Comments on: Re:

By: lindsay100

lindsay100 — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 17:29:29 +0000

I’m having trouble getting the sigmacht “initialized”. I will try it again.
Are you going to be around at all this am? sylviaed

By: lydia_10

lydia_10 — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 18:20:42 +0000

Cori wrote:
<< I need to remember that everything has a solution and that smoking ISN”T
the answer.
The above sentence is a keeper…
And thanks Cori — it is truly helpful to know that others
experience similar stuff. Steve’s suggestion about taking
care of the body, when the mind and emotions are a
wreck, is such simple, obvious and awesomely important
advice for me. Annie

By: lydia_10

lydia_10 — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 03:50:53 +0000

Greetings to Everybody,
I feel like I am coming out of a long dark tunnel,
the last two weeks or so have been so hard and
grueling. I quit on August 19th so it’s been 5
weeks for me. The first couple of weeks were
amazingly easy for me, at least much more so
than I expected, with using the timer, abc’s,
breathing, emailing, chatting with Steve, and
the initial high of actually quitting, how empowering
that has been for me.
Then BAM! CRASH! Intense rollercoaster emotions,
tons of grief, major panic and anxiety attacks
like I have never experienced in my life,
depression, despair, what’s the point of quitting,
grieving for my dear loving cigarettes who would

soothe and comfort me… if only I wanted to be
a smoker… but I DONT want to be a smoker for
crying out loud … so I kept hanging on for dear
life, on the hope that all of this had something
to do with quitting, and was normal and to be
expected… I went for acupuncture, therapy,
chiropractic, chinese herbs, massage, weeping
sessions with my friend, natural hormones, and …
I’m feeling better! knockonwood, breathe.
Didn’t smoke. Don’t want to be a smoker.
Thanks to all who’ve stayed in touch on this list,
it has been a lifeline, and thanks most of all
to Steve. Love, Annie

By: Neva Marjory

Neva Marjory — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 21:30:57 +0000

Hi Steve - You’re right about the logistics part of it. (very
right). To be honest, I haven’t done a lot of ABC’s in the last
little bit, but I recognized that the worry over having a houseful
(for 3 days, many of whom are smokers) and the actual wedding day was
something I needed to be prepared for. I’ve written out my ABC’s and
tucked them away. I’ll pull them out the day before, during, and
after for review as needed.
As for the reward ABC - I’ll mull that over tonight and see what I
can come up with. Your choice of words intrigues me. Perhaps I’m
coming at it from the wrong angle and that’s why Warren & I are at
odds.
Hopefully by tomorrow I’ll have something useful.
Marlene

By: Raleigh Missy

Raleigh Missy — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 14:23:28 +0000

Hi Marlene,
I was thinking about you post and your statement…
Here’s a thought…
you sail along pretty much on autopilot having partially retrained Warren
to deal appropriately most of the time. But once in a while, depending on
some very subtle level of sensation, he offers up old options. It’s at that
point that you, once again, get involved. But because Warren is already
into his ‘old ways’, it takes a bit of work on your part to turn him once
more to the newer choices. This ties into being a bit more proactive in
preparing either ABCs or doing some ‘what if’ thinking. My guess is that if
you make a point of ‘touching base’ with Warren more often to make sure
he’s on the same page, you’ll side step the smoking thoughts.
Steve

By: Neva Marjory

Neva Marjory — Tue, 29 Nov 2005 07:01:08 +0000

activity the good feelings are already present, maybe we need to let
go of the belief that a smoke = ‘ahh’ and just feel the ‘ahh’ that
already exists.
Hi Gang - I’m still here - lurking away. This discussion really
tweaked my interest for a couple of reasons:
The times that I thought would be the worst was after dinner and in
my car. When I quit, I can honestly say that both of these
situations were just like a pesky fly - you kinda swat it away and
its gone. They never bothered me - even in the heavy throws of days
1-3. I wonder if its because I “expected” them to be bad and
therefore dealt with them beforehand on a subconcious level? Oh -
and for the first few weeks I stayed away from alcohol entirely.
After tentatively having a couple of glasses of wine one night I
realized that it doesn’t trigger any desire to smoke.
Having said that - what I didn’t expect was the “reward cig” It

