Tom and Kat, my favorite people,
You were two of the first to help me when I joined the board. Id like to return the favor. Anything I can do to help you guys quit smoking, because the world deserves to have you in it for the longest possible time.
One thing Ive noticed about all of my addictions is that I have poor impulse control. The thought becomes the deed immediately. Impulse buying -- I fork over the cash before even considering the dozen repeats of the same useless item gathering dust in my closet. The pill was swallowed the same moment I thought, I want one, I really ought to quit. Same for cigarettes.
I learned a little behavioral trick the first time I quit smoking. I wore a rubber band around my wrist and when I wanted to light up, Id snap the rubber band against my inner wrist and say, Stop. Sometimes this would only stop me for two seconds, but over time reaching for the lighter became slightly less automatic than reaching for the rubber band. Sometimes all it takes is interposing one harmless little behavior between the thought and the deed. (Well, relatively harmless -- you can get a pretty decent red welt on your wrist after snapping a rubber band on it fifty times a day.) I used the rubber band again when I was withdrawing back in March but only for a while -- it became enough just to say, Stop. I did a fair amount of talking to myself for a couple of weeks, lol.
Im sure that reaching for a tictac or a toothpick works the same way. It substitutes one behavior for another and makes you think about what youre doing. The advantage of the rubber band is that its always right there -- Id always lay my hand on the lighter before the tictacs, lol.
Just my little contribution to your quitting tool chest. You both quit drugs and I know you can quit smoking. Twenty minutes at a time. Twenty seconds at a time if need be.
Love,
Gina
Good advice Gina. I'm always trying to quit. Another thing that helps me is knowing a craving for a cigeratte lasts only a few minutes. So if you can distract yourself with self-inflicted pain, or something else like candy, it will pass pretty quickly. For me, knowing it gives me wrinkles works great. Nothing like engaging the vanity!
Kat, Let me know how you're doing on this. I'll do it with you!
Beck
Kat, Let me know how you're doing on this. I'll do it with you!
Beck
You're such a gift, Gina.
I'm pumping myself up. I'm really going to do it this time. I'm actually starting to feel good about it. I'm getting a plan set up. Making myself accountable...the whole bit.
I just got an email from Amy about an herb she's going to send that is suppossed to help. This week I'm checking into wellbutrin. Tomorrow I intend to go get supplies like pumpkin seeds and suckers. I love the rubber band idea and have one nearby and ready. Thanks, Gina. Don't forget to be online the 17th. I hope I'm bearable, lol.
P.S. Awesome news! Mia is Ming's sister. She sent me her phone number and email address. She lives in LA now. Another thank you, I could have never done this without you.
Beck, let's do it! I think Rae said she was willing too. (hope you're in with us, Tom) All tips welcomed and apreciated.
Love you guys, Kat
I'm pumping myself up. I'm really going to do it this time. I'm actually starting to feel good about it. I'm getting a plan set up. Making myself accountable...the whole bit.
I just got an email from Amy about an herb she's going to send that is suppossed to help. This week I'm checking into wellbutrin. Tomorrow I intend to go get supplies like pumpkin seeds and suckers. I love the rubber band idea and have one nearby and ready. Thanks, Gina. Don't forget to be online the 17th. I hope I'm bearable, lol.
P.S. Awesome news! Mia is Ming's sister. She sent me her phone number and email address. She lives in LA now. Another thank you, I could have never done this without you.
Beck, let's do it! I think Rae said she was willing too. (hope you're in with us, Tom) All tips welcomed and apreciated.
Love you guys, Kat
Just s'thing that may help. When my boss was trying to quit, it was right before Halloween (about 15 years ago) and I took all of the candy that my son didn't want to work in a basket. My son didn't care for any kind of suckers and she found that when she picked up the phone - she always picked up a cigarette so she would pick up a sucker - she didn't even think about it, she said it being the length of a cigarette helped and said she didn't care if she looked silly, she really wanted to quit smoking. She never started back, I wish anyone who's trying much luck with quitting.
Love, Jean
Love, Jean
Hi Gina.
Good advice (I think) I will givethe rubber band idea a shot, and if that fails maybe I will resort to carrying a stun gun around and stunning myself when I get the urge to smoke.
Something else you may help me as well. is it true that smoking urges only last for 2-3 minutes?
Regards,
Tom
Good advice (I think) I will givethe rubber band idea a shot, and if that fails maybe I will resort to carrying a stun gun around and stunning myself when I get the urge to smoke.
Something else you may help me as well. is it true that smoking urges only last for 2-3 minutes?
