"It’s déjà vu all over again". Yogi Berra

[Mike.]

I am given pause, to post this, (and have good reason to do so) but, I feel drawn to do it. Besides, it's supposed to "help".

 

So, here goes!

 

tick-tock; tick-tock!

[Tink]

Hi Mike I'm a bit confused is this a SOS ?

[Nancy]

Or are you telling us that you are  quitting?

[Mike.]

Hi Mike I'm a bit confused is this a SOS ?

 

No Trace. Not a SOS.

 

Or are you telling us that you are  quitting?

 

Yes. But, I am really hesitant about it Nancy. It's only been 2 hours now, and I am struggling already. I don't know if I am going to make it or not ...

[Nancy]

No Trace. Not a SOS.

 

 

Yes. But, I am really hesitant about it Nancy. It's only been 2 hours now, and I am struggling already. I don't know if I am going to make it or not ...

You will make it if you make your mind up!  Withdrawal is no fun, but it does not actually hurt, and it will not kill you!

[Pippa]

Hi Mike - you can do this - just take it a minute at a time ....what are doing to distract yourself ??

[Frezflops]

You can do this, one moment at a time

[buMbLeB]

Yes. But, I am really hesitant about it Nancy. It's only been 2 hours now, and I am struggling already. I don't know if I am going to make it or not ...

 

Outstanding! I've been waiting for this - no pressure though!! I don't know about everybody else, but I know that when I quit nearly three years ago, I had no confidence I was actually going to do it. Mike, it was hard, and at times I *almost* caved. And so success is measured in inches, not miles. 

 

You can do this.

[Ramona]

Quitting sure aint for the meek and mild.  It's bloody war.

[...]

Mike, I am like you.  I am having a harder time quitting now than I have ever had.  I can't seem to make it past a day.  I don't even know why except I'm scared shitless of the withdrawals.  I know it's all in my mind but I can't seem to get around it.

 

So I wanna make a deal with you ?  How about we do this together ?  That no matter what we do, BEFORE we pick up a cigarette, that we post on here. We reach out.  Even if we have to do it 20 times a day for a while. 

 

Will you do this with me ?  Please.

[Runfree]

One crave at a time.  Look the crave in the eye and say f u and mean it.  Hang on to the BIG reason you want to be a non-smoker....put that in front of the crave and beat it down.  

 

Look, you have 2 more days of feeling like you're being tugged behind the cruise ship, and THEN....you have a lifetime of opportunity.  A really short, difficult struggle and then you decide how you get to live.....not the friggin addiction keeping you trapped.  You got this Mike...just dig in deep.

[Runfree]

Mike, I am like you.  I am having a harder time quitting now than I have ever had.  I can't seem to make it past a day.  I don't even know why except I'm scared shitless of the withdrawals.  I know it's all in my mind but I can't seem to get around it.

 

So I wanna make a deal with you ?  How about we do this together ?  That no matter what we do, BEFORE we pick up a cigarette, that we post on here. We reach out.  Even if we have to do it 20 times a day for a while. 

 

Will you do this with me ?  Please.

 

BRILLIANT!  This is how it's done.

[DCCXXVII]

Mike and Tiffany... this makes me so happy to see that both of you are here and haven't given up :)

 

Returning back to smoking can never bring the same "relief" for you ever again

 

It's a big lie "Quitting is Hard"

 

1 minute... 1 hour... 1 day...

 

You can do it

 

Just believe

 

Hugs

[Mike.]

Thank you, everyone.

 

Tiffany and I have discussed this, via PM. This is just so you know, that I haven't ignored her generous offer.

 

...

[MarylandQuitter]

How are you this morning, Mike?  My motto that get's me through tough times is FIDO.  F*ck it, drive on.  Get a crave?  F*uck it, keep going.  Scared?  F*uck it, keep going. 

 

Fortitudine Vincimus (By endurance we conquer).--Sir Ernest Shackleton

[Doreensfree]

As you know already mike and tiff I was a 52 year smoker...who had to make a choice ..quit....or face the horrible consequences...

My quit was far from easy peasy....I fought a battle nearly every minute at the beginning....

Screaming slogans....don't stick anything in your mouth and set fire to it....

Smoking is not on the table....nope...nope...nope...

But I hung on every day...never giving in....fighting...fighting...

Then suddenly it started to get better....I actually started to enjoy being a non smoker....then....

I started to guard my quit....and be very proud of it.....

You can do this....it might be minute by minute....but you can do it.....

I think team work is a cool idea...maybe call it tike.....do what ever it takes.....

Xxx

[Mike.]

How are you this morning, Mike?  My motto that get's me through tough times is FIDO.  F*ck it, drive on.  Get a crave?  F*uck it, keep going.  Scared?  F*uck it, keep going. 

 

Fortitudine Vincimus (By endurance we conquer).--Sir Ernest Shackleton

 

Well, I'm sure you all guessed, what I did the next morning and am still.

