Tried and true 64/90

[PastTense]

I am currently working on a successful quit. My definition of success is going at least one week without a single puff and without bloodshed. Granted, this is a low bar but it’s where I am.

A successful quit is a combination of two philosophies that are in polar-opposites of each other. Those philosophies are: a) Do your own thing and b) do these standard things

I certainly embrace doing your own thing. I know I play mental games with myself that completely baffle other folks (like visualizing nicotine as Darth Maul, only not as cuddly). I focus on the superficial benefits of quitting (my appearance) while others are counting the money saved or health crisis avoided.

On the other hand, I encourage newbies to try the proven methods before blazing their own trail. Having a written quit plan, for instance. A written quit plans walks you through various triggers and helps you build a tool kit for responding to those triggers. Other folks swear by the Allen Carr book. Honestly, I found his writing so irritating that I threw it across the room. Either way, thinking about triggers and addressing them are part “best practice” for quitting smoking.

Your mileage may vary, but there are things that work and there are common elements in every successful quit. Like: keep quitting until you are quit.

Keep the quit

PT

24 DOF

[YoungAtHeart]

"Like: keep quitting until you are quit."  Words to live by!

I hated the writing in the Allen Carr book - but it put smoking and how it affects your mind and body in a light I had not heard before.  Maybe I had not researched it enough - but it was news to me, and helped me quit on my first and only attempt.

Keep going!  I am impressed you have found different things on which to reflect for 64 days.  Well done!!!

[nevergiveup]

Congrats on 24 days!

[Jelexie]

Oh my goodness, yes - I had such trouble with the Allen Carr book! I'm glad it helped others, but it did nothing for me. And a week is nothing to sneeze at; they call it going through hell for a reason.

[elvan]

I had a plan and I had tracked my cigarettes for a while before I quit, I identified my triggers and rated them according to how strong they were and I wrote down what I could do INSTEAD of smoking.  I didn't attempt to quit at that point.  I just tracked.  I ended up quitting because I got so sick that even I could not deny it.  I did not read Allen Carr's book until I had been quit for several days.  I did not find it to be the prize that a lot of people did BUT there actually were a couple of things that stayed with me.  I had progressively cut back on smoking because of my COPD, it did not allow me to smoke a full cigarette and I smoked fewer and fewer as time went on. That is apparently fairly common as you are getting sicker and sicker.  I am so glad to be free from cigarettes, so glad not to feel like I have to sneak around and smoke in places where people don't see me because I was ashamed.

You are doing GREAT!  Keep it up, keep the bar where YOU need it to keep going forward.  That's what matters. NOPE, NMW.

Ellen

[Swanbird]

I like read the book too and realized it was a sales book right away but it did help put my mind in the right direction!  And never has it been easy that’s for sure.  Congratulations and keep up the quit!

[SuzyQ411]

Congratulations on your progress. Keep on keeping on!

[Barbscloud]

I'm not a big Allan Carr fan either.  First of all, I don't think it's easy.  I read it after I quit and learned one important thing that helped me, but overall I can't say it contributed to my quit.  I'm somewhat skeptical when someone has a book on many topics making it easy--losing weight, alcoholism, etc.   He's certainly not a fan of using any aids.

Barb