08-27-2018, 06:34 PM
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Planar Protector
Join Date: Jun 2012
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 4,556
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cecily
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I think with enough neglect, addictions aren't strong enough to self sustain. Like after a month of EQ withdrawal you have to, foolishly, force yourself back into it to reacquire the habit. Changing patterns and/or environments is helpful, probably even necessary, but I don't think I ever broke any conditioning actively. I just found myself caring less and less about it over time and the total time away is the strongest factor in the ability to resist urges. True of EQ and cigarettes for me at least.
The insidious thing is that, once you're past acute withdrawal, your brain is still broken and will always remember the exogenous chemical drive that you gave to it. You can reacquire the addiction with very little effort and total abstinence is the only long term solution. A quote from Coffee and Cigarettes: "The beauty of quitting is, now that I've quit, I can have one, 'cause I've quit." It's a nice thought, but no you really can't.
That type of thinking is responsible for basically every relapse that has ever happened past the initial the oh my god I'm going to die and/or kill everyone phase of acute withdrawal. The biggest test is the post acute withdrawal that sneaks up a month or two or three or a year later. You're not as vigilant as you were and it's very easy to think one won't hurt. Then it's two. Then whatever fuck it. Then you're fully addicted again.
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Agreed. I started again after drinking with coworkers one night and just casually bought a pack on a beer run. It had been 19 or so months too. I'll quit again, the bored tedium aspect is becoming greater. |
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