Someone said somewhere on this site that they thought you had to experience (and beat) each trigger at least once before you had them all licked. Well, having indulged my addiction for 45 years (I started at age 12), there are too many triggers to experience (and beat) each one at least once. So I started putting them into categories. Vehicles (not just driving but riding, too...such a silly distinction), working (and not just at work but any task I'm doing, such as homework or gardening or reading on this site), breaks, emotions, and rewards. I know there are others, but for now these are the major categories. As I experience one category, I say to myself, that's one category experienced without a stinky stick. When I have an urge, not to say a crave, really, and I'm telling myself that I "want" a smoke, I change it to "no, I was just accustomed to having a smoke in this situation, and now I've experienced it without one, so another category beaten to a pulp"...It might take awhile for all the categories to realize they are out gunned and to stop trying, but I'm bound and determined to breathe without an oxygen tank on my back. I am already breathing much better and in fact I have quadrupled my elliptical trainer time (shhhh, don't tell anyone, but I started out at 20 seconds and was out of breath, so it really isn't so great yet, but I'm going to quadruple that, and then quadruple that, etc.).
I think, therefore, I have arrived, at 4 weeks without one puff. My God, it's not easy, but it is simple. Don't smoke, whatever the trigger (or category). I am proud to have accomplished 28 days today! And thank you to this site, too; I tend to read more than I post. Happy 4 weeks/28 days to me! Oh, and my reward was yesterday - I got my hair highlighted and cut. And very nice it is, too! I love it. DeniseK
