store
Watched Topics
Sub-Forum
:
