You've taken the biggest step already,  StormTaysha, admitting, like I have, that we're true drug addicts in every sense.  The primiary difference between the heroin addict and the nicotine addict is that they experience a numb dopamine high while our dopamine high is alert.  The brain's of both have grown millions of extra acetylcholine receptors (called upregulation or tolerance) and to both that next fix has now become the #1 priority in life, more important than life itself.   The next question is, what do we do about it?

 

Again, you're way ahead of the curve, StormTaysha, as you're doing exactly what you need to be doing: reading, learning in your understanding of your dependency, growing wiser.  I know you've heard this often but it's amazingly true, knowledge is power!   Education truly is a quitting method and If I were you I'd start by reading Joel's free quitting book, "Never Take Another Puff" one time from cover to cover.   It's loaded with insights that take the fear and mystery out of quitting.  You can download a copy at this link:  http://whyquit.com/joel/   While at the link take a look at the video quitting lessons Joel recorded. 

 

Right now your brain's pay attention pathways have been hijacked by nicotine and have you falsely convinced that life without smoking nicotine just won't be as good, that you'll be leaving a major part of you beind or that you won't be able to cope without it.   The wonderful part of this story is that it's all a lie, that coming home is vastly better than you ever imagined.   It's about letting your baby bond to the wonderful smells of its mother instead of the 4,000 chemicals that each cigarette would have deposited on her face, hands, hair and clothing.

 

But you cannot quit for the baby, StormTaysha.  This quit must be your loving gift to you, with the baby inheriting the fruits of that gift.  Otherwise you'll always feel deprived.  You've got to want to come home to that deep and rich sense of mental quit and calm that was you prior to nicotine taking control.

 

Forget about forver (the big bite) and instead take baby steps.  Within 72 hours your body and the baby inside can be 100% nicotine free.    Just one hour and challenge at a time and then celebrate!   Baby steps, you're coming home, StormTaysha, and nothing can stop you.  Yes you can!!!!  Just one rule ... no nicotine just one hour, challenge and day at a time!   We're with you in spirit.

 

Breathe deep, hug hard, live long!

 

John