How to stay quit?

[rachel17]

Right now I'm totally committed to my quit but how do i keep it that way? How do you make the little voice stay away for good? The one that says one won't hurt you. You can smoke every now and then and it's no big deal. For now it's gone but it always comes back. That same voice is the one that got me after a six year quit. It told me that smoking was no longer an issue and that i could just be an occasional social smoker. So now i really want it to be NOT ONE MORE EVER!

[deborah21]

I heard that same annoying little voice a couple of days ago and I tried to ignore it.....it took a lot of willpower to ignore it but I did and now I have NOME for extra support and help. Thank you sooooooo much for this group!

[frankie2]

You have a little annoying voice ? My guy has a bullhorn and yells alot. 🙂 He's that guy that hits you when youv'e been in th hospital for a week with pnemonia and are officially clean from nicotine that makes you stop at the local convience store to pick up cigarettes before you get home. Are we talking about the same guy???
I have had to change my attitude about what I am. Im not just a smoker but an Addict. Is it ok to be an alchoholic or a heroin addict No , Why is it because they can Kill in an instint. Smoking kills too.Just slower so its not ok NOT ONE MORE EVER.
As I reread this I come off sounding High and mighty. Im not I am extremely weak.. Thats part of my change in attitude I Can NOT be weak anymore. I have to be able to ignore Puff the Magic Dragon that lives in my head,and takes me back to the land of Honalee (High School) when smoking was cool. Its time for Puff to sadly slip into his cave. Dragons Live forever but Addicts dont.
I have had a difficult day today I acutally found myself reaching for a cigarette (Which I do not have in my house anymore) several times today. I have no idea why I was doing so good . I did not smoke but am abit dissapointed in myself for even giving it a thought. I feel like I should know better and i do so why is Puff so hard to resist sometimes.
I guess Rachel this probably didnt help you or answer your question but I vented and I needed that I hope you got something out of it somewhere. (Even if it just named the voice in your head LOL)
Frankie

[rachel17]

I agree we need to really truly admit that we are addicts! That is a hard pill to swallow because the voice says it's only cigarettes it's not like it's an illegal drug or anything. It is obvious when someone has a problem with drugs or alcohol it has obvious and immediate consequences but for smoking it may take a couple decades to see the consequences of this addiction. It's much slower but it still grabs hold of your life it's just sneakier. I'm not sure but i do believe that admitting that i am an addict may help me. Last time i just quit i had good reasons so i just did it and that was that only it wasn't. I never said to myself this is an addiction and you can not have one more ever or you will be right back where you started. I just said I'm not going to smoke right now. I do know now that NOT ONE MORE EVER has to be my goal now. SMOKING IS NOT AN OPTION! I just want this group to help tame the voice. I hope that by discussing these issues the voice will eventually shut the hell up! If it won't than we can all be more equipped to deal with it.

[edith2]

I had that voice in my head when I first quit. But there was a bigger and louder one that told me to keep on going. I cannot be "social" in any of my addictions. I found that out the last time I drank in 1976. My addiction is alive and well and it is very patient. It's a virus that will be a part of me for the rest of my life. But my recovery is alot stronger and I believe the way I can keep my recovery in shape is to never forget where I came from and share my experience with others.

[frankie2]

I'm not sure why each of you decided to start smoking, I am sure the reasons for starting is going to affect your ways of quitting.
I started at age 12 Just because it was cool. I continued to smoke for years because it was cool . When I realized that It wasnt cool I was addicted.
There are many reasons people start My sister started in the Navy because they got cigarette breaks .If you didnt smoke you didnt get that break. Wow How times have changed. Im trying to get her on this site,but she has the tendency to use any excuse to smoke or drink Any recommendations for that? I worry about her. I think its just being stubborn. Also I would like my daughter here but she tells me she enjoys smoking. I try to explain that she does not enjoy the cigarette but the "fix" she get from the Nicotine. Shes not listening.
I refuse to get up on a soapbox. How can I get my point accross without sounding like Im condeming them or preaching? Anyone?????
Frankie

[edith2]

Well Frankie, I would suggest that you put yourself in their shoes. Then all you can do is be an example. I have a friend who smokes and she knows I'm on this site because I tell her about it. She told me last night that she would come to me when she decides to quit. I am very flattered that she feels that way. Keep your door open, that's pretty much all you can do. There's LOTS of people who need to quit their addictions, but they have to want it, just as we do now.

[frances-sweeney]

i know after 9 days with the patch on that little voice in my head still keep telling me jest one more .but i know if i give in i can't not stop at jest one .so fight it with all you got .becouse some day we can look back and be so glad we did not smoke that one more.

[edith2]

This is so true Frances. I look back every day with grattitude that I was able to quit this nasty addiction.