Genecanuck

Awesome @Kdad

Congratrs @catlover... thanks for inspiring us with your awesome quit.

Hi @Picaresque. You made the right decision to come back here and re-commit to your plan to stop Vaping or smoking. Just re-read alot of posts here and get back on track. Never quit quitting and make this your forever quit as my friend @jillar reminded me to do when I arrived here. Let us know how you are doing. Gene

Hi @Kdad, I believe I experienced exactly what you are going through in many past failed attempts to stop smoking for good. I also got really good at getting over the physical withdrawl symptoms. But what I had to learn is that I had to quit wanting to smoke. The post below from Dan1 in quitnet helped me to examine my underlying beliefs about smoking to learn how to quit wanting to smoke. I re-read this post often when I had those flighty out of the blue thoughts that I wanted to smoke. I always countered with the idea that a thought of smoking is not a command to smoke. Then, I moved to just feeling the urge to smoke but stepping back and just observing that urge. Yes, the craving felt like a mental buzz, but I was just going to ride that mental buzz crave. I recall Dan1 saying that people pay thousands of dollars to buy drugs to experience this kind of temporary alterted state. That made me laugh out loud. Then, as Dan1 suggests below, really examine your beliefs about smoking and challenge them. Smoking has no inherent value whatsover. It does not fix anything, cure anything, or make us feel better. The underlying desire, if you look carefully, is always rooted in some false sense that smoking one cigarette will make you feel better or offer any kind of short term pleasure or relief. Dan1 one says, 'the concept is simple - quit wanting to smoke, and this thing is over". I hope this helps. You are doing awesome @Kdad. Helpful Thoughts From DanL1 From DanL1000 on 4/2/2006 2:38:06 PM Helpful thoughts 1,000 days ago, I quit smoking - AGAIN. Obviously, this time was different, or I wouldn't be here talking about 1,000 days, or about how there is simply no sense of craving, want, or need for cigarettes. The thing that made the difference? The helpful thoughts that came from participating here at the Q. I'm not talking about the shared dreams and prayers, though those certainly don't hurt. I'm talking about the new way of thinking about smoking that came from sharing, caring, discussing - and even arguing now and then - here at the Q. Here, I offer a few of the thoughts that helped me turn "impossible" into "done." Addiction is not a thing. Addiction does not cause uncontrollable want. Addiction is merely a word that describes being in a state of uncontrollable want. The difference is important, as it puts the power to change where it belongs - with us. We don't need to quit smoking, because unless we've got hot smoke in our lungs this very instant, we've already quit smoking. The thing we need to quit is the wanting to smoke. Unfortunately, most quit plans focuses exclusively on trying to do what is already done, and spend no time at all trying to change the only thing standing between us and freedom. Does your plan include a way to end the want? Some folks imagine this change impossible, and so don't even try to end the want. Then they wonder why quitting seems so miserable and failure so common. The concept is simple - quit wanting to smoke, and this thing is over. How to do that is less obvious. We don't want to smoke because of some flaw in our personality, or because of some chemical changing our brains. We want to smoke for the same reason we want anything else in this world - because we believe that it will make our lives better or more enjoyable in some way. This is the only way that it's possible to want or crave anything. It just so happens that this particular belief - that smoking can improve one instant of life - is an error. Understand this, and you will find freedom. Smoking does not end withdrawal; it causes it. The end of withdrawal comes from someplace else. Understand where, and you will find freedom. The nasty feelings that we call withdrawal are the same things the rest of the world calls stress or anxiety. Smoking doesn't help with these things, relaxation does. And no, smoking doesn't help with relaxation, either. In truth, it only makes it harder - and at the same time causes those stress symptoms that make relaxation all the more necessary. Smoking doesn't provide energy, or a 'pick-me-up.' It does make our bodies work harder for a short time, resulting in being more run down, not less. Avoiding smoking helps. Moving our bodies a little helps more. -Smoking does not help with weight loss, and quitting does not cause weight gain. The cause of these errors is the belief that eating can end craving for a cigarette. It cannot - only ending the belief that smoking can make things better can end craving. Movement burns calories. Whether that movement is the result of the jitters of smoking or the result of living a full life makes no difference. -Smoking is not capable of providing enjoyment. No thing is. Enjoyment resides with the person doing the enjoying, which is why I enjoy things that you don't, and vice versa. You simply need to change your understanding about smoking. Think of the first cigarette you ever smoked. Nasty, wasn't it? Cigarettes never changed, but you changed your beliefs about them. The time has come to change those beliefs back. -The change from smoker to non-smoker happens when you change your beliefs from those of a smoker to those of a non-smoker. This change happens in three easy steps, repeated whenever the urge to smoke is noticed. 1) Feel the urge. Don’t fight it, because that only adds to the stress, giving the smoker-mind another battle to fight. Don't accept it, thinking that it's something that must be endured or tolerated. DO learn from it. Paying careful attention, figure out what your smoker-mind thinks smoking will improve, and in what way. 2) Accept that your understanding of how smoking will improve the situation is an error - just plain wrong. Recognize that in this one small way, you are simply an idiot, and have a laugh at your own expense. Finding the humility to admit you are wrong about something might be the hardest part of the quitting process. 3) Understand that smoking does not, cannot, and never did make this situation or feeling better. Strive to understand what it was in past, similar situations that really did help. Was it relaxation? A mental break? A moment to move, stretch, or to breathe deeply? Chatting for a few moments with a friend? Permitting a short daydream? Taking a moment to switch gears? The power of these things cannot be overestimated. Smokers rarely think of them, because they wrongly give credit to the cigarettes instead. Non-smokers rarely think of them, because they are simply a part of life. -Beware of willpower. Sometimes the brain just won't work, and then willpower is a necessary tool. Recognize that the enemy is not some unstoppable force, but only a false belief. When the crisis passes, take time to find the source of that belief and correct it. Using willpower too often means you are shortchanging the healing process. - Saying "I will always be an addict" is the same as saying "I will always believe this lie." Does that really make sense? There is danger here, because it shuts down the only process that can provide real freedom - working to correct the lies and errors. You are an addict only as long as you believe the lies, and your beliefs are entirely in your control. Unfortunately, there are groups that prey on addicts, and find it useful to leave them with a sense of powerlessness. That phrase is part of their venom that has seeped into the public consciousness. Instead, try "I am still an addict." It reminds us to be vigilant, but also reminds us that there is work to be done and freedom to be won. This is not a forever thing. -I don't know if this makes sense to you or not. I know I struggled to understand early on, and took longer still to find the words to explain it. Ultimately, any words fall short - you have to live it to prove it. Have patience with yourself and with the process. This freedom is worth it, and especially, so are you. Peace to all, Dan (aka DanL1) 1000 days, 2 minutes and 39 seconds smoke free. 20000 cigarettes not smoked. $4,250.00 and 5 months, 2 days, 18 hours of your life saved.

