new to the group
Dear Friends,
I am new to the group and new to the non-smoking world. I have one
day under my belt and look forward to the rest of my life. However,
I’ve been down this road before with little success but am determined
to make it. This is why I joined your group. I need help, advice,
support and humor! We all need alittle laughter during the hard
times. I was wondering if “cognitive” quit smoking is a method? Does
it involve writing things down? I was attracted to it because I was
hoping it involved a mental inventory of some sort or mental exercise.
Maybe I’m way of course but I thought I should find out. As you can
imagine, I’ve tried different methods but believe good old fashioned
communication and support will prevail. Even if “cognitive” simply
means making a firm decision with no “homework”, I’m glad I joined a
group where I can meet others who are in my shoes and those who have
quit for good. I look forward to your reply. Sincerely, Melissa
March 3rd, 2004 at 11:11 pm
OMG, someone who wants homework!! Steve is gonna love you, he likes to motivate
people to use their brain. My head hurt from it
the first month or two but somehow I survived. Since I’m kind of running
behind in posts, I’m not going to go on about quit lists
and such. I’ll see if you’ve had any responses yet, then take it from there. I
just wanted to welcome you to the group, Melissa.
Good luck, although you won’t need luck, it takes effort.
- Cat
October 5th, 2004 at 7:21 am
Hello…my name is Vicki and I am new to this group. I have
been ‘lurking’ and reading the posts. I’ve been smoking for 24 years
and have tried just about every method under the sun for quitting. I
stopped smoking 4 days ago but am struggling with cravings. A friend
suggested I stop lurking and participate, so here I am. I am very
interested in this method of quitting and I hope to achieve a
permanent quit by practicing what Steve shared in a previous post
(see below):
1- be aware of my thinking around specific
situations, 2- to evaluate that thinking in terms of my current
understandings and desires, and 3- to develop different thinking
which, in
turn, results in different responses.
Thanks for the inspiration…
Vicki
October 6th, 2004 at 7:36 pm
— In CognitiveQuitSmoking@y…, ddsteve <ddsteve@c…
Hey, Vickie… I was just thinking that this is actually quite an
opportunity for you to work through how you are feeling physically
when you are sitting there in the hospital and those urges come up on
you. Maybe you can carry a little notepad and write down how your
body is reacting to the stress of wanting that smoke. Knowing
those ’signs’ will help you later.
It took me quite a while to figure out that the feeling I experience
starting in the pit of my stomach and spreading up into my lungs was
the beginning of an urge creeping up on me. I have used this
knowledge to my advantage by recognizing it and dealing with it by
practicing proper responses.
For the first time in months, I was aware of this feeling this past
weekend when we had a family upset (my daughter is putting the
finishing touches on the gray in my hair) and I was aware of that
feeling in my stomach even before I started to think about how a
smoke might make things better. I cut those thoughts off quickly.
It was a little bit of a struggle but lasted all of about a minute,
if that long. Like I said, I haven’t had this feeling in months but
it was good to be able to recognize it so I could deal with it
quickly and move on to the issue at hand.
- Cat
Raising teenagers is like nailing JELLO to a tree.
The best way to keep kids at home is to make the home a pleasant
atmosphere and let the air out of their tires.
Families are like fudge .. mostly sweet with a few nuts.
Laughing helps. It’s like jogging on the inside.
- by Dave Barry
October 7th, 2004 at 2:54 pm
Steve & Cat,
Thanks for the ABC suggestions. I did read the info on stress and was
surprised that I had not recognized or realized that the symptoms of stress
very closely resemble nicotine withdrawal. In the past, I just
automatically responded to those feelings by lighting up.
Cat, I really liked your idea of carrying a little note pad and writing down
how my body is reacting to the stress of wanting to smoke. I’ll probably
have a 3 ring binder full by noon! Seriously, I have made several attempts
to quit and have researched and studied smoking cessation, but still failed
to quit for any longer than 3 weeks. It was so frustrating knowing that I
had the knowledge/information and yet I still didn’t ‘get it’. Then I found
this site. And things seem like they are starting to make sense.
I will use your ABC suggestions and continue reviewing the cognitivequit.com
site. Thanks again!
Vicki
June 12th, 2006 at 11:45 pm
Hi, can anyone give me more information in regards to the ABC’s?
Gearing up for still another quit and am trying to pick up as many
tools as possible prior to my quit. Quit date: Sept. 1st 2004. Look
forward to talking with ya all. Till later………..
Balinda aka Bandit
October 5th, 2006 at 12:20 am
Hello: I’ve just chosen this group (among the many out there) as the
one I will join to achieve my goal of stopping and staying stopped
smoking. I have a lot to learn and will read with much interest your
emails.
I am finishing this last pack of cigarettes. I have been aiming to
stop on Saturday, the 22nd. I have quit before, but I picked up a
cigarette when I was a year minus a day, thinking I had control over
it and would smoke once in a while only. I’m not good at depriving
myself of things, even if they are unhealthy for me. What is it
about this thing that is so powerful and mind boggling. I have all
the logical reasons to stop, yet, there is something in me now that
talks to me and keeps me from giving it up once and for all.
I know this will sound silly, but to me it’s like letting go of a
good friend, an unhealthy good friend, but nevertheless a friend.
Ridiculous isn’t it? There comes a time in life when you have given
up so much that you just don’t want to anymore. But there I go
again, that is not the positive decisive attitude I should have now
is it?
Hopefully your words will inspire and help me to stop and stay
stopped.
Thank you.
Paulette
October 27th, 2006 at 7:54 am
Good morning
I need to quit smoking. I smoked and quit many many years ago and started again
in 1999. I have quit time and time again since then - most success was last
year when my asthma kicked in and I went for 60 odd days not smoking but gained
weight and with stress - well I started again. I have tried to quit yet again
but not managed it.
I realize the nic addiction has a role, but for sure understand the bigger issue
is the mental triggers that cause me to smoke. I live in the north of Canada in
the middle of no where and often smoke due to boredom. I don’t have a quit
date yet, but hope to set one soon and make this one stick. I know I can never
smoke again.
Thanks for reading.
take care
Carolyn
“He who dares to teach must never cease to learn” (Anonymous)
August 25th, 2007 at 3:51 pm
I’m new and still smoking needing to set a quit date. Seems like I’ve
done this a million times.
I have already had lung cancer about 6 or 7 years ago and still am
having tremendous difficulty quitting this addiction/habit. Any help
would be most welcome.
August 25th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
Leslie,
The chat room is generally empty. I’m usually around in the evenings
and can meet you there if you let me know when (time and your time zone).
Steve
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