Riggerjack wrote: ↑Thu Jan 19, 2017 9:04 pm
If I have another cigarette, ever, I will be a smoker again.
Since I was a quitting smoker, that isn't such a big deal, it is just reverting back to where I was a week ago, right?
But, and this is key... All smokers quit. And quit. And quit. If I became a smoker again, that would mean that sooner or later, I would quit again. The only way to never quit again, is to never start again.
This was completely correct for me and quitting smoking. "Just one, and I will not smoke again for a while" lol no back to the one-two packs a day we go. Did not truly quit until I accepted that to quit, I must really truly never have another cigarette in my life. Ever.
Also, it was true with not being able to quit caffeine. I spent approx 1.5 - 2 yrs not using caffeine, mainly because the Barnes and Noble Starbucks I used to hang out at (and read books for free) had this awesome mint tea I could substitute -- this after quitting a pretty horrid caffeine habit I had developed in grad school where I just walked around with a Nalgene full of coffee and I drank that all day almost to the exclusion of any other liquids. "Certainly a cup of green tea in the morning would be nice-" BAM here we go, back to 4 large mugs a day as of this writing. Less bad than before, and I do make a concerted effort to drink more water, but still a BS habit.
While I never was an alcoholic - when I drink, I do it more out of desiring a sense of belonging rather than the substance itself - if I have one drink, I will have many drinks. Fuck savings + the entirety of the following day will be shot. [and because denial is such a classic part of having an alcohol problem: it really is only about the sense of belonging for me. I would purchase sweets and caffeine and consume them on my own, alone in the house, but would not be at all drawn to buying alcohol to have on my own, e.g. to have a glass of wine or a beer "to relax" or whatever]
Another instance where I have noticed this works: "oh, a new ice cream stand, I will try this flavor here just once-" Nope. It is not just once. Brain will draw an association between the location of the stand and that that's where a Highly Palatable Substance can be found, and will generate cravings + total bullshit excuses to get me there. [Total bullshit excuses = "oh the second hand store has a sale on Tuesday, I will see if I can find a cheap, large pair of jeans for a simple upcycle bag I could make -- oh, and oops, the ice cream stand juuuust so happens to be in the way, oh well" <-- have read alcoholics are briliant at this BS, was really surprised to discover myself doing it about sugar]
Tl;dr: if you do not want a bad habit, DO NOT START. Yoda said, do or do not, there is no try. Ert says, use of use not, there is no, "just this once."