Fretion wrote:
I tried to quit smoking dozens of times. However, never once was it because I wanted to, not really. There were lots of good reasons to. I mean, it's obviously bad for your health, not to mention, expensive. Nothing ever worked, and I'm talking years of trying, from the age of 16 or so to 27.
Then, in the fall of '91, my workplace went non-smoking. I had to go outside and stand in the cold if I wanted to puff. At this point a factor was added that made it so that I wanted to quit. Of course, living in the northern part of lower peninsula Michigan means that for 8 months of the year it's freaking COLD outside. Once there was something that made it so that I truly did not want to smoke anymore, I quit. No patch. No gum. No anything. The key for me was it was what I wanted.
Frankly, I think that's they key for anyone, but especially for an aspie. Has there ever been anything you really wanted that you didn't bend every skill you had at obtaining? There hasn't been for me. That ability to focus and obsess on something can be really handy for the task of giving up an addiction, but you've got to want it wholeheartedly.
Excellent post.
If the addiction is drugs or alcohol, I HIGHLY recommend Alcoholics Anonymous. Perhaps the social aspect won't sit well with some aspies, but I have tried to kick booze and pot for a year and AA has been the only thing that has (so far) worked.
11 Feb 2008, 9:43 pm
