Definition of insanity: Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results

[Margaretd]

If you are like me, you tried many, many times to quit.  I tried different physical supports to quit, Chantix, patches, gum, and more.  Nothing worked for me until I changed my frame of thinking. Please share your successes/tips/suggestions on how you quit.  Here's mine;

I credit my quit with many things (my resolve, support from quit communities, and more)

But, I quit this time because  I did something different.  I started viewing the craves as something good instead of something bad.  By doing that, I stopped fearing the cravings and I started embracing them as they came.  In a manner of speaking, I looked the devil in the eyes and tried to understand him.  

From this I learned, at first, the craves came every 20 minutes, lasted approximately 2 minutes.  When they came I "experienced" them. I was willing to ride the wave of the crave so to speak. I didn't try to run away from them, I ran to them.  Talk about sucking the power out of those craves, that thinking certainly did.  

I have been smoked free for 933 days.  I view myself always as in recovery from nicotine and I never underestimate the power of nicotine. I give it (nicotine) its due as a very formidable force, nothing to play with.  I can never, ever have just one, there is no such thing for this nicotine addict.

Please share some of your mental gymnastics of how you quit nicotine.

[AnnetteMM]

That was so smart! It's our brain that makes the difference, how we think about our quits and never giving ourselves permission to smoke again. Hooray for you!  I convinced myself I was just too lazy to go to the store to buy cigarettes, and then laughed about it!

[minihorses]

What a fantastic way to look at cravings. It's a game. You can call it the 'stare down the demon in your face' game. Thanks for sharing. I'll bet you will help a lot of people by posting it.

[indingrl]

CONGRATS 933 DAYS - YAHOOOOOOOOOOO - GOOD JOB- thanks for sharing YOUR experience strength and HOPE with ME - sharing about ME - please take what HELPS and let go of the rest - thank you - when I learned that slogan and was taught it goes with step 2 - Came to believe that a power greater than OURSELVES could restore us to sanity -  these 12 STEPS have been used  in EVERY RECOVERY group - ALCOHOL - NICOTINE - SEX - GAMBLING - EMOTION - FOOD and codepency - which doesn't end because the list goes on to infinity -  ALL - 12 step programs use these SAME 12 steps - I HAD alot of issues and joined tons of groups for ME - I first learned that slogan - when I was told to -  mind MY own business and live MY OWN life and let go and let God and to live and let live - I just celebrated 33 years in Alanon 12 step group on November 6 , 1986 - ONLY by God's grace - thank you for teaching and reminding ME to ALWAYS be thankful to MY God - gentle hug   

[Margaretd]

It takes what it takes - right!

[indingrl]

Yes and for ME - I learned - there is a GOD and I am NOT him -

[sweetplt]

A couple things I did to play mental gymnastics in my head...1. I would exercise 2. I would meditate 3. Each activity I would tell myself I no longer smoke (NOPE) 4. If worse came to worse I would tell myself to stay quit and tomorrow would be another day...and it was always better ... 

Happy New Year...~ Colleen 391 DOF 

[Margaretd]

Yes, I used to tell myself, I won't smoke right now, but tomorrow I'm going to smoke.  Tomorrow would come and I would not smoke

[GregM]

I had to simplify things. I had smoked for 27 years and told lies to myself to justify smoking and believing I could never quit. Eventually I knew I was killing myself and a change was needed quick. 
“You can’t smoke no matter what”. I had to live by this. It wasn’t easy but every time it got hard I went back to that phrase. Along with using a quit smoking site to learn, get encouragement and eventually give encouragement.