Regards,
Tom
Gina,
I need some help. Oops, I was about to do some eciplse there. As you know, I was attempting to quit smoking a few months ago. Once the pressure was of, I faultered. I know the surgery will be soon. So, I've cut down to 10 smokes a day. I am hoping and stategizing for 5 next week. I'm trying.
Much Love
Lox
I need some help. Oops, I was about to do some eciplse there. As you know, I was attempting to quit smoking a few months ago. Once the pressure was of, I faultered. I know the surgery will be soon. So, I've cut down to 10 smokes a day. I am hoping and stategizing for 5 next week. I'm trying.
Much Love
Lox
Now Lox, lets not ellipse in a thread Gina start... Now that I am conscience of it I still cant help myself..lol
Carefull on any life changing decisions within one year of sobriety (so I am told)
Regards,
Tom
Carefull on any life changing decisions within one year of sobriety (so I am told)
Regards,
Tom
Tom,
Every time I complete a thought I want to do the eclipse.... :o) It is such habit.
LOL.
Much Love,
Lox
Every time I complete a thought I want to do the eclipse.... :o) It is such habit.
LOL.
Much Love,
Lox
LOLOLOL
One leetle remark... It's going to follow me to my grave, isn't it? I'm going to use an ellipsis on my tombstone, "I thought those wild mushrooms looked funn..."
Lox, Are you joining the smokeout on the 17th?
Tom, Yes, it's true that cravings only last 2-3 minutes but it's probably also true that at first, they come 4 minutes apart, lol. Only for the first day or so though. Get the patch, the inhaler, nicorette gum. Oh, yeah, and the stun gun...
Love, Gina
One leetle remark... It's going to follow me to my grave, isn't it? I'm going to use an ellipsis on my tombstone, "I thought those wild mushrooms looked funn..."
Lox, Are you joining the smokeout on the 17th?
Tom, Yes, it's true that cravings only last 2-3 minutes but it's probably also true that at first, they come 4 minutes apart, lol. Only for the first day or so though. Get the patch, the inhaler, nicorette gum. Oh, yeah, and the stun gun...
Love, Gina
Hey Guys,
this might help us a little.
I picked up some literature from the pharmacist to help quit smoking.
This week we need to be smoking half a cigarette at a time and change brands to one we don't like as much.
When we get cravings we need to remember the four D's.
DELAY: do not act on the urge. It will only last a few minutes.
DEEP BREATHING: it says to do that through the entire craving until it stops.
DRINK WATER: we are suppossed to drink it slowly and hold it in our mouth.
DISTRACT: do anything we can think of to take our mind off of a cigarette.
On a side note, Gina, I found out today that your rubber band idea is used for other things too. Therapists have recomended that those with cutting problems do it too. Apparantly the distraction of a rubber band is very effective.
Love, Kat
this might help us a little.
I picked up some literature from the pharmacist to help quit smoking.
This week we need to be smoking half a cigarette at a time and change brands to one we don't like as much.
When we get cravings we need to remember the four D's.
DELAY: do not act on the urge. It will only last a few minutes.
DEEP BREATHING: it says to do that through the entire craving until it stops.
DRINK WATER: we are suppossed to drink it slowly and hold it in our mouth.
DISTRACT: do anything we can think of to take our mind off of a cigarette.
On a side note, Gina, I found out today that your rubber band idea is used for other things too. Therapists have recomended that those with cutting problems do it too. Apparantly the distraction of a rubber band is very effective.
Love, Kat
Kat,
DId that literature mention the use of a stun gun.
Regards,
Tom
DId that literature mention the use of a stun gun.
Regards,
Tom
Lmao, no, Tom, it didn't. They probably assume we're tortured enough. I took a big step tonight, Tom. I told my Dad. He was so proud. Talk about incentive, it would be hard to look at his face if I don't do this.
Love, Kat
Love, Kat
Tom, Kat,
I googled stungun and found this:
Give one to each of your children and invite them to stun you when you reach for your cigarettes. They'll keep you accountable, lol.
Love,
Gina
I googled stungun and found this:
Give one to each of your children and invite them to stun you when you reach for your cigarettes. They'll keep you accountable, lol.
Love,
Gina
LMAO!!
Your smarter than the average bear.
I want to quit smoking for a ton of reasons, but what really got me serious this time is a comment my son made a few months ago, when he was 5. He said "when I grow up, I want to smoke cigarettes". It was like someone stabbed me in the chest with that little sentence. I HAVE TO DO THIS. Thanks Gina.
Regards,
Tom
Your smarter than the average bear.
I want to quit smoking for a ton of reasons, but what really got me serious this time is a comment my son made a few months ago, when he was 5. He said "when I grow up, I want to smoke cigarettes". It was like someone stabbed me in the chest with that little sentence. I HAVE TO DO THIS. Thanks Gina.
