Each week I'll feature a topic in my blog about something related to quitting smoking.  They'll be a link to the thread where the group discussion will take place.  Of course if there is a celebration, that will be featured for the day and then our weekly discussion topic will be featured again.

 

The topics can be about whatever you want.  Please just start listing the topics that you want to discuss and we'll work our way down the list each week.

 

If you're new to the board, your topic suggestions will be especially helpful and and in most cases will put yours at the front of the list.  :)

 

WK/43 - N O P E The Commitment to NOPE  how essential to successful quit 

 

WK/44 - How quitting smoking/nicotine has changed our lives in other and unexpected ways 

 

WK/45 - Hey, you smoked for 42 years! Why on earth would you think you can get past the addiction in a couple of months? Cut yourself a break, for Pete's sake. 

 

WK/46 - How To Recognize If You're Romanticizing The Cigarette

 

WK/47 - Video, Every Quit Is Different

 

WK/48 - How to motivate yourself to quit smoking and what steps did you take?

 

WK/49,50 - With The Holidays Now In Full Swing, Let's Be Ready!

 

WK/51 - Why Fear Inhibits Quitting Smoking & Why This Fear Is Not Based On Fact

N O P E The Commitment to NOPE  how essential to successful quit

 

 

How quitting smoking/nicotine has changed our lives in other and unexpected ways

 

 

How to motivate yourself to quit smoking.  what steps did you take.

 

 

How to motivate others.

How to recognise "romancing"

How to be able to drink alcohol without a cig/ enjoy a Saturday night out in the pub again.

With the invention of Electronic Cigaretts,

 

there are a slew of non smoking Nicotine addicts.

 

Some will maintain their addiction.

 

Some will want to quit Nicotine

 

and others  will  quit nicotine and still vape (like Nay Nay).

 

 ECigs have been a contentious subject on many boards and with many people

 

but, I think we need to address the reality and learn how we can help people deal with the Vaping side of Nicotine addiction.

 

I know ECigs haven't been 'approved' as an NRT but, that doesn't stop people from using them as an NRT.

 

(and I never gave a rat's a s s what was 'approved' or not approved) 

 

Perhaps,  in the not so distant future, it will be the 'vapers' along with a dwindling amount of  'smokers'  

 

that we can help with Nicotine addiction.

 

I would like to educate myself further about this and make them welcome here.

 

Thoughts ?

I know that vaping is a controversial topic for various reasons. I really have no strong position on it one way or the other. But I can't recall any posts where people have said, "Help! I'm vaping nicotine and I can't quit!" That is where I would like to help, if necessary-- somebody who is addicted to e-cig nicotine and can't quit. Those who are addicted to e-cigs and are satisfied with that, or who are vaping without nicotine or who are using e-cigs but are using them to reduce their cigarettes down to zero and then stopping the e-cigs probably don't need our help. 

 

So who is it that you think we need to prepare ourselves to help?

I don't want to discuss it here, chrys.  I would like it to be a topic for a weekly discussion

I suggest that we discuss the requirement for patience. I think most people are prepared to battle their addiction for the first month. But after that they expect it to be fairly easy. And while quitting does get easier every day there are still days and situations where we have to hang on by our fingernails-- sometimes several months into a quit. A lot of people (including me) start to run out of patience with the effort it takes and begin to think, "Scr*w it! I'm tired of this battle!" So a discussion about seeing the challenges realistically (i.e., you don't really have to fight craves all day every day, even if it seems that way) and the importance of having just a little more patience would be very helpful.

I don't want to discuss it here, chrys.  I would like it to be a topic for a weekly discussion

OK. That sounds good. A discussion of what, if anything, we could and should do for vapers.

We can help those who are using e-cigs which contain nicotine to break-free of their nicotine addiction.  Same with those who use nicotine gum and the patch, the goal should be to get off of nicotine altogether.  We help them the same as those who are trying to quit smoking.

I am right with you MQ.

 

Still, the subject remains more contentious than with other NRT's  and I would like it to be open for discussion.

Would a discussion on how a new quitter could protect his or her quit be helpful?

Would a discussion on how a new quitter could protect his or her quit be helpful?

 

Absolutely.

I think what Chrysalis mentioned about patience is REALLY important. I have, over the past two months frequently beaten myself up over taking "too long" to feel better and feeling bad about the severity of the craves. I have had to step back and say to myself Hey, you smoked for 42 years! Why on earth would you think you can get past the addiction in a couple of months? Cut yourself a break, for Pete's sake.
That has helped me to cope.

A topic about everyone's quit... like "What you went through"..."good, bad, and ugly" sort of thing..

There are some people that have had smooth sailing..

There are some that have had to dig their claws in at certain points...

What was stopping you from quitting?

Fear was definitely stopping me from quitting. Fear of failure and withdrawals.