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Post by judyb on Mar 21, 2018 12:49:51 GMT -5
Rationalization: "I must not be ready yet because I'm still afraid" Reality: Fear just means you're human and aren't comfortable with the unknown. If you wait until your fear disappears before making a change, you may wait forever. Rationalization: " I need more confidence before I can make a move" Reality: You never gain true confidence in your ability to do something until you actually do it" Rationalization: "This isn't the right time to do it" Reality: You may never feel it's the right time to take a risk (which forces you to leave your comfort zone). But once you find the courage and experience its benefits, the risk will feel right. Rationalization: "I'm not sure I want to do it anyway" Reality: You're fooling yourself into believing you don't want change. You will doubt the validity of your new path until you see where it takes you. The ideas are from a book called "Secrets About Life Every Woman Should Know" by Barbara De Angelis, Ph.D.
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Post by judyb on Mar 21, 2018 12:16:41 GMT -5
Bubb (Larryb) on Friday, April 20, 2001 - 09:22 am:
While smoking, I would light a cigarette to celebrate just about any kind of occasion. Starting a project, ending a project, after meals, the passing of another minute. Smoking was intentional, reactionary, casual, instinctive, perpetual. The mental aspect of quitting is to say the least, difficult. But not impossible. Don't look for any overnite miracles. Don't anticipate any quick solutions to this process. Quitting smoking requires lots of patience and understanding. Cigarette smoking is an addiction. Nicotine is a powerful drug. Quitting is not fun and games. Quitting smoking just may save your life and is serious business. I don't know how long you smoked but a habit that prevailed for any number of years has undoubtedly ingrained itself quite deeply. In the beginning, rather than lighting up, you should use an alternative. Gum, suckers, life savers, water. It won't be easy but you must graduate from one step to the next. Like a finger print, everyone's quit is different and it takes varying amounts of time to relearn/adjust to a different life style. Make no mistake, quitting smoking requires life style changes. In the beginning, you must have a plan as to what you're going to do in lieu of reaching for a smoke. You must have a plan as to what you're going to do the first time someone gets in your way or upsets you. Anger and frustration are the greatest quit busters.
Your question is proof you're thinking about this process. That is a good sign and proof you're serious about this undertaking.
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Choices
Mar 20, 2018 18:43:23 GMT -5
Post by judyb on Mar 20, 2018 18:43:23 GMT -5
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 ...
At this moment I CHOOSE TO WILLINGLY ACCEPT THIS TEMPORARY DISCOMFORT because I want ________(fill in this blank with your reasons to quit)________!!
Always end your thinking process by naming at least three major benefits. When you have a craving to smoke, don't let it make a fool of you. Use these FIVE STEPS, along with your list of benefits, every time the desire to smoke comes up. Recognize what's happening: you're having a desire to smoke. And you can smoke; you're not deprived. Then, remind yourself that one puff will take you straight back to the slavery of smoking. Finally, make your choice. Don't whine and complain because you can't have it your way - smoking without consequences. You have to pay a price; you can't have cigarettes and your health, too. Remember that you are choosing between TEMPORARY DISCOMFORT and ONGOING MISERY. You can succumb to your desire and give in to your addiction for relief from temporary stress OR you can resist the urge for the sake of long-term happiness and health.
By using these steps to face your addiction, you will train your mind to respond to the desire to smoke in a new you. Instead of automatically giving in to your desires, like a robot, you will confront the desire and make a choice.
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Post by judyb on Mar 20, 2018 18:41:13 GMT -5
I CAN DO THIS On a daily basis, you must continue to nurture the thought that you CAN do it. Don't even think about the word "try", for to do so opens up a window of doubt in your mind. Maybe I will and maybe I won't, but I'll tryyyy... leads right to that window of allowing yourself to slip back into tobacco slavery. Believing in yourself and reminding yourself over and over that "I CAN do this and I WILL quit smoking for today" is born of a commitment to do whatever it takes to get it done. If you believe you CAN, you're right. If you believe you can't, you're right. So start right now to think positive thoughts every day. Remember, success comes in "cans".
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Post by judyb on Mar 20, 2018 18:35:32 GMT -5
Brain fog.... What a strange and wonderful thing. My definition of brain fog is: the state of being between here and there. From a smoke enders reference; it's the time and space between the moment a smoker quits cigarettes and the moment he/she realizes that tobacco is no longer part of a lifestyle. Many things have been written about brain fog. There is a reason this.
IT'S INTERESTING. Brain fog is like a conscious dream. It's a euphoria. It's like a thought that when explained to others, the listener must have a reference point in order to understand what in the hell you're talking about.
The reason I mention it now is because we have a numberof new quitters. Another reason is that I think I suffer from permanent brain fog. No, don't feel sorry for me. Envy me. Being in a constant state of brain fog is a wonderful thing. It's a lifelong pass which allows me to explore placesI didn't even know existed.
Yesterday, Judy posted something I wrote almost a yearago. Albie responded by writng some things that rang all kinds of bells. (See? Newbies teach oldbies all kinds of things). She responded from the spot where I now reside. It's a place where most people just pass through on their way to Smobriety. Smobriety is atown just down the road from that other place called Addiction. Smobriety is the place where the mind, soul, and spirit are set free.
