What is the real reason why people smoke?
74Who is the destroyer, using this deathly weapon? - Let's find out!
Why one should quit smoking?
It is clear that one shouldn't do something that is damaging oneself and wasting ones energy, but it seems not to be known, why people smoke. It is a commonly accepted habit and a way to be social when one is together with other people, the same like drinking. One wants to be part of the group, so one follows that what others are doing and then one becomes addicted because of the poison in the tobacco.That doesn't yet answers the question why people continue to smoke even they know all the reasons why they shouldn't do it. The nicotine enters into the body system and changes ones responses to influences that appear from the outside.During the early stages, smoking provides pleasurable sensations, because of its action on the dopamine system and so it serves as a source of positive reinforcement, with this the world and what happens is received in a more acceptable way. After an individual has been smoking for many years, the avoidance of withdrawal symptoms and negative reinforcement become the key motivations. Then the responses are reduced and in the same way ones awareness of ones surrounding and oneself.
Wikipedia: "The inhaled substances trigger chemical reactions in nerve endings in the brain due to being similar to naturally occurring substances such as endorphins and dopamines, which are associated with sensations of pleasure. The result is what is usually referred to as a "high" that ranges between the mild stimulus caused by nicotine to the intense euphoria caused by heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine." Escaping from the challenge to confront daily reality, not willing to relate and respond to what is really there, because of the discrepancy of ones established world view and self image from what is encountered.
Conclusion: If we understand, that being alive in this body on this earthen plane, means that we are in a growing and learning process, then it is clear, that this is not limited to our body and not to our mind and emotions. It has to do in the first place with our consciousness. We should be able to understand this easily. We can observe this around us, mostly in nature. We might not able to see this when looking around in our civilized world, were *growing* is buried under artificially created fake realities and growing mostly means to get more of something or to get richer. But we are capable to recognize and observe our *growing* and then we will try to do what helps and favors it. Right? We need our actions in daily life situations, responding to what ever shows up in the most alert and aware way, then we can learn the best and the most and with this we grow. The most effective way is, when we are the most aware possible. Now it is easy to answer the initial question:
Why one should quit smoking?
Because when we look at ourselves in an objective and critical way, then we must realize, that we are not yet grown up. We are like children lost in an overwhelming world, not knowing what to do in all this many distractions. We are still depending on others being told what to do and what to think, even though we have a high self image of ourselves. As we are ruled from our materialistic world view, even though we have included an additional belief system as a backup in case the dominating one lacks the necessary fulfilling success, - so we feel that we have every thing we need to manage our life. But even though we are successful and being absorbed with our activities, there is something in the background that makes as insecure and nervous: We know somehow, that we are failing in our responses, we are excluding most what is important and limit ourselves to trivial self confirming acts. This we don't want to admit, then
the conflict would be too big. So we prefer to stay with our used way to suppress what doesn't fit into our picture world and self image and to do this our smoking habit serves best. With the disadvantage that it makes us dull and dump, so that we can stay in our zombie like state. You really want to get out of this? Now you know why you should quit smoking. Out of this conclusion you can make your clear decision: I will stop smoking! Now!
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Do you know that more than 1 billion people are smoking? These are 1.000.000.000.000 individuals. Can you imagine what a strong favorable impact it would have on our evolution with all its consequences, if only 1 % would quit smoking?
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Let's start a list of arguments smoker use to continue. These arguments might be serious, professional, scientific, funny, silly or absurd...
The best argument will win a price! (I'm not clear yet, what this will be...)
- "My grandfather smoked for seventy years and died with 85, so my genes are strong."
- "We all must die sooner or later, so what?"
- "Without smoking I would be dead since quite some time, it helps me to survive, taking things easy!"
- "If more than a billion people are smoking, then it can't be so bad!"
- "I'm only thirteen, but I feel grown up when I smoke!"
- "It makes me to a member of the gang!"
- "Its a medicine for me against getting too fat."
- "The government allows smoking, it is legal!"
- "I like the taste!"
- "I smoke because my priest preaches that tobacco comes from the devil & I like devils more than priests!"
- "All the people in my office smoke, I can't be an outsider."
- "Smoking makes my brain work better, it helps me in decision making!"
- "The history of smoking is very old, thousands of years! When I smoke, I honer my forefathers and that makes me feel good!"
- "When my health has been stable for a while, I'm certainly going to try and kick the habit, AGAIN! I have a love/hate relationship with nicotine, lol."
- "Smoking has been a spiritual ritual in many traditions and so it is for me! I appreciate it as such and enjoy it!"
- "The smell of tobacco is strong enough to cover all other bad smells and so I don't need to open the windows in winter and that saves a lot of heating costs!"
- "I started to smoke because my family didn't like it. Then I liked to provoke non-smokers with my smoking. I smoked a lot and so when it was not allowed any more to smoke in public places, then only my presence was enough to annoy people. Now when I travel by train and want to be alone, then I go into a non-smoker compartment, I don't smoke there, but even though, people will all leave. This doesn't work in a smoker compartment..."
