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11 years and counting

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2024-10-31 6:49 AM

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Feels like hell week all over!!

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Roller Coaster Withdrawal

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Smile....and don't shoot the messenger

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Hypnotism


12 years ago 0 2778 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hey Shannon!
 
     Looney is ok!  I wouldn't have gotten to where I am today without a LOT of looney!  One thing that I got into my mind was the thought about waging war on the nico-demon!  I vowed to NEVER let that sucker win even one battle!  Knowing that a crave usually lasts only 3-5 minutes really helps, as does the fact that no one ever died from a crave! 
 
     You're doing great so far!!!  Way to go!
 
               Jim
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12 years ago 0 86 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I think I put myself through so much anxiety the weeks leading up to my quit date, that by the time I decided to smoke my last cigarette, I was relieved.  I could not wait to be free. 
 
I am currently using gum because I did not want to combat the physcial and mental at the same time.  However, I am not going to chew the gum for the 12 weeks. Maybe just a couple of weeks are so...
 
And, the self talk is helping alot...staying home these first couple of days so people do not think I am looney
12 years ago 0 153 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi Shannon,
 
Anxiety was a huge issue for me in the early stages of my quit. There was the psychological anxiety associated with the fear of losing my emotional crutch and the fear of not being successful in quitting.  What helped with this was positive self talk i.e. reminding myself of other situations in life where I felt like this but succeeded and just generally reminding my self of all of the positive reasons for quitting ad all of the negatives associated with smoking.
 
Then there was the very real physical anxiety i.e. light-headed, sweaty palms, a feeling of losing control, irritabiltiy and depression, etc.etc.  Yoga helped relieve a lot of the physical anxiety and when I couldn't do that (e.g. at work) deep breathing and simply going for a short vigorous walk or up and down a flight of stairs helped eliminate these unpleasant feelings. 
12 years ago 0 2778 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hey Shannon!!!
 
      Click that button up above that says "My Program" and go through those sessions!  Also, utilize the "Tools" and do all the exercises!  It's a great place to start your planning and just may help to alleviate some of the anxiety you are experiencing.  Continue to psych yourself up and keep on telling yourself that you REALLY want this quit more than you want to smoke!  You CAN do this!
 
               Jim
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12 years ago 0 86 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Thanks again for all your thoughts/opinions...I appreciate all of the feedback.  I know that hypnotism by itself will not make me quit...wish there was a miracle cure, but I know that is not the case.  I am however hopeful that it will help to begin reshaping my thinking about smoking/quitting.  I guess I realize for the first time ever that there is a demon living inside of me and he is not happy that I am beginning to fight.  That really scares me and is bringing about very bad anxiety.  I am hoping the hypnotism will tap into some of my subconcious thoughts and help to alleviate some of the fear and anxiety so that I can begin my quit with a more positive less fearful attitude.  I have an appointment Saturday afternoon and will keep ya'll posted.
 
Shannon
12 years ago 0 43 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0

Hi Hopeful,
 

I have never been hypnotised, so this is just conjecture on my part, but a successful hypnotism for me would be that I would want my brain to be reprogrammed into thinking that I did not smoke. If you have never smoked (or have ceased to remember that you did) then you will not miss it, right? If this is what hypnosis is, I would go for it, but reading though the posts here, I can see that it isn’t.

I think Lolly has hit the nail on the head when she says that you have to make a conscious decision not have another cigarette. I “talk“ to myself all the time about the benefits of not smoking. At the end of the day, is that not a form of self-hypnosis?

12 years ago 0 618 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hello again Shannon,
 
My last post to you was so long I decided to wait in case you got fed up listening to me!
 
Anyway, I tried Hypnotism more than once and it did not work by itself.  This quit, (8years ago), which did work, was a last ditch attempt, so I used a Hypnosis tape every night to help me sleep...it was good.  BUT  for the quit, I threw everything at it (under my doctor's supervision). He decided I was such a desperate case he let me use the lot...Wellbutrin, Nicotine patches, nicotine gum, Hypnosis tapes.  I did not even like this doctor so his 'support' as he called it was useless.....he just spouted the sort of stuff they learn on  'How to quit' courses.  I suspect it was sheer pig-headedness on my part.  He said "I can stop you smoking."  My thoughts were 'Yes, you and whose army?!'  I think I quit to spite him.
 
I came here to SSC, where I received such amazing help from so many great people....I used to be crying all the time I posted, particularly before I quit.  It's fear of the unknown.  Prepare yourself well, have things in place...things you will do to help yourself.
 
The upshot is, I think Hypnosis can help, but on its own not so much.  Behind the Hypnosis has to be a conscious decision to not light up another cigarette, and a determined effort not to weaken.  Hypnosis will help with relaxation, so allows you to be more susceptible to suggestion.
 
Stay strong in your determination to win your battle over the Nicodemon!
 
Love Lolly.  
12 years ago 0 1140 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I had a couple of different experiments with this long before I ever quit. They didn't seem to do anything in regards to smoking at the time, but I wonder if maybe those sessions did help me to eventually get mentally ready to quit. Unfortunately, there is no way to prove either argument. And that is might be why there isn't good research to support it as a method. 
 
I also asked the same question here when I was getting close to a quit date.  I'm not sure why I thought hypnosis might work differently at that point. Maybe because I had finally decided I wanted to quit, so I thought the hypnosis would work better than it had in the past? I ended up reading that hypnosis wasn't well-proven as a method, so I didn't get hypnosis at that point. So I don't know what effect it would have had. 
 
From my previous hypnosis sessions, I did learn that I can be hypnotized when I want to be. I learned that I can resist a suggestion if I want to, as well. It's a lot more willful than people might think. 
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12 years ago 0 2778 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hey Hopeful!
 
    I saw a documentary on hypnotism a couple of weeks ago and found out that there are far more people out who are not affected by it than are.  I tried one session around 20 years ago and was ready to light up the moment I got out of the door!    Since I already had this experience under my belt, I found that NRT's were a better use of my money.  A combination of both, along with putting to use the information in the Program would definitely increase your odds of success!
 
          Jim
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12 years ago 0 86 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Thanks for the info Ashley.  I guess I am just so scared and looking for any help I can get...
 

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