Hi!
I quit 12/31/02! Found your website quite by accident & have been "addicted" every since. Just been lurking around absorbing everything I read trying to get up my nerve to start posting.
THANKS FOR BEING THERE,
Carol
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Nana08Nana08
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JoelJoel
For Millie. I think Lulumae will appreciate this one too. They both knew to get rid of all cigarettes in the house.-
JoelJoel
For OxygenAddict: Ex-smokers should never keep stashes of cigarettes around--not from day one of a quit. One reason is for the real risk of smoking it, and the second reason is that as long as a person keeps cigarettes he or she is also keeping a mindset that he or she is a smoker trying not to smoke as opposed to being an ex-smoker. Ex-smokers and never smokers have no reasons to keep cigarettes around--why would they? It serves no purpose to them.
As long as a person feels like a smoker trying not to smoke, he or she is going to have the psychological problems and play the little mind games of a smoker trying not to smoke. When you cross over to the frame of mind that you are not a smoker trying not to smoke but rather you are now an ex-smoker--and that is what you want to be--the psychological benefit can be both powerful and profound.
If you work on proper frame of mind in the beginning, you can feel this difference a minute into your quit and you will prove yourself right as long as you always remember that you are committed to never take another puff!
Joel
As long as a person feels like a smoker trying not to smoke, he or she is going to have the psychological problems and play the little mind games of a smoker trying not to smoke. When you cross over to the frame of mind that you are not a smoker trying not to smoke but rather you are now an ex-smoker--and that is what you want to be--the psychological benefit can be both powerful and profound.
If you work on proper frame of mind in the beginning, you can feel this difference a minute into your quit and you will prove yourself right as long as you always remember that you are committed to never take another puff!
Joel
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CKay87CKay87
Agreed - live and learn. At least I had a happy ending to the story. I have a quitting friend (she's 2.5 months into it) who won't empty her ashtray because she likes the smell. What do you say to something like that???
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JoelJoel
I see we have a lot of new people joining in all at once. I thought I had better bring up some of our advice topics applicable for new member.-
John (Gold)John (Gold)
A new quitter keeping cigarettes around just to provethey can, is akin to a person on suicide watch carrying a loaded gun. With a triggered crave being less than 3 minutes in duration (be sure and look at a clock as time distortion is a very real symptom during quitting and your mind may try to convince you that it's 3 hours instead) one of your best weapons against relapse is delay one minute, delay two minutes, delay for a third minute, if need be!
Why have a gun handy while waiting on the urge to use it? It makes no sense!
Each crave will end in a very short period of time whether you feed it or not. If you know where "it" or "they" are then you'd be well advised to flush or crush your hidden stash! Baby steps to glory! This is doable! John (Gold)
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Joanne GoldJoanne Gold
For Mankeegan:
Like cigarettes, anything containing nicotine should be destroyed. We never want to give our left-over cigarettes or nicotine products to anyone else. I've heard Joel give this advice at his clinics.
Joanne
Like cigarettes, anything containing nicotine should be destroyed. We never want to give our left-over cigarettes or nicotine products to anyone else. I've heard Joel give this advice at his clinics.
Joanne
Ex-smokers should never keep stashes of cigarettes around--not from day one of a quit. One reason is for the real risk of smoking it, and the second reason is that as long as a person keeps cigarettes he or she is also keeping a mindset that he or she is a smoker trying not to smoke as opposed to being an ex-smoker. Ex-smokers and never smokers have no reasons to keep cigarettes around--why would they? It serves no purpose to them.
As long as a person feels like a smoker trying not to smoke, he or she is going to have the psychological problems and play the little mind games of a smoker trying not to smoke. When you cross over to the frame of mind that you are not a smoker trying not to smoke but rather you are now an ex-smoker--and that is what you want to be--the psychological benefit can be both powerful and profound.
If you work on proper frame of mind in the beginning, you can feel this difference a minute into your quit and you will prove yourself right as long as you always remember that you are committed to never take another puff!
Joel
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JoelJoel
I saw one of our newer member came across a pack of cigarettes today. I thought she would appreciate reading this one.
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DlunyGOLDDlunyGOLD
The day I quit smoking I put the remaining cigarettes and lighter in on of the drawers of my nightstand. I knew that I should throw them out, had read about how they should be thrown out, but I just put them away in a drawer. I guess at that point I still wasn't certain this quit was going to "take" so wanted to hedge my bets (and besides, the pack was over 1/2 full--that was at least 80 cents I was about to throw away!).
A couple of days later I went in that drawer for something else and did not see the cigs or the lighter so I figured my wife had found them and thrown them away for me or else my stepson had found them and was smoking them himself. This latter thought was not a pretty thought but I wasn't really concerned too much at that point as they appeared to be gone.
Later I was in that drawer again and lo and behold there were the cigs and lighter--they had shifted in the drawer. For a week I left them there. I have had better weeks! Finally, this past week I threw those suckers AWAY and made CERTAIN that the trash man hauled them off! I do feel so much better knowing those things cannot harm me now.
Thanks for giving us the wisdom Joel. Just wish I had followed it a little sooner.
David One month, 8 hours, 12 minutes and 13 seconds. 546 cigarettes not smoked, saving $40.96. Life saved: 1 day, 21 hours, 30 minutes.
