completely fell off the wagon

[artist4]

After having my first day, as a huge success going from 3 packs a day to one pack......I am sorry to say that today.....I went up to two packs. I stopped counting cgarettes and journaling each time I planned a cigarette.

I just hated the tediousness of all the planning and waiting......I got involved in creating art and that's when I really didn't care anymore.

But Obviously I do care or I wouldn't be confessing this. My quit date is in 17 days. I will try again tomorrow but I hate that treadmill feeling of doing the same thing everyday.

[joyeuxencore]

You said:

"I got involved in creating art and that's when I really didn't care anymore."

What didn't you care about anymore? LIVING? Your art?

Not to worry it is what every artist goes through when we quit...How will I ever write, draw, paint, sculpt, act, etc, without cigarettes???!!! It is what every person who is an addict goes through. No matter what art or profession. We all have lived our lives and spent our days doing whatever our path is SMOKING CIGARETTES.

That is why we stress the RE-learning how to live without them. We really do have to re-learn every facet of life without them as they (especially with a heavy smoker like you) GEEZ you spent MOST of your waking minutes smoking so go easy on you. This is one hell of an adjustment…

The big lie is that you need cigarettes to create your art. The truth is your art will find an expression through you that you could NEVER have achieved while puffing away constantly because you will be PRESENT in an unprecedented way.

Keep us posted…Can’t wait to see! xo

[joyeuxencore]

I am talking like you have quit which you have not but 2 packs a day means you are still spending so much of your waking hours tending to the addiction that it just is a nuisance to track them & identify the trigger...Just the addictions way of messing with you. Have you spent any time reading on www.whyquit.com???

[joyeuxencore]

http://whyquit.com/joel/Joel_Index_01.html

[artist4]

I'm a free spirit.............I hate monotony......tracking cigarettes worked the first day but not the second when I returned to my regular activities. I've started tracking again late tonight.

I listened to the videos about addiction so I am partially educating myself each day.  I have 17 days to quit..............I'll try to go back to one pack from now until this time tomorrow night.

So being present is the key????

[Thomas3.20.2010]

Being present is necessary! Keeping them away from your face is the key! Coming out from that smoke cloud will awaken the dormant part of you that was hidden under all that smoke! When your leg falls asleep and then you begin to move around, it is not comfortable but you know it is healthy! Quitting smoking is very uncomfortable - for awhile - in a very healthy way! You must get through it! Tracking is a tool to teach yourslef something about yourself - to bring you into the present moment and get in touch with your thoughts, feelings, environment, etc. It's not a school lesson or discipline to do because you "have to!" You will have to learn to become familiar with discomfort! It will lead to growth! And that will lead you to tremendous inspiration!

[JonesCarpeDiem]

Have you smoked every cicarette with your other hand like you started out?

The things we tell you to do only work if you do them.

Nothing makes you go to the store and then holds you down and jams a cigarette in your mouth, lights it and squeezes you like an accordian to make you smoke.

Smoking is a choice. You are doing that to yourself

You do not have to want to quit but you have to decide to quit.

We can support you but unless you are willing to change things up before you quit, you are still clinging to the idea that smoking is somehow good and when your quit actually begins you will already be out of gas.

[linda258]

When I first decided to quit and wanted to cut back before my quit date I started buying only one pack at a time.  I used to smoke two packs a day and set my goal to only smoke one pack a day.  

Each morning I had to make an effort to get in the car, drive to the store and buy a pack of smokes.  I became aware of every time I wanted to smoke, when I gave in to smoking etc. etc.  It was the beginning of understanding how much of a hold this addiction had over me.   As I neared the end of a pack I would start to panic... oh no... could I make it or not... but to get more I had to get in my car and drive to buy a pack.  This process helped me to understand how while I told myself I "wanted" to smoke that was not true... I smoked because I was addicted. Smoking controls us...

Buy one pack a day and you will not have to count.  You will get an idea of how you have to pace yourself just by looking at the pack.  It will help you visualize how much control the little nick devil has over everything you do and think.  Get ready to flick the little killer off and really be free.  

[GreenThumb3]

At 2 packs a day I quit cold turkey and I don't miss smoking just takes time I thought cutting down was kind of harder made me feel like needed a smoke all day when you quit makes it easy can't have any it's so worth it 

[Strudel]

I'll be honest- I didn't do the tracking. But, I did do the reading so that I would understand this addiction. The whole cut back thing hadn't worked for me in the past - so I didn't consider it when I came here. I did the reading, I read lots of blogs and I quit. I was either going to smoke or not smoke. Once I actually quit - I told myself - no options, no going back! So - read, prepare, decide if you want to track or not - but, whatever you do - QUIT!

Read - free course at http://quitsmokingonline.com/ and Carr's "Easy Way to Stop Smoking" -http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf