Question:

Kelly, I know one thing……. If you splurge on Victoria’s Secret "smelly" stuff. {the shower gel, lotion, body spray, powder, even candles and linen spray} You and your surroundings smell so damn good…you don’t wanna ruin it by smoking. Just a thought. Dianna – W

Response:

>Kelly, I know one thing……. If you splurge on Victoria’s Secret "smelly" >stuff. {the shower gel, lotion, body spray, powder, even candles and linen >spray} You and your surroundings smell so damn good…you don’t wanna ruin it >by smoking.

Thanks for reminding me, Dianna!  My boyfriend gave me a VS catalog and told me to circle whatever I want for Xmas…….hehe Sally (let the good times roll) Two days, 5 hours, 52 minutes and 50 seconds. 67 stinking cigs not smoked, saving a whopping $15.79 for chocolate. Life saved: 5 hours, 35 minutes. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->Just a thought. >Dianna – W

Response:

Kelly Asked and I quoted: >What I’m looking for is; >What is the Aroma Therapy Emotional Effect (or IS there one,) produced >on >my brain by the smell of the burning tobacco months after I’ve quit that >may induce me to want to smoke again? >Obviously it must be some sort of trigger, but I want more than just an >overall term. I want to know WHAT it touches to trigger my desire to >smoke. Any thoughts about it? >Kelly

Hi Kelly, I ponder the same question — I don’t have an answer for you, however this web site has an *interesting* list of chemical found in cigarettes.  How factual and actual is this list?  I do not know — Cleo http://www.drugs.indiana.edu/druginfo/additives.html

Response:

> Kelly maybe I can assist maybe not.

Thanks for trying. I agree that there is a Pavlovian response at work here. So many years of getting relief from nicotine cravings must create some sort of response in the pleasure centers. But… …there is something else at work here too. I never even heard of things such as ‘clary sage,’ ‘bergamot,’ or ‘ylang ylang before I was introduced to aroma therapy, (which I had never heard of either,) so there couldn’t be any of Pavlov’s responses when I burn them. But I DO get the expected emotional responses from them. I don’t know who the scientists are who research this sort of stuff, but I wish they would research the responses to tobacco. Native Americans used it in their religion without inhaling it. It must have been for the response that it caused in some other fashion…. Kelly Before you buy.

Response:

Kelly, This may or may not help, but I can tell you, 4 Sundays+ into my quit (28 days, technically <g>), that a lit cigarette *still* smells good to me, and that seeing someone else smoke is a trigger. I think, in only my own personal experience, smelling a lit cig means that I am, in effect, "second-hand" smoking, and reinforcing my own addiction….i.e. my brain’s pleasure center may be stimulated by breathing second-hand smoke. So I’ve taken as many steps as I can to remove myself from smoke-filled environments, which is helping, for now. Went to an art festival this weekend (outdoors) and followed smokers, nearly salivating in their wake. Clearly, there’s some emotional or physical response (or possibly both) at work here <vbg>. I remember reading (quite awhile back, at least my long-term memory is still somewhat intact, but don’t ask me about 5 minutes ago!)  that heroin users in recovery were monitored while watching films of other users shooting up, and the brain’s pleasure centers of the recovering users were actually stimuated, so it doesn’t surprise me that watching others smoke is a trigger for me now. That’s when I try and think again of all the quite compelling reasons I’ve quit. But hey, this is just me, ya know? I do know that walking into my own smoke-free apartment, not smelling a stale smoke haze, is a wicked pleasure, as is burning candles of various scents. Just spent a fortune at Pier 1 in candles…such joy. Continued good luck with your quit, Carol

Response:

It would be a gift for both!  :)  That stuff is so yummy!! Dianna 1W

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> Kelly, > Only God and the tabacco companies themselves know what fucking chemicals > they have found to put into tabacco to make us do this to ourselves!

That’s right, Michael. But soon, perhaps we ALL can know. And ‘knowing’ is the first step in doing something positive about it to help up in our quits. So, what are YOUR ideas about it? What are the emotional motivators that are stimulated when we smell burning tobacco? What ‘emotions’ are triggered? In the past, I’ve been using the word ‘trigger’ as if it’s an independent thing. It’s not. It’s linked to some kind of ‘bullet.’ THAT’S what I want to uncover; the bullet! That same bullet that has struck me down so damn many times before! Can we name that bullet, or does it have a different one for each of us? Kelly — Before you buy.