A couple of days later I went in that drawer for something else and did not see the cigs or the lighter so I figured my wife had found them and thrown them away for me or else my stepson had found them and was smoking them himself. This latter thought was not a pretty thought but I wasn't really concerned too much at that point as they appeared to be gone.
Later I was in that drawer again and lo and behold there were the cigs and lighter--they had shifted in the drawer. For a week I left them there. I have had better weeks! Finally, this past week I threw those suckers AWAY and made CERTAIN that the trash man hauled them off! I do feel so much better knowing those things cannot harm me now.
Thanks for giving us the wisdom Joel. Just wish I had followed it a little sooner.
David One month, 8 hours, 12 minutes and 13 seconds. 546 cigarettes not smoked, saving $40.96. Life saved: 1 day, 21 hours, 30 minutes.
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John (Gold)John (Gold)
| From: Hillbilly(Gold) (Original Message) | Sent: 6/17/2002 4:17 PM |
| "As long as a person feels like a smoker trying not to smoke, he or she is going to have the psychological problems and play the little mind games of a smoker trying not to smoke. When you cross over to the frame of mind that you are not a smoker trying not to smoke but rather you are now an ex-smoker--and that is what you want to be--the psychological benefit can be both powerful and profound." The above is an excerpt from Message No. 35 in the thread Carrying Cigarettes. I read it for the first time today, and have not seen that teaching concept anywhere else in Freedom. It really got my attention. For two months now, I have been successful in my quit by telling myself that "I am not going to smoke, just for today. I may smoke tomorrow, but today I'm not going to smoke." Lately I have not had to argue with myself each morning about this decision, and it has become much less important to me. What I am trying to say is my mindset is changing, and I begin to look more at the long range picture of not smoking for the rest of my life. That idea has been particularly scary to me, but I have to accept that my baby steps are getting bigger. This post that I quoted above really affected me. I have been thinking of myself as a smoker who is trying to quit. I now begin to realize that is time to begin thinking of myself as an ex-smoker. This is a major step for me and I wonder if anyone else has been through a similar experience. The one thing I don't need to forget is the fact that I will never be an ex-addict. Dave I have chosen not to smoke for 1 Month 4 Weeks 2 Days 18 Hours 12 Minutes 46 Seconds. Somewhere there are 2126 extra cigarettes. From Dave's Original Post in ...
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JoelJoel
I think I saw a post earlier from a person who still had NRT's around the house. The concept here of carrying cigarettes applies to keeping NRT products around too.
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JoelJoel
I am lifting a section out of the thread Be prepared to hear some confusing info (see post 36 in that string for the full text) that was addressing a recent press release from the makers of numerous NRT products. It is important that the information about this issue be attached in this string too.
Comment 4: (From the pharmaceutical company's press release)
I think the other way that this comment needs to be looked at is the idea that an ex-smoker has to have something on hand "just in case" the ex-smoker finds himself or herself wanting a cigarette. What might happen if a person gets a thought and has no aid? Will he or she stop breathing? Will his or her heart stop? Will he or she burst a blood vessel unless he or she takes nicotine product? None of these things will happen. For the record, most ex-smokers are going to get an occasional thought and if they have a nicotine product in hand and have a feeling that it is better than smoking, or that it is an either they are either going to take this NRT product or they are going to smoke, they are going to take the product. The bottom line is there was and always will be a third option, which is not to take the product and not smoke. The person will get through the event with their quit totally intact.
We are seeing a new level of nonsense now. Every one of our members are living proof that all you need to have with you to keep your quit strong and secure in times of major crisis, minor emergencies, or just plain random thoughts is a personal commitment to never take another puff!
Joel
Comment 4: (From the pharmaceutical company's press release)
I normally try not to go on an offensive with any industry, as we have written in our Freedom's mission statement:The dreaded relapse
Any ex-smoker knows, quitting is so difficult that many have tried 7 or more times before succeeding. So if you relapse, you're not alone.
But you don't have to feel like a failure. In fact, you can learn from your current quit attempt and more likely stay a non-smoker in the future. And, by keeping a Quit Aids like Nicorette®, NicoDerm® CQ®, or CommitTM handy, you can help fight off the physical cravings
I feel that I would be being negligent now though if I did not point out a tactic that I have not seen so blatantly used before by the pharmaceutical industry. The idea that you should keep any source of nicotine on hand just in case is absolutely ludicrous. It gives the impression that people have to have some nicotine around in case they have an urge. The fact is ex-smokers don't have physical urges they have psychological . Taking a dose of nicotine to deal with a psychological trigger will basically start the physical process of withdrawal again. If a person does it he or she had better be prepared for three more days of withdrawal. He or she had better have a good supply of his or her quitting aid on hand again to get through the following days for he or she has started up an active need again.We are hostile to nobody. Not even to the tobacco industry or pharmaceutical companies who have different agendas than ours. They exist because they want you to use their products. We exist because you want to stop using their products. We are not here to try to make anyone stop using their products either. We are here to help people quit using nicotine because they have already decided to do so.