- "I smoked my first cigarette after a good experience: 'The cigarette after...' So every time I smoke, it gives me a similar satisfaction, even though it is not 'after'..."
- "You ask people to stop smoking! I don't agree. If all smokers would quit smoking, then thousands of people would lose their job. From the tobacco plantations to the cigarette fabrics. Most of these people are poor anyway and then would starve even more. I don't want this and so I continue smoking."
- "If we all would quit smoking, then the whole medical health system would break down! Without all those many millions of people how have health problems from smoking, half of the hospitals would need to close and doctors and nurses would be in the street! The loss for the pharmaceutic industry, that is the biggest money maker on earth, would also cause that many workers lose their job. The whole social system would be effected! This we can't let happen! So I continue smoking!"
"That's my way of paying tax. If all smokers in the world, would stopping doing it, the whole system would loose Billions of Dollars. (Quote from: 'The real smoker')"
"For me when smoking I can go into a regressive state, feeling good like when I was a baby at my mothers breast. You don't expect me to change the cigarette against a baby dummy?"
"It is the fault of my mother that I smoke and can't stop, she didn't breast-fed me!"
"I wasn't breast fed either. When I smoke then it is for my sanity, as it calmed me down in intensely stressful and dangerous situations. (On a daily basis) It also definitely helps with concentration.... I enjoy it, especially when accompanied by coffee or alcohol.
"I have a genetic glitch, so I can't help it, I must smoke!"
- "I intuitively sense that if I quit smoking then the energy that is
inside me will arise and obliterate me. My excuse is that I keep smoking
because I am afraid of being my full power. That's got to be the
silliest reason ever, even I laugh when I read it back..."
- "I used to suck on bottles, now I suck on cigarettes, that doesn't suck my money that much! Also I can drive my car and there are no fines given to me like before!"
- "I am smoking and consciously poisoning my system as a passionate smoker, because with this I am serving evolution of mankind. It could be a big step, if humans become poison resistant and for this progress I take the sacrifice of sickness and early death. Maybe only 0,01% of us smoker can do it and pass their updated genes on and so maybe one day humankind will be as tough and resistant, without need to take care what we eat, drink or what kind of stimulant we use to live happily like cockroaches without the need to take care of ourselves or our surrounding."
- "I smoke cigars, that tells that I'm the boss! Winston Churchill is my idol in this!"
- "Most great people in history have been smokers. I want to be great, so I smoke!"
Conclusion
"Is it impossible to avoid conflict in life?"
The wish to avoid conflict in life, comes from ones established personality. The personality is a conglomeration out of concepts, beliefs, traumas and ones self image and the strong identification of all of these. It is a composition out of conscious and unconscious parts and the tendency and urge of the individual is, to keep it together and untouched. So the system of self defense to survive with ones identity is part of the personality. This mostly artificial construction has created a fake reality that living in the daily circumstances, is confronting a reality that in great part is confirming ones own reality, because this society is built out of the same components as the personalities. But there are also influences, that come from beyond the established fake reality and these are felt as offense attacking ones system. Most of these influences can be ignored by sweeping the conflict under the rug, but if there is a direct encounter, then this is not possible and so creates conflicts. Now it depends on the individual how he/she is relating and responding to this influence. It can be seen as a challenge and serve to use the situation to find out that ones established attitude or habit indeed needs some adjustment and then this person might be able to correct it, or the influence will be put down with arguments out of ones arsenal or one will try to eliminate the influence, not being capable and willing to look at oneself. All this creates conflicts and a lot of stress, that accumulated enforces the straitjacket of the personality. Up to the point that it becomes unbearable and the individual finds other means to survive by going into all kind of entertainment and stimulation or numbing ones system with all what is available and offered in this society, like medication, alcohol, tobacco and all kind of legal and illegal drugs. With all this trying to avoid conflict in life.
When a person comes to the point, that conflict can be seen as a challenge, asking oneself why there is a conflict, without wanting to escape, then the situation can be seen more objective and can bring a creative solution with a positive outcome for all involved.
We can't and don't want to avoid conflict in live, because the conflicts are necessary for the learning and growing for each of us. Only through the conflicts we are able to grow beyond our personality. Then there will be no conflict any more, as we are not limited to specific concepts of our existence or a self image that we need to defend.
* * *
The question of this hub is: What is the real reason why people smoke? There was not given any answer to this, but the arguments to continue smoking can bring us to the conclusion, that indeed smoking is used to be able to deal with ones conflicts in life by not looking at the reason for these overwhelming constant conflicts, that lays within oneself, and so with ones smoking one is numbing and stimulating ones system at the same time, enforcing this even more with coffee and alcohol, that's why those things often go together. Then with the help of these manipulations not needing to question and looking at oneself, one avoids to relate and respond to ones conflicts and so blocks ones *growing*. Then one can go without thinking or with thinking a lot, into all kind of distractions and occupations, be it entertainment or working to complete ones goals or turning around ones health problems, being worried or putting all ones energy into it. With all this filling ones existence and not leaving any open space to go beyond ones engagement with oneself...
