Cognitive Quit Smoking

Is anyone out there? Anyone setting a timer? or using any ABCs to prepare
for expected life situations? Are you done with timers and ABCs and now
you’re getting on with life comfortably quit?
I know this group tends to be quieter than most quit smoking groups simply
because cognitivequitting is a program that moves a quitter past a ‘hang
on’ quit. People who aren’t hanging on have much less need to post or be
part of a support group. Still, I wonder how many of you are still alive.
Please wave if you see this. Post if you have any questions, or email me
directly.
Steve
end of message in a bottle

….sorry I haven’t been around to do so before now. I’m Pam, in the
UK, coming up to 5 years cognitively quit, and co-coach with Steve here
in the group.
For the past several days I have been without a computer which, for an
internut like me, is very frustrating. I have sneaked online at work
to send this short message to the group. I expect to be back online in
the peace and comfort of my own home by the weekend, so look forward to
joining in the posting again soon.
best wishes,
Pam

My name is Kisha and I want to quit smoking and have a quit date of 2-01
any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Haven’t posted here in a while, but have been enjoying the
messages. Had decided on 28 January as my quit date, a date that has
more signifigence to me than any other, but couldn’t wait so instead
of it being my quit date celebrated a couple weeks smoke free. Read
somewhere that a spontaneous choice works better than a selected date,
though think it wise to have what you need in place, being signed on
here is helpful. I’m keeping a blog at quitsmokingjournals.com,
laughinwolf, it’s a kick and I recomend it for the non specific
venting, etc. A factor for me was having the insurance to cover the
Rxs and now I’m using some the cognitive approch to the use of the
Nicotrol spray and it is easier to journal when not lost in the middle
of that vortex of screaming pain. This is my final quit and I ve
become an advocate of whatever works.

I just joined this group. I’ve been thinking about quitting again for
quite awhile, I was able to quit for 3 pregnancies and breastfeeding,
but somehow got sucked back into it.
My two older kids (ages 6 and have been on my case for a couple of
years, they learned in school about the dangers and are just terrified
that something bad is going to happen to me. Yet, somehow, that wasn’t
enough to motivate me. This is what just happened, about 5 minutes ago:
I was sitting at my PC, checking emails, etc. My kids were in here
with me. I had just gotten one of those “touching emails”, about a
little boy who’s mom died when he was little, and to make a long story
short, he grew up to do great things because of a special teacher. I
read it, thought “gee, that’s nice”, and stepped outside to have a
smoke (we don’t smoke in the house). My kid’s followed me and talked
to me through the door. Here’s how that conversation went (you’ll need
to understand that we’ve been trying to make my son understand that he
(more…)

I still want to quit but have not yet. I have a plan of Sunday 22/06.
I am going through so much right now with the severe chronic pain and
new meds that the Dr’s want me to try. It is hard to define body cues
and if they are or not. If they are pain signs, so much involved with
the two and the pain ones seem to win over. I have been reading the
web site information and posted messages as much as I can.
I really do not know if the timer and recognizing body cues will work
for me. I know I have to do it cold turkey and I want to do it that
way so if you have any other suggestions that I might try I am
willing to do that as well.
I hope you are not to pissed that I am having such a time with this
espcially with the pain factor. It is hard to describe the pain
unless you have been through it. All I ask for is some patience but I
understand if you think there is nothing else you can do for me that
I will be willing to go somewhere else.
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…. still with us??
Steve and I are curious where you’ve gone to. Are you using the
cogquit programme and have you started with the timer? Do you need
more help with or explanations about the cogquit programme? Have you
quit or set a quit date?
If it’s simply that you’re hesitant about posting, then please email
Steve or I privately if you’d prefer. If we don’t know what’s
happening with you, then we can’t help Pam

I don’t know if any of you are setting a timer. Or maybe you’re considering
setting one but aren’t too sure what your timer notes ’should’ look like.
The following is something that has been posted in the past and might be
helpful to anyone working with a timer or thinking of it.
Repost:
This was sent to me recently. It’s a very good example of a timer log.
What’s interesting is that most timer logs are alike. While the
‘life situations’ may be different, the body cues are almost always
similar. Most of the time there is some muscle tension and more often than
not it’s in the back, shoulders, neck, and/or jaw. Most of the time
breathing is less than effective. And all of this is just what our body
experiences as we get through a regular day. We used to smoke to take care
of muscular discomfort. We used to smoke as our way of taking a deep breath.
This timer log shows another way to deal with all of that.
Tuesday November 15, 2005
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Glo wrote:
Thanks Steve, and I meant to e-mail you privately as well.
I am having a very hard time understanding the “Timer Schedule” I can
understand perfect that I am going to have some body signals and that some
are going to be from the nicotine withdrawal and some others are not and
that the way I react to these signals can make me light a cigarette or not
if I know how to deal with them. So far is that correct?
I really don’t have a problem with that. I know I’m going to have nicotine
withdrawals every “X” minutes. My real problem is the debate between the
two persons inside of me: One telling me to light up and the other one
telling me not to.
How can I deal with this? The other stuff is easy for me. I really don’t
have trouble with that. I can be without lighting up a cigarette even with
nicotine withdrawals. If not, how can I bee all night without smoking when
I’m sleeping? My issue is the mind. That is getting in the way big time.
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I have just started an exercise programme with the objective of
stopping smoking an need all the encouragement I can get. Got its hard.