Post by Ann on Aug 24, 2006 6:52:44 GMT -5
Excerpt from: Hooked But Not Helpless
By: Patricia Allison with Jack Host
Confronting Your Addiction (Five Steps)
I Am Having A Desire To Smoke Right Now: Every time you have a desire to smoke, face it. The desire is going to come over you whether you like it or not. It's normal. That's what makes you a smoker. But you don't have to be afraid of the desire. It's not bigger than you. It can't hurt you. You don't have to get rid of it, hide from it, or pretend it isn't there. Let it run its course. It will fade away. You may worry that you'll never feel normal again. However, you can be certain that as long as you don't give in to the addiction, your desire to smoke will inevitable diminish, becoming less frequent and less intense until most of the time you feel like a non-smoker. And although you want a cigarette, remember what you don't want. You don't want to get sick from smoking or to have to go on smoking for the rest of your life.
I Can Smoke. I Am Not Deprived: Nobody's taking your cigarettes away from you. You don't have to give up smoking, and even if you do stop, you can go back to smoking any time you choose. What you can't be, however, is a happy comfortable smoker.
One Puff And I'll Go Back To Smoking 30 To 40 Cigarettes A Day, Every Day: Don't trick yourself into believing you can have just one puff when the going gets difficult. Using your drug to get through withdrawal from your drug doesn't make sense. One puff will always call for another puff, and sooner or later you'll be back to smoking them all.
Right Now I Have A Choice To Make For Myself: Either give in to this temporary discomfort and go back to the constant misery of smoking, or accept this temporary discomfort and walk through it for these benefits ... Now ... list your own five benefits here.
For Example: better breathing no more chest pains healthier heart peace of mind more self-respect
Name the five most important benefits for YOU, beginning with your top priority. One way to make sure these are your reasons for stopping is to ask yourself whether you're willingly accepting the discomfort of going through withdrawal. You only have the above two options ... so now make your choice ...
By: Patricia Allison with Jack Host
Confronting Your Addiction (Five Steps)
I Am Having A Desire To Smoke Right Now: Every time you have a desire to smoke, face it. The desire is going to come over you whether you like it or not. It's normal. That's what makes you a smoker. But you don't have to be afraid of the desire. It's not bigger than you. It can't hurt you. You don't have to get rid of it, hide from it, or pretend it isn't there. Let it run its course. It will fade away. You may worry that you'll never feel normal again. However, you can be certain that as long as you don't give in to the addiction, your desire to smoke will inevitable diminish, becoming less frequent and less intense until most of the time you feel like a non-smoker. And although you want a cigarette, remember what you don't want. You don't want to get sick from smoking or to have to go on smoking for the rest of your life.
I Can Smoke. I Am Not Deprived: Nobody's taking your cigarettes away from you. You don't have to give up smoking, and even if you do stop, you can go back to smoking any time you choose. What you can't be, however, is a happy comfortable smoker.
One Puff And I'll Go Back To Smoking 30 To 40 Cigarettes A Day, Every Day: Don't trick yourself into believing you can have just one puff when the going gets difficult. Using your drug to get through withdrawal from your drug doesn't make sense. One puff will always call for another puff, and sooner or later you'll be back to smoking them all.
Right Now I Have A Choice To Make For Myself: Either give in to this temporary discomfort and go back to the constant misery of smoking, or accept this temporary discomfort and walk through it for these benefits ... Now ... list your own five benefits here.
For Example: better breathing no more chest pains healthier heart peace of mind more self-respect
Name the five most important benefits for YOU, beginning with your top priority. One way to make sure these are your reasons for stopping is to ask yourself whether you're willingly accepting the discomfort of going through withdrawal. You only have the above two options ... so now make your choice ...