If the brakes are pulled of more than one billion individuals on this planet, then one shouldn't wonder about the consequences we find in our stuck evolution, - personal and global. Suffering from disease and depression are just side effects of our tricks to avoid conflict.
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Hi She-rah, the good news is that your argument could be listed, the bad news is, that others were superior. Or the good is the bad and the bad is the good, that's your choice. Must I say: Don't take me too serious? I don't think so...
By the way: I'm not 'nice' and so also my hubs are not! It looks to me, that I will need to make a new hub with just the definition of 'stress'...
Well, You're "honest", how's that. The truth hurts and some people just can't accept the truth or honesty for that matter. I posted a comment here because I knew you would criticize my nasty little habit and the criticism motivates me to change my ways. Let me know when you do the hub on "stress", I would love to hear the techniques you use to cope, much different than my coping techniques, I'm sure. :)
She-rah, I appreciate your comments very much, because these are telling me that you ae a person who wants to move something, not only on the outside, but also within yourself. Your last comment I see as a provocation when you write: "My nasty little habit." The picture of this hub says: "Five Million Death each Year!" So then this is NOT a nasty little habit! I guess you are provoking, because you really want that I say something more and I just noticed that I haven't yet responded to your comment at my hub "Let's Find out the Root Cause of Addiction!" I thought that it would be important to respond and wanted to do it, but now I see that two weeks has past. So I nderstand and I want to say that I'm sorry to let you wait. This is a very subtle subject and I need some time and space to into this and at the moment there is too much around me... But behind your urge there are one billion other people and so for sure I will work on a clear response.
About stress I have written already several hubs, but I know that it needs some more work on this. Apart of the 'StressReleaseExercise' coping with stress is not a technique, it is more your position, your personal state of evolution within your growing process, when you finally let go of old concepts, beliefs and your worn out self image. When you have gained sovereignty and don't depend on outside conditions...
Oh good, glad you got my comment from your addiction hub! :)
Would love to hear your thoughts on that one. Smoking is yes, a coping mechanism for me, but is it ultimately a means of existence for me? Quitting does scare me to death, I almost died last time I tried to quit smoking because of my autoimmunity and smoking's immune system suppressing actions within the body. I hope you understand after reading my other comment. Do the benefits of smoking out way the risks in my specific situation? Now how does my excuse rank, giggles?! I want to be on the top of your list of excuses, I'm not afraid of someone putting my faults out there for the world to see. I hate smoking but I love that it suppresses my immune system when I can't have meds to do this. I may not survive/exist without this action in my body.
She-rah, yes, with the argument "I smoke to stay healthy" you would get to the top of the list, but this doesn't help or clears up any thing.
When I wrote: "Let's find out the reason..." Then because I don't know much about it and so the intention is that we come together here and find out about it together. You seem to be the only one who is really interested because you need to find out because of your health dilemma. Your immune system is totally messed up and that smoking keeps you going, is indeed 'absurd'. Sadly I have no idea what could be done about it. I will read again your hub where you told your story.
I have written many times in all occasions, that I am convinced that one is NOT a victim of ones disease and the most important is that one takes self responsibility and sees ones condition as a challenge to find ways to heal oneself. If medication would help you, then there wouldn't be any reason to question any thing and this then wouldn't help you grow or really heal you, as only the symptoms were cut. As the medical system can't help you, so you are in the situation that you must search and find out by yourself. As there is no knowledge available, so the only way seems that you a step further and that could be to use intuition. In how far have you developed this possibility? Is meditation part of your daily life? If not, then urgently I suggest to go to my Web site or to YouTube and do the 'StressReleaseExercise'. For the moment that's all what I can say, but I am open to receive an answer from the source and then we can talk about it...
LOL, yes, "I smoke to stay healthy", now that's a bit of any oxymoron! I know it's not healthy and I suppose I continue to do it to have quality of life, of course, quantity of life weighs on me a great deal and I'm destroying myself in other ways to have quality of life right now. It's just a slower process. It drives me crazy but I'm stuck!!! My brain is sizzling from all my research and I've even studied genetics extensively. I have an unusual family history of medical problems such as mine, just none as severe. I've connected my autoimmunity to gene pool and naturally high histamine levels, which is why I also wrote the hub on Natural Antihistamines/histadelia. I'm like someone born with down syndrome, it's a genetic issue and I have a genetic glitch. Trying to figure out how to transplant good DNA to cure myself(just kidding). I've become content with the progress I have made and I've been spending more time with my children and husband now that I am able, instead of burying myself in more research. I've lost so much time with them and will certainly lose more with my smoking at the end of my battle. I'm not looking far enough into the future at this point because I've been so busy living for the "NOW" and really need the motivation to CURE myself instead of learn to live with my contentedness. Genetic testing and experimental surgery was my next step if I couldn't stop the anyphylaxis on my own. I've done it but some of my measures are not so healthy obviously. I will certainly check out your website on meditation! Yes, I use intuition and experimentation on myself based on intuitive ideas from my research and this is as far as I've made it. I have it controlled but not cured. Not sure if I'd consider myself in an induced "diseased state" since I was born this way and it has to do with my genetic make up. I'm still working on figuring that out.