Addiction is the place some refer to as hell. Some call it 'Dead End'. Sorta like being on death row. Smobriety is a place where you come to realize that you've caught the tail you've been chasing. It's where the bindings are cut. It's where you discard the shackles you've been wearing and it's the place where you're finally freed of the ball and chain you've been lugging around. It's the place where like Mr. Bojangles, you can feel free to jump up and kick your heels. It's a place which is hard to describe but when you get there, trust me, you'll know you have arrived. You just have to maintain the faith while making the journey.
Lots of folks decide to quit smoking, visit the board,become accustomed to a smokeless life and then move on. I'm so happy for them and wish them the very best. Me? I quit smoking, joined the board and after almost 2 years, I'm still here. I'm not patting myself on the back. I'm still here because I haven't been able to leave the spot where most people just pass through. I'm still in that place that Albie refers to as 'where life goes from 2D to 3D'. This is such a cool place, I don't ever want to leave.
To all the newbies, stick with it. Find this place called Smobriety. It's sometimes hard to find but wow, what a great place. There are only rough maps to help you along the way but with a little faith and a little effort, you can find it.
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Post by judyb on Mar 20, 2018 18:10:12 GMT -5
When we describe something as "breathtaking" we mean that it is awesome or exciting. It takes your breath away as it sweeps you out of your normal state of being. The breathtaking thing or event demands your attention. The breath is not so much taken as interrupted as you inhale rapidly.
When startled, we also quickly suck in breath and sharply focus attention on the unexpected thing or event. At the same time, our muscles tense as if we are preparing to fight or flee. So whether something is startling or breathtakingly beautiful, our bodies respond in a similar way with muscle contraction, narrowed mental focus, and increased respiration.
These changes are helpful in allowing us to avoid danger or to enjoy something wonderful. Viewing a great work of art we don’t mind having our breath taken away. We want to see it as clearly as possible and not be distracted. Similarly, in trying to avoiding a traffic accident, we want to be fully alert and activated. We can be thankful that we have these activation responses. Unfortunately, we can become chronically activated by repetitive events in life that we perceive as threatening.
When we habitually respond to people, places, and events as if they were dangerous, we develop persistent muscle tension and shallow restricted breathing. It doesn’t matter if the danger is real. Our thought that we are at risk is all it takes to create an anxiety response. That response also includes increased heart rate and blood pressure, perspiration, blood flow to the extremities and away from digestion, and numerous other physiological changes. We want these to happen in an emergency, but if they persist, we risk wearing out our system – and not enjoying life.
It is difficult to voluntarily slow your heart rate or lower your blood pressure just by thinking about it (though not impossible). It is much easier to modify your breathing. Slow and relaxed breathing is an all clear signal to your body. When you calm your breathing, your muscles relax, your heart rate returns to normal and the whole physiological alert system stands down.
Practice:
When you find yourself tense or anxious, practice calming yourself by modifying your breathing.
Take a deep breath. Inhale fully and hold it a moment. Then exhale. If circumstances permit, this can be an audible sigh. Or exhale silently as if you were sighing. Let go of the breath as if you were releasing your grip on a heavy weight. Just let it drop.
Tell yourself to "Relax and breathe."
After you have exhaled, pause for a moment and wait for the need to inhale to form. Don’t resist the inhalation, but don’t rush it. It will come inevitably. Ocean waves on the shore flow in and back in their own time. It doesn’t help to push them. So with your breath allow it to rise and fall without pushing. Just let the flow of the breath flow over and around you.
As you inhale, allow your abdomen to participate. When tense, we breathe up in our chest. When relaxed, breathing is more in the belly. It may be helpful to put your hand on your stomach to feel that your belly is moving when you breathe. When your abdomen rises and falls with the breath, it means your diaphragm is relaxing. This allows full expansion of your lungs.
When you feel nervous, angry, or impatient, take a few moments to practice this more relaxed breathing. See if you can reinterpret your tension as excitement. Tell yourself to relax and breathe. Form some constructive, positive thoughts about your situation.
Some things are beyond our conscious control, but we can control our breathing and we can direct our thoughts. With these, and practice, we can learn to transform life experiences and expand not only our lungs, but our capacity for joy.
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Post by judyb on Mar 18, 2018 7:56:31 GMT -5
The Monster In My Belly.... Date: 1999/03/10 Author: Roadkill <malapropSPAM@internetcds.com> Posting History
The Monster In My Belly... (Warning! posted last May 11th, my first 24 hours) I was intending to use the info given by Allen Carr along with patches starting last night--but was intrigued enough by what I read to delay putting on the patch in order to experience the withdrawal as long as I could--I had two patches to tide me over, anyway. I wanted to try and "welcome" the pangs.... But I really think of "it" as the monster in my belly--the one makes demands on me--to get up and drive to the store at night--to hurry up through dinner--etc...., so he can be fed. Even as I put out my cigarette, he's already working up a need for the next one.... Last night when I put the last one out and had no intention of driving to the store, I could tell he was mad. I begged off a visit from my gent.friend, last night, and tonight as well, so it could just be the monster & me. About three times today, the monster let loose with, "Feed me dammit" "right now, dammit" dammit, dammit, "Feed me right now,, dammit, dammit, dammit." "Feed me dammit" "right now, dammit" dammit, dammit, "Feed me right now,, dammit, dammit, dammit." While he was yelling, I noticed that my shoulders felt tight, as did my neck---I took a nap this am. Upon waking went to Walmart and lost my car--absolutely could not remember where I parked it. Fortunately it was the only yellow car there. "Feed me dammit" "right now, dammit" dammit, dammit, "Feed me right now,, dammit, dammit, dammit." "It doesn't matter you know--one won't hurt you, you've always kept me fed before..... I gave the monster dried cranberries. and then a HagenDaz icecream bar. Don't know what to do about the boyfriend--he can be frustrating--and I can't do frustration right now.--He's a slippery place. Roadkill
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Post by judyb on Mar 18, 2018 7:37:53 GMT -5
From lastchance on 7/6/99 11:32:06 AM This is only a little tongue in cheek.
