ANY IDEAS ON HOW TO STOP OLD THOUGHT PATTERNS... PLEASE.

[rachel65]

IT MUST BE MY OWN MIND I`M BATTELING WITH, SURE I`M USING THE PATCH SO THAT SHOULD TAKE CARE OF THE CRAVING,

IS IT TO DO WITH RE ENFORCING AND REMEMBERING HOW BAD CIGARETTES WHERE? AND EVENTUALLY THAT WILL BECOME MY FIRST THOUGHT?

RIGHT NOW  THAT IS NOT MY FIRST THOUGHT. . BUT THERE IS A LITTLE VOICE TELLING ME TO RIDE IT OUT.... AND I WILL BE O.K.

I WISH I COULD MAKE THAT VOICE SCREAM LOUDER THAN THE ONE TEMPTING ME AND ANNOYING ME.

ANOTHER QUESTION... WHAT IS WORSE? A FAT NON-SMOKER OR A THIN SMOKER ?

MY APPITITE IS OUT OF CONTROL TODAY.

HOW CAN I BECOME ADDICTED TO HOUSEWORK INSTEAD?

THIS ADDICTION SUCKS.

I HATE CIGARETTES.

THEY TURN ME INTO A WEAK SAD ANNOYING PERSON.

I HATE THE ADDICT ME.SHE IS AN ASSHOLE.

SORRY GUYS JUST LETTING OFF STEAM. PHEW THAT FEELS GOOD. GOING TO DO THE DISHES NOW. AND TIDY UP THE KITCHEN. TRY TO GET ADDICTED TO HOUSEWORK THATS MY MISSION.

[Thomas3.20.2010]

Read, read, read some more.... Quitsmokingonline.com, the Easy Way by Allen Carr, whyquit.com, BecomeanEX... An overweight EXer is way healthier than a skinny Smoker! Hands down!

[la2012]

Rachel, a way over weight non-smoker is way better than a thin smoker - how many thin, smoking women have you seen through the years that look like their next step is into the grave.  We all know it sucks to quit. My gums have been bleeding for days now and I am eating ice cream every night!!!!  But it is way better than the alternative.  I agree, to go quitsmokingonline.com or allen's site - both are wonderful.  Take care of your self - take a walk, a bubble bath, dance. . .

[jim117]

The cravings you are having right now are mental cravings.  The patch takes care of the physical cravings.  "Somehthing that I have found to help me with mental craving is wherever I am at when I have the craving I get away from there for a period of time.  If you are doing dishes, go outside.  If you are watching TV, start to clean the basement.  You get the idea.

Yeah there is another thing that helps me too, and I usually tell everybody that I help the first time I respond to a blog.  If you have already read this it probably will not hurt to read it again.   It is called the 10-10-10 method.

It goes.

10 seconds from now will this craving have changed my life      Yes/No

10 days from now will this craving have changed my life.          Yes/No

10 years from now will this craving have changed my life.         Yes/No

If you answered yes to any of those questions you need to get on this site and scream for help.

You can do this just have confidence.

[Todd24]

Well There were a few times that I have litterally yelled outloud  at the little demon voice-----NO YOU CANT SMOKE.  YOU DONT SMOKE ANY MORE.  It seems to help on occasion and makes anyone around me think im crazy. 

[doney]

YOU ARE STILL PUTTING NICOTINE INTO YOUR SYSTEM!

that's all I got.

[SarahP]

Do the readings as suggested above -- they are full of good tips and new ways of looking at things. 

You're doing a lot of this to yourself. When you're inner junkie starts arguing, you don't have to argue back. It's not about screaming louder. It's about saying "huh? Did something say something?" Ignore it. Breathe deep. And move on. You have more control over this than you think. 

[star17]

i'm with everyone else- this is that inner junkie making it rougher on you. there's a quote in that allen carr book that talks about how, for most of the day, we can't smoke anyway. We're at work, on public transportation, or sleeping, for example. And he pointed how how the majority of people, when they wake up, they eat breakfast, shower, and brush their teeth before they smoke. That might be you, that might not be. But besides that, it made me think: at no time in my life were the withdrawls so bad when I was asleep or on the train or on the bus that I had to wake up or get off the bus at an early stop just so I could smoke. But ask a smoker to go for those same 8 or 10 hours during the day without smoking and they're clawing up the walls. So yes, it's a frame of mind thing, I think. The withdrawls are pretty mild, as a smoker, you are withdrawing for most of your day anyway. With the patch on, that should take care of that part. Educate yourself to get rid of the mental-induced cravings. Also, do my zumba workout video! I don't know if you can watch the playlist in Ireland or if they put a block on it, but if you can, do it!!! It will definitely keep you busy!

[Patty70]

Sarah is right on the money. The readings will help you enormously.  I found that the short (free) online course at quitsmoking.com completely changed my perspective. It also was a huge help for me to commit to my decision to quit, and that is the key to quitting.

You said, the patch will take care of the cravings, but that is not quite the way it works with patches.  In your first days in particular, the patch will help by curbing the craving A LITTLE, not a lot. The delivery of nicotine from a patch is not at all like a hit of nicotine to the bloodstream from smoke.  Then the problem with the patch is that it continues to put nicotine into your bloodstream, so instead of getting over the physical addiction quickly by a cold turkey quit, your body is having to adjust to smaller amounts of nicotine as you go through the program with the patch.

[JonesCarpeDiem]

hugs

[AutumnWoman]

What helps is to replace the negative thoughts in your head with positive ones.  Throw out the old inof and get some new, improved stuff instead.  Do the suggested readings so you arm yourself when junkie thoughts start to arise.  Thomas started a group about affirmations.  Check it out.  Also, go to www.positivelypositive.com for some inspiration.

Don't get put off your quit by the increased appetite.  The weight gain is reversible -- I know, I've done it.  The damage that cigarettes do: asthma, emphysema, COPD, cancer is not.  

Hang in there -- you are soooo worth it!

[macho-momma]

come on rachel, yur actually have started & doin good!! find what works for yu! walking dancing arobics etc. yu can,t get fat if yur movin & groovin!!!what,s yur quiet place when yu stress? go there. spend the money yur saving . me? I ,m going to hawaii!! every month put the cig. money in envelope for yr. get smell out of house!! car!! r yu smelling cigs ? brush & gargle teeth , eat an orange . definately won,t wanta smoke then ! yu can do it!! i,ve smoked 47 yrs. & goin cold turkey. my day 3! because of smoking , I,ve never been overweight & not gonna start now!! turn on the old time rock n roll & as my parrot hollers  "do the boogie"

[JonesCarpeDiem]

PATTY IS RIGHT ON ABOUT THE PATCH!

but, you can sort of believe anything you want like

i can do this

[JonesCarpeDiem]

i think i'll write a song.

i'll call it

"don't be the crabby one in brae head"