Becoming a non-smoker

mjbrowne

There is only a rule!!!!!

YOU WILL PROMISE YOURSELF YOU WILL NEVER SMOKE EVEN ONE DAMN CIGARETTE, NO MATTER WHAT!

LOVE LOVE LOVE this statement! I need to engrave it in my memory. Thanks for the reminder and encouragement from someone who's been through it!

I did discover something yesterday though. I started smoking when I was in an abusive relationship. I wasn't "allowed' to have an opinion so I just smoked down my words and emotions. When I was stressed or upset (even with my kids or co-workers) I would smoke until I calmed down. And then usually just went on with life instead of calmly addressing an issues. I traded working out every day for stress to smoking.

When I decided to quit smoking, I told myself that I needed to go back to exercise for stress like I did before i started smoking. THE PUSH UP STORY IS HILARIOUS!!! I can totally relate because that's what I'm doing..substituting exercise for smoking.

HOWEVER..I'm finding that it's hard to bridle my tongue. My temper isn't any worse..it's just I dont have that ciggie to "resolve" the negativity. I tend to spout out whatever is running through m y head..and it's not always nice! I HATE that I'm hurting my husband's feelings at times.

Has anyone had this issue? That you "smoked down" your emotions / feelings? Any advice? I am a non-smoker..that will NOT change..I just have been reminded of how much a b*t&% I was before I smoked and popped off at the mouth alot! And I don't like it.....

CnocNaCu

Oh yesss, I did that ,too. My hubby, a non-smoker, who had always been very understanding and patient with his nicotin-smelly-money - on-*kitten*-spending-wife had to take a lot of my...let's call it imbalance :ohwell: after I quit.
After I stopped :smokin: I turned out to be a :devil: : couldn't control my tongue and was not a nice person to be around. I talked to him, explained, apologized and promised him he would have a new wife soon.
Luckily I could keep my promise.
After about 3-4 weeks my nerves calmed down and I could speak out but without being nasty or even abusive. Am still ashamed of having been such a...ch.

aNEWmarcus

Wow it was interesting reading everyone's comments. I've owned the Allen Carr book for a while, but haven't actually picked it up yet. Yesterday, I also brought the book for my ipad as well - my concept being that when I start to read the book TODAY - even if I'm away with work, i'll be able to read it when traveling etc on the ipad.

I did read it years ago, but put it down before the last page as I decided that I wasn't mentally ready to stop smoking. This time round - every single day for the past 2 weeks I've been complaining to myself about smoking. I have cut down a lot and I'm noticing that I can go hours without the need for one, I am starting to really taste how horrible they are, the morning cough and splutter isn't nice, the smell lingering on clothing certainly isn't good and more importantly now my exercise has upped and I'm doing more cardio and circuit sessions - I am really feeling the limitations that I've created for myself.

So the book has been picked up and opened and the preface has been read (I am a slow reader), but I will re-post on my last day of smoking!!

It's comforting that so many others have been or are going through this process and are there to support.. Thanks all

mjbrowne

Marcus-PLEASE read the book! I bought it for my Kindle as well..so I could read it any time if I needed reinforcement. I went camping with a bunch of smokers this weekend (including my husband). I was VERY nervous before the trip. This would be the first time since I quit smoking that I would be around adults only drinking. I drank tons of vodka, sat with the smokers around the campfire, my husband chain-smoked cherry cigars, and I was not even BOTHERED or annoyed because I "couldn't smoke". I DID NOT EVEN HAVE THE SLIGHTEST NOTION TO SMOKE!! It was a liberating experience!! It's hard to explain..but the book will change your life. Warning..I had to read it twice before it sunk in. Read the US version and then the UK version...but it worked. My last smoke was at 10 pm 1/6/12!