“Stay in Touch, Stay on Track” When you connect with others who are on the same journey, you feel accepted and understood! Let’s face it, some of our friends and family members really don’t get it. They may really care about you, but they don’t know how to personally relate to how complicated addiction can […]
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“This Feeling – Step Three” Like the last two posts, this post takes a closer look at the negative feelings we experience. In the past we may have tried to avoid those uncomfortable emotions. Rather than trying to avoid the feelings, let’s look at the last of three important reminders that can help us learn
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“This Feeling – Step Two” Like yesterday’s post, this post takes a closer look at the negative feelings we experience. In the past we may have tried to avoid those uncomfortable emotions by treating them or retreating from them. Rather than trying to avoid the feelings, let’s look at the second of three important reminders
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“This Feeling – Step One” For the next couple posts, let’s take a closer look at the negative feelings we experience. In the past we may have tried to avoid those uncomfortable emotions by treating or retreating, by using a familiar chemical in order to get a temporary sense of relief. Rather than trying to
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I’ve seen a few fields dotted with the dried blossoms of dandelions. I realize some folks consider them to be a weed, and some lawn-loving friends absolutely despise them, but I’m always going to have a warm spot in my heart for the feathery little umbrellas that carry dandelion seeds on their windy ways on
Changing our behavior can be a challenge, especially if there’s an addiction involved. At Quitters Win, we have learned that a Change Plan or Quit Plan needs to be comprehensive and cover five specific aspects. Be sure to read about BESOCHEMPS, the 5-Headed Dragon. It’s a unique and highly effective way to see and then
“Moody Happens” (And it’s a good thing!) Sometimes people joke about the mood swings while going through the process of quitting smoking (and other chemical addictions, too.) But anyone who has been through it realizes it’s nothing to joke about. It can be really unsettling to feel like your feelings are out of control. But
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Today is your day! If you’re already sober, smober, or “clean” (I’m not really a fan of that word because it implies that some people are “dirty”) then today is the day that you push forward into a new or deeper daily discipline. Time to stretch your limits and walk/jog/run a little farther, meditate or
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Recently in a QuittersWin group we ended up spending a bit of time talking about some of the intangibles of addiction and recovery. We all agreed that there is a “part of us that doesn’t show up on an x-ray.” We may refer to it by different names, but I think we all have it.
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Change can be uncomfortable, especially when change involves monkeying with well established routines. Our morning rituals and routines are probably the most deeply ingrained. When a behavior we want to extinguish is attached to another familiar routine, change can be tough. Let’s look at the most common behavioral trigger discussed in our weekly QuittersWin tobacco
“Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story?” If you’re not familiar with the award winning musical ‘Hamilton,’ there’s a number that talks about who lives, who dies, and who tells your story. Of all of the things we might have given up or lost to our addiction, there’s one we may have overlooked. If
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“BESOCHEMPS” PS-ychological Compulsion The PS in besochemPS is surely the slipperiest aspect of the beast – psychological compulsions. It’s quite evident that under different circumstances and to varying extents, we are all willing to participate in a behavior that we know is causing us certain harm. We’ll all quickly agree that it is not OK
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“BESOCHEMPS” EM-otional Urges EMotional urges can lead us to want to smoke (or use other substances/behaviors) as a means of avoiding unpleasant feelings. If we are feeling, for example, anxious, we’ve learned to reach for the “relief” of a cigarette. The nicotine in our brain results in the release of endorphins, which make us feel
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“BESOCHEMPS” CH-emical Cravings The CH in besoCHemps reminds us to be aware of how our body/brain have learned to depend upon a regular daily dose of a chemical. When we don’t get the drug, we can become physically uncomfortable. It’s very important that you learn to tell the difference between wanting to smoke because you’re
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BESOCHEMPS” SO-cial Triggers The SO in beSOchemps makes us aware that there are familiar SO-cial situations that can make us think about using. Notice that again, the face and the place only have the power to make us THINK about using. They can’t “make” us do it. In classes and phone coaching with smokers, I
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