Regards,
Tom
Tom,
I remember that post very well, "When I grow up I want to smoke cigarettes, just like you." Please tell Tommy thank you for me (and he's such a beautiful child, give him a hug from me, too). It was his comment, and your post, that started me thinking about quitting.
Out of the mouths of babes...
Cheers,
Gina
Hmmm... I may rethink this unreasonable prejudice I have against certain forms of punctuation... lololol
I remember that post very well, "When I grow up I want to smoke cigarettes, just like you." Please tell Tommy thank you for me (and he's such a beautiful child, give him a hug from me, too). It was his comment, and your post, that started me thinking about quitting.
Out of the mouths of babes...
Cheers,
Gina
Hmmm... I may rethink this unreasonable prejudice I have against certain forms of punctuation... lololol
Morning guys,
I think seeing my sister in ICU struggling to breathe was one of the things that got me serious.
To be honest, I've never quit smoking before, never even tried. I wonder if a twenty five year habit is any harder than less of one? Guess I'll find out, lol.
My husband is thrilled and happily quitting too. This is easy for him. He's done it several times and did everything to get me to stop too. I refused so eventually he would start back.
He made me agitated last night. Said thursday morning he was throwing away all ash trays, lighters and making sure not even a butt remained in the house.
I told him I'd throw away my own things, thank you very much. Wonder if that's the addict in me rebelling? Probably.
Love, Kat
I think seeing my sister in ICU struggling to breathe was one of the things that got me serious.
To be honest, I've never quit smoking before, never even tried. I wonder if a twenty five year habit is any harder than less of one? Guess I'll find out, lol.
My husband is thrilled and happily quitting too. This is easy for him. He's done it several times and did everything to get me to stop too. I refused so eventually he would start back.
He made me agitated last night. Said thursday morning he was throwing away all ash trays, lighters and making sure not even a butt remained in the house.
I told him I'd throw away my own things, thank you very much. Wonder if that's the addict in me rebelling? Probably.
Love, Kat
Hi Everyone,
Thanks for informing us all of this very important no-smoking day.
I want so badly to stop smoking (amoung other things). I'm gonna join in and do it with you too. I can do a day or two, but I just can't get the long term thing right. Man I gotta quit.
Ah, I'm going to be a real treat to be around tomorrow.
All the best everyone.
Nancy
Thanks for informing us all of this very important no-smoking day.
I want so badly to stop smoking (amoung other things). I'm gonna join in and do it with you too. I can do a day or two, but I just can't get the long term thing right. Man I gotta quit.
Ah, I'm going to be a real treat to be around tomorrow.
All the best everyone.
Nancy
Ah, I'm going to be a real treat to be around tomorrow.
LOL
Nancy,
Don't worry about the long-term, just concentrate on the 17th and take it twenty minutes (or twenty seconds) at a time.
Kat,
It would bug me, too, to have someone else do my empowering prep work for me. I'll try to be online as much as possible for you tomorrow -- I'd email you my phone number but even now I find talking on the phone with my friends to be too big a trigger.
Love,
Gina
LOL
Nancy,
Don't worry about the long-term, just concentrate on the 17th and take it twenty minutes (or twenty seconds) at a time.
Kat,
It would bug me, too, to have someone else do my empowering prep work for me. I'll try to be online as much as possible for you tomorrow -- I'd email you my phone number but even now I find talking on the phone with my friends to be too big a trigger.
Love,
Gina
Nancy! What a sight for sore eyes you are.
I am so happy I live no where near you when we all quit smoking. You know that mental picture I have of you...haha. You make me laugh hysterically talking about it, but I wouldn't want to be in your house, lol.
I've missed you, gf!
I can't believe how much I am dreading tomorrow. I feel like the days leading up to this have flown by. I've already made ten excuses not to start yet.
Expect me to be a complete s*** tomorrow, Gina. I'm frowning at the rubber band lying on my desk as I write this. lol.
Love you guys, Kat
I am so happy I live no where near you when we all quit smoking. You know that mental picture I have of you...haha. You make me laugh hysterically talking about it, but I wouldn't want to be in your house, lol.
I've missed you, gf!
I can't believe how much I am dreading tomorrow. I feel like the days leading up to this have flown by. I've already made ten excuses not to start yet.
Expect me to be a complete s*** tomorrow, Gina. I'm frowning at the rubber band lying on my desk as I write this. lol.
Love you guys, Kat
I've got half a pack left. I'm smoking two at a time, so I can finish the pack by midnight.
DeNae
DeNae
