I have been cutting back this last week.. for example I smoked 3 wedWednes.. 3 Thursday.. 6 on Friday and 1!so far today. I do good not wanting one for hours on end. And only have 1 at work..
When I get upset though I could smoke a pack. What suggestions do y'all have when it comes to angry smoking?
Have you done the readings that are suggested on this site? Education is the key to understanding that smoking isn't helping those situations (even though we all thought they did!). I used whyquit.com.......found the articles on there were very good at de-bunking the myths we believe like why we THINK smoking helps us with stress, anger, boredom, etc.
I can't advise on cutting back as I never could do that......if I ws smoking one I was smoking ALL and then some! I had to put them down .......period.......
Read everything you can about this addiction...it is the key to success.
If you have read nothing else, do read the book by Allen Carr. All smoking does is quiet the affect of your brain sensors needing their next fix. That need was created by the last cigarette you smoked. When you are angry and smoke a lot, it causes you to smoke MORE!
Try slow/deep breaths, going slower and deeper with each. If you can, raise your arms to straight out on the inhale and let them fall to your lap on the exhale. Count backwards from 1,000. Think of names of cities for all letters of the alphabet. Go for a quick, brisk walk,or march in place, or do a few sets of stairs. Or punch a pillow until you are spent.
Smoking does nothing FOR you and so much TO you!
Nancy
You must know that as long as you continue to smoke, you're going to continue to smoke. Doesn't really matter how many per day at all. The nicotine receptors in your brain will always take over as long as you feed them.
The only way to stop "angry smoking" is to stop smoking.
AnnetteMM ....or................. as Dale likes to say........"If you are quitting smoking and still smoking.............you're doing it wrong!"
But how I wish that I could find the northwest passage to doing both. That was then. Today...joy and acceptance.
Thank you for asking and HELPING ME IN THIS MOMENT OF MY RECOVERY-i appreciate you and your courage and self honesty-this evening your love and kindness saved MY peace of mind- i was angry just now and i told MY God - save ME from being angry-i stated all i felt and what i wanted to do in vengence to the person and i let all MY name calling and cursing and confessed MY pride-MY immaturity to accept anothers behavior as their OWN and their CHOICE to respond as they want to behave-NOT behaving as i desire them to respond-i asked MY God forgiveness in MY Lord Jesus name and then read MY bible verses about Gods love - OUT LOUD -then i sang a song and then i was taught to HELP another when i hurt so bad that the pain surpasses words - so to ebb and flow MY OWN FEELINGS -i asked MY God to HELP ME NOT TO EAT OVER THIS- since i made a decision to do the will of God who is MY Savior and Lord-i choose to NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF EVER OVER ME-i ask MY Lord to HELP ME and i asked MY Holy Comforter to hold ME tight and comfort ME and teach ME just like he taught MY Apostle Paul to love his enemies-this HOW i surrender MY anger this evening-all in MY Jesus name amen-pleasd take what HELPS and let go of the rest-thank you.
Amen! I think I've hid behind a cigarette instead of living my feeling.
Hiding behind a cigarette or any other addictive drug is what all of us did. When we start to actually FEEL our feelings, they can seem intense and overwhelming because we never learned to deal with them without the anesthesia of smoking or whatever. It's not easy, but it DOES get better, one day at a time, perhaps one EMOTION at a time. We have to learn that it is okay to be sad, it is okay to feel anger or stress, it is okay to be disappointed. Feelings are meant to be felt...smoking just dulls those feelings and stunts our emotional growth. I used the mantra NOPE, Not One Puff Ever when I came here and I said it over and over and over again, softly, silently, out loud...whatever I needed, it was empowering because it was so absolutely simple to remember. You've been on journeys before, this is just like those...one step at a time. As OldBones-Larry says, "One step, and then another, will get you to where you want to be."
Stay close to the site...come here instead of smoking...it CANNOT be an option in recovery.
Ellen
Self talk
to paraphrase you and Dale, say something like...Angry Bird don't do that anymore
Pick a phrase, any phrase that holds an idea you can be obedient to--only you know your core higher beliefs.
For me I said stuff like this to myself:
Not today
If I don't get better, I will smoking, but not today (said this when I was really in a piss)
Mary, you are not smoking--I've made up my mind--have a fit but you are not going back.
When I was desperate I was humbled and would watch youtube videos of mature quitters talking about quitting (they never played brave they were just honest and so that made me feel better)
Yes you can, one day at a time.