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The Basket Case Syndrome

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 12049

Your awesome! Well read and inspiring! The truth is where learning begins and it starts here :) Excellent replies from all and I am very proud that you kept this on track and have given some brilliant replies :) Josie, Support Specialist

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 563

Lady & BFS, Right on both counts!! Lady, yes we do gain saniity and direction in our lives once we quit, unfortunately, we often don't see that immediately. All we see is an emptiness that we don't know how to fill. And for the smoker, like your daughter, denial is everywhere. BFS, I liked how you explained the process, likening it to the gamer or someone learning how to play an instrument.... practice makes perfect! Learning how to cope with life after smoking is probably one of the most daunting challanges a new quitter must face. It's sad that so many stumble at this point. They don't realize that there truly is no need to smoke in order live life. Now, if you want to escape and hide behind a cloud, then smoking is the perfect choice to run from life! Just be sure to take that oxygen tank with you! ;p [b][color=Purple]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit[/color] [color=black]Joe[/color] [size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size] [size=2][color=purple]Hoping for success without hard work is like trying to harvest without planting.[/color][/size] [size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b] [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]5/15/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 751 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 18,775 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1,839.95 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 134 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 8 [B]Seconds:[/B] 3

Quit Meter

$36,475.20

Amount Saved
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Days: 9806 Hours: 10

Minutes: 9 Seconds: 20

Life Gained
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45594

Smoke Free Days
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364,752

Cigarettes Not Smoked

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 3207

Joe I'm following you, I think. We delude ourselves when we're smoking about how much we like/need it? Then when we quit, we go a little cuckoo before we go back to our "normal" selves? I sure wish I could multiply my time by 10 and get to where you are. I've had enough of this particular roller coaster. But, I am hanging in there no matter what -aloha [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]3/22/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 75 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 3,000 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $510.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 10 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 26 [B]Seconds:[/B] 3

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2830

Joe, Great post, but I too feel as though I must chime in (I know, you're shocked! ;) ). Smoking hides so many of our emotions... and so many of us have NO clue of that when we quit... so we are completely unequiped AT FIRST to deal with emotions as non-smokers. As we travel this road, we pick up coping mechanisms, kinda like on those fantasy computer games where you go from land to land and task to task, picking up items that you need along the way. I feel that that's how this quit really is. But smokers, who haven't yet begun this journey don't fully understand that yet because they don't have the items that they need to be successful in the quit! So many new quitters ask the question, "Why didn't I quit sooner?!?!" And I think the reason behind that qestion is because we didn't have the right tools... be it this site, quit buddies, knowledge or any of the other countless items needed for us to quit successfully! Now that we all here have them, we should ALL be able to quit without any problems, right? WRONG! These "items" that help us quit may be very useful, but for many, they don't know how to use them at first. It's like a flute player who first picks up a flute. Do they instinctively know how to use it and immediately begin to produce beautiful music? NO! It takes much practice and for some, "trail and error" before they get it right... and eventually, they are playing beautiful compositions with such ease that other, untrained persons, are envious! Sure, there are those "Mozarts" in the world who pick up an instrument and immediately know how to make beautiful music... and likewise, there are many quitters who quit one time and one time only and don't have any problems at all with quitting... but they are very few and rare indeed. The rest of us need some practice before we are completley comfortable with quitting. Thanks for the reminder of that Joe! Your post really is great and reminds us all that there IS hope... no matter what we may think now! Thanks for this very insightful post! Crave the Quit! [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]6/17/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 718 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 17,950 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2,965.34 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 50 [B]Hrs:[/B] 15 [B]Mins:[/B] 3 [B]Seconds:[/B] 32

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 5195

Hi Joe. Hope you don't mind if I chime in here. The true "basket case" is the one who is still totally engulfed by the smoking addiction. Just yesterday, I watched my 20 year old daugher, who just found out that she is pregnant, sneak out of the house and walk behind the shed with her father. What were they doing? Going to smoke. Can't let mom see, she doesn't smoke anymore so she doesn't understand what it is like for the "smoker". Mom understands all too well. Lecturing was fruitless. I had the reply "Mom, I watched you smoke while you were pregant with both my brothers and we are all fine". What can I say? Just as the heroine addict thinks no one can see the needle marks on their body, just as crack/cocaine addict thinks no one can see what is happening, just as the alcoholic thinks they are fully functional, the smoker lives in the same denial pattern. Smoking is an addiction that controls and robs us of a normal life. I never realized that until I quit and it took a while to figure it out. I don't think we go through temporary insanity when we quit. I think what we go through is actually gaining sanity from an addiction that has been life long for most of us. Regardless of what obsticles come along or how difficult quitting may seem, refuse to give up the fight for freedom. You are not going insane or becoming a "basket case". You are gaining sanity and freedom from the most powerful addiction known to man. Lady [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]7/1/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 704 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 14,080 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $2,464.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 63 [B]Hrs:[/B] 13 [B]Mins:[/B] 27 [B]Seconds:[/B] 35

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 3875

Not complaining Joe! Thank you! You do a wonderful job around here! :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]3/5/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 91 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,275 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $960.05 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 11 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 7 [B]Seconds:[/B] 35

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 563

Lainey, Yes, most of us were basket cases. I had my moments. My post is for motivational purposes, read it as tough love is you wish. Sometimes people need a wake up call. I feel that if I don't do my part as a cheer leader, who will? We can all empathize with the new quitters. I just want them to know that they can do this! Keep up those great stats! [b][color=Purple]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit[/color] [color=black]Joe[/color] [size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size] [size=2][color=purple]Hoping for success without hard work is like trying to harvest without planting.[/color][/size] [size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b] [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]5/15/2005 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 750 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 18,750 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1,837.50 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 134 [B]Hrs:[/B] 18 [B]Mins:[/B] 41 [B]Seconds:[/B] 44

Quit Meter

$36,475.20

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 9806 Hours: 10

Minutes: 9 Seconds: 20

Life Gained
Quit Meter

45594

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

364,752

Cigarettes Not Smoked

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 3875

Hey Joe, I agree with you. But I think we were all basket cases the first weeks. It's alot easier to be objective from the other side of the fence. I don't mind at all if someone new is bewildered by feeling like a basket case, they just want to know if others went thru it too. Tough Love helps sometimes but not always. :) [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]3/5/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 91 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,275 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $960.05 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 11 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 5 [B]Seconds:[/B] 54

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 169

you know I think this is a great post, but I will tell you that I never got angry, or felt frustrated before when I was smoking. Or that's how it feels when I get upset. I have to just tell myself that I wasn't the perfect parent before when I smoked and I am not going to be now that I've quit. Melissa [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]4/22/2007 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 43 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 1,720 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $344.00 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 4 [B]Hrs:[/B] 1 [B]Mins:[/B] 29 [B]Seconds:[/B] 36

17 years ago 0 +0 / -0 744

Golferman, you nailed it! Thanks ~Stormy~ [B]My Milage:[/B] [B]My Quit Date: [/B]7/17/2006 [B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 322 [B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 2,576 [B]Amount Saved:[/B] $1,207.50 [B]Life Gained:[/B] [B]Days:[/B] 35 [B]Hrs:[/B] 5 [B]Mins:[/B] 22 [B]Seconds:[/B] 1

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The Basket Case Syndrome