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Hope things get better for you Michael (I noticed you are a little testy today  :)  Please hang tight and post/rant all you need to! I can assure you from personal experience that all the misery you feel now is worth it a hundred times over. Sara OF

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I’ve been giving some thought to what keeps me smoking so long. What is > there about smoking that keeps bringing me back? It’s certainly not the > nicotine. That’s only a real problem during the first few weeks. There > seems to be some ‘emotional’ stuff tied to smoking that I don’t know > anything about. > Kelly, > Only God and the tabacco companies themselves know what fucking chemicals > they have found to put into tabacco to make us do this to ourselves! > Michael > 10/10/00

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Is this supposed to be a Christmas present for him or for you? <eg> Diane M.   – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Thanks for reminding me, Dianna!  My boyfriend gave me a VS catalog > and told me to circle whatever I want for Xmas…….hehe > Sally (let the good times roll) > Two days, 5 hours, 52 minutes and 50 seconds. 67 stinking cigs not > smoked, saving a whopping $15.79 for chocolate. Life saved: 5 hours, > 35 minutes. >Just a thought. >Dianna – W

Response:

=snip= > We are so used to dealing with things by smoking that we don’t even think > about it.  Give it time, and you WILL get past the "emotional" cravings. > Finding a replacement is a wonderful idea, and aromatherapy sounds perfect. > Congratulations on finding a solution. It gets better. :-)

Thanks for your answer, Diane, and your supportive stance. But I think you may have missed my ‘real’ question. What I’m looking for is; What is the Aroma Therapy Emotional Effect (or IS there one,) produced on my brain by the smell of the burning tobacco months after I’ve quit that may induce me to want to smoke again? Obviously it must be some sort of trigger, but I want more than just an overall term. I want to know WHAT it touches to trigger my desire to smoke. Any thoughts about it? Kelly Before you buy.

Response:

There are several addictions related to smoking.  Physical, psychological, and social.  All combine to make a powerful addiction.  Yes, the physical addiction is conquered in less than 2 months (assuming no NRT is used – a little longer if it is).  But the social and psychological addictions take a lot longer.  "Triggers" pop up constantly.  Initially, the cravings induced by triggers can easily be confused with the cravings from withdrawal, but after a few months, most of the common triggers have been faced down and are no longer potent.  But every so often, with decreasing frequency, another trigger will pop up.  These little (or sometimes not so little) triggers can be dangerous.   We are so used to dealing with things by smoking that we don’t even think about it.  Give it time, and you WILL get past the "emotional" cravings. Finding a replacement is a wonderful idea, and aromatherapy sounds perfect. Congratulations on finding a solution. It gets better. :-) Diane M.  8M+/1Y+ (and btw, there is usually a vanill candle burning in my house – very soothing) – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > I’ve been giving some thought to what keeps me smoking so long. What is > there about smoking that keeps bringing me back? It’s certainly not the > nicotine. That’s only a real problem during the first few weeks. There > seems to be some ‘emotional’ stuff tied to smoking that I don’t know > anything about. > I’ve been experimenting with ‘Aroma Therapy’ lately, and can actually > see and feel differences in my emotional makeup when  burning different > essential oils. Peppermint  or pine DOES make me feel energized. > Sandalwood IS relaxing, and so is lavender. Ylang ylang seems to soothe > me. So WHAT does the smell of tobacco do? Emotionally, that is. Right > now, trying to quit, it bothers me, but I think that is something else > again.  I know (from other quits) that in a couple of months I really > begin to miss smoking. So I wonder if there is some sort of emotional > response that is triggered by the essential oils in tobacco working > subconsciously on me? > — > There are plenty of businesses like show business. > Before you buy.

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I wish I could help with that, but I’m not a specialist in neurobiology.  I do know that smells have always triggered memories in me.  To this day, if I pass a man smoking the pipe tobacco my grandfather smoked I am instantly back in my grandfathers presence, even though he’s been dead 20 years.  Cinnamon and apple make me think of christmas and my mother’s apple streudel (to die for – paper thin crust).  The smell of ozone makes me think of warm summer rains.   I spoke in an earlier post about sometimes feeling nostalgic when I passed a smokler.  I suspect that the smell of cigarette smoke triggers memories based on how I’m feeling.  If I’m relaxed, then it’s a fond rememberance, of chats on porches and sitting and smoking while watching a sunset.  If I’m in a bad or weak mood, I remember the cravings and how easy it would be to slip. I don’t know where any of the triggers actually happen, any more than I know how my computer works.  In other words, I have a general idea, but no real details.  <g>  But it doens’t matter if I can just control them.   I admire your curiosity, though, and if you find an answer, please let me know.  :-) Diane M.     – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > =snip= > We are so used to dealing with things by smoking that we don’t even > think > about it.  Give it time, and you WILL get past the "emotional" > cravings. > Finding a replacement is a wonderful idea, and aromatherapy sounds > perfect. > Congratulations on finding a solution. It gets better. :-) > Thanks for your answer, Diane, and your supportive stance. But I think > you may have missed my ‘real’ question. > What I’m looking for is; > What is the Aroma Therapy Emotional Effect (or IS there one,) produced > on > my brain by the smell of the burning tobacco months after I’ve quit that > may induce me to want to smoke again? > Obviously it must be some sort of trigger, but I want more than just an > overall term. I want to know WHAT it touches to trigger my desire to > smoke. Any thoughts about it? > Kelly > Before you buy.

