As you already might know, when we take on the endeavor to quit smoking, our minds try to convince us that we need that disgusting cigarette. In previous "quits", I have succumbed to this mind game monster. Those horrible thoughts such as, "one cigarette won't hurt" or "you can't succeed", all the negative, crazy thoughts your brain can come up with. I have been there before and it can be a constant battle to get over those thoughts...trying to turn your attention to the positives that include action to get away from those thoughts. I can only imagine that alcoholics and pharmacutical drug addicts do the same thing, since cigarettes are a drug, too. In nursing school I sat there as a student all those years ago and listened to several lectures about drug use, smoking, alcoholism...and I continued to smoke despite all the knowledge I was taught about it. One of the times that I tried to quit smoking was when I decided to do the patch. This was many years ago. I actually was doing really well with them. I think it was the 4th or 5th day I put a fresh patch on in the morning and then I went to work. I was visiting another patient and spent quite some time with her. I had no cravings for cigs. all morning and when I went to my car, I felt a sharp poke in my stomach. I turned up my sweater and well...the patch was totally stuck to my sweater, not touching my skin at all. I have to laugh because I had not craved cigs. at all believing the patch was doing its job! Yes, mind games! There were two things that I could have done at the time but at that time I only thought about what an idiot I was...so I thought...and dissed the patch and went back to smoking! See what the mind games can do? I realize now that the patch was indeed helping plus the belief in my mind that I was succeeding. I allowed a small incidence of the patch sticking to my sweater to play with my mind and thus I stopped the patch. Silly isn't it? I should have shrugged it off and put another patch on. Live and learn. Mind games are powerful. This time I am ready for the mind game monster!
