Thanks for posting your picture! It's much neater when we have an idea who we're "talking" to. Hope you had a good (smokefree) weekend. Are you still singing in the group you've occasionally spoken about?
Keep the Quit, Mary!
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
Monday, January 26, 2009
Happy Smokefree Monday!
A smoker might ask: "Just what am I inhaling/ingesting when I smoke?"
Weeelllllll, are you ready for this???
599 Ingredients have been found in cigarettes. They include:
Acetanisole, Acetic Acid, Acetoin, Acetophenone, 6-Aetoxydihydrotheaspirane, 2-Acetyl-3-Ethylpyrazine, 2-Acetyl-5-Methylfuran, Acetylpyrazine, 2-Acetylpyridine, 3-Acetylpyridine, 2-Acetylthiazole, Aconitic Acid, dl-Alanine, Alfalfa Extract, Allspice Extract, Oleoresin and Oil, Allyl Hexanoate, Allyl Ionone, Almond Bitter Oil, Ambergris Tincture, Ammonia, Ammonium Bicarbonate, Ammonium Hydroxide, Ammonium Phosphate Dibasic, Ammonium Sulfide, Amyl Alcohol, Amyl Butyrate, Amyl Formate, Amyl Octanoate, alpha-Amylcinnamaldehyde, Amyris Oil, trans-Anethole, Angelica Root Extract, Oil and Seed Oil, Anise, Anise Star, Extract and Oils, Anisyl Acetate, Anisyl Alcohol, Anisyl Formate, Anisyl Phenylacetate, Apple Juice Concentrate Extract and Skins, Apricot Extract and Juice Concentrate, 1-Arginine, Asafetida Fluid Extract and Oil, Ascorbic Acid, 1-Asparagine Monohydrate 1-Aspartic Acid
And that's just the *A's*...only 554 ingredients to go so let's hit the *B's*:
Balsam Peru and Oil, Basil Oil, Bay Leaf and Sweet Oil, Beeswax White, Beet Juice Concentrate, Benzaldehyde, Benzaldehyde Glyceryl Acetal, Benzoic Acid, Benzoin, Benzoin Resin, Benzophenone, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Butyrate, Benzyl Cinnamate, Benzyl Propionate, Benzyl Salicylate, Bergamot Oil, Bisabolene, Black Currant Buds Absolute, Borneol, Bornyl Acetate, Buchu Leaf Oil, 1,3-Butanediol, 2,3-Butanedione, 1-Butanol, 2-Butanone, 4(2-Butenylidene)-3,5,5-Trimethyl-2-Cyclohexen-1-One, Butter, Butter Esters and Butter Oil, Butyl Acetate, Butyl Butyrate, Butyl Butyryl Lactate, Butyl Isovalerate, Butyl Phenylacetate, Butyl Undecylenate , 3-Butylidenephthalide Butyric Acid
Great! Only 517 to go...but we'll do some more of them tomorrow. Feel free to copy/paste your own list for future reference. I think Bard was the first to post them...back in the day.
Meditate on those chemicals my friends...internalize the fact we inhaled everyone of those 599 each time we puffed a cig. Makes me kinda nauseous...how about you? But it makes me feel even more grateful for the gift of being smokefree. Lord, let me use your awesome gift to do your will. Thank you for my family, friends, and the many folks on the WebMD smoking cessation board (who now are my friends, too) who walk with me on a daily basis. It is so freeing to know I don't have to do this alone!!!
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
Weeelllllll, are you ready for this???