It is for all the people who are just starting...roughly adapted from something my Dr. gave me...but MUCH better now that I have fixed it up. Read, study! There may be pop quizzes!.
What you might/will experience when you quit:
Hunger- an increase in appetite is normal. Why do you think all those skinny models smoke? Because smoking DOES affect the appetite--ergo, so does not-smoking. Drink lots of water. Remember when you started smoking and it made you feel a little nauseous? So you know that it affected your stomach, right? Well, quitting will affect it, too--trick it into thinking it's hungry. Deal with it any way you can...or not. You won't keep on gaining forever. Gaining 10 pounds is not on a scale with the Rape of Nanking. (pun intended...I can't help myself)
Constipation and Gas: Intestinal motility (action to you non medical types) may decrease. East lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. If you have to, eat prunes and drink prune juice. We don't want to talk too much about this. Be careful it doesn't make you a walking time bomb! By the way, sometimes the gas is just because you're eating a lot more, and your poor intestines aren't sure how to handle it! Be kind to your 'tines. Tolerance is a virtue. Don't stand in front of people.
Perspiration: Your body is clearing away years of pollution with hundreds of dangerous and poinsonous chemicals. This is one of its ways of cleaning up. Drink lots of water and juices. That speeds up the process. Use pit stick. This is one of the reason we are always telling people to take baths! heheh.
Bad breath: See above. The chemistry in your mouth is different. You may experience all kinds of things from sores to teeth clenching (from tension) to infected gums. See your dentist. He/she will applaud your decision to quit even while treating the effects, because in the end, your teeth and gums will benefit! Brush, floss and rinse often. Can't hurt. Smile.
Dizziness - accompanied with tremors and headaches--could be carbon monoxide withdrawal. Experienced very early in the quit. Breath deeply, go for a walk. Laugh. That's why we tell jokes on the "Q"--because laughing out loud is very good for you. Honest.
Sore scalp, itchy hands and feet: Circulation is improving and very early in the quit can be interpreted as itching or soreness. It will go away very quickly. BONUSTIME: Your fingernails and toenails will begin to look MUCH better in a few months when you start to see the results of this improved circulation. You may, if you wish, treat yourself to a manicure and pedicure with some of th money you will save. Also, when you feel like scratching someone's eyes out, (and you will) you will have better weapons. We are ALWAYS looking out for you!
Coughing, hacking and bringing up unmentionable stuff: Over a period of years of smoking the lungs produce large amounts of phlegm in an attempt to protect themselves from what you are doing to them by smoking. After you stop smoking, this material loosens and is removed from the lungs by coughing. Occasionally, mucus will be coughed up for weeks or months, particularly in people who have smoked for a long time. This is your lungs having their revenge on you. You did something disgusting to them for years, now they will do something disgusting to you. Live with it. No, no...I didn't mean that....think of it as them gradually turning from phlegm-filled bags of gunk, into lovely healthy baby pink organs that will serve you well into your 90's now that you have stopped abusing them.
Insomnia: can be part of the quitting process, some would say is USUALLY part of the process. Caused by the withdrawal from nicotine, I think. It WILL go away in a few weeks. If you are taking Zyban, it may take a little longer. If you are on the patch, try not wearing it at night. See if your Doctor will prescribe you something that will make you drowsy at appropriate times. After all, he/she has been bi*ching and nagging about the smoking for years, right? So now that you are doing something about it, the least they can do is open up the prescription pad, so to speak. A little help from the pharmaceutical folks is not going to compromise the quit. Use every weapon you have, or can get~!!!!!!
Sleepiness and fatigue: I know, this is the opposite of the above. This is a paradox or something, but it DOES happen. It is much easier to deal with than insomnia, because the cure is simple. SLEEP! If you can sleep through the first week it is much easier anyway...
Did you get all that? I haven't even BEGUN to talk about irritability--that is a whole post in itself.
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Post by judyb on Mar 18, 2018 7:35:31 GMT -5
That's right. You have to fail in order to succeed. You have to learn from your mistakes in order to use them to your advantage the next time. And yes, there has to be a next time if you want to achieve your goal. Success is not an easy road. You are fooling yourself if you think that you will defy the odds and become an overnight success. Yes, it can happen but I wouldn't count it. Success requires commitment, hard work, and consistency. Don't give up on yourself when things get tough. In creating your own success story, adopt the attitude that at least you know of one more way that isn't going to work for you. Adopt the attitude that your goal is worth it, that your happiness is worth it, and to go for it again.