I think the other way that this comment needs to be looked at is the idea that an ex-smoker has to have something on hand "just in case" the ex-smoker finds himself or herself wanting a cigarette. What might happen if a person gets a thought and has no aid? Will he or she stop breathing? Will his or her heart stop? Will he or she burst a blood vessel unless he or she takes nicotine product? None of these things will happen. For the record, most ex-smokers are going to get an occasional thought and if they have a nicotine product in hand and have a feeling that it is better than smoking, or that it is an either they are either going to take this NRT product or they are going to smoke, they are going to take the product. The bottom line is there was and always will be a third option, which is not to take the product and not smoke. The person will get through the event with their quit totally intact.
We are seeing a new level of nonsense now. Every one of our members are living proof that all you need to have with you to keep your quit strong and secure in times of major crisis, minor emergencies, or just plain random thoughts is a personal commitment to never take another puff!
Joel
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MareBear GOLDMareBear GOLD
I haven't read this thread in a long time. It's the first one that really got through (I bet we all have them).
I think this bears repeating as well (pulled from John's post #65 to this thread):
"Why have a gun handy while waiting on the urge to use it?"
It's heartwarming to see so many new members and also to see the same oldbies giving their sage advice and doing so well. I am still here reading tho I don't have the time to post much anymore.
MareBear
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1 year 7 months nicotine-free, 12,033 cigs not smoked, $2,105.78 saved, 1m 1w 4d 18:45 life saved
I think this bears repeating as well (pulled from John's post #65 to this thread):
"Why have a gun handy while waiting on the urge to use it?"
It's heartwarming to see so many new members and also to see the same oldbies giving their sage advice and doing so well. I am still here reading tho I don't have the time to post much anymore.
MareBear
---
1 year 7 months nicotine-free, 12,033 cigs not smoked, $2,105.78 saved, 1m 1w 4d 18:45 life saved
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NoMoBaccoNoMoBacco
(This) Ex smoker shouldn't keep unused nicotine gum around, either. While reading this thread it dawned on my that I didn't toss the unused nicotine gum i have. Upon realizing that, I immediately craved (craved some gum). Craving nico-gum = craving nicotine. Ingetsting nicotine in *any form* will lead to a relapse. I can no more afford to chew a pice of that gum than I can afford to take a puff off of a cigarette. That's one of the big lessons I've learned this time and one of the things I have to reinforce to myself to prevent a relapse: never use nicotine, in any form, under any circumstance. If I don't throw away that gum, I'll chew some of it and relapse. So, I'm gonna toss it in a dumpster right now!
Free and Healing for Four Days, 16 Hours and 50 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 15 Hours, by avoiding the use of 188 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $31.32.
Free and Healing for Four Days, 16 Hours and 50 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 15 Hours, by avoiding the use of 188 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $31.32.
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John (Gold)John (Gold)
A new quitter who plays mind games with their life by keeping cigarettes around just to prove
Why have a gun handy while waiting on the urge to use it? It makes no sense!
Every crave ends whether you feed it or not. Why not bring them to a permanent end! Baby steps to glory, the next few minutes are doable! John (Gold)
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Christy xsChristy xs
Relating to this article, I have been amused by the "helpful" insights of the well-intentioned people around me who have offered me advise on my quit.
A few examples of some recent conversations:
At work, coworker who never smoked before:
Coworker: "Well Chris, maybe what you should do is carry around an unopened pack. Then everytime you have an urge and don't smoke, you'll know you're succeeding at quitting."
My Response: "Bill (not real name), do you know how many quit-smoking experts recommend that strategy?"
Coworker: "No. How many?"
Me: "EXACTLY Zilch, zero, nill, none, nolo! Would you recommend a heroine addict carry around a loaded syringe?"
Coworker: "Ohhh. No. So that wasn't good advise huh?"
Me: "No, but I know you meant well."
At work (2days before my quit), 2 coworkers, ex-smokers successful with NRT's:
Cowkr #1: "Wow Chris, I'm so proud of you for quitting. You'll be so glad you did. Are you going to use the patch or the gum?"
Me: "Neither. I'm addicted to nicotine, so I'm just quitting."
Cowkr #2: "Oh but you need something. I quit with the gum, and so did 'cowkr1'."
Cowkr #1: "Yea, we both quit with the gum. You need it. Of course...I was addicted to the gum for over three years. Didn't think I'd ever stop chewing it."
Cowkr #2: "I know I was on the gum for 6 months, and my wife was addicted to the gum for over a year and a half, and now she's smoking again. Geez, the gum was more expensive than cigarettes!"
Me (listening to the conversation turn into their nic gum addictions): "Well, thanks for supporting me in my quit, but I plan to just quit without nicotine substitutes."
Cowkr #1: "Well I think you'll need the gum to quit."
Me: ...just a smile... "We'll see."
Conversation at my neighborhood pub w/2 patrons:
Patron #1: "So you quit smoking, huh? I quit smoking for 13 years once. Know how I did it? I put a full pack of cigarettes in my coat pocket just in case I HAD to have a cigarette, I wouldn't be a bum. I don't like bums. Carried that pack around for years until one day I needed one. That pack was flat as a playing card. That's how I did it."
Me: "Gee, I don't think I would be enjoying these few days of success I've had with not smoking if I were carrying around a pack.
Patron #2: Looks at Patron #1, "So if you quit smoking for 13 years, why are you smoking now?" Doesn't wait for an answer. "Chris, what you need to do is instead of a pack you should only carry around one or two cigarettes."
