Carlotta

Thank you guys
34 years for me. I am working tonight but I am off tomorrow and I am going to re read Rational Recovery, do some of the exercises and take notes of the nonsense the AV tries to feed me. I am also going to do a big plan and if the beast does not like it, it can get a job, get its own place and do as it wishes...oops I m afraid the beast has no control over my motor skills so it has to do as I say.
My house, my head, my rules.
I will keep you updated. Just a question, can I expect to go through some physical withdrawals the first few days? like sweats etc.?

Jeni26

I had some pretty bad anxiety attacks...palpitations and nausea...but these were psychological rather than physical. I also had some extreme emotions...rage out of nowhere which, because I'm not an angry person, left me feeling a bit fragile.

Physically, I developed a cough after a couple of weeks...but that didn't last long.

2 weeks of pretty hellish stuff...then it got a whole lot better.

After quitting the drink, this is the best move I have made. Thanks Freshstart, I couldn't have done it without your encouragement and support.

Jen x

Jeni26

Ooh Carlotta, something important I forgot to mention...I also combined the quitting with a whole new philosophy of taking care of myself. I started eating properly and going to the gym. This whole new attitude of ' I deserve to feel better physically and mentally' was instrumental in making the quit stick.

The eating and exercise slipped a lot once I became an established non-smoker...but I'm going to re-visit that I think. Shake off that Christmas lethargy and get moving again. Thanks for the reminder.

Good luck x

Carlotta

I am thinking about getting an ecigarette. Do you guys think it's a crutch and my AV trying to negotiate or do you think it could help?

freshstart57

AV is any thought that supports smoking now or in the future, Carlotta. So in that sense, yes, it is a crutch. Maybe like an alcoholic believing that they can quit drinking by switching to nonalcoholic beer or wine. That doesn't seem to be playing the percentages really, does it? Better to be done with it, and with all of it, I should think.

The RR model states that you are able to quit smoking with no crutches, that any discomfort will be temporary, and that you can choose to quit smoking for good. Even so, I still believe that you should be kind to yourself, and make this as easy as possible as Jeni26 said. Lots of water, high fiber snacks, moderate exercise, and everything that goes along with looking after you.

You are able, with what you have and who you are, to make this decision to quit smoking and never change your mind. You don't want to smoke, you don't need to smoke, but your beast does. Too bad for it, because you are in charge.

You can do this anytime, but, of course this time is the best. You can do this, Carlotta. Folks quit tobacco all the time, and you deserve to be one of them. Onward!

nel68

Carlotta, 5 weeks in from quitting smoking I had craving so bad worse then drinking so I bought a disposable e cig. For $9.99 at the smoke shop and used it for about 7 weeks until my husband daughter came to visit for a few days so I put it up for good and never picked it up after that. They knew nothing of my drinking/smoking..I just used it when I had my coffee or when I was driving it was enough to help me through the cravings. I think if I didn't buy it I probably would of start smoking again..Now for the last several months I don't even feel like I ever smoked! I don't miss it or crave it at all, I really feel the freedom of that!!... My husband is a non smoker so the only place I could smoke was outside or down by the fireplace...towards the end it was a pain!...Try a disposable before you spend a lot of money, I tried several but I really liked Blu....It worked for me but if you do that try not to smoke it all the time just pick a few times a day (cravings) it helps a lot to do that....I was just reading through SR and seen your post and thought I would give you my experience....I feel silly asking this but what is AVRT? ...I did eat healthy and exercised too

Carlotta

Thank you so much guys. Freshtart, the beast is throwing the temper tantrum of the century. No wonder it left me alone when I quit drinking, it's too busy being addicted to nicotine. Unfreaking believable LOL and I think I will not get an ecigarette to pacify it.

Nel, AVRT stands for Addictive Voice Recognition Technique. It is a method which is used mainly to quit drinking and which tackles alcoholism from a very different angle than AA.
I incorporated some of the techniques along with the steps when I quit drinking and I know it might sound weird but the way I combined it really worked for me.

For smoking though, I really don't feel like stepping that one so I figured I would do pure AVRT.
My sponsor died of lung cancer, she was younger than I am now. She kicked alcohol and coke but never managed to quit smoking. One of my coworker has throat cancer and has to carry an oxygen tank (he refuses to go on disability) and I still see him sneak a smoke here and there. That's insane.
I am sick and tired of it and like threshold says: I am in charge and I can do it.

Jeni26

Hi guys. I gave up with no crutches...well apart from posting here when having an AV attack!

What I didn't want to do was just transfer my addiction to something else and then have to go through it all again when quitting that.

Rather than an e-cig, can you not replace it by taking up something new and healthy? I went to the gym. There is honestly nothing like physical exercise to shut the beast up.

Whatever you decide, best of luck to you. Giving up smoking was harder than giving up drinking for me too, and I'm so glad I made my Big Plan and stuck to it.

jdooner

Carlotta - I quit smoking two weeks after I quit drinking. For me it was relatively easy - I am an athlete (perhaps former but its how I self identify) and when I got back in the pool, I could feel the damage in my lungs. I did not smoke that long (I had quit previously but never quit drinking). I found with all my energy focused on drinking that the smokes went away relatively easy.

