Say "Quitting is possible." and repeat
Apparently I first signed up to this site in 2014, I quit for 17 days in that attempt, according to my posts at the time.
I have tried to quit a number of times over my 35 years of smoking and if anyone asked me I would say I have never got past 7 days, but there you go, I did and my addict brain has reduced the recollection of that time from over 17 days to only 3 or 4.
With all the messages out there regarding quitting, I think the "quitting is hard", "nicotine is the hardest drug to quit" message is what I have absorbed, why? It may be hard, but it is definitely possible.
Yesterday I was thinking of my school friends, the ones I started smoking with as a teen and guess what, over the years 95% of them have successfully quit. I am sure they found it a challenge at the time, but they did it and have not relapsed and are super happy they no longer smoke.
So what makes me so special? What makes me the one that can't do it? Nothing, only the story I am telling myself about whether I can succeed. Of course I can, my peers have.
Day 2 feeling positive, no strong cravings yet. I even had a cup of coffee this morning.
"So what makes me so special? What makes me the one that can't do it?"
I was thinking something similar this morning, and I am going to hold onto this thought and this might be one of the things that gets me through.
Like you, I have quit a few times in the past few years, I think the longest was about a month. I can't remember why on earth I took another puff, and why I would sabotage my attempts like that more than once, but such is life. Anyway, this has to be it.
Hi EJC, looking at my posts from my attempt in 2014, I can't recall much at all, especially why I started again, but I am using it as a tool. If I had stuck with it then, I would now be over 4 years a non-smoker, I really really regret that, so this time I am not going to waste any more time, I WILL NOT get to 2022 and regret not quitting NOW!
The addict part of our brain is an interesting little thing (sort of sarcastic, but sort of admirable too - I need to find out how it works so I can use it for good things).
I am a bit scared, but I don't really know why, it's only me that is going to sabotage myself and I have to remember that one cigarette is all it takes to get back to where I am now and it just isn't worth it.
My worst fear (and it might happen anyway considering I've been smoking for over 30 years) is to get lung cancer and have no one to blame but myself. I need to hold onto that and NOT give in to the idea that a cigarette is going to help anything, because it just doesn't, it's the idea of it.
Sorry to sabotage your post with my rambling.
Ramble away EJC, it's nice to have a conversation and see that my BIG fear is not just my own, The big 'L C'!
Make sure you post your own posts too though, that way members with a lot more experience and tips than I have, can give you some guidance.
Stay strong!