Me: Shaking my head. "What are you guys nuts? I am addicted to nicotine. I have quit for 9 days without carrying around a cigarette or a pack, or using the gum, or the patch, or anything. My quit strategy is SET. Thank you both for the suggestions, but you are both smoking and I am not." (I am a little bolder after a couple beers.
)
Anyway, I have been mostly amused by these and other well-meant "pearls" of wisdom. Thanks again to WhyQuit and Freedom for the "true pearls" of knowledge.
Cheers
,
Christy
I've not smoked 286 death sticks, and saved $33.28.
I've saved 23 hours and 47 minutes of my life.
Free and Healing for Eleven Days, 10 Hours and 5 Minutes
A few examples of some recent conversations:
At work, coworker who never smoked before:
Coworker: "Well Chris, maybe what you should do is carry around an unopened pack. Then everytime you have an urge and don't smoke, you'll know you're succeeding at quitting."
My Response: "Bill (not real name), do you know how many quit-smoking experts recommend that strategy?"
Coworker: "No. How many?"
Me: "EXACTLY Zilch, zero, nill, none, nolo! Would you recommend a heroine addict carry around a loaded syringe?"
Coworker: "Ohhh. No. So that wasn't good advise huh?"
Me: "No, but I know you meant well."
At work (2days before my quit), 2 coworkers, ex-smokers successful with NRT's:
Cowkr #1: "Wow Chris, I'm so proud of you for quitting. You'll be so glad you did. Are you going to use the patch or the gum?"
Me: "Neither. I'm addicted to nicotine, so I'm just quitting."
Cowkr #2: "Oh but you need something. I quit with the gum, and so did 'cowkr1'."
Cowkr #1: "Yea, we both quit with the gum. You need it. Of course...I was addicted to the gum for over three years. Didn't think I'd ever stop chewing it."
Cowkr #2: "I know I was on the gum for 6 months, and my wife was addicted to the gum for over a year and a half, and now she's smoking again. Geez, the gum was more expensive than cigarettes!"
Me (listening to the conversation turn into their nic gum addictions): "Well, thanks for supporting me in my quit, but I plan to just quit without nicotine substitutes."
Cowkr #1: "Well I think you'll need the gum to quit."
Me: ...just a smile... "We'll see."
Conversation at my neighborhood pub w/2 patrons:
Patron #1: "So you quit smoking, huh? I quit smoking for 13 years once. Know how I did it? I put a full pack of cigarettes in my coat pocket just in case I HAD to have a cigarette, I wouldn't be a bum. I don't like bums. Carried that pack around for years until one day I needed one. That pack was flat as a playing card. That's how I did it."
Me: "Gee, I don't think I would be enjoying these few days of success I've had with not smoking if I were carrying around a pack.
Patron #2: Looks at Patron #1, "So if you quit smoking for 13 years, why are you smoking now?" Doesn't wait for an answer. "Chris, what you need to do is instead of a pack you should only carry around one or two cigarettes."
Me: Shaking my head. "What are you guys nuts? I am addicted to nicotine. I have quit for 9 days without carrying around a cigarette or a pack, or using the gum, or the patch, or anything. My quit strategy is SET. Thank you both for the suggestions, but you are both smoking and I am not." (I am a little bolder after a couple beers.
) Anyway, I have been mostly amused by these and other well-meant "pearls" of wisdom. Thanks again to WhyQuit and Freedom for the "true pearls" of knowledge.
Cheers
, Christy
I've not smoked 286 death sticks, and saved $33.28.
I've saved 23 hours and 47 minutes of my life.
Free and Healing for Eleven Days, 10 Hours and 5 Minutes
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JoelJoel
Two comments from above:
The first one from a member who did in fact keep her cigarettes around after quitting:
You are not the only exception to this rule-I am sure there are others around here. We put out guidelines that enhance an individual's chance of success. Some people may get by with doing things differently, but they often had put themselves at greater risk than should have been necessary. In clinics I sometimes find out people had kept emergency stashes, some for years, yet got away with it and pulled off the quit. But I encounter many more people who lose their quits early on, and when I ask where they got the first cigarette from it turns out that they had kept an emergency stash "just in case." Well just in case kind of events surfaced and the easy availability ended up costing these people their quits. I have been in this field long enough to witness these people later losing their lives from such actions.
So does everyone have to follow everything we say to guarantee success? No, not really. But do people have a better chance following the advice and life lessons of hundreds or thousands of people as opposed to a few exceptions? I will let each and every one of you be the judge of that.
But one rule has no exceptions-the rule that says to stay smoke free and guarantee that this quit the last quit you will ever have to do requires always remembering to never take another puff!
Joel
and
I thought it would be a good time to point out that we really are different than most other boards out there. I am not saying it is better or worse, just different. People come in here that have often been at other boards first where the rule of the day is everyone has good ideas of how to quit. The fact is, many people come with their old techniques and understanding of how to quit. That is why many if them are current smokers. Their old techniques failed them. We on the other hand are trying to share methods ands approaches that are tried and true. Not methods that one person used and it seemed to work for them, but that you can find dozens of people who used the exact same method only to have it basically undercut their quits. We are trying to highlight the methods that enhances the vast majority of members and even ex-smoking non-members overall success.
It is not that we are not against newbies offering support, but just that they should hang around a while first, read all of our philosophies and try to understand what we are doing here and why we have some of our guidelines in place.