My point is I second what Jeni is saying - start walking or running or swiming like me. When you can actually feel the damage you are doing with the smokes it becomes a great motivator.

In terms of the e Cigs, they don't know the damage these are going to cause. Snus was supposed to be the safer alternative to chewing tobacco and in some ways it is. However, the delivery method is much more efficent so what it is doing is making the dependance on nicoteen much greater and more difficult to quit. I have friends hooked on this stuff. I believe ECigs falls into the same catagory of not having enough long term data plus the major marketing machine behind them sends my BS meter off.

Good luck. I would be curious how you combined AVRT with the Steps? The two seem diametrically opposed at least steps #1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.

nel68

Thank you for the definition of AVRT, I guess maybe I can say that I did that with quitting drinking alcohol, when I got cravings or thoughts I actually recognized it and dissect those feelings and worked through them....Carlotta, with both addiction I just thought about my health, which I never cared about all those years I drank and chain smoked but it's a fact are choices will catch up to us. You know how free it feels from the chains of drinking when you quit smoking it feels just as great maybe even better! Just like when you quit drinking its work but just say to yourself it is for your own good and you want to feel better...Make up a daily affirmations, I love affirmation Use a journal, I'm a big journal person the last 2 years instead of wanting to smoke if your stress or whatever else your feeling pull out your journal and write. I even use color pens for fun and also used it to express my moods I'm feeling...Lol....You can do it girlie

Carlotta

Thank you guys. Those are great ideas, I used to love swimming and there is a Y not too far away from me, it would be nice swimming again. I also love the idea of a journal Nel and keeping track of what is going on and of the beast/AV activity. I sent you a pm explaining what I did so this thread stays on track with quitting smoking.... (you know how things get out of hand on SR sometimes, I m going to need a helpful thread not a battle ground especially since I have a feeling that within a few days, I will be as grumpy as my avatar ).

FoundmySelf

Carlotta, you can do it. Once you learn to recognize your AV it is not bad at all. I use mindfulness and distraction. The cravings will come and at first will be intense, you just have to breath and focus, ride them out. Find something to keep yourself occupied. Be the watcher. Know that you have the power to control your reaction to the craving and if you just let it pass and don't feed it they become less and less. I know look at some of my cravings and smile as I know full well it's the stinking Beast trying to play with me. Problem is, I am a non smoker so I just nod and watch as the Beast leaves just as quick as he came.

You can do this. I believe in you.

Carlotta

And the big plan is made.
I was not going to post it because the stupid AV was telling me I would not succeed and I would make a fool of myself if I announced my big plan publicly and the usual nonsense so, I post it just to freaking annoy the beast and it is working LOL
The beast is really pissed that I am typing that.

Jeni26

The beast goes crazy when you make it public doesn't it? Mine did too. Think it hated this thread...

Well done...I never went back to it after posting. Welcome to being a non-smoker

Received

It's great to hear so many are quitting smoking.

I quit smoking, I think around May or June of 2013. I guess I used AVRT. I started with whining and whining about it with soberlicious through pm's and, with her encouragement and responses I finally just said "the hell with it, I'm done for good" and much like drinking, that was that.

My main concern (or was it my beast's main concern) was weight gain but as I eat mostly paleo/primal (started April?), I had no problem with weight gain. I guess I got somewhat crabby at points but spend most of my time alone so nobody suffered adversely from my quitting except maybe my dog who had his little legs worn down to near nubs as I walked him near to death

Anyway, I'm just glad to hear so many are addressing their smoking and desire to quit. The health benefits I've experienced are fantastic.

Booo

I'm next. I don't have a date yet, which is probably not cool, but screw it, I'm putting it out there anyway.

ChiefBromden

I'm 7 days into it, so baby steps. I'm certainly not an expert on AVRT, but seem to have used it when I quit drinking 18 months ago.

Of course, I was prepared for the counter attack that got me last time I quit smoking: panic attacks during my sleep/waking up every 5 minutes feeling I'm suffocating.

I don't think that's something that you do to sabotage yourself, and it really freaked me out last time around (about 4 years ago). This time I was prepared, and since last night it's starting to get less bad.

I honestly don't even know if that is my AV, or just my body/brain freaking out after having smoked for 40 years 3 to 4 packs a day. However, I did treat it like it was my AV, monitored my BP to be sure (nothing wrong there apparently), and stubbornly followed my plan of never smoking again.

Robertstone

I'm glad that it's on your mind. Probably one day soon you will just say, "Well, that's it, today's the day!"

Booo

Robertstone I have cut the smoking in half, which is still too much, but it's a start. I have the ecig too. Not sure that there is is anything healthier about it, but everything smells better . Me, the house. The cAr...etc. Thanks!

Jeni26

I stumbled on this thread when I was searching for something else.

Just wanted to add, I never went back to smoking. I've struggled with other addictions on and off...sugar is a biggie for me. Just re-reading this, I realise just how strong we can be when we embrace the philosophy of AVRT.

In May I will be 4 years nicotine free. And after 30 years of smoking upwards of 20 a day, that's pretty miraculous. I often forget I was ever a smoker....

Amazing to think back to how my addiction told me I could never be free of that.