Am I Protecting My Quit? Are You?

[MarylandQuitter]

The other day I was sitting with a cup of coffee and a blueberry scone and my thoughts turned to this question: "What am I doing to protect my quit?"  "Am I protecting my quit?"

 

Like most ex-smokers with long quits will oftentimes say, I rarely think about smoking and when I do, it's a fleeting thought, a gentle reminder of my why I can never allow myself to smoke.  But I asked myself, how am I protecting my quit?  I pragmatically thought about this as if my life depended on it.  As I went over the ways I protect my quit there was one specific mindset that blew everything else out-of-the-water; a concept for which all other means to stay quit fall under.  I am a nicotine addict. 

 

Accepting that I was an addict early in my quit was the deciding factor if I was indeed going to not ever take another puff.  Once you treat this as a drug addiction and accept it, the ways in which you stay quit are rank and file.

 

In less than two minutes my brain was resounding with an unrelenting YES, I am protecting my quit.  I think I'll ask myself this from time-to-time just to make sure I'm not getting complacent and keep my ego in check with reality.  :)

 

Are you protecting your quit?

 

[Doreensfree]

Great post MQ..and got me to thinking...

Protecting my quit..it has to be the most important thing that has ever happened in my life..

I have to be blunt..because it is..was it is...I will have both my feet amputated if I don't...

This will probably make me lose the will to live too...

So living a happy 2 feet life gives me the tools to guard my quit well...

Staying here..helping newbies ..showing them it's possible ..reminds me of where I was...and where I am..

I don't look back on smoking ,and think I've lost a friend...I look back at it like a curse...

I love my smoke free life... And will protect it with every thing I've got..

[Sazerac]

 " As I went over the ways I protect my quit there was one specific mindset that blew everything else out-of-the-water; a concept for which all other means to stay quit fall under.  I am a nicotine addict. "

 

This acknowledgement, that I am a nicotine addict, is what helped me quit and keeps me quit.

There is no choice but to never take another puff again, ever never ever. 

 

Recently, under an emotional barrage, I had a craving for an 'ahhhh' moment that cigarettes used to provide by relieving withdrawal.

This showed me again how deep addiction is and how vigilant I must remain.

Complacent ?  Not lately.  Addiction does not allow for complacency.

 

We must NOPE like we mean it, as if our life depends on it.  Because, it does !

[El Bandito]

Yup.

 

For me - easy.

 

There is no 'just one' for me. One means 2 packs. I know it.

 

So the choice is - happy, wealthy and healthy or smoking, poor and sick.

[bakon]

Puff away from a pack a day.

 

 

Now to protect your manhood. Scones are for girls. Donuts for men

[Abby]

Taking one day at a time and getting educated about addiction as well as listening to the testimony of others has helped me learn how to protect my quit .

For the most part I never think of smoking anymore but the loss of an 8 year quit followed by many more years of smoking taught me that

I can not think of anything else but "NOPE" in order to remain smoke free.

 

I need to remember that addiction is tricky and that if I ever "think "I want or need a cigarette ....... it is stinking thinking ! 

 

My go to was my addiction   . To think that I may not ever be tempted again would be very unwise on my part .  I am an addict  and "One puff" will lead me back . Nope is my final answer . 

I agree with others that remembering I am an addict is something that helps protect me . 

[babs609]

I am protecting my quit by acknowledging how far I have come in my new healthy lifestyle and fitness routine.  If I were to smoke even 1 puff....it will quickly lead to a pack...and then VERY quickly goes my self esteem, my hope, and my energy and enthusiasm to maintain my healthy lifestyle...within a blink of an eye I will then quit exercising...and resulting in depression and anxiety and start overeating and there I will be.....a fat, unhealthy, depressed smoker full of anxiety and no hope.

 

NO THANKS!!

 

NOPE!!  EVERY MINUTE>>>EVERY DAY!!

[Soberjulie]

Hmmmm.

Great post MQ

I thought a lot about protecting my quit early on. When I was watching days turn into weeks.....then into months...arriving at that 1yr mark...and even beyond.

Every so often, I'd have a fleeting thought "I'd like a cigarette". It happens occasionally with booze too...the fleeting thought that "I want a cosmopolitan or a martini".

 

I tend to look at those thoughts as an observer.

More importantly, I look at those thoughts with truth.

I might think I want a martini....but I've never drank one of anything in my life.

Same goes for cigarettes......

When I observe those random thoughts, I remember that I have them because I'm an addict.

My mom doesn't have random thoughts about smoking because she's never been addicted to nicotine.

 

I haven't thought about protecting my quit in a long time.

But complacency is not good either.

I think...just like with my alcoholism and (other) drug addictions, the best insurance policy is to pass along my experiences to others.

[Stewie]

Im protecting my quit by not putting a cigarrete on my lips, not even unlit or joking. As long as i do that i know ill succeed.

[Sazerac]

Complacency is an enemy, cockiness is big trouble.

Clarity about our nicotine addiction must take precedence over everything.  Always because addition does not go away, ever.

Look/see what happens with one puff, at any time, forever.

[Giveintowin]

This post is a great reminder. I’m astounded at the foolish thoughts I get sometimes these days about how it would be safe now to have one cigarette. I’ve fallen for this before and blown quits and it’s taken years to get back to quitting. 

 

Great at post and good reminder Saz.