What to believe about quitting.

[BonnieJ]

Last night I watched someone on my Facebook support group throw away her quit. I know her junkie thinking was just making excuses but she claimed she was going to smoke because of all the people with year long quits saying they still crave cigarettes.

 

She said how can I put myself through this torture knowing I will still be miserable in a year or even longer?

 

I told her I was pretty miserable for the first couple  months, but not any more.

 

I tried to explain to her the difference between the craves we feel in the first few months and the fleeting thoughts we have after the first few months.

 

She did not believe me I guess :(

 

I want to say THANK YOU to all the long time quitters before me who told me it would get easier! I am so glad I believed you.

 

Actually if all smokers would stop and REALLY think about it. Would people really stay quit for years if they were still miserable? I don't think so.

 

If I am miserable now it has NOTHING to do with not smoking!

 

 

[TAC]

I don't know what to believe or not to believe about quitting smoking cigarettes. I quit, I believe it, NOPE

[babs609]

I think it comes down to still believing that the cigarette does something for you

 

There are people who have quit for years and still suffer because they believe the lies the addiction tells them. Then, there are those who quit for days only and they don't miss a thing.

 

All comes down to exposing the lies.

 

Good post. :)

[Soberjulie]

There is a saying in some circles I run in:

"Carry the message, not the mess":

 

While I think its important to be true to ourselves, to be honest about what I am going through from day to day.......its also important for me to remember that when I was on these forums, still smoking or hours or days into my quit....I needed hope. I needed to know it could be done and that it wasn't always going to feel the way it does in the first few days or weeks.

I needed to hear and learn that I am in control of my mindset........that if I look for trouble, I will find it. And if I look for beauty I will find it.

So, where am I going to look?

[sharonsiff]

I remember reading a chapter about this in the Allen Carr book Bonnie, Ex Smokers chapter. He talks about the negative effects of both holier than thous and whingers. My dad was a whinger and to be honest it effected me terribly. He's my dad, I totally trust my parents, so if he said it was hell it must be....or so I thought! Like you I found the first few months no picnic Bonnie but I just trusted other people that it does soon start to feel very different and realised my dad didn't have the last word of quitting smoking.

 

I see now my dad was confusing a real body crave with a thought, a reminder/trigger.

 

You just wonder how many people throw away a quit through the influence of others, especially if the are people with no confidence in themselves and are relying on feedback from others.

 

My dad sadly went back to smoking after a 4 year quit.

[El Bandito]

Absolutely right Bonnie, Babs

 

Even in a few short months - the nature of the crave has changed for me. I still get triggers - and those triggers can get annoying - but the reality is the cigarette did, does and will do absolutely nothing for me.

 

The Allen Carr book was incredibly helpful in making me think through what was truth and what was lies.

 

The prospect of quitting can be scary - the reality of quitting smoking is that it can be incredibly liberating.