If a person has a difference of opinion with our technique, which is basically quit cold turkey, don't carry cigarettes and never take another puff, they should not post about it on the board. If they want to discuss it with management, we can each be emailed and we will explain why we don't advocate a specific piece of advice. Or maybe we will see your point and modify our approach.
But if a new member reads it in their first days of a quit, before we have a chance to point out the pitfalls, they may think that this advice is accepted strategy for enhancing smoking cessation. The fact is for most people, if the advice in contradictory to our basic premise, it is probably going to be counterproductive to the person's quit. People just quitting who are hanging on for dear life will often grasp onto things that are written in our posts and responses. The addiction would love to get some support from a basically bad piece of advice that makes the potential for relapsing seem a bit easier.
Also, we need to keep focused on the real danger of the buddy system. The buddy may have the best advice in the world, and the other buddy may really count on the person to get them through thick and thin. But there is no guarantee that the buddy will be available when needed or worst, there is no guarantee that the buddy won't be a smoker next time contacted. Stranger things have happened.
Count on yourself first. You can count to some degree on the group after that, but there have even been times where due to technical difficulties the whole group disappears all at once. Again, that is where counting on yourself is paramount. Print out your own reasons for having initially quit. Print out materials here that struck a personal chord helping you at a critical moment. Have alternative resources of support established. But don't count on one individual, no matter who they are. The stakes are too high to gamble on one person helping you when he or she may not be able to do this for him or herself.
Joel
The first one from a member who did in fact keep her cigarettes around after quitting:
You are not the only exception to this rule-I am sure there are others around here. We put out guidelines that enhance an individual's chance of success. Some people may get by with doing things differently, but they often had put themselves at greater risk than should have been necessary. In clinics I sometimes find out people had kept emergency stashes, some for years, yet got away with it and pulled off the quit. But I encounter many more people who lose their quits early on, and when I ask where they got the first cigarette from it turns out that they had kept an emergency stash "just in case." Well just in case kind of events surfaced and the easy availability ended up costing these people their quits. I have been in this field long enough to witness these people later losing their lives from such actions.
So does everyone have to follow everything we say to guarantee success? No, not really. But do people have a better chance following the advice and life lessons of hundreds or thousands of people as opposed to a few exceptions? I will let each and every one of you be the judge of that.
But one rule has no exceptions-the rule that says to stay smoke free and guarantee that this quit the last quit you will ever have to do requires always remembering to never take another puff!
Joel
and
I thought it would be a good time to point out that we really are different than most other boards out there. I am not saying it is better or worse, just different. People come in here that have often been at other boards first where the rule of the day is everyone has good ideas of how to quit. The fact is, many people come with their old techniques and understanding of how to quit. That is why many if them are current smokers. Their old techniques failed them. We on the other hand are trying to share methods ands approaches that are tried and true. Not methods that one person used and it seemed to work for them, but that you can find dozens of people who used the exact same method only to have it basically undercut their quits. We are trying to highlight the methods that enhances the vast majority of members and even ex-smoking non-members overall success.
It is not that we are not against newbies offering support, but just that they should hang around a while first, read all of our philosophies and try to understand what we are doing here and why we have some of our guidelines in place.
If a person has a difference of opinion with our technique, which is basically quit cold turkey, don't carry cigarettes and never take another puff, they should not post about it on the board. If they want to discuss it with management, we can each be emailed and we will explain why we don't advocate a specific piece of advice. Or maybe we will see your point and modify our approach.
But if a new member reads it in their first days of a quit, before we have a chance to point out the pitfalls, they may think that this advice is accepted strategy for enhancing smoking cessation. The fact is for most people, if the advice in contradictory to our basic premise, it is probably going to be counterproductive to the person's quit. People just quitting who are hanging on for dear life will often grasp onto things that are written in our posts and responses. The addiction would love to get some support from a basically bad piece of advice that makes the potential for relapsing seem a bit easier.
Also, we need to keep focused on the real danger of the buddy system. The buddy may have the best advice in the world, and the other buddy may really count on the person to get them through thick and thin. But there is no guarantee that the buddy will be available when needed or worst, there is no guarantee that the buddy won't be a smoker next time contacted. Stranger things have happened.
Count on yourself first. You can count to some degree on the group after that, but there have even been times where due to technical difficulties the whole group disappears all at once. Again, that is where counting on yourself is paramount. Print out your own reasons for having initially quit. Print out materials here that struck a personal chord helping you at a critical moment. Have alternative resources of support established. But don't count on one individual, no matter who they are. The stakes are too high to gamble on one person helping you when he or she may not be able to do this for him or herself.
Joel
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zwan girl3zwan girl3
I do not have the luxury of ridding my home of smoking material, as I live with a heavy smoker. I will tell anyone, that in my opinion, having cigarettes handy, as a stash, or whatever term you choose to fool yourself with, is just plain stupid. Your "junkie" self can be extremely convincing at times, and having your fix readily available is just like signing your own warrant for failure. I'm fully aware that anyone's next puff can be as close as the neighbor's house, but even a buffer like that may be all you need to overcome the urge. I would recommend to any drug addict to rid their home of drugs. Do I feel stronger than others because I have cigarettes available at all times? Not necessarily, but I do feel I have unnecessary stress of looking at my drug constantly.
zwan_girl3
Too educated to take another puff, since July 7, 2004!
zwan_girl3
Too educated to take another puff, since July 7, 2004!
