Cognitive Quit Smoking

Thank you Pam for reposting that article.

Hi, my name is Steve and I am not a nicotine addict. And once
you’ve gone 3+ days without any nicotine, neither are you unless you
choose to smoke and become a nicotine addict once more. That 3 days is
not the end of anything except the need/feed cycle of an active
chemical nicotine addiction. Starting with the first day of your quit
and continuing on for several months, at least, is a phyiological
recovery that, from time to time, will feel horrid. Both entering into
recovery from nicotine use and, to a large extent, how you will
experience it, is your choice. When the going is rough, when you’ve
fought with the spouse and the kids, when the boss is on your case and
the clients are acting like morons, when you’re crying and don’t know
why, when you can’t string two intelligible sentences together …
whether or not you light up is entirely your choice. This has nothing
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Hi all,
today was one of those lauzy days where you just wont to stop thinking and run
out for a smoke.
I used all my ABC and did everything else but smoke. Ended up in a figth with my
boss, had to cover an open shift, have to work many 12hour shift next week so I
am realy tiered and very frustrated and something in me tells me to smoke. Then
I pull out my statement and find ABC or just write some down and over come the
cravings. Ended eating a whole chocolate and lots of chew gums and the list
could be longer about that day…..
So after all it was a very stressfull day for me and a long one too but most
importantly I didn’t smoke and didn’t have to much of a hang in there time
either.
Thanks to cog quit a tool I slowly learn to use and to appreciate. Thanks to the
couches and friends who provide me with the tools and teach me how to use them.
many greetings
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Hi Steve and all,
I smoked last night and today. I justified my smoking by giving myself all
kinds of reasons why just one wouldn’t hurt. I failed to give myself reasons
not to smoke. I failed to monitor how I was feeling or stand by my foundation
statement.
And even though I know the answer, I want to ask you …..what do I do now? I
have all the tools. I did not use them. I thought I would use them and didn’t.
Why is that? Lack of motivation? The addiction/cravings? I’m weak willed? I
am really baffled each and every time this happens. I know I shouldn’t be, but
I am. I am trying to be honest with myself. The other program (12 step) states
we (smokers) who fail to quit are incapable of being totally honest with
ourselves. I am being honest when I say or think these things:
I wanted to smoke/I didn’t want to smoke.
I can live without smoking/I can’t live without smoking.
I hate what this addiction does to me/I enjoy the relief I feel when I smoke.
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hi pam, and thanks for your support. i had been doing my abc’s, but i was
doing them for more general situations, nothing really specific. of
course, the ones that came up were unexpected.
yes, when those crises came up, i did actually step back to narrow down
exactly what the physical symptoms were, and most of them i could take
care of, one way or another (according to abc’s i already had written
down), but the overwhelming one, which i was totally unprepared for, was
this incredible pressure in my head that wouldn’t go away. so now i know
i can feel this, any suggestions on how to deal with it? i’m sure it’s
anxiety-related (one crisis was my mil having to go by ambulance to the
hospital with heart problems, and she’s on the other side of the country;
another was my son having major life problems, and he’s also on the other
side of the country) and i’d like to nail this down a bit more, knowing
it could possibly come again.
another downfall of mine, maybe, was feeling a tad smug for going 9 days
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Hey guys this is Kim , I’m under new e-mail it use to be waki7. For those who
know me I have 5 mths clean from nicotine. My boyfriend has 7 days. He is using
the patch. I am so proud of him. But like many of us he is on his own path. I
tried to seriously quit for 2 years before I’ve come this far. I’ve gained some
weight but now its tapering off. I smoked for 27 years A pack a day. I feel so
much better know. My complexion looks great. I have more energy. My house smells
good. My kids are so happy. Come to think of it I’m pretty dam proud of myself
too. To all the newbies keep on keeping on!!!! Stay with this group it got me to
5 mths… Kim

When I quit smoking, I became part of a newsgroup called AS3. It is where I met
Steve. Nowadays, I occasionally go back and visit. Below is the post that was
just written. I wanted to share it with all of you as well. I have written
much about Cog Quit in my posts to AS3 over the years and how fortunate I am to
achieve quit comfort because of it. Although grateful for AS3, I am most
grateful for Cog Quit. For sure.
Pat
Hello again. I had some thoughts today that I’d like to share. First though,
I’d like to thank each of you who responded to my “Bifts” (I’m still embarrassed
by this gaff… sigh) post. This group is truly warm and accepting. Thank you
for that.
5 years ago, I wrote about a brand new experience in my life… that of kite
making. It was amazing to me to realize one of the gifts of my quit was a
feeling that since I quit, I could do anything. With my new found courage, I
found myself willing to try new things. And one of those things was building
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Where do I learn about this form of quitting?
Tony

Hi Judy,
An awareness of both Warren and his role in our automatic behaviors
and of the 3 lists are only the first 2 steps toward retraining Warren.
Judy, are you familiar with Warren and the lists? The 3rd step, the key, is
a cognitive behavior modification tool called the ABC cognitive model. It’s
this ABC tool that we use to help Warren learn new responses to routine
events.
I think it’d be safe to say that all cognitive therapy, all cognitive
approaches, include a basic premise and it is that our responses to any and
every event are dependant on our beliefs about that particular event.
Example: I’m driving down the highway when another vehicle suddenly flies
past me at high speed. I’m startled (heart is thumping, breathing is
faster) and my immediate thoughts are “Holy poo!! That guy’s flying! What a
lunatic! That idiot is going to kill someone!! Coulda been me!! Where’s a
cop?!! Man, I hope someone nails that SOB.” Based on that perfectly natural
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Just wanted to let you all know that I’m still plugging away and
haven’t jumped ship. I’ve been pretty well snowed under in work
for the past week.
Steve, I did read your last message to me(on the mind games ABC) and
I’m still mulling it over trying to figure out what it means. It’s a
big concern to me, because that very thing has blown quits for me
when I thought I was doing very well - I’m just trying to avoid
history repeating itself. Were you trying to say that, even in trying
to argue myself out of it in an ABC, I am still “playing the game”?
The need is to break the pattern entirely?
I hope everybody here’s doing well.
Nyniane

Hi all,
This is my first time posting and utilizing Cognitive Quit Smoking.
This is my third day of being smoke free. After several attempts to
quit in past years (ie: hypnotism, nicorette, cold turkey, the
patch, etc..), my doctor finally realized that I am a “diehard” and
suggested this
people that have high blood pressure and also for recovering cocaine
addicts. He has found that using the Catapres patch along with the
Nicotine patch, is very safe and effective, for people trying to quit
cigarettes and other substance abuse addictions. I quit last year
for 4 months with this same therapy, and found it to be a great way,
except for mild lethargy, and skin irritation from the Catapres. I
stopped both patches cold turkey after 4 months and went right back
to smoking However, this time is different for me, because I know
my patterns, and realized, that I stayed smoke free for 4 months with
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