Keep it going @Kdad

Welcome to Quittrain @Tarvic.... You have come to the right place for support. I was also a long term smoker and I struggled to maintain being a non smoker. I had so many starts and stops. I also relied on the patch to help me quit but became addicted to it because I did not follow the instructions and kept using it. The best advise I can offer is what you have heard here. Follow the nicotine patch step down instuctions, read posts here, and post often. 10 Ways To Effectively Use This Forum To Stop Using Nicotine And most important. Keep your quit by following the mantra... Not one Puff Ever!! Come Join us at The Daily NOPE Pledge thread.:) https://www.quittrain.com/forum/4-the-daily-nope-pledge/ Let us know how you are doing @Tarvic

Howdy!..... It is another Friday and it is time again for all of you special window lickers to pat yourself on the back for another smoke free week.. So who is a certified professional window licker this week?

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@Gattu Joshi... please come back and let us know how you are doing. Whether you are keeping your quit or had a relapse, let us know how you are doing and how we can support you.

@Penguin and @Reciprocity.... I believe that when those trigger events emerge and you successfully ride the crave wave and not feed your brain nicotine, you are actually re-wiring those nictone crave neuropathways and the memory of "I normally smoke when this happenes" really begins to fade away. Thats awesome that you hit another major milestone as a non smoker Penguin. Non-smokers don't automatically think about feeding their brains nicotine when they experience a stressful event or person. / Thanks for sharing.

Eggs

Welcome to Quit-train @Gattu Joshi... You will find lots of words of wisdom and support from members in this community. Read a lot of the posts and check in as often as you can. I look forward to getting to know you better and following your quitting progress. Kind Regards!

Hi @Gattu Joshi..... I think that you use whatever is in your tool box to help you quit. NRT can be a good tool to help you get started in your quit but eventually, it is importnat to step down from all NRT. I did use NRT and stopped smoking but I became addicted to the NRT started using it long term. When I found quittrain.... my friends here remidned me that I still had to do the hard work to get nicotine out of my system and adopt a Not One Puff Ever and Not One Nictotine Patch ever apparoch. If you need NRT to help get you started in your quit, I recommend going for it. BUT... please follow the step down program and plan to stop using the patch or other NRT product. If you do not follow the step down directions, you run the risk of becoming addicted to the NRT. I am looking forward to following your quit. We are all here to support you! Kind Regards.

Hey, its another Friday and that time again for all of you special window lickers to pat yourself on the back for another smoke free week. So who is a certified professional window licker this week?