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JoelJoel
This post applies to all forms of tobacco delivery systems, whether it be cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chews, nicotine patches, nicotine gums, nicotine inhalers, nicotine lozenges, nicotine water, and any other creative means mankind comes up with of delivering nicotine to your brain. Their meer presence of your own supplies pose two risks. The obvious one is that you may deliver a hit and throw away your quit. The less obvious risk but just as real as that the stash is going to make you think more like a user trying to quit rather than a person who has quit and has no intention of trying to quit.
Here is a section from above that while talking about NRT's specifically, the concept applies to all form of nicotine delivery systems:
I am lifting a section out of the thread Be prepared to hear some confusing info (see post 36 in that string for the full text) that was addressing a recent press release from the makers of numerous NRT products. It is important that the information about this issue be attached in this string too.
Comment 4: (From the pharmaceutical company's press release)
I think the other way that this comment needs to be looked at is the idea that an ex-smoker has to have something on hand "just in case" the ex-smoker finds himself or herself wanting a cigarette. What might happen if a person gets a thought and has no aid? Will he or she stop breathing? Will his or her heart stop? Will he or she burst a blood vessel unless he or she takes nicotine product? None of these things will happen. For the record, most ex-smokers are going to get an occasional thought and if they have a nicotine product in hand and have a feeling that it is better than smoking, or that it is an either they are either going to take this NRT product or they are going to smoke, they are going to take the product. The bottom line is there was and always will be a third option, which is not to take the product and not smoke. The person will get through the event with their quit totally intact.
We are seeing a new level of nonsense now. Every one of our members are living proof that all you need to have with you to keep your quit strong and secure in times of major crisis, minor emergencies, or just plain random thoughts is a personal commitment to never take another puff!
Joel
Here is a section from above that while talking about NRT's specifically, the concept applies to all form of nicotine delivery systems:
I am lifting a section out of the thread Be prepared to hear some confusing info (see post 36 in that string for the full text) that was addressing a recent press release from the makers of numerous NRT products. It is important that the information about this issue be attached in this string too.
Comment 4: (From the pharmaceutical company's press release)
I normally try not to go on an offensive with any industry, as we have written in our Freedom's mission statement:The dreaded relapse
Any ex-smoker knows, quitting is so difficult that many have tried 7 or more times before succeeding. So if you relapse, you're not alone.
But you don't have to feel like a failure. In fact, you can learn from your current quit attempt and more likely stay a non-smoker in the future. And, by keeping a Quit Aids like Nicorette®, NicoDerm® CQ®, or CommitTM handy, you can help fight off the physical cravings
I feel that I would be being negligent now though if I did not point out a tactic that I have not seen so blatantly used before by the pharmaceutical industry. The idea that you should keep any source of nicotine on hand just in case is absolutely ludicrous. It gives the impression that people have to have some nicotine around in case they have an urge. The fact is ex-smokers don't have physical urges they have psychological . Taking a dose of nicotine to deal with a psychological trigger will basically start the physical process of withdrawal again. If a person does it he or she had better be prepared for three more days of withdrawal. He or she had better have a good supply of his or her quitting aid on hand again to get through the following days for he or she has started up an active need again.We are hostile to nobody. Not even to the tobacco industry or pharmaceutical companies who have different agendas than ours. They exist because they want you to use their products. We exist because you want to stop using their products. We are not here to try to make anyone stop using their products either. We are here to help people quit using nicotine because they have already decided to do so.
I think the other way that this comment needs to be looked at is the idea that an ex-smoker has to have something on hand "just in case" the ex-smoker finds himself or herself wanting a cigarette. What might happen if a person gets a thought and has no aid? Will he or she stop breathing? Will his or her heart stop? Will he or she burst a blood vessel unless he or she takes nicotine product? None of these things will happen. For the record, most ex-smokers are going to get an occasional thought and if they have a nicotine product in hand and have a feeling that it is better than smoking, or that it is an either they are either going to take this NRT product or they are going to smoke, they are going to take the product. The bottom line is there was and always will be a third option, which is not to take the product and not smoke. The person will get through the event with their quit totally intact.
We are seeing a new level of nonsense now. Every one of our members are living proof that all you need to have with you to keep your quit strong and secure in times of major crisis, minor emergencies, or just plain random thoughts is a personal commitment to never take another puff!
Joel
-
JoelJoel
I saw where I think a member said that she still had some old Nicorette in her purse. I thought I had better bring this string up with the additional commentary below:
This post applies to all forms of tobacco delivery systems, whether it be cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chews, nicotine patches, nicotine gums, nicotine inhalers, nicotine lozenges, nicotine water, and any other creative means mankind comes up with of delivering nicotine to your brain. Their meer presence of your own supplies pose two risks. The obvious one is that you may deliver a hit and throw away your quit. The less obvious risk but just as real as that the stash is going to make you think more like a user trying to quit rather than a person who has quit and has no intention of trying to quit.
Here is a section from above that while talking about NRT's specifically, the concept applies to all form of nicotine delivery systems:
I am lifting a section out of the thread Be prepared to hear some confusing info (see post 36 in that string for the full text) that was addressing a recent press release from the makers of numerous NRT products. It is important that the information about this issue be attached in this string too.
