Cognitive Quit Smoking

This is my first post. I have been lurking and reading for a few weeks.
I’ve been quit for a little over 7 weeks now. I have come to realize through
the postings that cigarettes are my worst enemy, not my best friend. I smoked
for the worst part of 37 years, not the best part of 37 years.
Was hospitalized in Jan. this year with heart problems. My attending gave me
two ways to look at life. With the years left I could look at it as oh well,
why make changes, or make changes and enjoy the rest of my life. And I quit for
a while, but the habit took over although not as much.
Then I had a heart attack in June. And I’m only 54 years old. So I quit again
and then the habit came back but not as much. I had to quit on my terms. No
matter what the doc said, I still had to do it my way.
Cigarettes are not my best friend, they are my worst enemy. And since I plan on
living to be 100, I quit. Fortunately I do a lot of quilting and hand sewing
stuff. So I can keep my hands busy. The urge is less and less now. And my dear
hubby quit over 20 years ago.
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Hi
Thanks for all the great advice I am getting - I am going to make one
of those lists, although I know there will be hardly any plus points.
Lynne

Hi
I am so so so mad at myself. I am still smoking!!!! I am going to
try again tomorrow to quit - where is the strength I had last time
gone to??
Lynne

Hey Pam - thanks. You know what automatic thinking I would like to have?
Actually, it’s automatic non-thinking (ok, no smart remarks from the peanut
gallery). I would like to walk into the grocery store and walk right past
those stinkin’ cigs without even recognizing that they are there. I still
hesitate whenever I walk in, then find myself staring at them, thinking
‘well, this is stupid, you aren’t going to buy any, so why are you even
looking at them?’
One day I’m going to walk in there (and the convenience store too) and after
conducting my business, I’m going to get outside and realize that my
subconscious doesn’t need me or want me to hesitate by those smokes anymore,
that I walked right by without thinking of stopping. That’s going to be a
good feeling. Such a small thing yet so important to me, another sign of
freedom.
Cat

Hi All
Just wondered where on earth Cat has gone - things sure have been quiet
around here for past few days. I know she was going away for weekend but
thought she would be back online now.
Cat - where are you????????
Lynne - hope your first day went well and that now you have joined the ranks
of the non-smokers.
Pam - thanks for sending the post to Lynne - bonfire and fireworks were great.
Steve - hope all is well - had a few cravings/ well not really cravings just
urges at the bonfire tonight. Put it down to association as well as being a
bit hungry.
Had a good learning experience at work today - got a lot of ‘discomfort’
around 1 p.m. and actually tried to figure out what it was before I even
thought that it was an urge to smoke. Realised it was hunger. Now I work
from 10 - 2 and never normally eat anything during that time - guess I have
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Hello Marde
thank you for taking time and welcoming me to the site [and that goes
for everyone else too.
Yes my husband is a good one in many ways and the smoking issues I
have are not really his fault. I have had a little chat to him this
morning and told him that if he wants to talk to me then it is better
for me if he comes into the living room [where there is no smoking
going on] He was a little suprised to hear me say that I associate
the table in the dining room [where we eat, and he sits there to
watch tv] to times when I used to sit and smoke with him there after
a meal. He did say he was suprised I thought that way as he assumed I
was coping so well.
Any way he did actually praise me and told me how well I was doing so
that is a start.
Haven’t spoken to him today though only in passing as we were doing
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Hi Steve and all
Well today has been a good day in respect of my learning curve and me finding
healthier ways to fill my time than smoke.
I’ve had a busy day, decorating, visiting friends, cooking etc. and have used
various ways of dealing with my urges (not that I’ve had a lot really).
Although I had a bad day yesterday with all this physical stuff going on that
I couldn’t understand I put it down to (thanks Steve) all the stuff going on
in my body with it trying to recover from my 40+ years of smoking.
I’ve had smoking and quitting smoking in my head constantly for the past 3 +
weeks and it has been driving me nuts.
But - today I decided that one of the things I could do - in between jobs
(when it was usually my time for a smoke) - was that I would go on the
computer and either go online or read some of the stuff that I have
downloaded but never got around to reading.
Very good with the intentions but also very good at procrastinating:)) Thats
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Hi everyone
I am new here - Indi told me about this group. My name is Lynne, I
am 32 and really have got to the point where half the time I don’t
even enjoy smoking - it is just something that I have done for so
long that it just seems part of my life now.
But I have decided it is a part I don’t want anymore. So from
tomorrow I am hoping to be smoke free.
Lynne