teddiebears
08-21-2008, 12:10 PM
WOOHOO!!! :D Hey, Kathy!! FOUR DAYS SMOKE-FREE!! That's GREAT!!
Remember to keep using your coping strategies to get through the really rough times? You mentioned yesterday that your "cravings were bad". I'm curious - what type of cravings are you talking about? Do you think it's connected to 'physical' withdrawal from nicotine (and other chemicals)? Or is it more of a 'psychological' withdrawal issue?
Just take it one step at a time -- one moment at a time if necessary!! And don't forget that I'm here (along with several others) to help and support you throughout this quitting process. Don't be afraid to tell us whatever you may be experiencing along the way. And vent/rant if you need to - all of us who have already quit have been there and we understand those feelings of frustration (or even anger). ;)
Here's part of an article regarding 'cravings' that I found very interesting --
How to remove the psychological addiction to smoking—and enjoy giving up smoking!
Consider this:
Already since 1972, over 60 million people in the USA alone have successfully quit smoking!
At one stage over 60% of the adult population was addicted to this drug. Today it is 28% and dropping........
Now, isn't this a fair thought......
If all these people can do it (60 MILLION OF THEM!) - and they include EVERY TYPE of person imaginable - surely that is PROOF that IT IS POSSIBLE to successfully give up smoking.
Here's another Fact......
We now know from the latest scientific research, that although nicotine is one of the world's fastest acting drugs --- the actual PHYSICAL withdrawal pangs when you give up ARE SO MILD, YOU WILL HARDLY NOTICE THEM WHEN YOU STOP.
YES, you have read that sentence right!
I know you will want to argue with me on this point, but, first, let me first make the following points.......
The Desire to Smoke
Yes, when you stop smoking you will feel the desire AGAIN and AGAIN to smoke.
We all know that feeling -- 'I must have a cigarette'. But that desire in itself is not bad or painful.
It is just a feeling, a sensation we feel in our body.
However........this is where, for most of us our problems start.....
If we start to fear that 'craving' or try to use 'Willpower' to REPRESS it or FORCE it go away, -- "I wish this feeling would go away" we WILL create pain and tension.
This is what as smokers we have all done in the past.
That 'feeling' of wanting to smoke then becomes painful, annoying and terribly irritating.
Now this is the hard part to realize.......
The pain, the horror does not come from the desire to smoke, but from HOW we deal with this desire, moment-by-moment WHEN we stop.
Can I emphasize this:
You do not have to experience ANY pain or agony when you stop. Yes, when you stop you WILL experience a ...........
Temporary feeling of loss
A feeling that you are being deprived of something
A feeling of emptiness
A feeling that you will never be able to enjoy yourself again.
A feeling that you must have a cigarette
These feelings, although very real in themselves are not inherently bad or painful. What is important is how you deal with these feelings when you stop.
The key part of giving up smoking naturally is learning how to deal with these cravings when you stop.
Conflict
Right now, you don't want to give up smoking because you are TERRIFIED of how you will FEEL when you can't smoke.
Let's be honest.
You smoke now because you enjoy it.
Or -- to be more accurate: You smoke now because you have conditioned yourself to enjoy it.
It is important that we are honest with ourselves here.
In fact, even the 'THOUGHT', the mere 'thought' of not been able to smoke probably fills you with utter dread now.
But there is another undeniable fact: This 'pleasure' is killing you.
Again we must be brutally honest here. Everyday, you are systemically destroying your health.
This is the conflict all smokers face.
On the one hand, smoking is killing you and you desperately want to stop.....
..And yet on the other hand, you don't really want to stop because you believe you really enjoy it.
Yet, one other truth cannot be denied and this applies to every smoker........
We are terrified of how we will F-E-E-L when we can't smoke. We are convinced it will be unbearable and impossible.
to be continued......
source: Author: Sean O 'Riain Website: http://www.quitsmokingonline.com/
~~~~~~~~
I'll try to come back later and post more of this article about dealing with cravings and psychological withdrawal.
