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Share your quitting journey

It's what we're used to

JonesCarpeDiem
0 8 0

That's why it takes a good amount of time to unlearn smoking. Don't give up too early!

Occasionally when growing up, we would have corned beef hash for breakfast.

It was usually out of a can and we would poach a couple eggs to put on top of a serving.

I liked mine with ketchup.

Recently, I've tried the roast beef hash and the sausage hash but the corned beef hash is what I'm used to so the others didn't quite measure up.

I only use Ketchup on hash and Patty Melts. It's what I'm used to.

I only like horseradish with prime rib and shrimp cocktail. It's what I'm used to.

I could probably think of a few more examples like curry, etc.

Now I bet I haven't had hash, prime rib, shrimp cocktails or patty melts more than 100 times each in my entire life but I have set these preferences, probably from the first time I tried them?

I had a preference for the cigarette I smoked because it was what I was used to.

I was a former 40 year, pack+ a day smoker. That works out to 292 THOUSAND times minimally I smoked.

I would say that qualifies as being used to smoking. How about you? Did you smoke for more than a week? A Month? Two years? Most likely you did.

That is why it takes a reasonable amount of time to unlearn smoking.

Don't give up too early! Stick with your quits. Time is the healer!

8 Comments
About the Author
Hello, My name is Dale. I was quit 18 months before joining this site and had participated on another site during that time. I learned a lot there and brought it with me. I joined this site the first week of August 2008. I didn't pressure myself to quit. HOW I QUIT I didn't count, I didn't deny myself to get started. When I considered quitting (at a friends request to influence his brother to quit), I simply told myself to wait a little longer. No denial, nothing painful. After 4 weeks I was down to 5 cigarettes from a pack a day. The strength came from proving to myself, I didn't need to smoke because I normally would have smoked. Simple yes? I bought the patch. I forgot to put one on on the 4th day. I needed it the next day but the following week I forgot two days in a row I put one in my wallet with a promise to myself that I would slap it on and wait an hour rather than smoke. It rode in my wallet my first year.There's nothing keeping any of you from doing this. It doesn't cost a dime. This is about unlearning something you've done for a long time. The nicotine isn't the hard part. Disconnecting from the psychological pull, the memories and connected emotions is. :-) Time is the healer.