As a 16-year (successful) member of the original 12-Step program, I suspect you have a problem other than tobacco. Although you have to make this ultimate decission, I relate what you say to what I've seen, many times. Trading one addiction for another is common and if this is you, I suggest and hope that you will get more information about and treatment for the drinking question (problem). You obviously sought more info regarding your smoking problem (addiction) and probably wouldn't be in this forum had you not made that decision. So it is with alcohol. One does not 'normally' just start binge drinking becuase of anything except a loss of control over alcohol. Normal drinkers don't binge and normal drinkers don't question their drinking. Once I questioned my drinking, there was no return to 'normal.' Make no mistake, I am talking about a progressive, fatal illness. We all acknowledge that smoking will (can) kill us but the addiction process tells us we will somehow excape the consequences of smoking. This results in smoking usually taking many years to do its damage to our hearts, lungs, etc. Alcohol on the other hand can kill quickly, whether you are addicted or not. When someone becomes addicted (alcoholic) to alcohol, the same process tells then they will escape the consequences. . . that they are 'normal' drinkers. The result is that facing up to the drinking problem usually takes a major, life changing event . . . loss of employment, marriage, driver's license, jail time, etc. With smoking, these types of events rarely happen to the smoker as an inspiration to quit. The decision to stop smoking just doesn't usually come from an immediate situation. Although I am new to not smoking (4+ days), I do have the 16 yrs of knowledge that my other program has taught me. As a result, I have (and use) the support tools already in place. There are many in (my) the other program that have successfully quit smoking, too and most of use that support, wisely. I hope this helps you decide a course of action and if I can be of further help, let me know.

You said that you don't understand the saying " I'm sure you have another "relapse" in you...do you have another recovery?" If I may, this statement has its roots in AA and other 12-Step programs. It simply means that anyone can relapse, but not everyone gets another recovery. A "relapse" in AA can mean death so it is not a given that you can always come back if you feel like it. Once you are chemically clean, picking up a drug becomes a choice. It is no longer because you are physically addicted. The addiction is now a thinking problem, not a physical one. Relapsing into tobacco use usually doesn't put us in imminent danger of death - tobacco is a slow killer. Replapsing into other drug use can be quite different . . . death by over-dose, DUI and other fatal accidents, possible jail sentences and other life-changing events. You say drinking (or not) is not a problem for you - so I will leave that idea alone as only you can make that decision. In any addiction forum, you will see terms used throughout the entire recovery community - some are easy to understand, and some only make sense "if you've been there, and done that." In recognizing that this forum is intended to help us stop smoking, other established recovery tools are naturally introduced by well-intended members trying to help each other. I'm new to not smoking - this is my first attempt to be rid of a life threatening addiction. I am fortunate to have many successful years in "recovery" and believe me - I am using the tools I've picked up along the way to fight the tobacco issue. My most important one is naturally "One Day At A Time" and even though that term sounds simple, those of us in recovery know there's a lot more to the term than meets the eye. To us, it's not just a cute slogan . . . it's a way of life and applies to ALL situations we face, on a daily basis. My non-smoking journey has been "cold turkey" for 7 days. I did not use the patch or other replacements - for me these are mental crutches that probably would not be successful for me. They are great for many folks and I have no opinion about them. I just know they are not best for me based on my experience with the other addiction. I could justify upgrading a patch to a cig in about 3 seconds. Now that I am chemically clean

sunflower...haven't finished my first full quit day yet...in fact...just started it...but once upon a time i went 3 days without a cig...that was another lifetime ago. and a couple months ago..i went almost a day...thought it was the worst day of my life! today is different...the other times i really still wanted to smoke...and proved it. but i'm not here to write about smoking...18 years ago, i won the battle with another addiction, and THAT addiction will absolutely sap your strength and send you running to the closest pack. please don't. trust me when i tell you that it's far easier to give up mind altering substances than the quit you're working so hard on...and so successfully! don't give up that time! i'm sure you have another "relapse" in you...do you have another recovery?

sorry carina...didn't mean to confuse you...lol. it simply means that it would be really easy for anybody to pick up a smoke while drinking...and really hard to quit again. all the best to ya! jo [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 0 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 0 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $0 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 0 [B]Mins:[/B] 0 [B]Seconds:[/B] 0

How old are you? Sadly, binge drinking is more "acceptable" during the college years, in some circles. I've cut back (except on rare occassions like my GRAUDATION which is right around the corner!) but still have friends that drink themselves silly, sick, or passed out on a regular basis (and now that summer's here, forget about it!) If you're over 25... who are you hanging out with when you binge drink, ie who is condoning this behavior? Or are you alone? If you are alone... slow down buddy, and go talk to somebody! Either way, it couldn't hurt to look into counseling.

