Addiction...
 

It's something I'm really struggling with right now. What addictions have you battled with/ or currently battling? How did you overcome it? Did you find a higher calling? Did you make a personal promise to yourself? I need some success stories. You guys are like a second family to me that doesn't pass judgment. And if you do, it is usually well deserved. Feel free to post here with some self disclosure.

Thank you.

In the past 6 months I've quit Diet Coke and Copenhagen. It's just a decision to better my own health. You have to make the decision for yourself. There's not a thing I can say to help you here. It's 100% your decision.

I agree. It's time to make a change.

If you're not comfortable saying it out loud, please rep or pm it to me. I'll keep my mouth shut. I'm nosy and come from a long line of addicted genes. I smoke cigarettes, and pot. Those are vices, but not nearly all of my afflictions. Since I weighed 450 at 1 time you could say food is an addiction too, but to me it was just apathy.

I have lost over 100lbs and have recently started back up to lose the other 100. There was literally just a day where I woke up and said, ENOUGH. And I meant it. I was willing to put in the blood, sweat, and tears it required to make a change. It has to be that important to you. Are you willing to suffer? Most people, myself included usually can't. But I'm convinced that when the time is right, we all can do what we need to. Don't underestimate the power of you. That used to be my sig. I mean it, and good luck.

I'm not addicted to pot, I quit for months at a time for clarity. But since I'm a daily smoker, I don't even try to convince people otherwise.

I gave you some rep with the details. I just need to be a little more proud of the man I see in the mirror. I think I'm on my way though. Thanks for the well wishes.

Beating a habit begins and ends with YOU. If you are truly ready to quit whatever it is, not just saying it but being truly ready, then you'll do it. If not, you won't.

I'm battling a 20+ year smoking addiction, I quit back in February, lasted several months without much trouble, but once my workload increased and stress mounted I've had numerous relapses. I've always managed to put them back down though, I just don't know if I'll ever quit for good.

I appreciate your willingness to share and assure you I won't divulge it to a breathing soul. If you ever need someone to talk to or just vent to when it's getting tough. Shoot me a PM, hell I'll give you my phone number if you want. I'm a good listener, but honestly, I don't sugar coat things. Anything I can do to help you battle your demons, I'd be honored too. Don't be shy, a support group is a great outlet and will help increase your defenses. If you're serious, you can and you will.

I appreciate it. I'll PM you in the AM and maybe we can talk. Maybe just someone to vent to.

Thanks

It's been nearly four years now since I smoked a cigarette, but recently I have started smoking cigars again, happily with no addictive consequences. I always missed smoking a little, but not the stink of cigarettes, the filth or the urge. A cigar out on the deck with a beer once every couple of weeks works just fine for me, and I don't feel compelled to have another one 15 minutes later. It's great.

It has been 4 months now since I quit chewing skoal fine cut. I have chewed for 28 years. I miss it so much, I could eat a whole can at this very moment. I will always miss it, but I have made the choice to never touch it again.

I've been gambling since I was like 5 years old and all my family that think I'm addicted. Honestly though since I've turned 21, I haven't went to a casino once so I don't know if it's true. I AM going this weekend though if anyone wants to meet up and play some blackjack or something, maybe some poker. :)

I respect the willpower... Do you give yourself a speech when to get the urge?

The first step is deciding enough is enough.

I need to get my fat bitch ass back in the gym. Laziness I think has some of the same effects as addiction. You start rationalizing and thinking of outs. It's stupid and it takes willpower.

I think the biggest thing you do is recognize what's going on and remind yourself why you are changing.

You and me both. I kicked coke and I kicked cigarettes, but the eating/exercise thing kicks my ass.

So true.

I have overcome a hard drug addiction but it took my decision, not anyone else even though they and I knew it was the best.

I am working on a cigarette addiction now but it is on my own and I will win. It takes a mindset of your own and not anyone supporting you besides their support for you. IMO.

It is not easy but is very possible. Support is valuable but it cannot be the reason.

Not nearly as tough as smoking or alcohol or whatever, but one day about a year & a half ago, I woke up & basically said "This is enough, it's time for a change." Started by stopping drinking anything with caffine in it and decided to start living better. From there, I started to gradually cut out stuff like sweets and foods that just are really bad for you...

At the beginning of this year, I had lost over 50 pounds just from that (without much exercise other than walking to & from class) and since then have lost another 20 or so from getting back to working out. I'm still not to where I want to be, but I'm in a lot better shape than I was even 6 months ago.

My best advice would be to:

1) Set some goals that are attainable, not too easy, but not impossible.

2) Write down said goals, put them somewhere that you'll look at often.

3) Find your motivation. Know the reasons why you want to make a change and keep them in mind, maybe even write them down.