Response:

Kelly maybe I can assist maybe not.  I don’t think anyone will be able to tell you which center in the brain is affected by the memory of burning tobacco.  You like many of you had smoked for an extended period of time, the pleasure center was affected by the reinforcement of the nicotine.  The memory of the relief from withdrawal is a positive reinforcement all alone.  That’s maybe one way of looking at it, or it could be pure Pavlov, example:  I have not smoked cannabis in over 17 years but, if I smell cannabis burning I start to salivate, which center in the brain is effected??? I don’t know I simply run like hell to get away from the smell. Bob W-Smober and Sober and Cannabis free – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > =snip= > We are so used to dealing with things by smoking that we don’t even > think > about it.  Give it time, and you WILL get past the "emotional" > cravings. > Finding a replacement is a wonderful idea, and aromatherapy sounds > perfect. > Congratulations on finding a solution. It gets better. :-) > Thanks for your answer, Diane, and your supportive stance. But I think > you may have missed my ‘real’ question. > What I’m looking for is; > What is the Aroma Therapy Emotional Effect (or IS there one,) produced > on > my brain by the smell of the burning tobacco months after I’ve quit that > may induce me to want to smoke again? > Obviously it must be some sort of trigger, but I want more than just an > overall term. I want to know WHAT it touches to trigger my desire to > smoke. Any thoughts about it? > Kelly > Before you buy.

Response:

I’ve been giving some thought to what keeps me smoking so long. What is there about smoking that keeps bringing me back? It’s certainly not the nicotine. That’s only a real problem during the first few weeks. There seems to be some ‘emotional’ stuff tied to smoking that I don’t know anything about. I’ve been experimenting with ‘Aroma Therapy’ lately, and can actually see and feel differences in my emotional makeup when  burning different essential oils. Peppermint  or pine DOES make me feel energized. Sandalwood IS relaxing, and so is lavender. Ylang ylang seems to soothe me. So WHAT does the smell of tobacco do? Emotionally, that is. Right now, trying to quit, it bothers me, but I think that is something else again.  I know (from other quits) that in a couple of months I really begin to miss smoking. So I wonder if there is some sort of emotional response that is triggered by the essential oils in tobacco working subconsciously on me? — There are plenty of businesses like show business. Before you buy.

Response:

Kelly, It actually takes longer than a few weeks for the nicotine to clear out of your body. It takes at least 6 weeks for the nicotine to clear off of your neuro receptors…..which explains all the emotional crap we go through during a quit. Bren 2 1/2 M – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> I’ve been giving some thought to what keeps me smoking so long. What is > there about smoking that keeps bringing me back? It’s certainly not the > nicotine. That’s only a real problem during the first few weeks. There > seems to be some ‘emotional’ stuff tied to smoking that I don’t know > anything about. > I’ve been experimenting with ‘Aroma Therapy’ lately, and can actually > see and feel differences in my emotional makeup when  burning different > essential oils. Peppermint  or pine DOES make me feel energized. > Sandalwood IS relaxing, and so is lavender. Ylang ylang seems to soothe > me. So WHAT does the smell of tobacco do? Emotionally, that is. Right > now, trying to quit, it bothers me, but I think that is something else > again.  I know (from other quits) that in a couple of months I really > begin to miss smoking. So I wonder if there is some sort of emotional > response that is triggered by the essential oils in tobacco working > subconsciously on me? > — > There are plenty of businesses like show business. > Before you buy.

Before you buy.

Response:

> I’ve been giving some thought to what keeps me smoking so long. What is > there about smoking that keeps bringing me back? It’s certainly not the > nicotine. That’s only a real problem during the first few weeks. There > seems to be some ‘emotional’ stuff tied to smoking that I don’t know > anything about.

Kelly, Only God and the tabacco companies themselves know what fucking chemicals they have found to put into tabacco to make us do this to ourselves! Michael 10/10/00

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