seems like I’ll go along for about a week or so doing very very well
and then I wake up one morning and I’m right back to square one. I
finish an activity and I want a smoke. I start an activity and I
want a smoke. I do something good and I want a smoke. I try the
HALT stuff. No dice. I’m not hungry, thirsty, etc. I try telling
Warren that after 4 months he’s gotta know that it ain’t on, but he
still offers up smoking regularly. Then, for no apparent reason, the
cravings stop again.
Ideas? Anyone?
Oh - I might add that in 5 days my daughter is getting married at my
house - which means 100 guests, catering, landscaping, etc, etc.
But, while this triggers anxiety cravings, Warren and I have managed
them quite nicely.
Long post, I know sorry - but when you lurk for a while, seems like
there’s an awful lot that needs to come out all at once Any help would be great.
Marlene

By: Raleigh Missy

Raleigh Missy — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 16:38:44 +0000

Nope, never. In fact, I never really had urges to smoke from day 1 of
my quit. That’s not to say I wasn’t intensely aware that something was
‘missing’ after a meal. But I was spending so much time asking myself what
did I really want that ‘urges for cigs’ never materialized. The only thing
I may want at teh end of a meal these days is…. more. But I’m working
on getting up from the table before I can only roll away.
As for the pleasure smokes….. the following are a couple of thoughts from
a chat earlier today with Di:
pleasurable ‘ahh’ feeling. If Warren knows that a smoke = ‘ahh’ and we’re
wanting to or expecting to feel the ‘ahh’, wouldn’t it be logical that he’d
tell us to light up?
smoke seems the desired action.

pleasurable thing should be enough in itself.
good feelings are already present, maybe we need to let go of the belief
that a smoke = ‘ahh’ and just feel the ‘ahh’ that already exists.
I’m still chewing this one over. Any other ideas out there?
Steve

By: Grant George

Grant George — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 08:19:37 +0000

funny Steve - you must be reading my mind!!! I’ve been thinking about an that
very thing. In fact I’ve been making notes on what is going on with me after a
meal when I want a cigarette the most. I haven’t yet come up with any good
replacements for an ABC - getting up and doing dishes after a meal just isn’t
the same. I’ve been working on this one. The only thing that comes close is
sugar which for my weight isn’t an option but all I’ve come up with so far. Yes
- why is it that the desire for a “pleasure” cigarette is the most difficult to
overcome. There is one ABC on the lists in the files but it’s the get up and do
something kind and doesnt’ address the pleasure sensation. That’s about the
only thing I miss about smoking is that cigarette after a meal. do you still
have an urge for a cigarette after a meal after being quit for so long?
On another note, I did have sort of another epiphany this past weekend. I had 3
house guests - all of whom smoked. They know I am quitting so they didn’t smoke
around me. I went outside though once while 2 of them were smoking and walked
by. I thought I would want a cigarette immediately when I smelled them for the

first time since quitting, but I didn’t. It turned me off completely. They
smelled foul and I didn’t want one for sure. It surprised me that I felt that
way. I even drank a little beer on the 4th and didnt’ even want one. Other
than the stress of having extra people around, the weekend went very well.
I’m interested in anyone else’s thoughts on the after meal/pleasure ciggy. We
will definitely have this whole quitting business licked if we can come up with
the answer to that one.

By: carmelita_1300

carmelita_1300 — Thu, 20 Oct 2005 04:57:41 +0000

In a message dated 5/5/2003 9:22:22 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
ddsteve@… writes:

By: Dominique Shellie

Dominique Shellie — Tue, 18 Oct 2005 15:51:01 +0000

hey, me too!
peg.