Then again, these may not work for you, but they did wonders for me.

I'm sort of addicted to the internet and chiefsplanet. I always find myself getting on here so many times of the day. I don't like it a bit.

I was a heavy intravenous cocaine user from 83-85 I quit cold turkey because I felt I had become something sub-human. I joined the Army and did 6 years there to continue my recovery. I know it's not that simple, but it saved my life. Oh I also have a little left over friend from that era called Hepatitis C and it reminds me every freakin day what an asshole I am. I still battle an alcohol and tobacco addiction. The sad thing is the alcohol is killing me but for some reason I just won't let it go. I truly believe it is all just a matter of how much do you care. It is in you and not what others do or say. I sadly have chosen to not give a shit anymore :( It has to come from within you and not others. I could go on about the health and social problems my addictions have caused but i've already said too much :( I will never post here again I feel reeruned.

I'm addicted to Madden. No question.

I had a long drawn out answe for you, but the ****ing server kicked me out when I tried to publish, TWICE.I'm so pissed.

Anyhow, to sum it all up, you need to realize that acknowledging the problem and half assing it will not bring results. You must know that it will take a drastic change that you may not want to do. Wether it be divorce, new job, new living location, etc etc. Right now, something is not working in your life. You need to find the support that will help you figure it out, which could help nip the addiction in the ass.

I know that you know what to do. Its a matter of wether or not u can man up and do what you need to do. Its not easy, but you have to. And if u think that ur going to come up with some half assed idea that you have to put little effort into, ur wrong, I can gaurantee you the real issue will be hard for you to change. Notes and goals won't help you, no offense intended.ur going to have take a leap that will change ur life. Like I said, something major must be wrong if ur having a strong addiction problem.
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This is what I mean. He had to do something drastic in order to reclaim his life. You have to seperate yourself from what ails you. Get as far away as possible. Temptation is a bitch. Its a lot easier to fight it if ur away from problem that's causing it.
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I used to be, then I just forced myself to sell my gaming system. No problems anymore. For a good year in college we didn't even have cable. We just played madden, ALL the time. We would even just watch the demo games and root for one of the teams and do shots when they scored a touchdown. It was pathetic lol

What started your addiction ?

The most obvious one is the Chiefs.

I think about them every day. No question.

it needs will and you are the only one who can control that.

Good luck.

That is good advice and can certainly help. Ultimately though, you just have to quit. That's the bottom line.

Damn dude, that's terrible. I can somewhat relate though, I have gone through long periods where I didn't give a shit about anything. It's nothing to be embarrassed about, addictions are a bitch.

Been 10 days since no drink. Was hitting 10 Pale Ales a nite, but needed to quit to save some bucks. Boy, was I ever wanting to hit the bottle last nite. Still smoke, and probably won't quit again. Quit for a year, 15 years ago. Oh, well.

Good luck to those who have addictions.

Alcohol took my brother's life at 31 - actually it got its hooks in him at 18, and he survived 13 more years until he was beaten to death living on the streets. Do anything possible to get help, and I applaud you for realizing you need to do so. Prayers, and best of luck to you!

This !


And I sit back and wonder how in the hell I can be so addicted to such a crappy team.

I guess my addiction really developed back in the DT,Schottenheimer days.

It will pay off when they start winning again. It's much better than being a bandwagoner. :)

I'm surprised nobody has come up with porn. I still look at porn but its no longer used as an excuse to avoid things, just to supplement what is already there.

Addiction is the process of letting something take over your life to the exclusion of all else. My problem lies in the other area, laziness to do what is needed to move forward. I let excuses happen for not exercising or overeating, or not working to make my writing better so that I would have the confidence to do something with it. Malaise can be just as bad as addiction.

Like some of these other guys said: 1) you have to make a decision (which it seems you have, or at least are trying to), and 2) you need to put some distance between you and the issue.

What I've found in my life, though, is to really achieve separation it also took accountability and replacement.

I know with me, I'm really good at hiding things and no one, not even my best friends and roommates, knew of some of the crap that was going on. That is until I finally had enough and talked to a couple of them that I knew really had my best interests at heart.

These aren't the type of guys who will pat me on the back and tell me everything will be okay. They're the type who will ask tough questions and kick my tail if I need it kicked. Part of it, though, is that I have to be absolutely honest with them.

And then, like anything, if you're trying to kick it but are just sitting around playing on the computer/watching tv/goofing off/something else without much substance when you're most prone to be tempted, then it's easier to slip back in. But if you replace that activity with something else that brings more to life, it makes it harder for you to "make time" to slip away.

