Bear, This addiction is two-fold: Cigarettes are a very efficient drug-delivery system. Each puff on a cigarette sends nicotine to the brain within 10 seconds. Immediately, we feel more alert and calm. Sometimes euphoric. It feels good, so we have another puff. And another. Soon the brain's chemical structure actually changes. It becomes hooked into wanting more and more nicotine to make the effects last. As nicotine addiction sets in, the brain connects our daily routines with cravings to make sure we get a steady flow of nicotine � boosting the role of cigarettes in our life. So how do we overcome it? We undo it! As quitters, we now have the responsibility of stimulating our own dopamine release with some of the above mentionned: REWARDS, exercise, laughter and pleasurable activities. And of course, we change our habits to break associations. Hope this answers your question Bear. Danielle, Bilingual Support Specialist

[quote] if any of us when we smoked could go back to the moment before we ever started smoking and say no, would we all not do so? [/quote] That's an interesting question. At first thought, I undoubtedly said "Yes, I'd change the past and say 'NO!!!'" But after thinking about it for a second, I'm not sure. That's such a hard question to answer, really. So many of my memories are tied to smoking. Now, it's easy to say that I could have had those memories with non-smokers, but the reality is that it wouldn't have been the same. I did share bonds with my smoking friends because we were all shunned by society together. We were all outcasts, who understood each other. The countless nights I sat on my porch with my former roommate, pondering life's greatest questions, all while feeding our addictions... those nights wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been a smoker. Sure, it's easy to say that I COULD have sat on the porch with her and had those discussions without smoking, but the fact is that that probably wouldn't have happened. Then, I think about my other former roommate and close friend who I wouldn't be friends with at all if it weren't for smoking. Neither of us smoke now, but it was smoking that made us become friends in the first place. She was in 2 of my classes in college and when we were headed out of one of our classes, she was starting to light up and I said, "hey! Can I have one? (I'd been quit for 10 months at the time) She, of course, said yes and we became very close friends, and are still friends today. So would I change the past and not become a smoker? I just don't know. I'm very glad that smoking is a part of my past, but those are also memories that I would hate to never have had. No, I don't miss smoking and I don't want to EVER be a smoker again... but I can't say that I didn't enjoy smoking or that smoking didn't do some positive things like help me make friends. It's not something I want in my future... but it's not something I would change from my past either. Crave the Quit! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]6/17/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 761 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 19,025 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3,142.93 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 53 [B]Hrs:[/B] 17 [B]Mins:[/B] 11 [B]Seconds:[/B] 55

Think I can clear this up. NICOTINE is the means to get the DOPAMINE... GOOD OLD FASHIONED PLEASURE is the our selfish nature to want it in the first place. Mercy [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]1/21/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 178 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,560 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $795.66 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 23 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 5 [B]Seconds:[/B] 5

Did we really enjoy smoking? In other words if any of us when we smoked could go back to the moment before we ever started smoking and say no, would we all not do so? That means we really did not enjoy smoking. We think we enjoyed it. We think it gives us pleasure. it does not. it gives you nothing but bad breath, smelly clothes, health issues, less respect, lower self esteem and yellow teeth. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]6/12/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 36 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 900 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $180.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 4 [B]Hrs:[/B] 14 [B]Mins:[/B] 44 [B]Seconds:[/B] 37

I think you will find that is why exercise is recommended so highly when you quit. Activity will produce the same elated chemical reaction. In time.....the brain does adjust and make what is needed. Once again you will NOT need nicotine to feel well..adjusted....and happy. The problem is: Your brain still remembers the effect. Remember....THOUGHTS...not physical craves. The brain doesn't know it is functioning fine. It just remembers it needed it before. The longer you go not smoking...the more it is forgotten. Same thing with throwing up. (ya..kindof gross illustration) Did you ever get sick on something and for years just the smell makes you sick. I got so sick on peppermint one time. I couldn't eat anything peppermint for years. I also got sick on bad cidar...and had food posioning from comstock cherries. I didn't eat cherry pie for 20 years. SEEEE...though peppermint, cidar and cherries are fine....my brain doesn't see it that way. Beat advice is.....don't remind your brain. What is the old addage? "if you play with fire...you'll get burned" Mercy [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]1/21/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 178 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,560 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $795.66 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 23 [B]Hrs:[/B] 10 [B]Mins:[/B] 41 [B]Seconds:[/B] 44

Kiwi, One of the best ways to give ourselves dopamine "on demand" is with rewards. This is just one of the reasons why rewards are so important when quitting smoking. Rewards trigger the dopamine centers and give us a little boost of it when we need it. Unhooked mentioned laughing... a good comedy movie will also do the trick to trigger these receptors. This is also why so many people use Wellbutrin or Zyban to quit smoking... they help with the dopamine aspect as well. These are just a few ideas... there are many, many more. Basically, anything that makes you "feel good" is probably going to cause some dopamine boosts in your brain. Crave the Quit! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]6/17/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 761 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 19,025 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3,142.93 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 53 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 56 [B]Seconds:[/B] 45

this is extremely interseting stuff, So, when we've had the pleasure & experience of self medication (Dopamine on demand) via smoking & we want some 'feelgood' - how do we get it ?, do we have to learn to accept a diminashed dompamine levels as non-smokers ? I guess this brings meaning to the saying 'once a smoker always a smoker' [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]1/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 928 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 32,480 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $6,032.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 132 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 18 [B]Seconds:[/B] 1

Nicotine causes a connection in the brain that is so similar to dopamine that the brain thinks that it IS dopamine. Therefore, our brains shut down the dopamine receptors (because they're getting overloaded) and quits making dopamine on its own. Therefore, about the only dopamine that we're getting is through nicotine, which is why so many people get depressed when they quit smoking. So, it's the nicotine that we're addicted to, along with many other chemicals... there are 4,000 chemicals in cigarettes... I would highly doubt that we are ONLY addicted to nicotine. Does that answer your question? Crave the Quit! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]6/17/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 761 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 19,025 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $3,142.93 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 53 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 55 [B]Seconds:[/B] 6

My 2 cents: Dopamine is a naturally-occurring chemical released by a healthy brain in appropriate amounts at appropriate times. After we exercise for instance, or when we laugh. Nicotine causes a large amount of dopamine to flood our systems almost immediately and regardless of whether it's an appropriate time. When we're angry or sad for instance. Our bodies and minds get used to this overdose of dopamine, causing us to crave the thing that makes it happen - nicotine. We crave the thing which not only makes us feel better but actually prevents us feeling anything bad. So I think the addiction is to nicotine as it is nicotine that teaches us the learned behaviour that gets us the dopamine. [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]5/13/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 66 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,320 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $726.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 6 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 11 [B]Seconds:[/B] 29

My guess...all of the above! If the nicotine is gone is 3 days, it can't be just that...once again lesson learned, not one puff ever! NOPE :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]3/5/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 135 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,375 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1,424.25 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 16 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 24 [B]Seconds:[/B] 50