I've heard that many people smoke because they weren't breast-fed as a baby.
Hmmm, Great thought Peter, not ever really crossed my mind. In fact, breastfeeding is what helps make the immune system strong/healthy after birth. I was not breast-fed and maybe that's why I'm so severely autoimmune. I'm extremely addicted to cigarettes because of the effects it has on the immune system and it has a huge possibility of being one of the things that has kept me from dying on many occasions. When I quit smoking my autoimmunity became so bad that I was in the hospital many times with organ failure and shock. Definitely something to think about!
I wasn't breast fed either. When I used to smoke I used to say it was for my sanity, as it calmed me down in intensely stressful and dangerous situations.(on a daily basis) It also definitely helped with concentration.... I enjoyed it, especially when acompanied by coffee or alcohol. When I changed the focus of my life and simplified it, my habits also changed.
I'm sorry to hear about your condition She-rah. There are a lot worse things than smoking, and those who go out on a crusade to belittle those who smoke and make them feel guilty about it, deceive none but themselves.
Oh please don't be sorry Ashmi! I'm doing pretty good and am able to help lots of others with rare, undiagnosed problems. Helping them has made my suffering and research very worth it. I am currently helping several other women that found my story on HP, and they have yet to get a diagnosis of their medical problems. They are so happy to have someone to talk to who understands and give them hope. I certainly do want to quit smoking but I took Chantix 3yrs ago to quit and it caused liver disease, a seizure disorder, and not smoking severely exasperated my autoimmune disorder. I'm so scared to death to even try again right now and would like a little time for my health to maintain stability. It took me 3 yrs to get to where I'm at now health wise, which is functional most of the time instead of hardly ever. Sounds so ridiculous that "I smoke to stay healthy", but I'm glad you, one of the very few, understands. I certainly understand the "maintaining sanity" part. :)
Ashmi, do you say about a rapist that there are a lot worse things one could do? Or about a killer who only kills in occasions?
Is there something worse than a mass destruction of 5 millions of people a year? And that is only the physical aspect, the worst of it is that one billion of people are reduced in their energy, destroying themselves slowly, keeping themselves occupied in a negative vortex, instead of creatively using their life to learn and to grow. These people are stuck and their negative influence is poisoning all. They are not only lying to themselves, they are dishonest to every body around.
When I write here at Hub Pages then to find out the 'real reason why people smoke', but the real reason was not touched by anybody. This is avoided, instead they feel 'belittled', because they feel attacked and need to defend themselves, calling it a 'crusade' against them. If they would feel guilty, then at least they somehow sense that it is not right to destroy themselves using the most absurd arguments to keep their habit going.
Frankly, when you write that you changed your habits when your focus changed, then this doesn't say that you stopped smoking. From your attitude it seems that you are still smoking, otherwise you wouldn't feel offended. Smoker are pretender and liar. I have made this experience now for many years and they have nearly destroyed my intention of thirty five years to build up a creative team here.
She-rah, you wrote in an earlier comment that you tried to stop smoking and because of this you nearly died. You didn't mention that you took Chantix. Didn't you investigate before you took it? There are a lot of information at the Internet with many pages about the side effects. I thought you tried to stop smoking by just not smoking! So you wanted to get rid of satan by using the devil! Pretty naive, isn't it? This hub is about finding out the real reason why one smokes. We are still in the forefield and I doubt that any body here is really interested to find out. So I think about to give up. Sorry, at this moment I feel pretty down...
Yes, I agree that calling some body a liar is tough, because it goes against the self image of ones personality. But reality is that we are all liars, more or less. Our whole society is based on lies, hardly anybody wants to look at it. With this we are coming nearer to the reason why people smoke, because it helps them not to look at their lies, they keep their games with themselves going. I will make a new hub about it, that like all my other hubs, people will not like...
BeiYin......in my comment I say "when I used to smoke" this implies I no longer smoke. I gave up about five years ago along with many other destructive habits. What I don't agree with is making sweeping statements when one is ignorant of all the factors involved.
It is not about defending the act of smoking but in not condemning the smoker. I do not believe one should smoke simply because there are a lot of worse things one can do. Don't put words into my mouth, it's a bad habit you have.
I do not feel offended as I do not take it personally. As for the reason why people smoke amongst the many; the root is ignorance of their true nature. Every action is an attempt to fill a seeming sense of emptiness we feel. This is because we misunderstand who we really are. Not knowing who we are we feel lost and vulnerable. This sense of insecurity and pain we cover up with many superficialities. One of which is smoking.....There, I have answered your question, what do you think?
