Cognitive Quit Smoking

Hi Steve and Pam and group, it’s been 6 weeks now since I quit smoking—I quit on Monday December 6, 2004 (and btw where can I find that neat clock that keeps track of hours, cigs not smoked, money, etc). As I’ve said repeatedly, everything is different in my life. But rather than go on and on about how very happy and hopeful I am, I wanted to just step back a bit and look at how this happened—how I was able to quit—in the hope that I might be able to encourage someone else who is struggling to give it another try and to let this cogquit information work for you.

I was smoking over a pack a day when I quit, and smoking since I was about 10 or 11 years old, except for a 5 year period in my 20’s when I didn’t smoke at all (I’m 52yo now). I very much wanted to quit, but just couldn’t do it. I felt desperate to quit, but couldn’t do it. By the beginning of 2004 I felt like I was dying. I knew if I didn’t do something different I would just collapse and that would be it. And still I couldn’t quit. I would look at my beloved cat and pray to live long enough to take care of her for her whole life, and still I couldn’t quit smoking. So I quit my job in April of 2004. I had to take time to be home, reduce distractions, pray, and try to take my life back—it was life or death and immanent. And after several months, still I couldn’t quit.

I found the cognitive quitting site and this message board, and it all made so much sense to me. I thought I had found the answer and I was amazed that Steve was making this available. I read the information about Warren, the foundation statements, the timer sheet and the abc’s, I read the old posts—it all made incredible sense. And still I couldn’t quit. I gave up trying to quit, but eventually decided that at the very least I could work on the timer sheets. So I did.

Then finally, on the weekend before I actually did quit, I tried again. I spent lots of time sitting at my table for a few days, looking in a mirror at my self. After some time spent looking into my own eyes, I made a commitment to myself. And I failed almost immediately that day—I smoked a cigarette that I couldn’t even justify having by telling myself it was because I was desperate or traumatized. I just wanted that cig so I lit it up and smoked it.

It was so clear that I have no will power—absolutely none—zero. And also clear just how addicted I am—I called it sleazy—that I would turn my back on my most sacred vow to my own dark eyes—my own inner self—for a cigarette. And a cigarette that I wasn’t even desperate for!! I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t go back to distracting myself yet I apparently couldn’t quit.

I decided to really study those foundation statements and make sure I understood every word. I wrote them out for myself. Then I typed them out. Then with some help it began to be clear to me that I needed to actually write out the abc’s. Despite understanding previously how they worked and seeing how they made sense, it wasn’t until I was able to write out the abc’s that I truly experienced the relief of no more smoking urges (at least not ones connected to that situation or sensation)—I was making a change in my conditioned response. It was an “ah HA!” experience. It took a lot of work (and a lot of help) to figure out how to write them out, but the changes that happened were incredible. The relief from urges was immediate and certain. Once I learned how to do those ABC’s I was able to quit and stay quit.

So I quit all at once that Monday. With no patches or gums, with no cravings for junk food (in fact the opposite—I craved fruits and vegies), and I quit drinking coffee and diet coke at the same time since they were mostly just being drunk to go with the cigs, and sugar became repulsive. I kept working on the abc’s and reviewing my foundation statements, and with lots of support, I got through the first week. I celebrated my first week by going swimming and have been going ever since.

Honestly, if this sleaze ball (said in the nicest possible way) can quit smoking using the cogquit information, anyone can. I feel so sad when I see people trying to quit by hanging on, or using the nicotine replacement things, even though they have the cogquit info right there. You don’t need to do it that way—that way is harder. It’s so frustrating to know without a doubt that it works, and not be able to help someone understand that they can do it—that they need to actually do those exercises.

Oh it must have been frustrating to watch me sinking and flailing around. But I’m here now, and encouraging you ever so strongly and gently—first read the cogquit info—then do it—do the work—write out those statements—write out the abc’s–learn how to do it—don’t just read it. It will make a difference in your life that you might not even be able to imagine right now.

Most sincerely and very thankfully, Judy.

This entry was posted on Friday, September 29th, 2006 at 10:31 pm and is filed under . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.