I think you’re dead on the mark, smoking was a far more involved process
of mental/behavioral habits (the association of lighting up as the ‘answer’
for almost all of our expeliences) than the relatively simple
habit/patterns of feeding a chemical addiction.
I find it takes 3 foundation statements to ‘outline’ my foundation. But
if you can do it in one or two or five, whatever it takes it what’s
needed.
Steve

These sound like
James Larson’s ‘card therapy’. They’re a great method to focus our
attention away from irrational and flawed beliefs to more realistic
observations. Usually, just observing a situation with a rational and
objective perspective suggests alternate ways to respond. At that point,
it’s up to us to choose.
And these sound like our ‘cognitive quitting’ ABCs also a great way
to focus attention on the steps that make up a particular pattern of
behavior and by examining it, choose more appropriate options. The
difference tween the two is that one makes a number of statements in
observation of a situation while the other examines the actual mechanism by
which we encounter the situation, make some inner judgements/beliefs, and
then associate a response. I think the latter goes closer to actively and

pointedly changing the patterns.
Foundation Statements are……. : (here’s the article)
Regardless of how a person is going at their quit, whether it’s CT or
with NRT or any other quit aids, I think it helps to establish some
‘foundation statements’.
Foundation statements are a set of statements that are ALWAYS true
regardless of
what emotions we may be feeling at the moment.
The following questions will help define those statements:
1- Is this a calm, rational moment where I can ask myself some questions
and answer those questions honestly without the answers being influenced by
any emotion or physical sensation? If the answer to this one is ‘yes’
continue, otherwise wait until a more appropriate time.
2- Do I want to be a smoker? meaning do I want to respond by lighting up
to all the stresses that are life? If the answer is ‘no’ continue,
otherwise, spend some time thinking about why you’re attempting to do
something that requires ‘total’ commitment at the same time that I don’t
have that commitment.
3- Having stated that “I don’t want to be a smoker.”, can I think of any
exceptions? (Don’t confuse the desire to relieve discomfort, a perfectly
normal and natural desire, with the thought(s) that a cigarette is the
appropriate tool for relief. The question here is simply, “Is a cigarette
ever an appropriate response?” If I can think of situations where it would
be valid, then we need to examine those in detail and refute them.)
4- Am I prepared to stay aware of these personal truths and stand by
them regardless of how rough I may feel at any point in the future? That
there will be many points in the future where I will be uncomfortable is a
given. To not accept that as a fact of reality is to be intentionally blind
and will cost me in terms of effort required to deal with that discomfort
when it happens.
Based on answers to the above questions, I might write out my foundation
statements as follows:
“During a moment of personal calm, I rationally determined that…
1- I do not want to be a smoker.
2- There is NO situation where behaving as a smoker would be appropriate.
3- That I’m prepared to re-affirm this to myself each morning; to write
it out and carry it with me if necessary; to trust completely that no
matter how uncomfortable or cranky I may be, these foundation statements
will ALWAYS be my personal truth and that I will respond accordingly.
The reason I believe ‘foundation statements’ are important is because
most of us respond to life based on our emotional state at the moment. Our
initial ‘choice of response’ is based on what we’re feeling rather than
what we know to be rock bottom, dispassionate truth. Once that choice based
on ‘feeling’ is ‘on the table’, our brain must work extra hard to try to
refute that first choice. This is exactly where all the internal arguing
takes place.
Using our foundation statements, we have a tool that focuses our
thinking on what we know with certainty is true, honest, accurate, and is
actually, when all is said and done, really what we want.
Work out your own statements or use these if they fit.
If foundation statements are still unclear, tell me and we’ll come at it
from another angle.
Steve