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Post by judyb on Mar 18, 2018 7:30:16 GMT -5
I promised a report, so here it is, ounce by ounce: Got up, put on favorite shirt: "Join the Marines See the World Make friends Kill them" So far, so good. Lit the stove, put some coffee in the pot (used to grind it, now just chew it), and an eggshell. Butterbuns (German Shepherd, female, farts) nowhere to be found. Funny, I'd never kick the dog. The cow, yes. It was after coffee that it started to hit me, and I remembered the patch. Couldn't find them, at first, and by the time I ripped open the package, and tried to light one, I was sorta shakin and bakin. Tried three of the little suckers, and couldn't get a one goin'. So, I tried to light one on the stove. Knocked over the coffee, and scared the sh*t out of the cat... Jasper, after Jasper Johns, the artist. Sign on the cat box: "JASPER'S JOHN." BB can't read it, so she sniffs. I took all six boxes into the living room, tore up the packaging material for kindling, put the whole mess in the middle of the living room floor, and STILL couldn't get the goddam things goin', cause my hands were shakin' so bad I couldn't hold on to a match. I'm resourceful. I went out to the barn, kicked the cow, and dragged the goddam oxyacetylene rig in (2,300 degrees, F., and it lights with a striker!). Like a fool (appropriate to the day, huh? yes Rob, we're all just a big cosmic joke on you, so sit on my torch!) I once made the mistake of gittin the big bottles (four feet high, if you're not familiar with them, instead of two feet high) and they weigh about two hunnert pounds, and I've got 'em on a cart built for the small ones, so gettin em up the back stairs was a bi*ch, and, twice, I fell in the mud (it snowed yesterday, but it all melted) so I hadda get some boards, and build a ramp, and the 'phone kept ringin', and I was SURE it was ROSIE bein full of good cheer, or some such crap, so I shot the 'phone, and IT'S goin on my "giving back list," like the lawnmower (but that's another story). Anyway, I got up the god d**n stairs, and into the kitchen, and you guessed it, ran over the f**kin cat box, which was soaking wet from the coffee pot I'd dumped, and I threw SOMETHING, I still don't know what, but it was about as heavy as a cast iron skillet, (and if it was my jug of Glen Grant, I'm gonna ask the Lord to track down 'ol Tho*, who started all this, and roust him untill he feels like his head is stuck up an ELEPHANT'S ASS) at the cat, who I've never been able to hit with anything, and this time was no exception, except I hit my head (on what turned out to be the hairy side) on the handle of the cart, and my scalp is bleedin like a stuck pig, and at that point the cow had no idea how few minutes she had left on this planet. Anyway, I got the d**n thing into the living room, trailing mud, blood, and coffee soaked cat sh*t, and torched the whole god d**n pile! That did it, and I got about 2,000 milligrams right up the ol' sniffer, and passed out on the smouldering carpet for what seemed like hours... and mighty fine hours they were... but must have been only a few seconds, 'cause my clothes didn't catch on fire (I love that T-shirt!), and it only singed my hair and beard on one side. And I'm NOT gonna try and shave the other side to match, at least not today, 'cause I'd probable wind up with the hedge clippers in my shakin' hands, and cut off my head, which isn't the way I had envisaged quitting this annoying habit. So, I went out to kick the cow a few more times. Unfortunately, on my first try, she musta remembered the last boot in the but, 'cause she swayed to the right, my kick went to the left, and that boot went flying off, and hit the overhead light, and the place went dark, and I went down backwards on, you guessed it, a steamin' pile of cow **i*, and there I was, in the barn, in the dark, in my favorite T-shirt, with half a beard, and 1/4 of a head of hair, thanks to fire and male pattern baldness genes, and stinkin' like s*i*, and along comes Butterbuns cruisin' out of some hole, and starts into lickin' my face (the bald side)! Well, I think she just thought that I'd discovered one of her favorite pastimes (rolling on her back in anything that smells rank) but I sure was glad to see her, which is an exaggeration, 'cause it was pitch black. I guess I mean I was glad for the company, and we both sure did stink like the dogs we were. I'm not too concerned about the living room carpet, 'cause I didn't have it long enough to get used to it, but I'm sure gonna miss that cow. Anyway, Just "droppin in," my neighbor came by (every time she hears a gunshot she thinks I've finally done it, and she can get that lower forty, or else she just wants to kick dirt on the remains), and SHE'S another story, but I'll save that for now, and she said "what's up, dumb f**k," which is her idea of poetic humor, and I gave her $500 to go down to Wal-Mart and fill up on more of them patches. Then I dragged in a piece of roofing tin, and found a dry piece of sheet rock, and put 'em over the burned spot, and checked the gauges on the torch, and just generally got ready for another snootful. Then I got down on my knees, and said: "Lord, I don't ask much, and try to be a pretty good guy...sorry about the cow... but I sure would appreciate it if you could take pity on an addict, and make those patches just a little more flammable." Well, Sue came back, and the Lord works in mysterious ways, 'cause it turned out she found some you can just glue on a bare spot, and get high. Who woulda' thought? If youda told me that before, I woulda said yah, and coke and aspirin can get you pregnant, or some such. Well, obviously that fire turned out to be a blessing (praise the Lord!) 'cause all that new bare skin makes it easier to stick them patches on than shavin my arms, and I've got seventeen patches on now! I look like Gravel Gerty after a bad night in a quarry... but I ain't smokin', an' I don't scare the dog, an' we'll both be eatin' beef till the snow flies. So, that's how my day started Stewart
