abbynormal

I just saw that @Lust4Life posted something very similar (with an even better title!) I'm sorry for the repeat. I can't figure out how to delete this post!

Ok, i just saw this post after making a very similar post! Now I feel dumb! LOL

The holidays can be a stressful time, especially for newer quitters trying desperately to hold onto their precious quits. I am about to face my first Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year as a non-smoker, and I'm planning ahead in order to STAY a non-smoker! The following article has some great tips for surviving the holidays smoke-free: https://www.verywellmind.com/smoke-free-holiday-tips-2824909 My biggest trigger during the holidays is sensory overload from all the noise and chaos of family gatherings, so I plan to find a quiet space for myself any time I feel overwhelmed and do some deep breathing exercises. I also plan to avoid the front porch, where the smokers in the family will gather. I'm going to stay inside where it's warm! How do you plan to handle your triggers during the holidays? Long-time quitters, what advice would you give us newbies on keeping our quits during the holiday season?

Conratulations, Jo!!!! Here's your cake!

@Paul723 I agree with you. I'm using "Smoking is not an option" as a mantra for myself, even during those moments when my inner Addict doesn't quite believe it. I figure the more often I repeat it, the more habitual it will become, until finally it's ingrained and I don't think of smoking during every crisis. That's my hope, anyway. Fake it til you make it, right?

-20!!!! What was that about spanking chicks, @bakon?

-18

-17

"Autistic crisis means "new" = *flat-line*= no plan.. nothing besides the chaos and sounds, feelings, lights, voices (that you can't decipher while they are definitely speak the same language as you right?) and all are dumped on a brain that just cannot process it ." I relate to this so much. I have sensory-processing sensitivity (bordering on disorder), and when I'm overloaded there is no plan. There is only survival. And it's when utter panic sets in that I struggle to keep my quit. It has always been a moment of crisis that sent me running back to smoking. And I'm not sure exactly how to deal with this in the future, because, as you said, it's so hard to break through the mental chaos in those moments. All I see, hear, and feel during those moments (besides the lights and sounds and overwhelming emotions) are the CRAVINGS. It's like a blinking red neon sign in my brain. Maybe we can help each other formulate a plan. Sensory disorders present unique challenges, but I'm convinced we can figure out a way to deal with them!

-15

-13

-11

-9

-7

-5

-3

NOPE. I don't smoke.

@forestgreen distraction is an excellent tool to help people quit and stay quit. This is a game designed to provide some distraction. It's just a lot of silliness. 0

While I'm sad to read about your relapse, I can understand it. Car crashes are so incredibly scary when you are alone, let alone when a child is in the car. Car trouble of ANY kind gives me horrible anxiety, and crashes are the worst. I'm so sorry this happened to you. The only thing I can say is that, in order to avoid relapse in the future, you have to think logically about the choice to smoke: did it REALLY help? Did it stop you from feeling panicked, or did it just distract you? (There are other methods of distraction we can employ that don't involve smoking.) Did it fix your car? Of course not. Smoking fixes nothing. But I know you already know that, and I'm not trying to kick you while you're down. I'm saying this for myself as much as I am for you. Because times of intense panic are hard for me to get through, as well. Take good care of you.

3

3

boosh: 4 me: 3

3

2