599 Ingredients have been found in cigarettes. They include:
Acetanisole, Acetic Acid, Acetoin, Acetophenone, 6-Aetoxydihydrotheaspirane, 2-Acetyl-3-Ethylpyrazine, 2-Acetyl-5-Methylfuran, Acetylpyrazine, 2-Acetylpyridine, 3-Acetylpyridine, 2-Acetylthiazole, Aconitic Acid, dl-Alanine, Alfalfa Extract, Allspice Extract, Oleoresin and Oil, Allyl Hexanoate, Allyl Ionone, Almond Bitter Oil, Ambergris Tincture, Ammonia, Ammonium Bicarbonate, Ammonium Hydroxide, Ammonium Phosphate Dibasic, Ammonium Sulfide, Amyl Alcohol, Amyl Butyrate, Amyl Formate, Amyl Octanoate, alpha-Amylcinnamaldehyde, Amyris Oil, trans-Anethole, Angelica Root Extract, Oil and Seed Oil, Anise, Anise Star, Extract and Oils, Anisyl Acetate, Anisyl Alcohol, Anisyl Formate, Anisyl Phenylacetate, Apple Juice Concentrate Extract and Skins, Apricot Extract and Juice Concentrate, 1-Arginine, Asafetida Fluid Extract and Oil, Ascorbic Acid, 1-Asparagine Monohydrate 1-Aspartic Acid
And that's just the *A's*...only 554 ingredients to go so let's hit the *B's*:
Balsam Peru and Oil, Basil Oil, Bay Leaf and Sweet Oil, Beeswax White, Beet Juice Concentrate, Benzaldehyde, Benzaldehyde Glyceryl Acetal, Benzoic Acid, Benzoin, Benzoin Resin, Benzophenone, Benzyl Alcohol, Benzyl Benzoate, Benzyl Butyrate, Benzyl Cinnamate, Benzyl Propionate, Benzyl Salicylate, Bergamot Oil, Bisabolene, Black Currant Buds Absolute, Borneol, Bornyl Acetate, Buchu Leaf Oil, 1,3-Butanediol, 2,3-Butanedione, 1-Butanol, 2-Butanone, 4(2-Butenylidene)-3,5,5-Trimethyl-2-Cyclohexen-1-One, Butter, Butter Esters and Butter Oil, Butyl Acetate, Butyl Butyrate, Butyl Butyryl Lactate, Butyl Isovalerate, Butyl Phenylacetate, Butyl Undecylenate , 3-Butylidenephthalide Butyric Acid
Great! Only 517 to go...but we'll do some more of them tomorrow. Feel free to copy/paste your own list for future reference. I think Bard was the first to post them...back in the day.
Meditate on those chemicals my friends...internalize the fact we inhaled everyone of those 599 each time we puffed a cig. Makes me kinda nauseous...how about you? But it makes me feel even more grateful for the gift of being smokefree. Lord, let me use your awesome gift to do your will. Thank you for my family, friends, and the many folks on the WebMD smoking cessation board (who now are my friends, too) who walk with me on a daily basis. It is so freeing to know I don't have to do this alone!!!
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Here are a few health-related facts provided by the American Cancer Society that may help motivate you to quit:
• Almost half of all smokers who continue to smoke will end up dying from a smoking-related illness.
• Smoking is a risk factor for lung, mouth, laryngeal, pharyngeal, esophageal, bladder, kidney, pancreatic, cervical and stomach cancers.
• Smoking increases your risk of getting lung diseases like emphysema and COPD. • Smokers are twice as likely to die from a heart attack versus a non-smoker.
• Women who smoke are more likely to miscarry and deliver low birth weight babies.
• The CDC estimates that adult male smokers lose an average of 13.2 years from their lives, and female smokers 14.5 years, because of smoking.
Many of these adverse health effects of smoking can be greatly reduced or reversed through cessation. Immediate benefits include decrease in blood pressure, increased oxygen level and decreased carbon monoxide level in the blood, improved circulation, improved lung function and decreased shortness of breath. One year after quitting, the risk of developing coronary artery disease is reduced by nearly half compared to those who continue to smoke. The risk of smoking related cancers decreases after several years of abstinence. The sooner you quit smoking, the better chance you have of reversing these risks.
Smoking not only harms your health, but it affects the health of those around you. Secondhand smoke causes thousands of deaths each year from lung cancer and heart disease in healthy non-smokers. Only you can make the decision to quit smoking. If you have decided to quit, you are taking the first steps on the smoking cessation path.
******************************
Food for thought on a smokefree Saturday. Please remember to pray for those still suffering from nicotine addiction and their families. (Secondhand smoke also kills.) Offer a hand up to anyone in need and take good care of yourself.
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
• Almost half of all smokers who continue to smoke will end up dying from a smoking-related illness.
• Smoking is a risk factor for lung, mouth, laryngeal, pharyngeal, esophageal, bladder, kidney, pancreatic, cervical and stomach cancers.
• Smoking increases your risk of getting lung diseases like emphysema and COPD. • Smokers are twice as likely to die from a heart attack versus a non-smoker.
• Women who smoke are more likely to miscarry and deliver low birth weight babies.
• The CDC estimates that adult male smokers lose an average of 13.2 years from their lives, and female smokers 14.5 years, because of smoking.
Many of these adverse health effects of smoking can be greatly reduced or reversed through cessation. Immediate benefits include decrease in blood pressure, increased oxygen level and decreased carbon monoxide level in the blood, improved circulation, improved lung function and decreased shortness of breath. One year after quitting, the risk of developing coronary artery disease is reduced by nearly half compared to those who continue to smoke. The risk of smoking related cancers decreases after several years of abstinence. The sooner you quit smoking, the better chance you have of reversing these risks.
