I have printed off all the material on your site, have been reading
the posts in your forum, and most importantly have been doing the
foundational statements (had to take some time to make certain I was
really 100% honest in those), made the lists and associations to one
another, and am working on compiling my ABCs.
Timer Log
Event / emotion/condition/
7am At computer
Lower back stiff , shoulders tense, jaw clenched, headache, sleepy
Stretch , ride mile on exercise bike
8am at computer
Lower back stiff, head hurts shoulder tense jaw clenched ,worried,
disappointed with self
9am making coffee
Shoulder aches ,forehead drawn tight, jaw clenched mind foggy
10 at computer crave cig. Son smoking
, neck, lower back stiff , jaw tense. Nervous head ache
Spine feeling jumpy
11am paying bills /daughters arguing over pc
Feeling frustrated nervous/can’t concentrate//yelling at girls to
(more…)
Hi Pam M.
I’m not a cogquit coach, so I will share what I learned, Steve and I went around and around a few times to get me to understand that the bodily physical sensations are the key to starting this whole cogquit process. It is the doorway to eventually getting a handle on the emotions. I too was trying to start with the emotions, don’t do it. Do your timer exercise, give yourself over to that and to Steve and Pam’s guidance in this. Down the road you will get a handle on your emotional life. but right now that can’t be the emphasis. If you follow this thing the way its layed out you will do well and become calmer. The timer exercise is the starting point to getting quit and the starting point of the cogquit program. You won’t feel like you are drowning. To get the relief you need (I know I needed the same as I’m intense emotionally as well) go at that timer exercise for all its worth!!
ion calm cool and collected (using tools to this day 
)
I too thought this timer log was excellent. Please, you new cogquitters, set to work on doing your own log over the course of a few days - record your info. in just the same way and post your logs here. If its in a Word doc. then email it to Steve or I and we’ll get it onto the groups page. Once you’ve done this exercise you’ll have created so much more awareness about your own smoking patterns/physical sensations, and can then move on to the next stage towards a comfortable quit.
Please?
Pam
Date: Wed, 09 Jun 2004 13:19:51 -0000
From: “p6356″ <p6356@…
Subject: Never would Have thought
I know I suppressed alot of feelings but did not realize how many.
Since I have been acknowledging what I am feeling instead of
automatically assuming I want a cig. It has gotten so much more
easier for me. Of course I realize I have just begun but I am
pleased to say I now see a light at the end of this tunnel. I know
for me this quit is an all or nothing. I will not put myself through
that beleive, addiction thinking withdraw hell, I will do everything
I can to learn how to” feel” ,accept this feeling thing and see all
is good. Which it feels alot better now. Even with the emotional
hell I was putting myself…Thanks to you I can see it was me
putting me there. And I can be truly free. Free from smoking. Free
from suppressing my own mind and body. I am giving myself permission
(more…)
I know I suppressed alot of feelings but did not realize how many.
Since I have been acknowledging what I am feeling instead of
automatically assuming I want a cig. It has gotten so much more
easier for me. Of course I realize I have just begun but I am
pleased to say I now see a light at the end of this tunnel. I know
for me this quit is an all or nothing. I will not put myself through
that beleive, addiction thinking withdraw hell, I will do everything
I can to learn how to” feel” ,accept this feeling thing and see all
is good. Which it feels alot better now. Even with the emotional
hell I was putting myself…Thanks to you I can see it was me
putting me there. And I can be truly free. Free from smoking. Free
from suppressing my own mind and body. I am giving myself permission
to live. I am giving myself permission to feel. I am giving myself
permissin to be happy. I am giving myself permission to love myself
and others. Wow .Now that is a bigger step than quitting smoking.
(more…)
The Getting Started writup that Steve put in here is the heart and soul of this
whole cogquit process. When he said you won’t believe the changes you will
experience as a result of working this. I say Believe it!! For me I couldn’t
keep fighting and hanging on. I had a bunch of emotions that just erupted and I
literally didn’t know what the hell to do. I was completely lost. Steve walked
me thru this I literally ABC everything insight whether it moved or not <grin
the result was I learned to give myself permission to feel again, that my
thoughts and feelings were valid. These ABC became my tools to cope life and the
bodily sensations that were so uncomfortable and overwhelming. Now when
something comes up I have this pattern of thinking and I’m not stuck and
panicked. I lived with 35 years of abuse and stuffing emotions, this program
works, I’m so free from nic, and debilitating emotions and fear. Yeh jump on
this thing use it for all its worth. I haven’t regreted all the work I
put in. Not one bit.
I saved what he wrote to disc by the way. Steve you rocked my world, Pam you
(more…)
Hello, I am 48 yrs old. I started smoking when I was 14 yrs old.
From what I’ve figured out so far on my journey , is I was seeking
love and attention when I started smoking. Apparently I thought I
found it in the cig.At least 2and a half to three packs a day.
My addiction was very strong. But the emotional need even stronger.
On 4-29-04 I smoked my last cig. Had the aid of some old patches.
Used the 14mg, and a wk, of 7mg, Yesterday was my last patch.First
time I have tried or wanted to quit smoking. 39 days smoke free and
on a roller coaster ride made in hell. Suffer fronm COPD,
anxiety ,depression and of course pancic attacks, Gained 40 lbs
before quitting so what the heck no need to worry about the weight
gain altready doing that, So I am here because I DO NOT want to go
through what I have already done, I DO NOT want to be fighting
myself the rest of my life over a cig, I have been in seek of
freedom in many areas of my life. I need to find a way to work out
(more…)
Hi Pam
I”m here, I read every one of these digests. This group here has meant the
difference between staying quit and not being quit at all. I just passed my 1.5
year anny!!!! You and steve showing me this cogquit, made the difference. I’m
around I don’t say a lot in here, figured to save room for folks who are
learning this way of quit.
This is so very doable, and comfortable, I won’t smoke again, I know this for a
fact. You will also, just grab this and run with it. Make it your own.
ion:)
1- What’s happening? (driving, at work, watching tv, on the computer, etc)
2- What emotions or conditions are present? (happy, sad, hungry, tired,
bored, angry, etc)
3- What does your body feel? (is there any muscle tension? which muscles?
breathing-shallow, rapid, etc? any other sensations you notice i.e.
abdominal or chest?)
How do these steps get you to keep not smoking?
sheila