Max

Don't sell your self short. At 30 I was and dual cocaine and heroin addict, smoking 2 packs a day and drinking like a fiend. All the time I was functional albeit seriously screwed up. I had an extremely bad temper and it was after a third arrest that someone confronted me about everything. I was basically given the choice of cleaning up my act or something very unpleasant. I started by cutting the drugs first. I went cold turkey and walked away from everyone I knew that used. After I accomplished that I cut down My drinking to where it was not an issue. I then quit smoking cold turkey. Unfortunately I substituted food every thing else and gained 200 pounds.I have now started the weight loss part and have lost 80 pounds.

The thing with most people I know is that they are so busy looking ahead at what obstacles are in the way. That they forget about the ones they have overcome.

I am no Sister Mary Sunshine. It was hard as hell and most ex user's I meet love to feel sorry for themselves. I would not consider myself fully recovered until I lose the weight.

Best advice I can give anyone is don't feel sorry for yourself and either get busy living or get busy dying.

Ang

I still can't believe its been four years. Time flys .

I remember when you made it one year. That was cool.

IMO an addict is NEVER fully cured, one slip and we could be right back where we were

I consider recovery different from cured.
Recovered just means to me that I am back to center.

Ang

This...

Well good luck to you. I have quit smoking several times currently in relapse, internet porn, , etc. My vices change as my bi-polar disorder cycles, and currently I am unemployed and cannot afford treatment or meds. My point is do not be ashamed of your addictions, shine a bright ass light on it, call it out by name. I am a Christian, but I struggle with that as well when the depression hits. But don't quit. Even the Bible tells us to acknowledge these things to one another in order to defeat them. I will pray for strength for you and wish you the best. And last but not least, whatever the addiction, you are not alone.

I've been really additcted to pussy for quite sometime now.

Have you seen this website? It is totally free and there is a LOT of great information and homework for a person to delve into. This is a link to a quick slide show about it. After completing the self assignments it really gives a person a unique perspective about oneself. We can all get better! Plus, there are online meetings which are unique.

Good journey to you.:thumb:

http://www.smartrecovery.org/resourc..._sol/img0.html

It's pharmaceutical pain killers, for me. Right now, it's dilaudid. About 40 mg a day.

FAX

fair enough, i understand better now.

i used to love xanax, like 10 a day. now just take them when i drink. pop a xanax drink all night long

ROFL

About the only positive I can conjure up about it is that it makes alcohol more effective.

That benefit, of course, is offset somewhat by the fact that I now find myself playing "Brick Breaker" on my Blackberry for hours at a time.

FAX

not really more effective, i can just drink MUCH more

To each his own, I suppose.

In my experience, mixing dilaudid and tequila is equivalent to removing your brain and placing it in a jar overnight. I have learned that you don't want to operate machinery any heavier than a blender.

FAX

oooooooohhhhhh tookillya. but yeah i sure dont want to drive home after.

Even if I tried or wanted to stop drinking on the weekends, football season would absolutely end any sobriety for me ... I went a month once with no beer. Of course, it was in spring ...

Damn True!

I'm a chronic masturbater.

But since I get paid for it I think I can live with it.

:eek: Smed to come around and neg rep you for mocking this thread.

No making fun allowed.

The site you linked to has virus issues.

Opiates are a hard one to kick. I feel for ya when the time comes. Been there and done that.........more than once. (insert shuddering smilie)

Yeah ... I've taken brief breaks just to see how bad it is and to get a feel for what it will be like ... Oh, my God. It isn't pretty. Shakes, sweats, sensations of panic, etc.

I'm not looking forward to it, I can tell you that much, Mr. stumppy. I've done some research on methods and means to make it easier and, apparently, there isn't a lot you can do other than gut it out. Lots of showers, chocolate, exercise, etc. It's going to suck the great weenie from hell, to be sure.

FAX

I'm not sure which is worse, the mental or physical side of it. All I do know is I'd rather have someone beat the crap out of me daily than deal with withdraws.

ROFL

You are so right about the mental aspect ... my brain goes completely haywire. It's as though I have two voices conversing in my head. One says, "Ok. This is bad, but it's temporary. We're getting off the drugs and that's good." And the other says, "Oh yeah ... that's right ... I remember now ... Ok ... got it ... now, let's get some damn drugs."

I take solace in the knowledge that others before me have done it successfully, though. I know it can be done.

FAX

If you don't mind a little advice just keep three things in mind.
1. Every hour of every day is going to be the longest hour you'll ever live through.
2. There is light at the end of the tunnel.
3. You will make it. All you have to do is put in the time. Some damn tough time but just time.

