I went to one of the Allen Carr clinics and one thing that stuck in my mind was:
I am not giving up smoking.
I am stopping smoking.
There is a difference. How can I give up something that gives me no benefit?
Would I eat tar? No. Yuck.
Would I be [i]giving up[/i] eating tar? No. I never liked it anyway.
Would I [i]stop[/i] eating tar. Hell yes!
Phrase it like that to yourself. Don't say you're giving up smoking. Instead say that you are [i]stopping[/i] smoking. If you've told family and friends, remind them to never ask you "how's giving up going" but to either:
- not ask (makes it easier due to no pressure)
- say "Are you still not smoking" or "How is the stopping going" instead (if they MUST ask)
The reason why you want to go back is the nicotine addiction first, and your head second.
Actually you ask the right question and I'd recommend the Allen Carr book. Check it out of the library if you need to, I'm sure they have it. :)
You don't need luck, or willpower or even nicotine patches.
You need to brainwash yourself out of the "I'm a smoker" frame of mind into the "I don't smoke" frame of mind.
I can not follow what is being said to me, thank you just the same. I do know that the time for me is now. Thank you for what you have shown me.
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/11/2006
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 1
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 78
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $7
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 7 [B]Mins:[/B] 26 [B]Seconds:[/B] 59
Thank you all for your well wishes. Working on day two now, patch on. I'm new and wanted to find out more why I keep going back to smoking. I have quit several times, but keep finding my way back to them. I want this to be my last quit. Is it perhaps that I loved smoking, which I did and still so desire it? Why then do I continue to pick up that smoke. When I quite before and then lit up, I did not like the smoke, it physically hurt my lungs. Why then must I do it?
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 12/11/2006
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 1
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 72
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $7
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 0 [B]Hrs:[/B] 6 [B]Mins:[/B] 44 [B]Seconds:[/B] 57
Wishing,
I can only speak for myself. (Katy's post is perfect though) This is my 5th attempt to quit and my second longest quit. I now know my failures were due to me not understanding nicoteen and it's addictive powers. I would get so discouraged in previous quits..because 10-14 days into my quits...I would still "want" a cig...I didn't understand "WHY" I wanted it. I just thought I was hopeless...that I would NEVER be able to quit...then I found the SSC. So much information and support about nicoteen addiction and the journey we start when we quit smoking.
Wishing, you are on a journey...it's a long road with bumps and curves. Just tighten your seatbelt and hold on tight. Many have come before you and paved a way, lean on them and gain as much knowledge over this addiction as you can. Knowledge is power. You need the power to beat this addiction. I did it...you can do it too...trust me...I LOVED my cigs!!!!!
[IMG]http://i136.photobucket.com/albums/q185/kaitilina/angelboop.gif[/IMG]
One hour, one day at at time...keep reading and keep posting. SSC members are always here for you.
Kaiti
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/7/2006
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 36
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 801
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $198
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 3 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 1 [B]Seconds:[/B] 29
A journal is a good idea. We can be here for you as you think out loud, but we can't give you answers, really. Everybody else is tired of hearing me quote Wizard of Oz, so I'm glad for the fresh blood. The good witch of the east tells Dorothy in the end that she had the power to return to Kansas all along. Dorothy says, "Why didn't you just say so". The good witch giggles, and says "Because you wouldn't of believed me. You had to discover it for yourself".
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 11/19/2006
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 23
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 239
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $115
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 2 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 12 [B]Seconds:[/B] 8
Hi Wishing - I think that I rambled enough on your other post so I won't bore you on this one. It sucks to make it through hell week and heck week and then to have to do it all over again.
Actually, I wish that I kept a journal because sometimes I do forget how much I hated smoking. If we forget, it could be very easy to give up our quit.
Stay close - we won't letcha do that! You have made it through Day 2......Keep on going.....one day at a time.
Windy
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 9/11/2006
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 92
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,858
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $460
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 8 [B]Hrs:[/B] 19 [B]Mins:[/B] 38 [B]Seconds:[/B] 55