Smoking not only harms your health, but it affects the health of those around you. Secondhand smoke causes thousands of deaths each year from lung cancer and heart disease in healthy non-smokers. Only you can make the decision to quit smoking. If you have decided to quit, you are taking the first steps on the smoking cessation path.
******************************
Food for thought on a smokefree Saturday. Please remember to pray for those still suffering from nicotine addiction and their families. (Secondhand smoke also kills.) Offer a hand up to anyone in need and take good care of yourself.
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
Friday, January 23, 2009
Welcome to
Deanie and Roger...you're both looking great! (And that scenery behind you looks awesome, too!) Hope you stop by now & then to post a comment, Deanie, just like I hope everyone will...this blog is for all us quitters.
Hang tuff--don't puff!
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
Hang tuff--don't puff!
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
Hi, Quitters!
Want to know what happens when you quit smoking? Here's the straight skinny from the American Lung Assn.:
When smokers quit, within 20 minutes of smoking that last cigarette the body begins a series of changes.
At 20 minutes after quitting: blood pressure decreases; pulse rate drops; body temperature of hands and feet increases.
At 8 hours: carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal; oxygen level in blood increases to normal.
At 24 hours: chance of a heart attack decreases.
At 48 hours: nerve endings start regrowing; ability to smell and taste is enhanced.
The first year after quitting:
At 2 weeks to 3 months: circulation improves; walking becomes easier; lung function increases.
1 to 9 months: coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decrease.
1 year: excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker.
Long-term Benefits of Quitting
At 5 years: from 5 to 15 years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.
At 10 years: risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers; risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases; risk of ulcer decreases.
At 15 years: risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked; risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked
© 1999 American Lung Association
*************************************************
Smoking is no longer an option. One is too many; one hundred is not enough.
Remember: The craving will pass, whether or not you smoke. Soooooo...why smoke?
Want to reduce it down even further?
Okay.
"You see before you life and death. Choose life."
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Putting the Longjohns Back On Cause the Temps & Windchill Values are Tanking Tonight--Mary Ann
"I'd rather be a quitter with an occasional urge to smoke than a smoker with the constant desire to quit." --From Junkie Thinkin'
When smokers quit, within 20 minutes of smoking that last cigarette the body begins a series of changes.
At 20 minutes after quitting: blood pressure decreases; pulse rate drops; body temperature of hands and feet increases.
At 8 hours: carbon monoxide level in blood drops to normal; oxygen level in blood increases to normal.
At 24 hours: chance of a heart attack decreases.
At 48 hours: nerve endings start regrowing; ability to smell and taste is enhanced.
The first year after quitting:
At 2 weeks to 3 months: circulation improves; walking becomes easier; lung function increases.
1 to 9 months: coughing, sinus congestion, fatigue, shortness of breath decrease.
1 year: excess risk of coronary heart disease is decreased to half that of a smoker.
Long-term Benefits of Quitting
At 5 years: from 5 to 15 years after quitting, stroke risk is reduced to that of people who have never smoked.
At 10 years: risk of lung cancer drops to as little as one-half that of continuing smokers; risk of cancer of the mouth, throat, esophagus, bladder, kidney, and pancreas decreases; risk of ulcer decreases.
At 15 years: risk of coronary heart disease is now similar to that of people who have never smoked; risk of death returns to nearly the level of people who have never smoked
© 1999 American Lung Association
*************************************************
Smoking is no longer an option. One is too many; one hundred is not enough.
Remember: The craving will pass, whether or not you smoke. Soooooo...why smoke?
Want to reduce it down even further?
Okay.
"You see before you life and death. Choose life."
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Putting the Longjohns Back On Cause the Temps & Windchill Values are Tanking Tonight--Mary Ann
"I'd rather be a quitter with an occasional urge to smoke than a smoker with the constant desire to quit." --From Junkie Thinkin'
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Sun's out...
a welcome sight, as are the moderating temps. I hope you are toasty where you are, enjoying yet one more day of smokefreedom. If you are a new quitter, maybe still in the throes of withdrawal, or at the point of realizing the fog is lifting (finally!), please know all quitters rejoice with you! You are reclaiming your life from demon nic(otine)!
The nic battle is won on a daily basis...and if you need to break it down even further, do it...WITS (Whatever It TakeS), WIN (Whatever Is Necessary). A successful nicotine recovery journey must include a healthy respect for nicotine. Why? Because it is an addictive drug, one not to be pooh-poohed. Nicotine is insidious, sneaky, brain-warping, and deadly. If I forget...or if I become complacent or lazy I'm opening my quit up to nicotine's slimy sabotage.
