Quitting vs. Recovery
The word “quitting” tends to paint or dress nicotine cessation in gray and black, in the doom and gloom of bad and horrible. It breeds anticipatory fears, inner demons, needless anxieties, external enemies and visions of suffering. It fosters a natural sense of selfdeprivation, of leaving something valuable behind. Now contrast quitting with recovery. Recovery doesn’t run or hide from our addiction but instead boldly embraces every aspect of this temporary journey of re-adjustment. It sees The Journey Home 35 each symptom and challenge as a sign of the depth to which nicotine had infected our mind. When knowledge based, it recognizes the symptoms and celebrates each new challenge as an opportunity to reclaim yet another aspect of a life once drenched in nicotine.
Nicotine dependency recovery presents an opportunity to experience what may be our richest period of self-discovery ever. It’s a time when tissues heal, senses awaken and the brain’s neuro-chemicals again flow in response to life not nicotine. It’s a period where each challenge overcome awards the recovering addict another piece of a puzzle, a puzzle that once complete reflects a life reclaimed. It is not necessary that we delete the word “quit” from our thinking, vocabulary or this book but it might be helpful to reflect upon when the real “quitting” took place, when freedom ended and that next fix became life’s primary focus. Although nearly impossible to believe right now, you won’t be leaving anything of value behind - nothing.
Everything you did while using nicotine can be done as well, or better as “you.” All of the neurochemicals once controlled by nicotine were present before we started using and will gradually return to pre-nicotine levels. Every brain chemical that nicotine caused to flow is still present. They were always there and always yours.