Now BeiYin, you know me better than that, of course I researched Chantix extensively. When I took it, Pfizer (the manufacturing company), had not admitted or released the many horrible side effects it could cause and I was only warned of weird dreams, stomach upset, and nicotine withdrawal symptoms, that was it. It was the new "miracle drug" for smokers. I spoke to my doctor many times about it before making any decisions and there were no lawsuits filed yet, they were still keeping the truth under the rug so they could make their millions$. My doctor told me that the benefits of using Chantix to quit would out weight the risks of smoking. I quit for almost a year and only took the Chantix for 2 1/2 weeks. My father had to take me to the doctor because I was twitching so bad I was slobbering on myself from having my liver destroyed by the drug, that side effect is still not listed anywhere. When they ran the liver enzyme tests and did a CAT scan that day, my doctor told me all test were fine. When I took my records to my new Immunologist, fairly recently, he told me what the "real" results of my blood work and CAT scan were, the liver disease. My old doctor flat out lied to me to avoid lawsuit. For the last 3 yrs., I've suffered the anaphylactic shock most months. I have tried many, many other times in the past to quit smoking without drugs and still had an increase in severe autoimmune symptoms that the doctors blamed on withdrawals. ER was still telling me it was withdrawals causing panic attacks a year after I quit smoking and I had started back to the habit again. It wasn't panic attacks or withdrawals it was anaphylaxis, organ failure, and shock. I DO NOT consider my genetically inherited autoimmune disorder to be a diseased state because it is genetic. I was born autoimmune from genetics passed on from my parents. I can not change my genetics, nor transplant new DNA! I believe there are genetically inherited autoimmune disorders and acquired autoimmune diseases based on my research and intuition. My liver is diseased due to a drug and is something that I acquired but my autoimmunity is a genetic disorder. Two different things. I do other natural/healthy treatments for my liver with great success because the liver is the only organ of the body that can regenerate with proper care. What I need to do is exactly what your talking about. Decide within myself to grow and find other healthy ways to CURE my autoimmunity but I am stuck and tired and there is no way to change my DNA. I still do not give up hope that I will control my autoimmunity AND quit smoking. Smoking is not healing me but it's immunosupressive actions from the nicotine have helped keep me alive. I am still researching for a natural/healthy immunosuppressant, just not to the degree I was before because I'm not in constant fear of leaving my husband and 4 children behind. Even a natural/healthy immunosuppressant would still only treat me, but not cure me. There is no cure for down syndrome, it is not a disease it is genetically inherited disorder, there is no cure for genetically inherited disorders like mine either but I firmly believe there are healthy/natural treatments and smoking is certainly not one of them. Again, I am stuck because I haven't found the healthy alternative yet.
My root cause of smoking: Maybe I started smoking when my health took a turn for the worst at 17 because I subconsciously, intuitively, and instinctively new my immune system needed suppressed and nicotine is a substance that does this and is easy to buy in cigarette form?!! Nicotine is all natural and has many health benefits by itself- it protects against neurological damage from toxins, helps prevent Alzheimer's disease, is a natural antidepressant, natural antianxiety, natural treatment for ADD and ADHD, natural immunosuppresant, etc. What causes diseases and cancer from smoking is the other toxic man made synthetic chemicals in cigarettes, that we inhale. Nicotine itself is natural, and can be used to treat/cure many different health issues naturally. Even Natural Healthy treatments can be harmful if used improperly. Just like Vitamin C, it's natural, a great treatment, something the body has to have to function, but you can't take 50000mg of it a day, or take it mixed with arsenic without harming yourself. Just like nicotine! Is vitamin C an addictive substance or something that enables existence??? Is nicotine simply an addiction for me or something natural that currently enables me to exist???? Cigarettes and the man made toxins in cigarettes are the disease causing agents. Natural treatments using nicotine and tobacco are no different then taking garlic for a bacterial or fungal infection, eating coconut/coconut oil for it's antifungal properties, cholesterol lowering effects, and thyroid balancing effects, taking fenugreek to lower blood sugar for diabetes, taking probiotics or eating organic yogurt for yeast infections. Nicotine can be used as a natural beneficial, healthy treatment just like any of the above. The real reason people smoke?, you ask, Could lie much deeper than simple addiction or dopamine stimulation. It could be a matter of one subconsciously and intuitively treating an underlying undiagnosed genetic disorder, some kind of deficiency, or an acquired disease. Unfortunately, nicotine in cigarettes is manufactured with toxic chemicals, just like pharmaceutical drugs and it can become highly addicting. No one bashes or beats up on people that take prescribed Opiates (opium) for pain caused by disease or other things! Is nicotine addicting because of it's action on dopamine release within the brain or is nicotine "addiction" a natural form of treatment that some one can not live without?! Is it just stereotyped as a horrible "addiction"??? It could in fact, not be an addiction at all and just be a natural treatment that some people need to exist. Cigarettes and smokers get bashed and beat up on because of disease, cancers and deaths, from smoking but those things are caused my the MAN MADE TOXINS added to tobacco, not tobacco/nicotine itself unless it's overly or improperly used just like any other natural treatment or cure. Kumbucha tea and kefir are both treatments that I am very familiar with and they also have proper ways of being used. I know you know them well as a treatment/cure and so do I, Did they help treat/cure you for your conditions so you could maintain existence and quality of life?! Or did you just simply mentally "evolve" enough to have the mind set "I'm going to be cured" and that was all it took without any natural treatments at all, BAM! you were cured?! Are you still doing any of your treatments that cured you? If you are then your not cured either, your just maintaining quality of life by continuing to treat naturally. That's exactly what I'm doing only I have toxic substances added to the nicotine in cigarettes which is what I need to get away from.