We've read the stories so often of folks who have years of smoberdom under their belts, who for all intents and purposes have their nic addiction under control. When you hear they slipped or relapsed you think, oh, no, not *them*! How could they let that happen?
Addicts are never cured of their addiction, no matter the substance (alcohol, prescription drugs, illegal drugs, nicotine, caffeine, etc.). Recovery is within the reach of all who are willing to do WITS, WIN, but a cure has not been discovered or manufactured.
And here's The Patience Prayer. It is a takeoff on The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr(sp) , reflecting our recovery from nicotine addiction.
Patience Prayer
God, grant me the Patience to let the smokefree process work. Help me keep in mind the length of time I smoked. Help me understand that I won't become smokefree overnight. Or even in a week, two weeks, three weeks.
Help me understand each of us is different and that becoming smokefree will take as long as it takes for me, just as it does for the next person.
Help me realize the futility of comparing myself to others in the process. It takes what it takes--for them, for me. Help me to a greater acceptance that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be in the process, whether it is the first day, the 100th day, the 1,000th day.
Calm my spirit, allay my fears, remove the negativity and doubt from my life. Open my eyes and my heart as my smokefree process continues so that, with gratitude, I may be of service to others in their processes.
God bless us all on our smokefree journeys. Amen.
*****************
Remember, we need to learn to be kind to ourselves, because actually we're learning how to 'walk in this world' all over again, minus nicotine.
I'm looking over long-ago posts of mine & will be sharing them as time goes on...
Have yourselves a super smokefree Inauguration Day!
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
Smoked 44+yrs.; 7+yrs. smokefree (by God's grace thru WebMD, my Land O'Smokeless friends and my family); 84,748 not smoked; $15,254+ saved; 42+weeks tacked onto my life's end, God willing! (Go to silkquit.org & download yourself a free quitmeter for even more motivation!)
The nic battle is won on a daily basis...and if you need to break it down even further, do it...WITS (Whatever It TakeS), WIN (Whatever Is Necessary). A successful nicotine recovery journey must include a healthy respect for nicotine. Why? Because it is an addictive drug, one not to be pooh-poohed. Nicotine is insidious, sneaky, brain-warping, and deadly. If I forget...or if I become complacent or lazy I'm opening my quit up to nicotine's slimy sabotage.
We've read the stories so often of folks who have years of smoberdom under their belts, who for all intents and purposes have their nic addiction under control. When you hear they slipped or relapsed you think, oh, no, not *them*! How could they let that happen?
Addicts are never cured of their addiction, no matter the substance (alcohol, prescription drugs, illegal drugs, nicotine, caffeine, etc.). Recovery is within the reach of all who are willing to do WITS, WIN, but a cure has not been discovered or manufactured.
And here's The Patience Prayer. It is a takeoff on The Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr(sp) , reflecting our recovery from nicotine addiction.
Patience Prayer
God, grant me the Patience to let the smokefree process work. Help me keep in mind the length of time I smoked. Help me understand that I won't become smokefree overnight. Or even in a week, two weeks, three weeks.
Help me understand each of us is different and that becoming smokefree will take as long as it takes for me, just as it does for the next person.
Help me realize the futility of comparing myself to others in the process. It takes what it takes--for them, for me. Help me to a greater acceptance that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be in the process, whether it is the first day, the 100th day, the 1,000th day.
Calm my spirit, allay my fears, remove the negativity and doubt from my life. Open my eyes and my heart as my smokefree process continues so that, with gratitude, I may be of service to others in their processes.
God bless us all on our smokefree journeys. Amen.
*****************
Remember, we need to learn to be kind to ourselves, because actually we're learning how to 'walk in this world' all over again, minus nicotine.
I'm looking over long-ago posts of mine & will be sharing them as time goes on...
Have yourselves a super smokefree Inauguration Day!
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
Smoked 44+yrs.; 7+yrs. smokefree (by God's grace thru WebMD, my Land O'Smokeless friends and my family); 84,748 not smoked; $15,254+ saved; 42+weeks tacked onto my life's end, God willing! (Go to silkquit.org & download yourself a free quitmeter for even more motivation!)
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Mea culpa, Pam, Mike, Bard, Debi, Mary...
for not acknowledging your visits and posts!!! How exciting!!! I'm gonna blame my forgetfulness on (ahem) CRS, a condition of age I've been told. Thank you for your support...I hope you come here often & let folks know how your smokefree life is going, or anything else you want to talk about. And pass the word, okay?
Have a wonderful smokefree Sunday!
Smoking is no longer an option.
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
Have a wonderful smokefree Sunday!
Smoking is no longer an option.
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Chicken Enchiladas...