 

But, instead of running and hiding, I sneaked a peek in this thread and saw the quote above. ^^ Well so what, MQ swearing again? Is that news? Just joking. Strangely though, it has been on my mind. I am reminded of my very good PHD Psychologist who, when talking about some people in my life once, when he said, "I give you permission to say the fvck with them all!". Then tonight, I was feeling kinda down, and thought I would watch some uplifting movie, and chose "Good Will Hunting", while again thinking how, towards the end, the character played by Robin Williams (PHD Psychologist), tells his client, played by Matt Damon, (now, I will have to probably paraphrase here, as I haven't finished watching the movie), "fvck them okay?". It does kinda feel like, "It's deja vu, all over again".

 

Then, this week, a Psychiatrist that has been over-seeing the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation I am having done for a couple of months, agreed to be my first Psychiatrist, and he surprised me. I have worked professionally extensively with lots of 'em but, he did something I had never seen a psychiatrist do with a client. And I told him that, and that I thought that it must be his training in England that is different from the Psychiatrist's training in North America. I did say, I worked very closely with one who was English, and had trained there too but, I had never seen he do this though. What was that?

 

He wrote a plan of things he wanted me to do. Not only that, he told me not to do a couple of things, I want to do. It was clear he was doing my thinking for me. He told me that it is obvious that I am having trouble getting my head around some things these days. I talked about this with him, and he just said, "I want you to do these things, and I don't want you to make any major decisions, while you are in this state". In essence, he was taking control for me, and directing me. That surprised me, as I thought, he would just try to shove meds down my throat (and didn't). He said he was trained in "social" Psychiatry, a term we don't have in Canada. You know what? It felt good to have him doing that right now. Surprising really, with me having issues with authority.

 

So, what were the things he wrote in the chart and told me to do?

 

1) Quit Smoking ... I hadn't even talked with him about it, except to answer yes on a questionnaire question, about tobacco use.

 

2) Get back to the gym for cardio and resistance/weight training. Stating I will feel better as I become stronger physically again.

 

3) Continue with bi-weekly counselling sessions, with the Psychologist. (I forgot this one).

 

4) Get in touch again with a daughter, that I haven't felt like involving myself with during this time lately, (she has been the closest of all the kids, and I didn't want to worry her). This to, just maintain our connection with each other.

 

5) Pick one of my close friends, and take him for coffee and tell him "everything". I have been refusing all overtures by friends lately cause, I knew they would see I am troubled.

 

6) Be aware that he will be asking me how I am doing with these, when we have our next appointment.

 

So, boys and girls, what has this to do with y'all in a quit smoking forum? Not much I fear. Just something I felt like sharing I guess.

 

My best!

[Nicole Diver]

This guy sounds like the real deal.

I used to read a lot of Irvin Yalom..."Love's Executioner" was one I read several times. It even had a quit smoking case study in there titled, "two smiles." Anyway. Mike I don't know you real well, but you have always struck me as extremely intelligent. You know what you have to do, and you CAN do it.

[buMbLeB]

Not "guessed", but suspected yes. But what surprises and impresses me (and perhaps others) is how you're not running and hiding. And I gotta agree, anyone or anything that stands between you and quitting smoking (or any worthwhile life goal) - fvck em, Fvck zem all! I bet you do have authority issues, all the best folks do - but c'mon, he's telling you to do things you KNOW you have to do, and you WANT to do. So do them. 

 

I agree with Ava, you do seem very smart. But you also seem like one bad ass S.O.B. 

 

Am I wrong?

[cpk]

How are you this morning, Mike?  My motto that get's me through tough times is FIDO.  F*ck it, drive on.  Get a crave?  F*uck it, keep going.  Scared?  F*uck it, keep going. 

 

Fortitudine Vincimus (By endurance we conquer).--Sir Ernest Shackleton

I love the Shackleton reference. Shacky would have loved FIDO.

[cpk]

I'm confused.

[Tink]

Mike this guy makes sense, sounds like he is supporting you by steering you, in the direction of taking back control in your life, I especially like to hear he has not just thrown meds down your neck

 

I hope we can do that for you to quit smoking

 

We are here for you when you are ready

 

One step at a time Mike, hour by hour you can do this!

[Mike.]

No, I am no longer smart, nor tough. Yes, I have walked in the dark side of life. Even revelled in it, during my youth. Trust me. It is nothing one should be proud nor boastful of. For reasons I know not yet, it seems, time to stop running. To stand and turn, and face the devil. That's what I am doing here, with my smoking. If my musings, are unsettling people, please try to disregard them.

 

m/

[cpk]

No, I am no longer smart, nor tough. Yes, I have walked in the dark side of life. Even revelled in it, during my youth. Trust me. It is nothing one should be proud nor boastful of. For reasons I know not yet, it seems, time to stop running. To stand and turn, and face the devil. That's what I am doing here, with my smoking. If my musings, are unsettling people, please try to disregard them.

 

m/

[cpk]

A fat guy once asked a skinny guy how he could lose weight. The skinny guy looked at the fat guy and said, "Dude, just stop stuffing your face."

Just take the freaking fag out of your mouth and stop gaming on this site if you are still puffing on skull and crossbones. That's my advice.