I don't have skype or a web cam, just my broke down computer that doesn't like to work most of the time, so sorry. Would be fun though! Please feel free to add my new comment to your script below, just as much fun! I do enjoy brain storming with you and countering my comments (I hope I don't upset you), it does help get to the root of addiction with some things like smoking maybe!
She-rah, your comment is stunning, the quantity and quality of your given information is incredible. I see how much you have engaged yourself. But also it shows, how much you have been turning around yourself until your present feeling of 'being stuck'. The answer I have given somehow before by writing the script about 'Learning-growing-healing' and I only can repeat the most essential and that is: Sit down twice a day for twenty minutes and do the SRE. At least forget about all what you know in this twenty minutes! Give
yourself, the part you haven't connected with yet, the chance to heal yourself. And I repeat: It is *healing* and not any kind of 'cure', because it includes your whole existence. See your condition, even it is a mess, as the best what can be for your healing and growing! This is quite different than from your present limited view, even though you know all those information. It is difficult or not possible that you trust something you are not connected with. So again: Sit down and give yourself the space, at least for these twenty minutes!
This is the best and most essential advice I can give you and I am absolutely convinced that then you will get out of your stuck condition.
Good Morning, Thank you for the compliment! I do have one correction to make to my above post. I am currently in remission because of the estrogen treatment that I use, not because I smoke. BUT, is it the combination of the nicotine and estrogen treatment what keeps me in remission?! Here's my dilemma, I have 2 battles with my autoimmunity. One is that I have to have my immune system suppressed the other is that I have to build up a tolerance to my hormones to avoid anaphylaxis. Currently I'm controlling my condition using estrogen and nicotine to do 2 different things within my body. Without immunosuppression of some sort, my immune system could start recognizing other things within my body as foreign. What happens if I stop "my nicotine treatment" (giggles)and I stop suppressing my immune system. It could potentially start recognizing other things within my own body as foreign. Right now, I'm lucky it's just my hormones and sweat causing anaphylaxis but what if it were my blood/heart something of that nature. My initial condition before the severe hormone/sweat allergy (that started when I was 10 and my body was introduced to the hormones), is that I was born with high histamine levels (IgE). Maybe if I had been breast fed, it would've corrected the problem because of breast milks effect on the immune system. Because of this IgE level being so high due to genetics, it started recognizing things it shouldn't (my hormones/sweat). The hormone allergy is the acquired secondary condition, I suppose, from the genetically inherited high IgE disorder. I'm currently working on trying to get my IgE level down to stop reactions that way, this is what the smoking is currently doing. I have tried multiple natural supplements like Vit. C, quercitin, stinging nettles, and others with no success yet. They may help a little but not enough and they tear my stomach up. Not good because of my weight issues anyway. Maybe I should just plant tobacco in my garden, boil the leaves, and rub that on my skin for nicotine, might overdose that way, lol. Hmmm, but then I wouldn't be inhaling all the harmful chemicals in cigarettes. I am trying but I'm frustrated, I'm sure you can see why. :) I will certainly take your advice and work on getting "unstuck" and I'm sure you are absolutely correct about the SRE. I've read many great things about it but I'll have to lock myself in the bathroom to get 20 minutes of quiet time, lol.
Oh, I also wanted to mention, when I speak of people choosing to smoke based on instinct and intuition, it's like children with certain deficiencies/disorders that are DRAWN INSTINCTIVELY to eat paint chips, clay, or other unusual harmful substances because of 1 substance they're body needs to exist that is found in those things. You and I know the most instinctive and intuitive thoughts occur during childhood before society and stress overwhelm the mind. Even as adults, if we are Vitamin C deficient- we will crave foods with Vit.C, if we are Vitamin D deficient- we will crave sunlight, we may crave or be drawn to things that we don't even like or that are not healthy (paint chips, clay, cigarettes, alcohol) because of instinctive human nature. I have always been drawn to cigarette smoke, even as a child, which I'm sure is why I started smoking. As my immune system flared even more with age, I craved smoking and then became addicted after I started to smoke. Same can go for alcoholism. Acetylaldehyde is the alcohol in alcoholic beverages. Acetylaldehyde is a natural antihistamine and LOWERS IgE levels in the blood. Are alcoholics instinctively craving alcohol and self medicating for an underlying high histamine/IgE disorder (like mine) and then become addicted because of repeated use due to the need to self medicate?! Are smokers instinctively drawn to start smoking and then become addicted because of the nicotine and the need to self medicate?! I can speak for both. My family history on both sides (mother and father) has both smoking addiction and alcoholism. Has my entire family been instinctively drawn to these horrible addictions due to underlying high histamine(Ige)levels like a deficient child is instinctively drawn to eating paint chips or clay? Are they essentially self medicating and not even know it because they NEED their IgE level lowered to function or maintain existence and quality of life?