Unfortunatley, this thread is moving way beyond the original purpose of supporting @Dee to deal with her heath problem and remain smoke free. This shingles debate is becoming counterproductive. We have a situation where we have an internet troll who is becoming disruptive. @MarylandQuitter... if you are still around, please review this thread and address this issue. Many thanks. Gene

Hello @MLMR... I do not suffer from clinical depression but I know a thing or two about situational depression. The biggest trigger I believe I have left in my practice to be a smoke free human being is thinking often that smoking can help me when I feel anger or depression. A death in the family or feeling really angry or under pressure always sends my mind racing, thinking that a cigeratte will somehow comfort me or make me feel better. One of the things that helped me is to deeply re-examine my belief system about smoking. As Dan1 says below in his post, " [a] cigarette is not capable of making us think, feel, or experience a single thing, other than a bit of nausea and a somewhat elevated heartbeat". I am still working on ignoring that background stinking thinking noice that pops up once in a while in my head that smoking can help me feel better when I feel depressed. As Dan1 says, that "wanna smoke... fades as the belief that 'smoking helps' fades." The fact that you are still coming here @MLMR says that your desire to to be a non smoker is much stronger than your belief that smoking can do anything to help you. You just have to give yourself more time to allow that false belief that smoking can help to fade into the background. Keep coming here and keep our quit. Kind Regards, Gene Dan1: 2007-03-17 on Quitnet Why is this so hard? It's a question worth asking, and I'm convinced that the usual answers aren't good enough. After all, continuing to smoke is easy - just ask anyone here. And being free of smoking is even easier - just ask anyone who's made it, or anyone who's never smoked, or simply consult your own common sense. So why is the path from 'easy' to 'easier' so hard? Maybe you're taking the wrong path. And no, I'm not engaging in the senseless debate about Cold Turkey vs meds. That has an answer as individual as your personality. How you answer that question is in no way related to how someone else did or should answer it. No, the wrong path is in thinking of this as a battle of will. It simply is not, and making it seem like one is the only thing that makes this difficult. “Will” can only do one thing: follow your own pre-existing values. You can use it to smoke or to not smoke with equal ease. The thing that you can't do for long is turn it against you - to make yourself act against your own self interests. If you struggle, there is one simple reason: You believe that smoking provides you with something you want or need - in short, you value smoking. When you struggle to not smoke, all you are doing is asking your will to act against your values. That is a source of tremendous stress and anxiety, and those in turn cause all of the 'quit symptoms' that make this so hellish. Every failed quit is simply willpower finding it's triumph - by re-aligning your actions to your values. In this state of affairs, smoking is a victory of the will, not a failure, No wonder we find that it feels so good. But it doesn't have to be this way. Instead of fighting against the thought to smoke, get to know it a little. Find out where it came from, what it's real purpose is. Your body and brain don't want to smoke - but they may desire some change that you incorrectly believe smoking can give. A cigarette is not capable of making us think, feel, or experience a single thing, other than a bit of nausea and a somewhat elevated heartbeat. It can't make us happy, contented, or relaxed. All these other things (and a thousand others) are strictly a question of the interpretation of that otherwise meaningless event. But by believing the myth that cigarettes have the power to change our thoughts, fears, wishes, or circumstances, we run from something that we needn't fear, and strengthen the very notions that have us reaching again and again for that little white tube of death. 21 months ago, I quit smoking with the assumption that I would smoke again. It was not that I wanted to, planned to, or thought I would need to. Instead, it was a confidence in my ability to be stupid. I simply assumed that sooner or later I would screw up. This turned out to be a great benefit. Instead of growing tense over an impossibly high-seeming perfection, I could instead think about how to prevent the inevitable stumble from turning into a fall. And on that path I found a signpost to freedom: That the "stumble" wasn't in actually smoking, but in thinking positively about smoking. The "fall" wasn't smoking the pack, not even taking a puff. The "fall" was in holding on to incorrect values. Smoking was simply the most obvious external sign that my beliefs were screwed up. At that point, it could hardly matter if I smoked or not - fighting was in itself a failure. That might sound like I'm setting the bar even higher than not smoking - that you're somehow not allowed to even think of smoking. But that's exactly wrong. I'm inviting you instead to think deeply about smoking, about what it means to you, about why you believe these things that the vast majority of the world can't even understand. Each thought of smoking becomes an opportunity to understand how and where your beliefs and values are wrong, and to realign them to your greater truth - that you do not want to smoke. That's why you started this journey, isn't it? Now, changing beliefs isn't easy, but it's not hard, either. Mostly, it just takes time. And you have plenty of time. Instead of spending time fighting with yourself, spend it understanding that the very thing you are fighting over is a mistake, an error. Suddenly, the fight is gone. Yes, it's still annoying listening to that endless 'wanna smoke?' mental drumbeat. But that fades as the belief that 'smoking helps' fades. And yes, you will from time to time experience symptoms. But as long as you recognize that quitting didn't cause them (at least, not in the sense of 'needing' nicotine) and that smoking has no way to help them (that power resides only in you, and always did), they will pass, and there will be no struggle. Yes, it can be hard. But it doesn't have to be. If you find too much 'hard' between 'easy' and 'easier', check your map. Either you've made a wrong turn, or you're using the wrong map. Dan. 640 days (21 months) smoke free. 12798 cigarettes not smoked. $2,240.00 and 3 months, 7 days, 18 hours of your life saved. "Life is either a great adventure, or it is nothing."