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Post by judyb on Mar 18, 2018 7:25:06 GMT -5
Hmmm, I thought I was the only one who did that. Actually in my case it isn't a real person. I just made up a character I call "Nick Jones". It sounds pretty silly, but it sometimes help to visualize the cravings as an actual person. That way you can abuse them and tell 'em to get lost. Nick Jones is a very old friend of mine. We met in high school. Nick was known by everyone and thought to be a somewhat unsavory character, but it was sort of cool to hang out with him due to the danger and "taboo" factors. And, of course, when you first meet Nick he gives you a little buzz when you hang out with him - but of course as soon as he's ingratiated himself into your life, he starts withholding that little favor. Old Nick, he's a friendly guy. Charming. He says nice things to you, makes you feel good. He never abandons you, and he's always got time to talk and listen to your troubles. He's never to busy to take a break and shoot the sh*t with you. I hung out with Nick (and his pal, Joe Camel) all through high school, college, and up until four days ago, when I told him to get lost. Now, Nick and I, we had a lot of good times together. I can hardly remember even one time in my life when I was truly having a lot of fun and Nick wasn't there. Parties, concerts, dates, late nights - everything. And of course he was there to help me out in the bad times, too. To be completely honest, I like Nick. I always enjoyed his company, right up until the moment I kicked him out. I still like Nick. I probably always will. But I couldn't deal with the collateral damage. He was just too dangerous and expensive (in more ways than money) to keep company with any longer. So now I've said to Nick Jones: "Sorry, pal, but you're outta here. I never want to see you again". And old Nick, he's pissed off. He doesn't like it one bit. He isn't gonna leave so easily. He's still hanging around bugging me even though I'm ignoring him. I'm using my patch as a talisman, to ward him off like a cross with a vampire. I'm hoping he'll eventually give up and go away, and I can toss my magic amulet. But meanwhile he's still here, constantly, bugging me. He taps me on the shoulder every five minutes and says "Hey, pal, remember me?" Sometimes he whispers in my ear, sometimes beats me over the head with a hammer and it's so sudden and powerful that I have a really hard time ignoring it. And when the direct approach doesn't work, he gets even more evil. He starts in with the guilt trips. He'll say things like "Don't you like me any more?", or "Remember all the good times we had?", or "Who's been here with you, right by your side all these years?". And that's really tough to deal with. The tactic that he has the most success with, the one that almost gets me, is reasonableness. He'll say things like "We'll just hang out on the weekends, OK? I promise I won't bug you during the week. Really." Or he'll say "Hey, let's just get together once a day, you know, for five minutes - catch up on old times. You know you want to." And I do want to. But Nick, I know he's a liar. I know that he won't settle for halfway. Oh, sure, maybe he'd stick to his promise for a week or two. But then he'd be dropping by on Tuesday "just for a second", and the next thing I know he'd be a constant companion again. I can't have that. I have to be strong. It's tough to be so mean to someone you know so well, to such and old and dear friend. But I have to be strong because I know that in the end, someday, he's going to turn on me and kill me. He can't take me down just yet, I'm still young and strong and healthy. But Mr. Nick Jones is a patient man. He'll bide his time and wait until I'm not looking. And someday, when I'm so used to having him around that I almost don't know he's there, he'll stick the knife in and twist it. No, keeping company with Nick Jones, no matter how much you like him, is just asking for trouble. It's like keeping a "tame" bear around the house. It's cute when it's young, and fun to play with, and seems harmless enough. But when that bear cub becomes an adult, someday it's gonna maul you. I can't physically assault Nick. After all, he's invisible. But I can mentally punch him, and shout at him, and tell him to scram. Hopefully I'll be successful eventually and he's move off to a safe distance. But I know he'll never go away. I'm not strong enough to kill him completely, like some people can. For me, he'll always be there on the perimeter, waiting for my weak moments. If I ever even acknowledge his presence again, just say "hi", he'll be back at my side in a flash. Because Nick's a really forgiving guy. No matter how much I abuse him, he's always ready to forgive me. All I have to do is greet him again, even reluctantly, and all will be forgotten. He'll still be happy to be my pal, just like the good old days. Nick doesn't hold grudges, and he's always happy to see you. People always comment on how silly it is for a company to sell a product that kills its customers. And I always answer with the old parable about the frog and the scorpion. You know the one. A frog is about to swim across a river when a scorpion comes by and asks it for a ride across. The frog says "No, because you'll sting me." The scorpion promises that he won't sting the frog - why would he? Then they'd both drown. So the frog starts across the river with the scorpion on its back. Halfway across, the scorpion stings the frog. As they go down, the frog asks "Why did you do that? Now we're both going to die!" And the scorpion says "It's in my nature." Nick Jones has a nature just like that scorpion. And even though he's a really friendly scorpion, he's still going to sting you in the end.