I have their genetics, born with their genetics, which is why I am autoimmune, I was tested and diagnosed with my conditions though and the rest of my family (which is not as severe as my case) has never been tested. I am also very instinctively drawn to alcohol and it is the only "natural" thing I can find that lowers my IgE level to normal. I have always had to be very careful of consumption because of my family history of alcoholism and my instinctive nature to be drawn to alcohol. I am not an alcoholic but I could be very easily if I don't constantly control my urges to drink. I obviously became overwhelmed with the smoking and use the nicotine instead of acetylaldehyde. Here's the big question: If I became an "alcoholic smoking addict" which would lower my Ige to a normal level would I be cured of my autoimmunity? Maybe this is the real reason why some people smoke or drink!!! This is how my brain works, is yours sizzling yet? :)
She-rah, I only can repeat myself. The fact is, that you are manipulating yourself, you are keeping yourself busy, turning around yourself and your condition, being stuck in a materialistic world view, in which spiritual aspects are integrated, but not enough to bring you to the decision to go beyond you identification games. You have built up an intellectual construction that gives you all the clever and scientific reasons why you are in this condition. You are not the master in this, you are the slave. Your fake reality is ruling you. But I am convinced that there is one spark strong enough on that you need to focus, that will you bring out of the trap and I hope that also bring you to your decision to do the SRE, so that you can connect with this *spark*, so that it becomes the *light* that will get you out of your stuck condition.
I wrote several times that the defense system of the established personality will find all kind of reasons not to do any thing that might reduce its strong position. I hope that you can look through these tricks and then do it.
My whole intention with my writings here and in other places, is to help people out of the straitjacket of their personality. There are rarely some body ready for this and I am coming to the point to give up my intention and withdraw myself from these activities. If you are not willing to do something for your *self*, then I don't see that my presence here makes any sense. I'm not disappointed and see things here still as a challenge, but I'm not going to continue running against solid walls, because there are no open doors... This is meant more in general, because of the reactions or lack of response from people during the last fifty years, it's not just because of you or others here at Hub Pages.
OK BeiYin- I'm aware of your intentions and I have promised you to do the SRE to help myself out of my "straight jacket". I could have written 2 hubs of my own with information I have offered on your hub in my comments. I myself, have a hub on addiction and could have just put my information or views on it but you have specifically chosen to use me as an example by quoting and writing a script with my responses and I felt obligated/prompted to put my thoughts on the topics on your hubs. You've prompted your readers to do so because you enjoy and are seeking the interaction. I write solely about 2 of your hubs because they go together. "What's the Root Cause of Addiction" and "The real Reason why People Smoke" In order to help people get out of their "straight jacket", learn, grow, and heal, they have to understand why they started doing things and why they became addicted in in the first place. Recognition is a part of learning, growing, and healing. I will not leave and ignorant comment like "I smoke to stay healthy" without an explanation. I would just sound stupid if I left my comment like that without explaining my theories on the source of why I started smoking and a reason as to why I continue to do so. People can not learn, grow, or heal without knowledge of why they have addictions or became addicted to a substance. Once those things are recognized, then they can begin the healing process that you preach. I have answered your questions asked in your hubs with my very explanatory comments in hopes of helping myself and your other readers to understand addiction, and maybe identify the source, so that they may "learn, grow, and heal". I'm not making excuses for myself or others that smoke, I'm simply explaining my thoughts so that others may possibly benefit and understand their actions. There is no growth or healing without education, understanding, and recognition. I understand my addiction very well and Yes, the comment "I smoke to stay healthy" is ridiculous. I will not let a comment like that sit on your hub without a solid explanation of why I would say such a moronic thing. I stated that because it strikes intrigue interest in your readers and makes them want to read more, hopefully understanding more about themselves in the process. Have I not given you what you are looking for? I have put myself out there for the world to see, comment on, beat up on me, to help others understand, I've answered your ultimate questions to the best of my knowledge, and agreed to the SRE per your request. All to benefit you, myself, and others which is what I thought your intentions were for writing about these topics. "Learning, growing, and healing" can not take place by someone simply saying educate yourself on SRE, practice SRE, and you will learn from it, get out of your addiction by doing it, and be healed. One has to learn the reason they turned to an addicting substance (ie. social acceptability, medical issue, stress, etc.) Then they have to realize the reason why they continue with the addiction, understand the effects their addiction has on their body, and then they can work on making the corrections they need to grow and heal. I don't believe that a person can skip any of these steps and accomplish their goal and neither do you. I'm still at step 2 "growing" and am heading to step 3 but I can not jump from "learning" to "healing" when I have more life threatening issues that need addressed first. I don't understand why you would want me to, when you have been down the same path in other ways. Once those are taken care of then I can heal and heal ALL of my issues, not just the smoking. I am very obviously willing to help "myself" and have done a remarkable job if I do say so myself, after all, I'm still alive. I don't see where you are running against solid walls either?! Your hub has made me think and realize what issues need to be addressed next, the smoking, and I am going to do the SRE to help myself find a way out of my "straight jacket" to reach my goals.