We are celebrating my youngest son's 42nd birthday this weekend & the Silver Anniversary of making chicken enchiladas for his birthday dinner, with sauce hot enough to warm up anybody's innards, referred to (by those brave enough to eat them) as: "WHHH-AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" (enchilada-speak for "Ye gods, those are hot!!"). 2009's didn't disappoint, my friends. I watched sweat from my hubby's scalp run down his forehead & into his eyebrows...my criterion for successful enchilada-making.
One o'these days we'll have to have an old fashioned cyber-par-tay for all our smokefree friends...everybody from TLOS (The Land O'Smokeless) is invited...potluck, so bring your fave dishes. I'll give the hunky firedudes and firedudettes a call; maybe somebody could get ahold of Tiny Tina, the elfette. Mike, hopefully you can sneak away without havin' to drag Mel with you. Whaddya think, folks??
I'm grateful to be smokefree today & able to enjoy my son's and my hubby's company without having to excuse myself to go smoke...how cool is that?! The smokefree life is lived one day/hr/min/sec at a time, WITS (Whatever It TakeS), WIN (Whatever Is Necessary)...and with a full and conscious acknowledgment that I don't do it alone. God's grace, working through family and friends, is responsible. I'm merely cooperating with his grace.
In the coming days I'll be posting "The Patience Prayer" (a take-off on "The Serenity Prayer") and other quit/nicotine/addiction links, tips, info gleaned from various sources.
Enjoy your smokefree Saturday!
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
"I'd rather be a quitter with an occasional urge to smoke than a smoker with the constant desire to quit." --Paraphrased from "Junkie Thinkin"
Smoked 44+yrs.; 7+yrs. 8+mos. smokefree; 84,662 not smoked; $15,239+ saved; 41+weeks saved, God willing!
One o'these days we'll have to have an old fashioned cyber-par-tay for all our smokefree friends...everybody from TLOS (The Land O'Smokeless) is invited...potluck, so bring your fave dishes. I'll give the hunky firedudes and firedudettes a call; maybe somebody could get ahold of Tiny Tina, the elfette. Mike, hopefully you can sneak away without havin' to drag Mel with you. Whaddya think, folks??
I'm grateful to be smokefree today & able to enjoy my son's and my hubby's company without having to excuse myself to go smoke...how cool is that?! The smokefree life is lived one day/hr/min/sec at a time, WITS (Whatever It TakeS), WIN (Whatever Is Necessary)...and with a full and conscious acknowledgment that I don't do it alone. God's grace, working through family and friends, is responsible. I'm merely cooperating with his grace.
In the coming days I'll be posting "The Patience Prayer" (a take-off on "The Serenity Prayer") and other quit/nicotine/addiction links, tips, info gleaned from various sources.
Enjoy your smokefree Saturday!
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
"I'd rather be a quitter with an occasional urge to smoke than a smoker with the constant desire to quit." --Paraphrased from "Junkie Thinkin"
Smoked 44+yrs.; 7+yrs. 8+mos. smokefree; 84,662 not smoked; $15,239+ saved; 41+weeks saved, God willing!
Friday, January 16, 2009
Hello...
My name is Mary Ann. I'm in recovery from nicotine addiction. By God's grace I've not smoked a cigarette since 12:00 noon, April 27, 2001, and for that I'm grateful. I offer nothing except understanding, support and encouragement to those who are deciding to quit, those who've just made the leap of faith to quit (& may be struggling at the moment), and those who've got a fair chunk of smokefreedom under their belts.
As has been said many times before, we're (all of us, no matter our smoking/smokefree status) regular folks who want to help each other kick nic(otine)'s bony butt to the curb.
I hope this blog will be a productive endeavor for all who want to be smokefree. No specific method or means of quitting will be emphasized more than another. Everybody's different. What we'll share here (in a spirit of friendship, civility, support and encouragement) is simply our experience, strength, and hope...much like happens at Alcoholics Anonymous. This means we are not here to judge one another.
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
As has been said many times before, we're (all of us, no matter our smoking/smokefree status) regular folks who want to help each other kick nic(otine)'s bony butt to the curb.
I hope this blog will be a productive endeavor for all who want to be smokefree. No specific method or means of quitting will be emphasized more than another. Everybody's different. What we'll share here (in a spirit of friendship, civility, support and encouragement) is simply our experience, strength, and hope...much like happens at Alcoholics Anonymous. This means we are not here to judge one another.
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
Hello, all you fabulous quitters! Heeeere's Junkie Thinkin'...