--- Doug Linder from the alt-support-stop-smoking board (as3)
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Post by judyb on Mar 18, 2018 7:22:00 GMT -5
The nicobeast. I hate the SOB. I hate what he has done to me, I hate what he has done to people who are close to me. I hate what he did to people that were close to me but who are no longer on this earth. He took them from me as sure as he put a gun to their heads and pulled the trigger.
The nicobeast is like a spy and a thief. He is able to get close to unsuspecting people and take what he chooses. He first enters the curiosity by convincing his victim that he is a source of comfort and relaxation. He enters the subconscious where he turns his evil charm against confidence and common sense into arrogance and eventually into aggressiveness. He preys on the psyche and turns a friendship into a monster which spins his victim into an uncontrollable addict.
The addict must have the fix. It doesn’t matter when the nicobeast calls. He could call in the middle of the night. He could call during the most terrible blizzard. No matter, the addict will seek and then find the potion. The solution will be disguised in a slender white wrap of paper with tobacco inside. It may be in a store miles away, it could be in a crunched mess bundled in the bottom of a coat pocket. It could be a smashed glob of crap pushed into the bottom of an ashtray by someone else. All sense of cleanliness, health, self esteem, and pride are quickly forgotten in this frantic search for at least one hit.
The addiction has no boundaries. Even while walking down the street, it is hard to escape the lure of the nicobeast. People who have quit smoking can feel his calling months and even years after having tossed the last cigarette aside. Tobacco shops are everywhere, people are always blowing smoke your way, cigarette butts are in abundance all over the streets and sidewalks. The constant remembrance dares to pull you aside and gobble you up and swallow you whole. It is almost as though the nico beast is even calling you from the smoker standing beside you. The aroma of his magical stick, the romance of its fire, the peace it seems to embody continually waves its ugly head towards your senses. He does this with the charm of a prince, enticing your every emotion. The nicobeast knows only too well the path to your heart and has the wherewithal to slice through to the deepest parts of your soul.
Beware of him, he will stop at nothing to control every part of you. He will cause you to self inflict wounds during your every waking moment. Not with the violence of a dagger or the subtlety of a gun, but with unseen poisons that take their toll over time. It will all end in a nightmare of sickness, after he has drained your body of its future, all its life, and all its vigor. He will steal you from your family, your friends. He will kidnap you from this earth and send you spiraling into the abyss. Fear him, loathe him, but most of all, fight him like no other. Fight him to the death and never again allow him to prevail. Kill the SOB.
Bubb
Two months, two weeks, one day, 2 hours, 31 minutes and 56 seconds. 2283 cigarettes not smoked, saving $325.53. Life saved: 1 week, 22 hours, 15 minutes.
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Post by judyb on Mar 18, 2018 7:19:32 GMT -5
Ann (Ladyoth) on Friday, January 12, 2001 - 04:14 pm:
Tobacco's sick trick...
If tobacco kills 11,000 people a day, why do so many people still smoke?
Nicotine.
Once you become addicted to tobacco, it's very hard to quit. The nicotine in cigarettes and chewing tobacco is as addictive as cocaine or heroin. 90% of adult smokers start before age 18. And each year, only 3% of all smokers who try to quit have long-term success.
Approximately seven seconds after you take a puff from a cigarette or a dip of chewing tobacco, nicotine is absorbed into the bloodstream and begins to affect certain areas of the brain. Once these areas are affected, they create more and more nicotine receptors, which crave more and more nicotine.
Tobacco companies know it is addictive. In fact, they're counting on it. Want more proof? Here's just a sample of the evidence we dug up:
1. Internal memos from tobacco companies indicate tobacco executives knew nicotine was addictive by 1960's.
2. Throughout the 1070's, tobacco companies conducted experiments on laboratory animals. They were looking for the amount of nicotine that would make smoking most pleasurable for human smokers.
3. Marloboro adds ammonia to its tobacco to create more "free" nicotine, which reaches your brain faster.
4. Lucky Strike and Pall Mall are two of the nine brands that contained Y-1. This genetically altered super tobacco has twice the addictive power of normal tobacco.
*When you become addicted to tobacco, you lose control over that part of your life. You lose a lot of freedom. You lose the freedom to live a long, healthy life. You lose the freedom to think clearly, because you become consumed with thinking about that next cigarette or chew. And you lose the freedom of choice. After all, you chose to start smoking, you didn't choose to become addicted.
posted on QuitNet, Angelface
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Post by judyb on Mar 18, 2018 7:16:47 GMT -5
By Robyn (Robyn) on Wednesday, February 24, 1999 - 02:05 pm:
Of course you're afraid to quit--who isn't? Smoking's been a part of your life for years!!! But, I think you'll see that the anticipation is much worse than the actual quit! Use this time to mentally prepare yourself for it! Get all your weapons together!!
And, IMHO, I'd stick to my quit date. Sometimes stopping early can backfire. I'd stick to my plan, and start cutting back.
Tips For Gaining Freedom From Nicotine Practical suggestions for people new to not smoking.
1. It's not as hard as you think. Once you begin to be honest with yourself and to look at the facts about smoking, it will become a pleasure to remove this addiction from your life.
2. Square off with your smoking habit. Look at it and size it up. Ask yourself exactly what it is doing for you; then ask yourself what it is not doing for you. You can begin with your hair and work your way down to the tips of your toes. It is a medical fact that smoking affects every organ in the human body in a harmful way.