Comment 4: (From the pharmaceutical company's press release)
I think the other way that this comment needs to be looked at is the idea that an ex-smoker has to have something on hand "just in case" the ex-smoker finds himself or herself wanting a cigarette. What might happen if a person gets a thought and has no aid? Will he or she stop breathing? Will his or her heart stop? Will he or she burst a blood vessel unless he or she takes nicotine product? None of these things will happen. For the record, most ex-smokers are going to get an occasional thought and if they have a nicotine product in hand and have a feeling that it is better than smoking, or that it is an either they are either going to take this NRT product or they are going to smoke, they are going to take the product. The bottom line is there was and always will be a third option, which is not to take the product and not smoke. The person will get through the event with their quit totally intact.
We are seeing a new level of nonsense now. Every one of our members are living proof that all you need to have with you to keep your quit strong and secure in times of major crisis, minor emergencies, or just plain random thoughts is a personal commitment to never take another puff!
Joel
This post applies to all forms of tobacco delivery systems, whether it be cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chews, nicotine patches, nicotine gums, nicotine inhalers, nicotine lozenges, nicotine water, and any other creative means mankind comes up with of delivering nicotine to your brain. Their meer presence of your own supplies pose two risks. The obvious one is that you may deliver a hit and throw away your quit. The less obvious risk but just as real as that the stash is going to make you think more like a user trying to quit rather than a person who has quit and has no intention of trying to quit.
Here is a section from above that while talking about NRT's specifically, the concept applies to all form of nicotine delivery systems:
I am lifting a section out of the thread Be prepared to hear some confusing info (see post 36 in that string for the full text) that was addressing a recent press release from the makers of numerous NRT products. It is important that the information about this issue be attached in this string too.
Comment 4: (From the pharmaceutical company's press release)
I normally try not to go on an offensive with any industry, as we have written in our Freedom's mission statement:The dreaded relapse
Any ex-smoker knows, quitting is so difficult that many have tried 7 or more times before succeeding. So if you relapse, you're not alone.
But you don't have to feel like a failure. In fact, you can learn from your current quit attempt and more likely stay a non-smoker in the future. And, by keeping a Quit Aids like Nicorette®, NicoDerm® CQ®, or CommitTM handy, you can help fight off the physical cravings
I feel that I would be being negligent now though if I did not point out a tactic that I have not seen so blatantly used before by the pharmaceutical industry. The idea that you should keep any source of nicotine on hand just in case is absolutely ludicrous. It gives the impression that people have to have some nicotine around in case they have an urge. The fact is ex-smokers don't have physical urges they have psychological . Taking a dose of nicotine to deal with a psychological trigger will basically start the physical process of withdrawal again. If a person does it he or she had better be prepared for three more days of withdrawal. He or she had better have a good supply of his or her quitting aid on hand again to get through the following days for he or she has started up an active need again.We are hostile to nobody. Not even to the tobacco industry or pharmaceutical companies who have different agendas than ours. They exist because they want you to use their products. We exist because you want to stop using their products. We are not here to try to make anyone stop using their products either. We are here to help people quit using nicotine because they have already decided to do so.
I think the other way that this comment needs to be looked at is the idea that an ex-smoker has to have something on hand "just in case" the ex-smoker finds himself or herself wanting a cigarette. What might happen if a person gets a thought and has no aid? Will he or she stop breathing? Will his or her heart stop? Will he or she burst a blood vessel unless he or she takes nicotine product? None of these things will happen. For the record, most ex-smokers are going to get an occasional thought and if they have a nicotine product in hand and have a feeling that it is better than smoking, or that it is an either they are either going to take this NRT product or they are going to smoke, they are going to take the product. The bottom line is there was and always will be a third option, which is not to take the product and not smoke. The person will get through the event with their quit totally intact.
We are seeing a new level of nonsense now. Every one of our members are living proof that all you need to have with you to keep your quit strong and secure in times of major crisis, minor emergencies, or just plain random thoughts is a personal commitment to never take another puff!
Joel
-
JoelJoel
We put out guidelines that enhance an individual's chance of success. Some people may get by with doing things differently, but they often had put themselves at greater risk than should have been necessary. In clinics I sometimes find out people had kept emergency stashes, some for years, yet got away with it and pulled off the quit. But I encounter many more people who lose their quits early on, and when I ask where they got the first cigarette from it turns out that they had kept an emergency stash "just in case." Well just in case kind of events surfaced and the easy availability ended up costing these people their quits. I have been in this field long enough to witness these people later losing their lives from such actions. So does everyone have to follow everything we say to guarantee success? No, not really. But do people have a better chance following the advice and life lessons of hundreds or thousands of people as opposed to a few exceptions? I will let each and every one of you be the judge of that.
But one rule has no exceptions-the rule that says to stay smoke free and guarantee that this quit the last quit you will ever have to do requires always remembering to never take another puff!
But one rule has no exceptions-the rule that says to stay smoke free and guarantee that this quit the last quit you will ever have to do requires always remembering to never take another puff!
-
JoelJoel
In case Lynn stops by. 