Simply put, nicotine is a addictive drug...a drug harder to kick than heroin, according to the American Medical Association. I'm a recovering nicotine addict, my thought processes influenced by nicotine, as in Junkie Thinkin' (feel free to copy as an aid to your recovery from nicotine addiction):
JUNKIE THINKING: “One puff won’t hurt.” RESPONSE: “One puff will always hurt me, and it always will because I’m not a social smoker. One puff and I’ll be smoking compulsively again.”
JUNKIE THINKING: “I only want one.” RESPONSE: “I have never only wanted one. In fact, I want 20-30 a day, every day. I want them all.”
JUNKIE THINKING: “I’ll just be a social smoker.” RESPONSE: “I’m a chronic, compulsive smoker, and once I smoke one I’ll quickly be thinking about the next one. Social smokers can take or leave it. That’s not me.”
JUNKIE THINKING: “I’m doing so well, one won’t hurt me now.” RESPONSE: “The only reason I’m doing so well is because I haven’t taken the first one. Yet once I do, I won’t be doing well anymore. I’ll be smoking again.”
JUNKIE THINKING: “I’ll just stop again.” RESPONSE: “Sounds easy, but who am I trying to kid? Look how long it took me to stop this time. And once I start, how long will it take before I get sick enough to face withdrawal again? In fact, when I’m back in the grip of compulsion, what guarantee do I have that I’ll ever be able to stop again?”
JUNKIE THINKING: “If I slip, I’ll keep trying.” RESPONSE: “If I think I can get away with one little ‘slip’ now I’ll think I can get away with another little ‘slip’ later on.”
JUNKIE THINKING: “I need one to get me through this withdrawal.” RESPONSE: “Smoking will not get me through the discomfort of not smoking. It will only get me back to smoking. One puff stops the process of withdrawal and I’ll have to go through it all over again.”
JUNKIE THINKING: “I miss smoking right now.” RESPONSE: “Of course I miss something I’ve been doing every day for most of my life. But do I miss the chest pain right now? Do I miss the worry, the embarrassment? I’d rather be an ex-smoker with an occasional desire to smoke, than a smoker with a constant desire to stop doing it.”
JUNKIE THINKING: “I really need to smoke now, I’m so upset.” RESPONSE: “Smoking is not going to fix anything. I’ll still be upset, I’ll just be an upset smoker. I never have to have a cigarette. Smoking is not a need; it’s a want. Once the crisis is over, I’ll be relieved and grateful I’m still not smoking.”
JUNKIE THINKING: “I don’t care.” RESPONSE: “What is it exactly that I think that I don’t care about? Can I truthfully say I don’t care about chest pain? I don’t care about gagging in the morning? I don’t care about lung cancer? No, I care about these things very much. That’s why I stopped smoking in the first place.
JUNKIE THINKING: “What difference does it make, anyway?” RESPONSE: “It makes a difference in the way I breathe, the way my heart beats, the way I feel about myself. It makes a tremendous difference in every aspect of my physical and emotional health.”
OTHER JUNKIE THINKING: Why bother quitting? We all have to die sometime. I deserve to smoke. Cigarettes are all I've got left. They get to smoke. It would taste so good. They're smoking and it's not hurting them. Smoking wasn't really so bad. This won't count because____. I know I can't smoke just one, but I hope I can. I’ll do it fast before I think about it. If no one can see me it doesn’t count.
More Junkie Thinking! by mindy112, on 7/5/2003 (Found these on another Junkie Thinking thread...I think it was About.com):
JUNKIE THINKING: "I'm bored" RESPONSE: Smoking is an "activity" or "something to do" only for smokers. I'm really not "doing" anything when I smoke except still sitting/standing there. The rest of the world survives occasional boredom quite well without inhaling life-challenging chemicals.
JUNKIE THINKING: "But they've been smoking on TV and in the movies for years! There are even magazines devoted to tobacco products!”
RESPONSE: That's right. They were on TV for years, I wasn't. I'm still alive; many of them aren't and they departed this vale of tears in prolonged and painful ways. And the smiling faces in the magazines now are risking painful and disfiguring surgery later, at which point they won't be smiling at all.
JUNKIE THINKING: "Its so nice to go out for a 'breath of fresh air' and a cigarette." RESPONSE: Fresh air? I've got to be kidding. And face it, sunny days are one thing, but how many days do I huddle out in the rain with the rain hitting the cigarette and turning the cigarette paper that disgusting yellow color? How many times is it windy and it takes forever to keep a match or lighter lit long enough to light the cigarette, and then how often does a gust of wind come up and blow the ashes into my eyes? And when it’s icy outside, freezing my face off is bad enough, but when it defrosts, there's this bizarre yellow condensation around my nostrils. Now THAT'S attractive.
