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13 years ago 0 1904 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi 4th time is a charm. I can't really advise you. Different things work for different people. However, some things have higher success rates among more people than others do. I believe that if you want to quit smoking, you quit--not cut down, but quit. Obviously you are not a social smoker. If you were, you would not be looking for advice. It takes about as much effort to control the addiction as it takes to give it up at first--maybe even more as the anxiety builds while you're anticipating your next smoke. Further, addicts I've learned from being in various recovery programs are control freaks. We know we're addicted when we have to control. That is one of the reasons why we have addictions. Addictions give us a false sense of control. Recovery involves learning to give up control and feeling those feelings that come with it and, hopefully, learning new coping skills along the way. I take it that you intend to quit in 5 days? You imply that. Decide on a quit day and stick to it. Recovery requires some degree of discipline.
My Mileage:

My Quit Date: 5/1/2009
Smoke-Free Days: 507
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 14,196
Amount Saved: $6,033.30
Life Gained:
Days: 57 Hrs: 2 Mins: 31 Seconds: 40

13 years ago 0 206 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
Hi, 4th.  If I understand your post correctly (and I'm not sure I do), you are definitely rewarding yourself with smokes, which is antithetical to everything we do here.  Instead of rewarding youself with cigs, which are themselves a punishment of the severest kind imaginable, maybe you could think more in terms of rewarding yourself with something more life-affirming, like a 20-minute walk in beautiful surroundings, a 10-minute stroll down memory lane with scrapbooks or photo albums, or even a 5-minute break with your favorite music.  Cigarettes are not the reward; they're the enemy, and they won't stop harping on you until you die.  You can, however, choose to control their control over you and your life.  Your call.
 
peteg

My Mileage:

My Quit Date: 9/17/2010
Smoke-Free Days: 3
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 150
Amount Saved: $42.38
Life Gained:
Days: 0 Hrs: 17 Mins: 48 Seconds: 57

13 years ago 0 312 logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo logo 0
I'm working on the first 5 steps of the Final Countdown Plan..I am cutting my cig's down by 1/4 a day. Also I am waiting the 15 minutes to an hour before the next one, I noticed today that I got real nervous (craving I suppose) but I kept thinking to myself "just wait another few minutes and you can have one". Am I not training my brain that if I wait I can reward myself with a cig????
 
Or am I just completely seeing this wrong??
 
Advice...please...
 
Charm

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