I believe that treating smoking thoughts like any other weird or unwanted thought is preferable. If it happens once in a blue moon, that it seems sensible to just ignore it or walk around it. Why analzye nonsense?
However, in my experience, the ruminative, repeating thoughts of smoking or anything else should be examined especially as we move through NML and into long-term smokebriety.
I must smoke because I'll be missing out if I never get the nicotine buzz one more time.
I should smoke because these morons at work have made my life horrible.
I have to smoke or this anxiety will never go away!
As I say must, should or got to, I wonder if I'm trying to play God, contradicting myself or saying things that are not true. I have found that dealing with emotions without nicotine has made it very desirable for me to investigate my thoughts or whether my thoughts are healthy and sound.
I'm afraid that I'll be missing out on something if I don't again get to experience nicotine, however, I know that it is disadantageous to use short term and long term and I have the tools to be healthy.
It is incovenient that I have to work with these people.
It is not sensible to believe that smoking reduces anxiety.
I believce that physical pain and anxiety are the main contributors to being triggered. It is good to know the skills to get out of scraps with cravings but how much better if we all can change our thinking that leads to the triggers in the first place?
Part of the original statements are formed of good thoughts. The desire to get out of a stressful situation or make it manageable is healthy. It becomes unhealthy when our minds go to the extreme of using nicotine to fix the problem.
