Genecanuck is 1 month smoke free today

[johnny5]

Congratulations on 1 month smoke free @Genecanuck and thanks for all that you contribute here.  Keep up the great work and do something to celebrate today.

 

[DenaliBlues]

Well done @Genecanuck! I’m so glad that you joined the forum. You are on the road to sweet freedom! Rock on!

 

[garry mhudson]

Congratulations on the 1 month mark!!!! Huge step. Stay strong and focused  and you are well on your way. Best wishes. Also, like the pictures you`ve shared. Spent some time in Toronto years ago and loved it. Best wishes.

[QuittingGirl]

You did it Gene, you got to a month quit!!!  That's so great!  Congratulations!!!  You are doing really well.  Keep up the great work!! Onward to month 2 

 

[Doreensfree]

Yaaa Gene ..

Huge Congratulations on your fabulous 

1 Month , great achievement..

Kerp going … Uowards and Inwards

[jillar]

Congratulations on your 1st month quit @Genecanuck and thank you for all your contributions to the board. Have a great day!  

 

[Paul723]

Keep going!

[Reciprocity]

Congrats @Genecanuck!!

That 1st month is always the hardest to get through and now, it's done & dusted! 

 

Still more work to do of course but you've kept a steady hand on not smoking so far - no reason not to keep that up going forward.

 

Be sure to take some time today and treat yourself. Rewards along the way for a job well done are important!

[Gus]

Congratulations @Genecanuck! One month quit is awesome! I hope that you celebrated in grand style. I’ve enjoyed reading all the material you have contributed to the site. I feel that I have a solid quit going but it never hurts to reinforce something so precious. 

[Mac#23]

Congratulations Genecanuck, on 1 month smoke free. This is a great accomplishment and deserves a sweet reward.

[Genecanuck]

Good morning everyone,

 

Many thanks to everyone for your support. Yes, one month is an important milestone. But I know that I still have a lot of relapse prevention work to do to reinforce the gains that I have made and to slidify this quit to ensure that this is the real deal. I have been here before too many times. 

 

Here is one of my favourite quitnet relapse prevention posts. I re-read it again today to remind myself that when a quit is lost, it always starts with stinking thinking in the head. 

Not one puff ever!

 

REPOST: 10 Steps to Starting Again From Pic on 12/22/1997 11:58:35 PM

 

10 Steps to Starting Again

1. "Try" to quit (try, as opposed to "do")

2. Idealize what life will be like without smoking

3. Associate your daily problems and disappointments with the fact that you’re not smoking.

4. Begin to buy into the idea that you’re more miserable now than before you quit

5. Start responding to your problems with, "If this keeps up, I’m going to smoke" then add "anyhow" then add "so why suffer anymore?" (Alternate 3-5:

    3. Associate your success with the idea that you’ve licked the nicotine habit.

    4. Begin to buy into the idea that you could smoke without getting hooked again

    5. Follow-up this idea with, "I haven’t smoked in ___ days/weeks/months/years" then add "I haven’t had any cravings" then add "I could have just one" )

6. Buy, borrow or steal a cigarette.

7. Find a quiet, secluded place where you can be alone with the substance to which you have attributed all power and promise for fulfillment of your needs.

8. Feel yourself calming down even before you light up, which is actually the beast ceasing to scratch at your insides as you prepared to feed the addiction.

9. Light-up and suck in all the poison you can get in that first drag, while beginning the battle against being disappointed in yourself, noticing that this fight is not half as ferocious as it was to get the nicotine.

10. Within a few hits, feel dizzy, cough a little, smell the stink, and realize you’re not going to stop smoking that cigarette, you’ll keep smoking despite the bad feelings, and wish you hadn’t given in.

I hope this scenario scares you as much as it scares me.

In writing it, I drew from my personal experience and noticed some things that might be helpful in the future:

 

A RELAPSE STARTS IN MY HEAD Steps 1-5 all have to do with how I think. IT IS ABSOLUTELY IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO FULLY RELAPSE without doing some or all of 1-5. A CIGARETTE IS NOT THE ANSWER AND THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS ONE.

 

[Doreensfree]

Keep focused Gene, Let’s make this your forever Quit

[QuittingGirl]

You definitely can do it Gene....one day at a time and you will get through the first few months!!  Just keep plugging along and we will make a big party on the Lido Deck at 1 year quit!!!  

[notsmokinjo]

You got this mate. Well bloody done on your 1 month of freedom