She-rah, I agree with what you have expressed and if my effort has reached you and so you are open for my suggestion to do the SRE, then this is the best you can do. You will see that your intuition will expand giving your search a new dimension.
It is important, if you feel that your exercise is not going well, that then you tell me about it. Often it is only a little thing that needs to be corrected. So better let me help you than wasting energy. OK?
A few days ago I read this question at Answers Yahoo: "What is the worst some body could say about you?" I thought about it and I couldn't find any thing that might be really bad. Maybe I don't care very much what people saying about me. That mostly is their thing and has little or nothing to do with me, so I don't take it personal what they are saying. But I received a comment here and now I know the answer to this question! The worst some body can call me, putting the label "preacher" on me. That tells that my writings here has just defense activated and nothing is received of what I had expressed. So again I ask myself: What I'm doing here? If people are only responding with defense or ignorance and then attacking me, then it is obvious, that I am wasting my energy here. From now on I will more strictly only respond to questions and also if I can find out, if those questions are not ask to receive self confirmation, but out of a real urge to find some truth, even this might hurt.
When I said "preach" I did not intend for you to take it the way you have, so sorry! I just meant that it is obviously something that you feel strongly about because it has helped you. Did not mean for you to take offense. I would never say anything bad about you, and I talk to my husband about you all the time (in good ways). You make me think beyond which is a part of growing and that is what you want from your readers. Correct??? I will certainly let you help me with the SRE, I'm sure I will have many questions.
She-rah, thanks for telling me... It is enough that you are doing the SRE, every thing else will fall in place! Let me know about it.
At the moment I'm a bit tired writing here at Hub pages and I went back to write at Yahoo Answers, you might want to have a look...
Script for BeiYin's *Broadcast Radio Talk Show*
Talk Show # ?? from the series "Learning - growing - healing"
Getting out of the 'Strait-jacket of ones Personality'
She-rah: I'm stuck!!! My brain is sizzling from all my research and I've even studied genetics extensively, I want to give more time to my family!
BeiYin: Your conclusion feels right to me: Your intensity has brought you so far but has turned against yourself and now you seem to be stuck and so the best might be to give it a rest and only respond to something that comes to you without your strong intention to go for it.
She-rah: Yes, instead of burying myself in more research. I've lost so much time with them and will certainly lose more with my smoking at the end of my battle.
BeiYin: Better you change your way of looking at it. The time you have spend is NOT lost, this was part of your learning and growing and for sure you will NOT lose, you will win! Let go the intention of fighting for what you want to achieve. From now on comes the attitude of openness to receive!
She-rah: I have a genetic glitch, so I can't help it, I must smoke!
BeiYin: This one can go to the list of absurd arguments why not to quit smoking!
She-rah: I want to figure out how to transplant good DNA to cure myself. I consider myself in an induced "diseased state" since I was born this way and it has to do with my genetic make up.
BeiYin: Giving genes the fault is the usual attitude in our stuck state of unawareness and then what follows is manipulation to change or eliminate the cause.
She-rah: I've been so busy living for the "NOW" and really need the motivation to CURE myself instead of learn to live with my contentedness.
BeiYin: What you say in this sentence tells that you are ready to do a step beyond your meanwhile worn out old self image and leave also the last fashioned concepts like "NOW" behind. With this you are in the process of *healing*. This is not a 'cure' this is the result of your *growing*.
She-rah: Some of my measures are not so healthy obviously. I use intuition and experimentation on myself based on intuitive ideas from my research and this is as far as I've made it. I have it controlled but not cured.
BeiYin: Exactly! The measures you had were coming out of your limited personality and so of course can't be healthy. Also your intuitive ideas were influenced by your personality and the unconscious background programs, but you had not yet a clear connection to your *source*. To find this connection it is essential that you meditate or do the SRE, then also your fixed self image that keeps you stuck seeing yourself in a "diseased state and that you are born this way..." You can't let go of this established self image because this is 'you'. There are many ways and 'methods' to manipulate yourself, but this might change the color of the vehicle but nothing of the driver... So the next step is: Check what comes to you and if it feels right, then do it! I will assist you if this is needed...
She-rah Level 1 Commenter 2 years ago
Very nice hub! I think your absolutely correct about smoking or most addictions for that matter. Smoking is definitely my coping mechanism. I'm super high strung and it helps to alleviate stress for sure. When my health has been stable for a while, I'm certainly going to try and kick the habit, AGAIN! I have a love/hate relationship with nicotine, lol.