We put out guidelines that enhance an individual's chance of success. Some people may get by with doing things differently, but they often had put themselves at greater risk than should have been necessary. In clinics I sometimes find out people had kept emergency stashes, some for years, yet got away with it and pulled off the quit. But I encounter many more people who lose their quits early on, and when I ask where they got the first cigarette from it turns out that they had kept an emergency stash "just in case." Well just in case kind of events surfaced and the easy availability ended up costing these people their quits. I have been in this field long enough to witness these people later losing their lives from such actions. So does everyone have to follow everything we say to guarantee success? No, not really. But do people have a better chance following the advice and life lessons of hundreds or thousands of people as opposed to a few exceptions? I will let each and every one of you be the judge of that.
But one rule has no exceptions-the rule that says to stay smoke free and guarantee that this quit the last quit you will ever have to do requires always remembering to never take another puff!
-
JoelJoel
| From: Joel | Sent: 9/28/2004 8:53 AM |
| I saw where I think a member said that she still had some old Nicorette in her purse. I thought I had better bring this string up with the additional commentary below: This post applies to all forms of tobacco delivery systems, whether it be cigarettes, cigars, pipes, chews, nicotine patches, nicotine gums, nicotine inhalers, nicotine lozenges, nicotine water, and any other creative means mankind comes up with of delivering nicotine to your brain. Their mere presence of your own supplies pose two risks. The obvious one is that you may deliver a hit and throw away your quit. The less obvious risk but just as real as that the stash is going to make you think more like a user trying to quit rather than a person who has quit and has no intention of trying to quit. Here is a section from above that while talking about NRT's specifically, the concept applies to all form of nicotine delivery systems: I am lifting a section out of the thread Be prepared to hear some confusing info (see post 36 in that string for the full text) that was addressing a recent press release from the makers of numerous NRT products. It is important that the information about this issue be attached in this string too. Comment 4: (From the pharmaceutical company's press release) The dreaded relapse Any ex-smoker knows, quitting is so difficult that many have tried 7 or more times before succeeding. So if you relapse, you're not alone. But you don't have to feel like a failure. In fact, you can learn from your current quit attempt and more likely stay a non-smoker in the future. And, by keeping a Quit Aids like Nicorette®, NicoDerm® CQ®, or CommitTM handy, you can help fight off the physical cravings I normally try not to go on an offensive with any industry, as we have written in our Freedom's mission statement:
I feel that I would be being negligent now though if I did not point out a tactic that I have not seen so blatantly used before by the pharmaceutical industry. The idea that you should keep any source of nicotine on hand just in case is absolutely ludicrous. It gives the impression that people have to have some nicotine around in case they have an urge. The fact is ex-smokers don't have physical urges they have psychological . Taking a dose of nicotine to deal with a psychological trigger will basically start the physical process of withdrawal again. If a person does it he or she had better be prepared for three more days of withdrawal. He or she had better have a good supply of his or her quitting aid on hand again to get through the following days for he or she has started up an active need again. I think the other way that this comment needs to be looked at is the idea that an ex-smoker has to have something on hand "just in case" the ex-smoker finds himself or herself wanting a cigarette. What might happen if a person gets a thought and has no aid? Will he or she stop breathing? Will his or her heart stop? Will he or she burst a blood vessel unless he or she takes nicotine product? None of these things will happen. For the record, most ex-smokers are going to get an occasional thought and if they have a nicotine product in hand and have a feeling that it is better than smoking, or that it is an either they are either going to take this NRT product or they are going to smoke, they are going to take the product. The bottom line is there was and always will be a third option, which is not to take the product and not smoke. The person will get through the event with their quit totally intact. We are seeing a new level of nonsense now. Every one of our members are living proof that all you need to have with you to keep your quit strong and secure in times of major crisis, minor emergencies, or just plain random thoughts is a personal commitment to never take another puff! Joel |
-
GrumpyOMrsS (Gold)GrumpyOMrsS (Gold)
We put out guidelines that enhance an individual's chance of success. Some people may get by with doing things differently, but they often had put themselves at greater risk than should have been necessary. In clinics I sometimes find out people had kept emergency stashes, some for years, yet got away with it and pulled off the quit. But I encounter many more people who lose their quits early on, and when I ask where they got the first cigarette from it turns out that they had kept an emergency stash "just in case." Well just in case kind of events surfaced and the easy availability ended up costing these people their quits. I have been in this field long enough to witness these people later losing their lives from such actions. So does everyone have to follow everything we say to guarantee success? No, not really. But do people have a better chance following the advice and life lessons of hundreds or thousands of people as opposed to a few exceptions? I will let each and every one of you be the judge of that.
But one rule has no exceptions-the rule that says to stay smoke free and guarantee that this quit the last quit you will ever have to do requires always remembering to never take another puff!
But one rule has no exceptions-the rule that says to stay smoke free and guarantee that this quit the last quit you will ever have to do requires always remembering to never take another puff!
-
John (Gold)John (Gold)
If recovery time distortion is an almost universial recovery symptom andwhat can feel like a three hour crave episode is never longer than three minutes then why not build in as much delay as your situation will allow? We understand that many members have family and loved ones who smoke and who'll at times be less than supportive of this wonderful opportunity to substantially improve your health while likely substantially lengthening your life.
But for a recovering nicotine addict to intentionally keep nicotine handy is like someone on suicide-watch intentionally carrying a fully loaded gun, just to prove they can. This isn't time for more head-games but for reason, logic and to replace junkie thinking with the common sense that once filled your mind.