3. Look at quitting cigarettes as giving yourself a gift -- a very big gift. You are giving yourself a better quality of life and, very possibly, a longer life. You are giving yourself a healthier body. You are giving yourself more self-esteem. Wrap all this in a package and look at it for the gift it really is, then "Go for it!"
4. Set a date. Make a commitment. Give it a try. Remember, it is all right if you don't succeed at first. Just keep trying. The only way you can lose is by ceasing to try.
5. Don't look at it as if you are giving up something. This makes it seem too much like a loss. What you are really doing is tossing something out of your life that has done you harm and doesn't belong here anymore. You are throwing away pure garbage. No longer are you going to allow your lungs to be a resting place for nicotine and tars.
6. Always keep a positive attitude. After all, this is one of the most positive things you've ever done. Stay away from negative people and worrisome situations.
7. Quit for yourself. Even though your family and loved ones will benefit tremendously from your quitting, it is you that will benefit most.
8. Treat giving up smoking with the respect it rightly deserves. Become willing to go to any lengths to remove it from your life. If you are not willing, try praying for the willingness. This usually works.
9. Look up the word 'nicotine' in your dictionary and write down the definition in big letters: "A poisonous alkaloid used as an insecticide.' Put it where you can see it.
10. Don't say "I'll take my chances" and continue to smoke. They are not ours to take. We didn't give ourselves life and we don't have the right to "take our chances" on giving it away. That is up to God.
11.. Don't fool yourself by saying you have too many pressures in your life right now to give up cigarettes. If you are smoking, this in itself is a very great pressure. Every day is a gamble and your life is at stake. By getting nicotine out of your life, other things will become easier to handle. You will feel better about yourself and you will have more energy. You will have accomplished something more meaningful than all the money and material objects you could ever acquire. You will have given yourself what no one else could give you. You will no longer have the pressure of being a smoker.
12. Don't use the excuse that you might gain weight to justify your continuing to smoke. Even if you do gain a little, the fact that you will be more active and will get more exercise should counteract any weight gain. Remember, overeating, not stopping smoking, causes weight gain.
13. Plan to do things that will keep your mind off smoking. Sometimes our minds can be our worst enemies. They will tell us that we need a cigarette for just about any reason that is handy at the time. By doing things like going to the movies in the non-smoking section, munching on corn or sucking on a lollipop, we can keep our minds occupied and get a break. Go to museums and other places where smoking isn't allowed. Swimming is a good idea, too.
14. Quit smoking one day at a time and think only about the part of the day you are in. "I am not going to smoke before noon." "I am not going to smoke before three o'clock." Sometimes just do it one hour at a time. This is a lot easier than trying to quit forever.
15. Don't subject yourself to smoky situations. If you do come in contact with someone who is smoking, just say to yourself "He is having the cigarette I might be having"; then, be grateful you don't have to have it.
16. While you are quitting. Look at it as an investment. Once you have quit for one hour, you have invested this hour in becoming a healthier person. Now, invest one more hour. Continue to add to your investment hour by hour. It will grow and become more valuable as the hours go by. You will begin to see and feel the rewards from this investment more and more. Protect and guard it just as you would a treasure.
17. Start being kind to yourself. It is the beginning of a new way of life for you and you are the most important one there. Treat yourself with respect and love and, remember, you are no longer filling your system with poison every few minutes. Breathe the clean air and breathe it deeply. Smell the different and wonderful fragrances. Begin to spend time outdoors close to nature. Many new sensations await you.
18. Don't get too angry. If we are angry, our minds tell us we need a cigarette to cope. Until your mind learns that it doesn't need a cigarette to cope, try to avoid situations that might be setting you up. Avoid certain people that may bother you. If there is a lot of tension at work, try to get a few days off. If you can't get some time off, quit smoking on a long week end. Avoid, as best you can, things like getting stuck in traffic. Use a lot of caution. Anger can be very destructive.
19. Don't get too hungry. It is amazing how our minds will tell us that everything's wrong when all we really need to do is eat.
20. Don't get too tired. If we are tired, it is easy to become irritated and when we get irritated our minds will tell us that a cigarette will help. Our overall resistance becomes weak and it is easy to say, "Oh well, I guess I'll smoke."
21. Don't get too lonely. It is good to know some people who are going through the same thing.
22. You can remember these four things by the word "HALT." Hungry, angry, lonely, tired. If you feel you need a cigarette, check. Make sure you are not experiencing any of these.
23. Don't get too bored. It is hard to just sit and not smoke. Keep busy. Find things to do that you enjoy: bike riding, hiking, swimming, exploring new places, trying new restaurants. This is the time to indulge yourself.
24. Have something to fidget with. We are accustomed to holding a cigarette; being without one might leave our hands at a loss. Get a small rubber ball or a yo-yo. Play dough is good also, or a piece of clay.
25. Have something handy to put in your mouth. Life Savers are good, or any slowly dissolving candy. Beef jerky and lollipops help, too. Avoid fattening foods like cookies. They don't last long and they fill you up. Experiment while you are still smoking to see what will relieve the craving. If Life Savers work, then stock up. Just a note of caution: don't use this type of substitute on a long-term basis.
