Thanks, Doc.
Some things aren’t as simple as some people think they are. I have to say that it’s terribly refreshing to hear an actual medical professional say as much. Mostly I’ve had the brand of doctor who seems to think that I’m fat (and, in the past, a smoker!) just to spite them or something. Just quit. Just watch what you eat. Just walk an hour a day. There are real reasons why it may be difficult or impossible for an individual to take that advice and make it a reality.
You all know how terribly uncomfortable I am being a smoker who isn’t smoking. I haven’t talked about how that has played into a bigger struggle with my weight than I’d expected in quitting’s wake...it’s very difficult not to substitute food for cigarettes. It’s also damned tough to deny yourself another pleasure when it’s everything you can do not to pick up the one you like best. Like Michele, I take total responsibility for my own bad habits. It is terribly, terribly refreshing, though, to hear someone say that there’s some complexity there, to have a little validation for my experience that quitting isn’t as simple as it looks. All you have to do is not light the next cigarette--but there’s a hell of a lot that goes into that seemingly simple act.
So thanks, Doc. I appreciate it.
A lot of people have no interest in finding medical treatments for addiction. They see smoking (or drinking, or heroin use) as a moral failing rather than as a medical problem. They have even more scorn for those who struggle with their weight. I think that’s crap. Behavior is complex. If it were as simple as mind over matter, I have no doubt that this would be a nation populated strictly by skinny non-smokers.
It is not a wrong to seek to make it easier for people to achieve that.
I probably have more to say about this, but I think I’m going to leave it there for now. Don’t be surprised if you see the topic crop up again, though--I’m still working through the having quit smoking thing and there’s more than the moralists I’m irritated about.
Just letting you know I’m thinking about you [HUGS]
Posted by Ith on 01/18 at 09:41 PMWell, bless your heart! That’s exactly the problem. Most people, physicians included, DO view smoking and/or obesity as more of a moral failing than a medical problem. And in doing so, they validate our own bad feelings about ourselves for not having the backbone to beat the problem. It’s a viscious circle.
Posted by Pammy on 01/19 at 12:38 AMYES!!!!! Addictions come in many forms and it is not just a matter of “will power”.I have struggled with a weigh problem all my life.I also believe that eating too much is not just eating too much. Its also an emotional part of me.Angry, hurt,happy etc. anything can start it.Shopping is another one.I thank God I’m not into drugs or alcohol. I was blessed as far as drinking was concerned because I pass out (just find a place to sleep) after two drinks!
Just my thoughts.Posted by on 01/19 at 08:21 AM
Next entry: Nested templates
Previous entry: Chocolate *is* better in color.