Sunflower, My dad died of cirrosis..last doctor visit he was told if he continued to drink he would be dead in 3 months. The prediction was right on the bullseye. Oh yeah, he was a chain smoker, (camel unfiltered till the first heart attack... and then he made it ALL better by going to filtered! YEAH RIGHT), had that first heart attack when he was 42, Colon cancer in his 50's, (wore a colostomy bag from that point on,) triple by-pass in his 60's and dead in his 70's. OH yeah...I wanna go down that same path cause don't it sound like fun? NOT! These two addictions are the bane of my existance Sunflower. I've seen people destroy themselves and hurt their families, beyond measure, with their alcoholic behavior. I walked out on a 16 year marriage because of alcohol. I honestly can't speak on a personal level of the direct connection between cigarettes and alcohol because for all intents and purposes, I don't drink. But, I have seen the correlation between the two and sadly for many, the one addiction goes hand in hand with the other. I also know human nature. If we don't replace the habit of smoking with something that is more positive, the brain will replace it with whatever seems to give it the most comfort and will make that its new habit. Smoking dulls emotions so that the daily pains of life 'seem' less harsh. Alcohol does the very same thing...guess what the brain is gonna pick if you take the cigarettes away? ANYTHING to make the discomfort of life and living seemingly more bearable. My experience in life tells me that you really are playing with fire on this drinking thing. Alcohol, as we all know, affects judgement. Do ya really think that your brain is going to make the right judgement swathed in alcohol when confronted with a cigarette craving? MMMMmm I don't think so! Me? I replaced my cigarette habit with a new cleaning my house habit. And I'm thrilled with my new clean, smoke-free, smell-free house! Hang in there and lean on your fellow ex-smokers here who are all willing to help support and comfort you. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 3/29/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 36 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 363 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $57.6 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 4 [B]Hrs:[/B] 1 [B]Mins:[/B] 58 [B]Seconds:[

Congratulations on your 70 day quit Sunflower - that's sooooo HUGE! I am glad you had the courage to talk about your problem with replacing cigarettes with alcohol. Ln is right - you absolutely must find a new and healthier replacement for your cigs - you know in your heart of hearts that drinking isn't the answer. Maybe you can join an excercise class or club or take up a healthy new habit like walking or jogging? If working out doesn't appeal to you then maybe you can do some volunteer work at your local hospital or nursing center? It would give you a nice, positive way to divert your time and thoughts away from cigarettes and drinking. Take care of yourself! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 4/3/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 31 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 626 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $124 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 3 [B]Hrs:[/B] 12 [B]Mins:[/B] 26 [B]Seconds:[/B] 29

Hey Sun, From personal experience, the binge drinking could be a problem. I don't know how you don't smoke when you drink, I know I couldn't. But then again, I had a drinking problem. 7 months sober now and my life has settled down now to the point where I can really concentrate on quitting smoking. To quit one vice at a time is tough. If you have to quit two vices, I couldn't imagine. There is a lot of help on the internet about quitting drinking, or at least minimizing your consumption. I went the AA route for about 2 months of meetings. If your not real religous, it's not the way to go even though they say you don't need to be real religous. It did help me quit, but just like smoking, you have to be strong within yourself to maintain the quit. I have not been back to a meeting since and still maintain my sobriety. In no way am I knocking AA, and what it does to help alot of people to keep them sober. It's not the only way and one I personally became uncomfortable with. Search the internet, find an alcohol dependent self test, and only you can decide if you have a problem or not. Obviously you have some concerns or you wouldn't be posting Good Luck Rekud [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 4/25/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 9 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 283 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $37.8 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 1 [B]Hrs:[/B] 9 [B]Mins:[/B] 43 [B]Seconds:[/B] 24

Thank you all for your advice and support. A special "Thank You" for the members that shared their stories. I am living a healthy life, walking every day and enjoy learning to cook tasty but healthier food. I don't drink alcohol daily or even weekly. The "Out of control" - drinking have happened when we get together with friends. I understand that this is a serious problem and that I need to take actions - and I will. I think this happens because I am craving cigarettes and alcohol in some way (when I have too much) make it disappear. I am fortunate to have only non-smoking friends and I guess that is the reason why I have been able to be "smober" even when I have been drinking alcohol. I am very proud of my quit, and very afraid of losing it. Thank you all, Carina [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/22/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 72 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,087 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $324 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 8 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 2 [B]Seconds:[/B] 15

Hi all, I haven't smoked for 70 days today (wow) but instead I have started to have problem with drinking! It's not that I want to smoke when I'm drinking, but I drink myself out of control! I can't remember that I have read about this before. Does anyone know that this can happened? [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B] 2/22/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 70 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,064 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $315 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 8 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 46 [B]Seconds:[/B] 35