If you never feel fear, you can't really be 'brave'. Bravery is not stumbling thru a dangerous situation with no thought about consequences, it's facing your fears and doing what must be done anyway. I see addictions in a similar light. My addiction was to pot, alcohol and cigarettes. Sounds different than someone else's addiction to heroin, or bad women/bad men, or meth or what have you. But no less tough for me to quit than some other addiction. As Mark Twain said, 'Quitting tobacco is the easiest thing in the world, I've done it thousands of times'.
Whatever our addiction, we just have to keep facing our own little demons and work on getting past 'em. Little steps count, every little bit helps. And we have to do it until it's done. Fall down, get up, get back after it.
It's not so much that things are better on the other side - it's more that you reach a point where you know that you don't have to fight that particular demon anymore. You're strong enough to fight the next one. And then the next one.
To someone else my demons may look pretty small, I assure you they seemed giant to me at the time. You just wrassle that bitch until it submits...then grab the next demon and keep wrassling. Anything that's standing between you and where you want to be? Beat it's ass. Knock it down. Toss it to the hogs. Do it until you don't have to do it again. Life really IS tough, and it doesn't get easier if you hide behind a little brainfog. Dean Wormer in Animal House was right. Fat drunk and stupid is no way to go thru life.
FWIW, not a lot of 'thank you' involved in beating addictions. You have to do it for your own damn self. But you're worth it. Even if you don't think so (low self esteem LOVES most addictions). Remember - any thing that stands between you and where you want to be...you kick it's ass.

Thanks, Mr. stumppy. I appreciate it very much. I know you're right ... at least part of me does ... it's that other voice I worry about ...

Seriously, I'm grateful. It's good to know that someone else has conquered the bitch.

FAX

Mr. FAX, if you're going to kick the hardest thing there is to kick, you need to start sooner than later. At a certain point, you cross a line to where kicking it is no longer feasible due to risking death. 40mg isn't much, so the time is now, unless you have some sort of a major pain issue.

I knew people who started Rx opiates to treat pain and it eventually evolved into sustainability issues, where, under doctor supervision, they would take the meds because their body required it. There's also almost no ceiling so the doses keep increasing, to where you start wearing patches, sucking lollipops and taking pills at the same time.

Also, we need to establish a definition for addiction. I think a good one is where you take a substance continuously while knowing that it is harmful to either your health/work/life or all of those put together. So people talking about porn/madden/etc, unless you feel the urge to jack off at work and give in to it at risk of being caught, please don't bring it up, lol.

I have an addictive type personality ... Alcohol,Work,Sports,Sex,fast cars,cigarettes, dip,cheap thrills etc.


I can usually stop whatever it is by substituting another addiction. It makes life interesting to say the least.

You probably just need to move out of Kansas. :D

After kicking smoking tobacco and weed and quitting drinking pop, my quality of life has definitely went down, but I guess it'll be worth it in the end run. I still miss all of those things very much.

Yea, i guess i could move to Mizzery and get addicted to humping goats like the rest of ye bastiges down there. :fire:

I've also found that drinking more alcohol makes alcohol more effective.

jesus frickin christ you quit smoking weed?!?!?! Shame on you

LOL, I know, I know...

:sulk:

ROFLROFLHe is the judge. If you support him then no luck P.

Laziness is an addiction IMO. A ****in serious one.

My one, true homeboy that I know in real life from this place. If you guys knew Max, this would break your heart as much as mine. I'm not embarrassed to say that ar all. There are few people on this Earth that have the kind of heart, and genuine caring for others that this guy has. He'll give you the shirt off his back, cook you a meal, and offer you a safe place to sleep if you need it. I aspire to some of the qualities this guy has.

I'm pulling for you buddy, but we'll talk about it in private.

I agree. Thanks.

All in all, I think we're in pretty good shape, here. Not one, single person with an addition to sniffing farts or stuffing canned salmon down his pants. Good job, guys. (Of course, Mr. Iowanian has yet to chime in on this deal.)

Oh, and Mr. MadMax ... I hope you do post here again. A lot more, frankly. ChiefsPlanet can use all the substantive, authentic peeps we can get.

FAX

This is me.

I don't get addicted to things. But I have a revolving door of escapes I use to avoid everyday reality. Video games, TV/movies, the internet, porn, even reading. None of them, individually, are anything I can't give up, but collectively they've kept me from moving forward in a variety of ways for years. A lot of the time, I just feel...wrong if I'm not escaping somewhere.

For me, it's sort of a melange of laziness, resistance to change, anxiety and fear. I've made some progress this year, but I have a long way to go and I have to be careful not to backstep.

I can relate to that one. It's no secret I used to be a 450lb fat shit. While I've gone a long ways to go, I'm not lazy anymore and looking back on it I can clearly see how the laziness morphed into many other unpleasant afflictions.

Good luck to all of you, and I truely hope you beat your demons until the candy comes out.

I knew this dude where i worked several years back. If someone ripped one, he would run over and smell it, and would tell you what you had been eating the day before.

It was more then strange. Last i knew he went to be a car salesmen.