My QUIT Smoking Affirmation

Whatever You Do - Don't Smoke

I had my first cigarette in 1985, at the age of 15. No Problem. A few puffs later my head was spinning and my curiosity was gone.

SMOKING ADDICTION IS MORE THAN JUST ADDICTION TO NICOTINE The addiction to smoking, which implies addiction to the substance nicotine, has several components. The better one is aware of these components and understands them; the better is the chance for succeeding in stopping the smoking habit. Here is a survey of the components that addiction to smoke consist of.

What was the Big Deal about Smoking? Why did the "Smoking Kids" at school waste their lunch breaks hiding - Frantically sucking down stupid Fags? ("Sucking a Fag", in those days meant "Smoking a Cigarette", and "Bumming a Fag" meant "Bludging a Cigarette". Both of these terms have a totally different meaning today)

THE SOCIAL COMPONENT To some extend the habit of smoking is a product of socialization. Socialization is simply the tendency to repeat patterns of behaviour one sees other persons in the society exhibit. Socialisation is one major way children and young people learn social skills. Children and teenagers learn skills necessary to live and work in the society by a socialisation process. Unfortunately also bad habits and bad ways of thinking are learned the same way. If one lives or works together with other smoking individuals, one will more or less automatic adopt these individuals’ smoking habits. If one then tries to break out of the social structure, one will feel anxiety for not being accepted any more by the social group one is a part of. If the other individuals also make moves to threaten or freeze out an individual trying to break this bad social standard, the difficulty of breaking out of the habit will be even greater. The threatening actions may not even be very serious to frighten a person from braking out of such a socially standardized habit, and may not even be meant as a threat.

Fast Forward to 1987, and I am working in my first Official Job - a Government Position. I was surrounded by Beer Drinking Chain Smokers. They sat around Smoking most of the time, Gas-bagging about Football, Drinking, Shelia's, and Politics. Every Friday was the Extended Lunch Hour at the Local Pub for "Steak and Chips" washed down with plenty of Beer - "West End Draught". I was offered a Smoke and I took it. I suppose I could say it was the "Peer Pressure" that led me to have a Smoke or Two after the 'Epic Meals".

THE NEED FOR SUCKING AND CHEWING Every person has a need for sucking and chewing. This need is necessary in early infanthood, but it also persists into adult life to some degree. Some persons use cigarettes or other smoking devices and the smoke as a means to satisfy this need. There is a hypothesis that this need is greater by some adults then by others because this need, or some other similar basic need, has not been fully satisfied in early infanthood. If you want to stop smoking, you can try to satisfy this need by other means, for example by always keeping something in your pocket that you can put in your mouth to chew at when the need for smoke appears.

I could say it was the Peer Pressure but that would just be a Cop Out - It was nobodies fault but my own, I wasn't forced to smoke.

AUTOMATIC REPEATING When a person have done something many times and frequently enough, there will be created a pattern of automatic repetition of that particular behaviour. This is especially true if the particular action is done in a distinct recognizable situation. The pattern of automatic repetition also has the effect of making a person feel safer in the daily life and routines. Such a pattern of automatic repetition is always a component in the smoking habit. It you want to quit smoking, you should make an investigation to find out in which situations and which environments you usually take a cigarette. Then try to avoid these situations or environments where you use to smoke, or to deliberately alter these situations.

Soon after I was Buying my own Smokes, and it wasn't just for Friday's Lunch Break, it was for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner everyday of the week. I was caught HOOK, LINE AND SINKER.

NICOTINE USED AS A SELF MEDICATION Nicotine has a tranquilizing effect upon nervous feelings. At the same time it has some anti-depressive effect, at least in the short run, and it makes a person feel more awake. A person suffering from nervousness or from depressive symptoms may feel that the smoking helps him against his mental symptoms. However, gradually there will be a need for steadily higher doses of nicotine to give these good effects, and if there is a lack of nicotine in the body, the nervous or depressive feelings will be greater than before. This gratification, but with the need for steadily higher doses to get the good effects is a major incentive for the smoking habit. You should consider if this anti-depressive or tranquilizing effect is a reason for your smoking. Then you should try to find other ways to achieve the same effect. Engaging in some sport or outdoor life will often make you feel less depressed. If the depressive feelings are more serious, some appropriate treatment can be necessary.

