Okaaaaay

[Nixter]

Alright I'm not sure this is an SOS or not but maybe it would be eventually. I just want to know why, when you are so dang determined to never smoke again why do you start to miss it?? I know I am not physically addicted anymore but the last few days I have been thinking about smoking more and more. Not in a craving kind of way but in a "I miss my friend" kind of way. It's really frustrating and making me mad! The only thing I can think of is that I had surgery a couple weeks ago and still feel a bit down from that. Maybe my missing the cigs is me just wanting to go back to a time that I felt better and was doing things instead of laying around. I don't know. Any insight would be helpful.

[Ramona]

The psychological ties run deep.  We have to overcome every single trigger as a non-smoker.  Have you been through surgery as a non-smoker?  Or any health situation as a non-smoker?  Now you must.

 

And you will overcome every challenge one by one.  You have to be a sniper.  You can't win this war in one shot.  It takes a sustained, concentrated effort to mow down each and every trigger you face.  You may not even know what's causing the crave but it still demands your fight.

 

You can do this.  Believe in yourself.

[El Bandito]

Hey Nixter. We spent a long time teaching ourselves that smoking was our friend.

 

Even though our body kept reporting to us that smoking was bad, we kept replying 'No. It relaxes me' or 'No, I enjoy it'. Then suddenly, one day to the next, we change direction.

 

TEW is right. Every little trigger, even ones you didn't know where there will come up. They do get easier to defeat every day that passes.

 

Don't mope Nixter. Keep reminding yourself that you took on this addiction and kicked its ass. Well done you!

[Pippa]

The psychological ties run deep.  We have to overcome every single trigger as a non-smoker.  Have you been through surgery as a non-smoker?  Or any health situation as a non-smoker?  Now you must.

 

And you will overcome every challenge one by one.  You have to be a sniper.  You can't win this war in one shot.  It takes a sustained, concentrated effort to mow down each and every trigger you face.  You may not even know what's causing the crave but it still demands your fight.

 

You can do this.  Believe in yourself.

I love this post TEW - it perfectly sums up how quitting can be !!

 

Nixter - take the time to celebrate small victories - each win makes your quit stronger and remember to keep posting to let us know how you are going :-)

[Runfree]

Hi Nixter.  I was having some frustrating moments around month 2 and posted about it.  The folks here gave me some great support and insight.  I will try to find that thread and bump it.  It was called "Solid in my NOPE but...", or something like that.  

[babs609]

Loved the way you worded that TEW. EXCELLENT!'

 

Nixter--our smoking addiction is similar to ending a toxic relationship. Easier to leave it when you are fed up and disgusted. As time goes on--remembering the good times....forgetting the bad. When it comes to smoking, the good memory is just an illusion. if you were to smoke it would not be what you imagine because you are no longer a smoker.

 

When I would find myself having similar thoughts I would immediately come to the board and read posts and watch videos to remind myself why I quit in the first place.

 

Protect that precious quit Nixter. This feeling is temporary. I promise.

[beacon]

I remember feeling like I was missing a body part. Smoking was such a habit thst i did not know what to do with myself after I quit. It took time to learn new coping skills and habits. ......this reminnded me of this artcle from Why Quit.

 

My Cigarette, My Friend by Joel Spitzer

 

How do you feel about a friend who has to go everywhere with you? Not only does he tag along all the time, but since he is so offensive and vulgar, you become unwelcome when with him. He has a peculiar odor that sticks to you wherever you go. Others think both of you stink.

 

He controls you totally. When he says jump, you jump. Sometimes in the middle of a blizzard or storm, he wants you to come to the store and pick him up. You would give your spouse hell if he or she did that to you all the time, but you can't argue with your friend. Sometimes, when you are out at a movie or play he says he wants you to go stand in the lobby with him and miss important scenes. Since he calls all the shots in your life, you go. Your friend doesn't like your choice of clothing either. Instead of politely telling you that you have lousy taste, he burns little holes in these items so you will want to throw them out. Sometimes, he tires of the furniture and gets rid of it too. Occasionally, he gets really nasty and decides the whole house must go.

 

He gets pretty expensive to support. Not only is his knack of property destruction costly, but you must pay to keep him with you. In fact, he will cost you thousands of dollars over your lifetime. And you can count on one thing, he will never pay you a penny in return.

 

Often at picnics you watch others playing vigorous activities and having lots of fun doing them. But your friend won't let you. He doesn't believe in physical activity. In his opinion, you are too old to have that kind of fun. So he kind of sits on your chest and makes it difficult for you to breathe. Now you don't want to go off and play with other people when you can't breathe, do you?

 

Your friend does not believe in being healthy. He is really repulsed by the thought of you living a long and productive life. So every chance he gets he makes you sick. He helps you catch colds and flu. Not just by running out in the middle of the lousy weather to pick him up at the store. He is more creative than that. He carries thousands of poisons with him which he constantly blows in your face. When you inhale some of them, they wipe out cilia in your lungs which would have helped you prevent these diseases.

 

But colds and flu are just his form of child's play. He especially likes diseases that slowly cripple you - like emphysema. He considers this disease great. Once he gets you to have this, you will give up all your other friends, family, career goals, activities - everything. You will just sit home and caress him, telling him what a great friend he is while you desperately gasp for air.

 

But eventually your friend tires of you. He decides he no longer wishes to have your company. Instead of letting you go your separate ways, he decides to kill you. He has a wonderful arsenal of weapons behind him. In fact, he has been plotting your death since the day you met him. He picked all the top killers in society and did everything in his power to ensure you would get one of them. He overworked your heart and lungs. He clogged up the arteries to your heart, brain, and every other part of your body. In case you were too strong to succumb to this, he constantly exposed you to cancer causing agents. He knew he would get you sooner or later.