26. If you always have a cigarette with a cup of coffee, stop drinking coffee before you quit smoking.
27. Don't drink alcohol while you are quitting. Once alcohol is in your system your defenses will diminish greatly.
28. Remember that the discomfort you experience in the first 2 weeks will definitely come to an end and you will never have to go through it again.
29. Frequently give yourself a pat on the back. What you are doing isn't easy by any means. It takes a lot of guts to try to quit smoking.
30.If you are feeling pain from withdrawal, let it become a lasting memory to serve as a reminder of exactly how strong the drug nicotine is and how hooked you really are.
31. Remember, every minute you were sucking on cigarettes they were sucking on you. They were sucking the very life out of you. Don't let them have anymore.
32. Avoid the self-pity trap. If we begin to feel sorry for ourselves, our minds will tell us that we deserve a cigarette to make us feel better.
33. Remember, if you just keep trying, you will win. It is good against evil and the odds are stacked in your favor.
34. Before quitting plan your activities for the first few days after you quit. This way you won't have to make too many decisions while you are withdrawing. At first, making decisions may be hard without a cigarette.
35. If you are not going to quit right away, then start cutting down. If you smoke 2 packs a day and you cut back 1 cigarette a day for a month, you will be down to just 10 cigarettes a day. Some people, however, have found cutting back to be almost as hard as quitting.
36. Drink lots of liquids to help flush the poison out of your system. Orange juice is good because smoking depletes the vitamin C content in our bodies.
37. Remember, it is the first cigarette that gets you started. It takes only one. This is the one you don't have. You can always put off lighting that first one for a little while. Don't fool yourself and think you can start and stop at will. You can't. Many people have tried this and gone on to live the rest of their lives never to experience freedom from nicotine again.
38. Frequently remind yourself about the differences you have noticed in yourself. Things like: Your breath no longer smells like a dirty ashtray. Your teeth are beginning to lose their yellow color and look bright and clean. Your fingers aren't stained from tobacco. That sickly sounding smoker's cough is disappearing. Your senses of smell and taste are returning. Your complexion is beginning to improve. Your general attitude about yourself is better because you are beginning to really care about yourself.
39. Give it away. Whenever you have a chance to give your experience, strength and hope to another smoker, use it. This act of giving will insure your chances for staying off nicotine and give strength to your quit. There is much reward in helping someone else to gain freedom from this harmful substance.
40. Have a follow-up program. Don't assume it is over because you have made it through a couple of weeks. Nicotine is very cunning.
41. When you want to smoke, read this list of tips.
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Post by judyb on Mar 18, 2018 7:14:06 GMT -5
That feeling that you're missing something is really the sense of change that is part of the grieving process associated with quitting. You're missing something that has been a part of your life for a long time. That same feeling exists for people who get out of prison. They're happy to be free, but "something's missing." What's missing is your former master.
The beast disguises this sense of change with a veil of sadness. Look through the veil and see that the beast beckons with offers of false pleasure.
Yes, being an ex-smoker is different than being a non-smoker who never smoked. But the fact is that you can never go back and be a "never-smoked" non-smoker. That bell has rung and you can't unring it. Be happy for your newfound sight. You can see the beast behind his subtle temptations. Everytime you recognize the beast behind one of his masks, you gain a little more strength, a little more resolve, a little more skill at being a non-smoker.
I am tremendously proud of you. You went into a situation that was fraught with triggers at every turn. It would have seemed like the most natural thing in the world to light up a cigaret. But you recognized the beast, you saw through his insideous disguises and were victorious. That took an incredible amount of strength and resolve. Would you have been able to resist the temptations to smoke at last year's BBQ ... even if you wanted to? I don't think so. You've come a long way, (Baby) in the past 1m1w4d. I hope you're as proud of you as I am.
In the beginning of a quit, the war rages at every moment of the day with valiant battles and heroic efforts all full of sound and fury. The beast charges headon and at our every flank as we struggle to survive another moment, another hour, another day. We number our Quit in hours and minutes, then days then weeks and, perhaps, into months. We cling to every milestone, we chart every cigaret not smoked, we count the dollars and pennies saved. We survive from trigger to trigger, from temptation to pitfall, we defend, we parry, we post and we get pretty d**ned tired. We start to wonder why we quit. We doubt our own resolve, our own reasons for quitting, our own sanity. The beast is a strong and confident veteran and we are but recent recruits on the battlefield. But the war is new, the battles are big, the struggles are huge and the victories are glorious.
If we can survive the beasts initial onslaught, the battles change. The war goes on, but the battles become smaller, quieter, less frequent, more routine. After a while, the battles come and go as a matter of routine. At times the battle passes with barely a blip on the radar of our consciouness. That nasty old nicobeast drags his sorry old carcass out onto the battle field, he struggles to wave his rusty old sword. The once haughty veteran is now old, feeble (though still treacherous). It is now you who have become so strong, so confident, so wise to the beast and his battle plans that he can often be dismissed with a spit in his eye. The battle gets easier. You become less concerned with the war and more concerned with life.
Life is sweeter, breathing is easier, the triggers lose their sting as you face each new situation without the vile beast biting your back.
And you will be a non-smoker.
Congratulations on the latest victory.
Vince
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