JUNKIE THINKING: "Smoking makes work go faster." RESPONSE: Most jobs where you work indoors are with companies who ban smoking in the workplace. Some companies won't hire me if I smoke. And every time I stop for a smoke it actually prolongs my work, since I'm not busy accomplishing it.
Reprinting Junkie Thinkin' is a selfish effort on my part, folks, it reminds me I'm addicted to nicotine. While there is no cure for nicotine addiction we can recover from it (& even though nic would like us to believe all addicts are doomed to lives of deprivation and boredom it's just another nic lie!!).
Staying nic-free is an ongoing process for me, absolutely contingent on doing Whatever It TakeS (WITS), Whatever Is Necessary (WIN). My day begins with a prayer of gratitude that I am still smoke free, followed by conscious reminders during the day of my smoking life pre 4/27/01, and why, since then, smoking is no longer an option for me.
We all pay our "nic dues" one way or the other, folks. If you're out there lurking trying to decide whether or not to quit smoking get yourself in here & share your journey to smokefreedom. If folks hadn't been supportive and encouraging I'd either be deathly ill today...or dead. Support and encouragement made all the difference.
There is no single "right" way to quit. Each person is different. A method that didn't work for you in the past just MIGHT this time. The point is, keep trying. You deserve a better life, a longer life. Remember...no one is a failure as long as we continue to try!!!!!! The failure comes when we stop trying.
Sending prayers, ~~~P.V.'s~~~ (Positive Vibes), and ((((hugs)))) to all who need 'em today. Alone *I* can't. Together WE can. Stick around this place and watch your miracle happen. (Thanks, Arleen.) To all new quitters: Keep up the good work, one day/hr/min/sec at a time!!
Post, don't puff--posting's saved many a quit--mine included.
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
"I'd rather be a quitter with an occasional urge to smoke than a smoker with the constant desire to quit." --Paraphrased from Junkie Thinkin'.
Smoked 44+yrs.; 7+yrs. smokefree by God's grace thru TLOS (The Land O'Smokeless, WebMD Smoking Cessation Message Board Support Group), one day/hr/min/sec at a time.
As of this date I am only aware of one possible source for Junkie Thinkin'..."Hooked But Not Helpless" by Patricia Allison and Jack Yost. If you use all or any part of Junkie Thinkin' please make proper attribution.
Simply put, nicotine is a addictive drug...a drug harder to kick than heroin, according to the American Medical Association. I'm a recovering nicotine addict, my thought processes influenced by nicotine, as in Junkie Thinkin' (feel free to copy as an aid to your recovery from nicotine addiction):
JUNKIE THINKING: “One puff won’t hurt.” RESPONSE: “One puff will always hurt me, and it always will because I’m not a social smoker. One puff and I’ll be smoking compulsively again.”
JUNKIE THINKING: “I only want one.” RESPONSE: “I have never only wanted one. In fact, I want 20-30 a day, every day. I want them all.”
JUNKIE THINKING: “I’ll just be a social smoker.” RESPONSE: “I’m a chronic, compulsive smoker, and once I smoke one I’ll quickly be thinking about the next one. Social smokers can take or leave it. That’s not me.”
JUNKIE THINKING: “I’m doing so well, one won’t hurt me now.” RESPONSE: “The only reason I’m doing so well is because I haven’t taken the first one. Yet once I do, I won’t be doing well anymore. I’ll be smoking again.”
JUNKIE THINKING: “I’ll just stop again.” RESPONSE: “Sounds easy, but who am I trying to kid? Look how long it took me to stop this time. And once I start, how long will it take before I get sick enough to face withdrawal again? In fact, when I’m back in the grip of compulsion, what guarantee do I have that I’ll ever be able to stop again?”
JUNKIE THINKING: “If I slip, I’ll keep trying.” RESPONSE: “If I think I can get away with one little ‘slip’ now I’ll think I can get away with another little ‘slip’ later on.”
JUNKIE THINKING: “I need one to get me through this withdrawal.” RESPONSE: “Smoking will not get me through the discomfort of not smoking. It will only get me back to smoking. One puff stops the process of withdrawal and I’ll have to go through it all over again.”
JUNKIE THINKING: “I miss smoking right now.” RESPONSE: “Of course I miss something I’ve been doing every day for most of my life. But do I miss the chest pain right now? Do I miss the worry, the embarrassment? I’d rather be an ex-smoker with an occasional desire to smoke, than a smoker with a constant desire to stop doing it.”
JUNKIE THINKING: “I really need to smoke now, I’m so upset.” RESPONSE: “Smoking is not going to fix anything. I’ll still be upset, I’ll just be an upset smoker. I never have to have a cigarette. Smoking is not a need; it’s a want. Once the crisis is over, I’ll be relieved and grateful I’m still not smoking.”