Hope everyone is having a peaceful and smoke=free day!!!
Remember to keep using your coping strategies to get through the really rough times? You mentioned yesterday that your "cravings were bad". I'm curious - what type of cravings are you talking about? Do you think it's connected to 'physical' withdrawal from nicotine (and other chemicals)? Or is it more of a 'psychological' withdrawal issue?
Just take it one step at a time -- one moment at a time if necessary!! And don't forget that I'm here (along with several others) to help and support you throughout this quitting process. Don't be afraid to tell us whatever you may be experiencing along the way. And vent/rant if you need to - all of us who have already quit have been there and we understand those feelings of frustration (or even anger). ;)
Here's part of an article regarding 'cravings' that I found very interesting --
How to remove the psychological addiction to smoking—and enjoy giving up smoking!
Consider this:
Already since 1972, over 60 million people in the USA alone have successfully quit smoking!
At one stage over 60% of the adult population was addicted to this drug. Today it is 28% and dropping........
Now, isn't this a fair thought......
If all these people can do it (60 MILLION OF THEM!) - and they include EVERY TYPE of person imaginable - surely that is PROOF that IT IS POSSIBLE to successfully give up smoking.
Here's another Fact......
We now know from the latest scientific research, that although nicotine is one of the world's fastest acting drugs --- the actual PHYSICAL withdrawal pangs when you give up ARE SO MILD, YOU WILL HARDLY NOTICE THEM WHEN YOU STOP.
YES, you have read that sentence right!
I know you will want to argue with me on this point, but, first, let me first make the following points.......
The Desire to Smoke
Yes, when you stop smoking you will feel the desire AGAIN and AGAIN to smoke.
We all know that feeling -- 'I must have a cigarette'. But that desire in itself is not bad or painful.
It is just a feeling, a sensation we feel in our body.
However........this is where, for most of us our problems start.....
If we start to fear that 'craving' or try to use 'Willpower' to REPRESS it or FORCE it go away, -- "I wish this feeling would go away" we WILL create pain and tension.
This is what as smokers we have all done in the past.
That 'feeling' of wanting to smoke then becomes painful, annoying and terribly irritating.
Now this is the hard part to realize.......
The pain, the horror does not come from the desire to smoke, but from HOW we deal with this desire, moment-by-moment WHEN we stop.
Can I emphasize this:
You do not have to experience ANY pain or agony when you stop. Yes, when you stop you WILL experience a ...........
Temporary feeling of loss
A feeling that you are being deprived of something
A feeling of emptiness
A feeling that you will never be able to enjoy yourself again.
A feeling that you must have a cigarette
These feelings, although very real in themselves are not inherently bad or painful. What is important is how you deal with these feelings when you stop.
The key part of giving up smoking naturally is learning how to deal with these cravings when you stop.
Conflict
Right now, you don't want to give up smoking because you are TERRIFIED of how you will FEEL when you can't smoke.
Let's be honest.
You smoke now because you enjoy it.
Or -- to be more accurate: You smoke now because you have conditioned yourself to enjoy it.
It is important that we are honest with ourselves here.
In fact, even the 'THOUGHT', the mere 'thought' of not been able to smoke probably fills you with utter dread now.
But there is another undeniable fact: This 'pleasure' is killing you.
Again we must be brutally honest here. Everyday, you are systemically destroying your health.
This is the conflict all smokers face.
On the one hand, smoking is killing you and you desperately want to stop.....
..And yet on the other hand, you don't really want to stop because you believe you really enjoy it.
Yet, one other truth cannot be denied and this applies to every smoker........
We are terrified of how we will F-E-E-L when we can't smoke. We are convinced it will be unbearable and impossible.
to be continued......
source: Author: Sean O 'Riain Website: http://www.quitsmokingonline.com/
~~~~~~~~
I'll try to come back later and post more of this article about dealing with cravings and psychological withdrawal.
Hope everyone is having a peaceful and smoke=free day!!!