 

Well, this is the story of your "friend," your cigarette. No real friend would do all this to you. Cigarettes are the worst possible enemies you ever had. They are expensive, addictive, socially unacceptable, and deadly. Consider all this and NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!

 

Joel

[bakon]

Thoughts will pop up, just don't act on them. Dreamt last night I had one, even thought it was tasting bad and not puffing right, but I was also back in HS cafeteria so obviously I am not grounded in reality..

[BAT]

obviously I am not grounded in reality..

 

Understatement of the year  :P

[BAT]

First off congrats on posting and being proactive. 

 

Your mind is just trying to play a trick on you. It's trying to come up with an excuse to smoke. Don't let it. Do something to distract it from those ciggy thoughts. 

 

Stay On The QTrain  :)

[Frezflops]

great job posting, these thoughts will come up from time to time but as time goes by it will be easier to just brush them off and move on. I still occasionally think of it but now it is barely even a blip on the radar, and so much easier to let go. keep being strong!

[Devil Doll]

obviously I am not grounded in reality..

Do you think?

 

TEW said it perfectly, and what you are experiencing is normal. Cling tight because it all passes. Fantastic job posting. Have you written a post to yourself in "Pre-respond to your own SOS" yet?

[Nixter]

Thank you all so SO much! Exactly what I needed to hear. Actually had a dream about smoking last night after I posted this. Except in the dream I was repulsed by smoking and so angry at myself that I had a puff. Feeling much stronger today!

[Tink]

You are doing great, look what you have achieved, well done for posting thats exactly the right thing to do

 

We win the war one step or battle at a time xx

[Still winning]

I wobbled at 6 weeks too. I dunno why, it just kept coming up. Like you I posted.

 

You have done exactly the right thing by a pre emptive post, I'm so pleased you asked for the support as now we can give it. I too like TEW's post. I kinda feel like nicotine give it a few last big moments on the trigger front and Bandito is right, the more of them you NOPE too the less power it holds over you. In the end I'd feel like the stronger the trigger I faced down, the bigger the jump in peace of mind I got in the quit. 

 

Bang on track Nixter, doing great. Hope recovery is going well. xx

[Ria]

I remember feeling like I was missing a body part. Smoking was such a habit thst i did not know what to do with myself after I quit. It took time to learn new coping skills and habits. ......this reminnded me of this artcle from Why Quit.

 

My Cigarette, My Friend by Joel Spitzer

 

How do you feel about a friend who has to go everywhere with you? Not only does he tag along all the time, but since he is so offensive and vulgar, you become unwelcome when with him. He has a peculiar odor that sticks to you wherever you go. Others think both of you stink.

 

He controls you totally. When he says jump, you jump. Sometimes in the middle of a blizzard or storm, he wants you to come to the store and pick him up. You would give your spouse hell if he or she did that to you all the time, but you can't argue with your friend. Sometimes, when you are out at a movie or play he says he wants you to go stand in the lobby with him and miss important scenes. Since he calls all the shots in your life, you go. Your friend doesn't like your choice of clothing either. Instead of politely telling you that you have lousy taste, he burns little holes in these items so you will want to throw them out. Sometimes, he tires of the furniture and gets rid of it too. Occasionally, he gets really nasty and decides the whole house must go.

 

He gets pretty expensive to support. Not only is his knack of property destruction costly, but you must pay to keep him with you. In fact, he will cost you thousands of dollars over your lifetime. And you can count on one thing, he will never pay you a penny in return.

 

Often at picnics you watch others playing vigorous activities and having lots of fun doing them. But your friend won't let you. He doesn't believe in physical activity. In his opinion, you are too old to have that kind of fun. So he kind of sits on your chest and makes it difficult for you to breathe. Now you don't want to go off and play with other people when you can't breathe, do you?

 

Your friend does not believe in being healthy. He is really repulsed by the thought of you living a long and productive life. So every chance he gets he makes you sick. He helps you catch colds and flu. Not just by running out in the middle of the lousy weather to pick him up at the store. He is more creative than that. He carries thousands of poisons with him which he constantly blows in your face. When you inhale some of them, they wipe out cilia in your lungs which would have helped you prevent these diseases.

 

But colds and flu are just his form of child's play. He especially likes diseases that slowly cripple you - like emphysema. He considers this disease great. Once he gets you to have this, you will give up all your other friends, family, career goals, activities - everything. You will just sit home and caress him, telling him what a great friend he is while you desperately gasp for air.

 

But eventually your friend tires of you. He decides he no longer wishes to have your company. Instead of letting you go your separate ways, he decides to kill you. He has a wonderful arsenal of weapons behind him. In fact, he has been plotting your death since the day you met him. He picked all the top killers in society and did everything in his power to ensure you would get one of them. He overworked your heart and lungs. He clogged up the arteries to your heart, brain, and every other part of your body. In case you were too strong to succumb to this, he constantly exposed you to cancer causing agents. He knew he would get you sooner or later.

 

Well, this is the story of your "friend," your cigarette. No real friend would do all this to you. Cigarettes are the worst possible enemies you ever had. They are expensive, addictive, socially unacceptable, and deadly. Consider all this and NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!

 

Joel

 

Oh BEACON (Joel) xox

 

This made me feel shocked/sad/happy/amazed/stupid/elated/awake/fortunate/rich/enlightened/renewed/rejuvenated/ FREEE!!!!!!!

 

SOOO true!! xox