Fast Forward 26 Years and I am still smoking. I have tried many times to QUIT, but My Addiction is Stronger than any Fears I have for the Negative Health Effects. I see these QUIT SMOKING adverts everywhere......They are very disturbing, but my case - Uneffective

THE PLEASURE COMPONENT There is to some degree a plain and direct pleasure connected with smoking. This pleasure is in itself a good effect. This good effect is probably in most cases too small compared to the painful effects of smoking, but will gives a temptation for an individual to continue the habit. However, also this pleasure effect will gradually be difficult to obtain without increasing the doses. If the plain pleasure of smoking is a main reason for your habit, then you should try to find other sources of pleasure instead, for example some good food, some good music or some erotic action.

THE GENETIC COMPONENT Not all people get equally easy dependent of nicotine. There are factors yet not fully understood that make some people more easily addicted than others. Perhaps some persons have receptors on their nerve cells that more easily get trigged by nicotine than others, or perhaps some people have more receptors with the ability to get trigged by nicotine, and this is inherited in the genetic code.
Smoking Addiction

I do want to Quit,

This Thread is kind of another step.

This will be the Year it happens, I can just feel it.

Lastly I would like to use this Quote in regard to my Smoking.


“Lord, grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change,
the courage to change the things I can,
and the wisdom to know the difference.” St. Francis

James

If you really want to quit, you might consider a board certified hypnotherapist. They can be of great help on your journey, and dispel the silly myths surrounding hypnosis. Good luck. I know you can do it. Come back and share when you do.

reply to post by Pedro4077


First steps are always the hardest.

Best of luck to you. I'm sending you a message.

Smylee

reply to post by Pedro4077


You can tell yourself whatever you want.
But if you really wanted to quit, you would have already.

I tried quitting once, 16 years ago. Then I realized that I don't want to quit. I like smoking, it makes me happy inside.

Smoking is no more unhealthy for you than anything else. You just need to have balance.
I smoke about 2 packs a day, more if I'm bored or drinking. I also drink at least 2 pots of coffee every day (straight black) But I don't don't eat garbage, and I exercise every day. I can guarantee you that I am healthier and more physically fit than 99% of the people on this planet. I never get sick, people are always telling me how young I look. I can run 5 miles in 30 minutes, and bench press twice my body weight. So when I hear people complain about how cigarettes are killing them I take a look at the rest of their lifestyle and most of the time see lazy people who eat lots of junk food and I just shake my head.

This is just my opinion based on my experience, take it for what it is.

But I'm pretty sure if you really want to quit, you will. If you don't, you won't.

reply to post by Klassified

Thanks. I am kind of thinking Accupunture rather than Hypnosis.



reply to post by smyleegrl

Thanks smyleegrl

I'm told - If I get through the first 4 days, the rest comes easy. Hmmm...?



reply to post by watchitburn

One of my favourite sports stars "King" Wally Lewis smoked during his prime. I kind of agree that you can smoke and still be healthy.

I just know that "Smoking and being Healthy" is not for me.

Hey, if I can give up drinking, it must be possible for you to give up the smokes.

I was/am not a casual drinker either. it was either one or the other. Drink or hangover.

near 4 months now, slowly pulling back the pieces I'd left strewn across 30 years.

I have a still, brewing kits, a handful of bottleshops on every corner.. talk about temptation.

But I know tobacco, having no real impact on the moment apart from instant satisfaction, would be a lot harder to maintain abstinence from. There is no compounded result from a night smoking.

I can't relay in words how things in my mind have changed, it always comes out whishy washy, and I don't know if it was just the right time for me, or if what I now think has actually changed my life. I think the latter because never once in my life have I felt FREE of it. Now there is unlimited freedom.

The struggle to get away from things or to get an instant desire satisfied.. that's where I always fell.

But making room for feelings like that, psychological expansion, allowing myself to notice things and accept them, not as absolutes, but opportunities.. I dunno, it just made the entire world change for me. It's a lot more than this, as I say I find it extremely hard to describe the absolute change. I can only find aspects of it and they appear slight.

And as I practice being mindful every day, I notice that it fits for everything. Any situation. It does not remove bad desires or feelings, but it allows you room to think. No automatic pilot, no addiction to something negative just to fix that moment.

Might be that everyone already works this way in their mind. But I know for some of us, it's an absolute game changer.

I've often wondered about people with an addiction, and the way the brain memory works. Does someone who develops sudden amnesia instantly lose their craving? I mean they can forget the intense love felt towards loved ones.. So if it's an associated memory, basically, where does that leave us.

Good luck with quitting... And remember if all else fails, everything you know that is real is only the result of a chemical and electrical reaction in your brain to the way your senses perceive the world around you.

I quit and gained 10 pounds. So I started back, BUT I would never inhale a cigarette, mine is a hand to mouth aweful habit. They stink so bad. They make everything stink. I use a fake one sometimes, thats how i quit the first time, but i actually chose to start again , the gigs didnt choose me.