Melissa,
That's wonderful that you have decided to quit smoking, and have done so successfully for 10 weeks...yeah!
It sounds like you (and the many others who can relate to your story) are still having some struggles, and I wanted to let you know that it does get easier to handle the "10,000 times a day thoughts" and other emotions.
When we smoke, our brains change. Specific receptor sites in our brains actually CHANGE to accommodate the nicotine with each and every puff. Our bodies slow or stop production of the original neurotransmitter that these receptor sites were originally attended to receive (acetylcholine, for those science geeks among us!). Acetylcholine's job is to trigger the release of happy, relaxed, feel good chemicals in our brains. When the original receptor sites receive the nicotine from our smoking, acetylcholine production is slowed or stopped...resulting in not as many happy, relaxed, feel good chemicals in our body. So, on we smoke to replace these feel good chemicals with nicotine.
When we STOP smoking, it takes our brains awhile to CHANGE BACK to its pre-smoking brain and receptor sites. It takes TIME for acetylcholine production to pick up speed and tell dopamine and serotonin (the feel good chemicals) to get back in gear! So, with your brain having a lack of nicotine and acetylcoholine...no wonder your thinking of smoking 10,000 times a day! Your brain is craving some good stuff...but prefers 100% the self-produced good stuff (not the cancer-causing stuff!).
Hang in there! Your brain receptor sites will make some repairs on themselves over time, and the feel good brain chemicals will replenish themselves over time...diminishing the cravings you have to smoke.
By the way---what are your triggers (what makes you think about smoking)? What have you found to replace smoking (whether it is relaxing, stimulating or both). We want to know!
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Melissa,
That's wonderful that you have decided to quit smoking, and have done so successfully for 10 weeks...yeah!
It sounds like you (and the many others who can relate to your story) are still having some struggles, and I wanted to let you know that it does get easier to handle the "10,000 times a day thoughts" and other emotions.
When we smoke, our brains change. Specific receptor sites in our brains actually CHANGE to accommodate the nicotine with each and every puff. Our bodies slow or stop production of the original neurotransmitter that these receptor sites were originally attended to receive (acetylcholine, for those science geeks among us!). Acetylcholine's job is to trigger the release of happy, relaxed, feel good chemicals in our brains. When the original receptor sites receive the nicotine from our smoking, acetylcholine production is slowed or stopped...resulting in not as many happy, relaxed, feel good chemicals in our body. So, on we smoke to replace these feel good chemicals with nicotine.
When we STOP smoking, it takes our brains awhile to CHANGE BACK to its pre-smoking brain and receptor sites. It takes TIME for acetylcholine production to pick up speed and tell dopamine and serotonin (the feel good chemicals) to get back in gear! So, with your brain having a lack of nicotine and acetylcoholine...no wonder your thinking of smoking 10,000 times a day! Your brain is craving some good stuff...but prefers 100% the self-produced good stuff (not the cancer-causing stuff!).
Hang in there! Your brain receptor sites will make some repairs on themselves over time, and the feel good brain chemicals will replenish themselves over time...diminishing the cravings you have to smoke.
By the way---what are your triggers (what makes you think about smoking)? What have you found to replace smoking (whether it is relaxing, stimulating or both). We want to know!
April 8, 2008 - 1:25pmThis Comment
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