JUNKIE THINKING: “I don’t care.” RESPONSE: “What is it exactly that I think that I don’t care about? Can I truthfully say I don’t care about chest pain? I don’t care about gagging in the morning? I don’t care about lung cancer? No, I care about these things very much. That’s why I stopped smoking in the first place.
JUNKIE THINKING: “What difference does it make, anyway?” RESPONSE: “It makes a difference in the way I breathe, the way my heart beats, the way I feel about myself. It makes a tremendous difference in every aspect of my physical and emotional health.”
OTHER JUNKIE THINKING: Why bother quitting? We all have to die sometime. I deserve to smoke. Cigarettes are all I've got left. They get to smoke. It would taste so good. They're smoking and it's not hurting them. Smoking wasn't really so bad. This won't count because____. I know I can't smoke just one, but I hope I can. I’ll do it fast before I think about it. If no one can see me it doesn’t count.
More Junkie Thinking! by mindy112, on 7/5/2003 (Found these on another Junkie Thinking thread...I think it was About.com):
JUNKIE THINKING: "I'm bored" RESPONSE: Smoking is an "activity" or "something to do" only for smokers. I'm really not "doing" anything when I smoke except still sitting/standing there. The rest of the world survives occasional boredom quite well without inhaling life-challenging chemicals.
JUNKIE THINKING: "But they've been smoking on TV and in the movies for years! There are even magazines devoted to tobacco products!”
RESPONSE: That's right. They were on TV for years, I wasn't. I'm still alive; many of them aren't and they departed this vale of tears in prolonged and painful ways. And the smiling faces in the magazines now are risking painful and disfiguring surgery later, at which point they won't be smiling at all.
JUNKIE THINKING: "Its so nice to go out for a 'breath of fresh air' and a cigarette." RESPONSE: Fresh air? I've got to be kidding. And face it, sunny days are one thing, but how many days do I huddle out in the rain with the rain hitting the cigarette and turning the cigarette paper that disgusting yellow color? How many times is it windy and it takes forever to keep a match or lighter lit long enough to light the cigarette, and then how often does a gust of wind come up and blow the ashes into my eyes? And when it’s icy outside, freezing my face off is bad enough, but when it defrosts, there's this bizarre yellow condensation around my nostrils. Now THAT'S attractive.
JUNKIE THINKING: "Smoking makes work go faster." RESPONSE: Most jobs where you work indoors are with companies who ban smoking in the workplace. Some companies won't hire me if I smoke. And every time I stop for a smoke it actually prolongs my work, since I'm not busy accomplishing it.
Reprinting Junkie Thinkin' is a selfish effort on my part, folks, it reminds me I'm addicted to nicotine. While there is no cure for nicotine addiction we can recover from it (& even though nic would like us to believe all addicts are doomed to lives of deprivation and boredom it's just another nic lie!!).
Staying nic-free is an ongoing process for me, absolutely contingent on doing Whatever It TakeS (WITS), Whatever Is Necessary (WIN). My day begins with a prayer of gratitude that I am still smoke free, followed by conscious reminders during the day of my smoking life pre 4/27/01, and why, since then, smoking is no longer an option for me.
We all pay our "nic dues" one way or the other, folks. If you're out there lurking trying to decide whether or not to quit smoking get yourself in here & share your journey to smokefreedom. If folks hadn't been supportive and encouraging I'd either be deathly ill today...or dead. Support and encouragement made all the difference.
There is no single "right" way to quit. Each person is different. A method that didn't work for you in the past just MIGHT this time. The point is, keep trying. You deserve a better life, a longer life. Remember...no one is a failure as long as we continue to try!!!!!! The failure comes when we stop trying.
Sending prayers, ~~~P.V.'s~~~ (Positive Vibes), and ((((hugs)))) to all who need 'em today. Alone *I* can't. Together WE can. Stick around this place and watch your miracle happen. (Thanks, Arleen.) To all new quitters: Keep up the good work, one day/hr/min/sec at a time!!
Post, don't puff--posting's saved many a quit--mine included.
--Still a Grateful Quitter--Mary Ann
"I'd rather be a quitter with an occasional urge to smoke than a smoker with the constant desire to quit." --Paraphrased from Junkie Thinkin'.
Smoked 44+yrs.; 7+yrs. smokefree by God's grace thru TLOS (The Land O'Smokeless, WebMD Smoking Cessation Message Board Support Group), one day/hr/min/sec at a time.
As of this date I am only aware of one possible source for Junkie Thinkin'..."Hooked But Not Helpless" by Patricia Allison and Jack Yost. If you use all or any part of Junkie Thinkin' please make proper attribution.
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