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MORE BEST OF GUMMER
REPOST From gummer on 2/21/2011
(1) Smoking is the cause of your distress so don't ever be fooled into smoking again to feel better - it cannot ever work.
(2) Smoking has done a major job on you. It will take time and effort to straighten things out again, so be patient. You need to allow yourself the time required for your body and mind to return to normal.
So hang in there! It doesn't matter what it takes, just hang in there and you will get through this. It`s gonna happen
From gummer on 3/22/200
Cravings ARE going to hit you out of the blue. That`s the way quitting goes. It may happen at day 5, or day 27, or day 152... cravings CAN and DO come out of thin air. But never let them surprise you. EXPECT them, and when they do arise, treat them just as you have all the others.. .
SIMPLY DON`T SMOKE.
Ride them out... recognize them as a natural part of the process... as a sign of healing and progress... until they go away.
In time they will stop bothering you at all. But until you reach that point, do not be discouraged if you`re suddenly slammed by a craving. THAT`S WHAT SMOKING HAS DONE TO YOU. And that`s what you have to go through until you free yourself.
Never be fooled into smoking again... because it was smoking that got you here in the first place. NOT smoking is the only answer. Be patient. Be steadfast. Be optimistic. Don`t smoke.
Smoking always, always makes quitting harder... and not smoking always makes it easier.
Cravings... are a sign that your quit is working. They are a symptom that your body and mind are trying to find equilibrium again. Never be alarmed or discouraged because you get hit by cravings all of a sudden; that is what is supposed to happen as you `detox` and start shedding the addiction.
It is clear evidence of progress, whether it be day 1 or day 157. I frequently see posts desperately looking for advice for something to get rid of these withdrawals... drink huge amounts of water... take extra vitamins... t ry homeopathic remedies... but the truth is that IF you shift your mind, then you do not need anything.
Stop thinking of withdrawals as a desperate need to smoke, and instead start to see them as cleansing moments that, while uncomfortable, are very effective at healing.
Shift your focus, and your attitude, and the way you interpret things. After all, that`s what is going on... your body is simply convulsing against the poison you have forced upon it.
Withdrawals and cravings do not have to be a sign of trouble, because they are really a sign of progress.
See them that way and you will endure them with far greater ease than if you try fight them, or fret over them.