Foundation
Statements
According to the Atlanta based Center for Disease Control,
70% of smokers would like to quit. http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5129.pdf
Those of us who have been in that 70% and tried
to quit have encountered the 'commitment' issue. I always
found it interesting that my commitment to quit was greatest
just as I was putting out a cigarette and then steadily declined
as I became more and more uncomfortable. Even those odd times
when I managed to be nicotine free for several days or a few
weeks, my commitment seemed too dependent on my mood or how
I was feeling physically or whatever other stress seemed to
be the focus of the moment. In other words, as fervently as
I wanted to 'not smoke', my commitment seemed just too flexible
and unstable.
I've observed that same dynamic in every on-line
quit smoking group I've ever visited. People start out enthusiastic
and motivated. Yet at some point they seem to hit a wall and
their enthusiasm, motivation, and commitment begin to ebb
or disappear altogether.
I see this as a two part problem.
- First, there's a lack
of understanding of the smoking habit. As a result there is
no effective plan for dealing with the real reasons for smoking
(body cues).
-Second, the issue of
commitment has never been clearly defined.
The nature of the smoking habit was discussed in the previous
section. This section will examin and define both our 'non
smoking' goal and the necessary commitment.
Cognitivequitting uses 5 Foundation Statements.
They are:
1- I DO NOT want to be a smoker.
2- There is NO situation where allowing my autopilot to choose
a smoking response will be appropriate.
3- I'm prepared to trust completely that no matter how uncomfortable,
cranky, or confused I may be, these foundation statements
are ALWAYS true and I will always help my autopilot find a
nonsmoking response to whatever I am experiencing.
4- I will conscientiously address and deal with any health
issues, physical or emotional, that may arise.
5- In order to retrain my autopilot, I WILL DO THE WORK. Reading
and thinking alone will not make permanent changes to my smoking
habit.
These statements are important because most
of us respond 'emotionally' to life. Our initial responses
are chosen based on what we're feeling rather than what we
know to be objective dispassionate truth. As a result, our
choices are subject to change as our emotional 'stance' of
the moment changes. Foundation Statements are ALWAYS true
regardless of what emotions we may be feeling at the moment.
In fact that's the whole point behind Foundation Statements,
they provide a rational anchor for those times when we are
overwhelmed by emotional turmoil and are least able to make
rational judgments and objective decisions.
This tendency of the higher brain to 'shut
down' in moments of stress while the reptilian brain, the
autopilot, takes over has an evolutionary basis. When confronted
by a saber-tooth tiger, a cave person who 'took a moment to
think' instead of reacting immediately or instinctively became
lunch. Granted, today we are confronted by stresses other
than saber toothed tigers but our responses to the physiological
manifestations of stress tend to follow 'survival' techniques
at a basic level. When we quit smoking we will find ourselves
in situations where we will 'feel the need' to smoke and have
to counter that 'feel' with rational thought. Since that will
not be a time when we are at our most rational, we need to
ensure that we have a way to stay focused on the core elements
of our decision to stop smoking. The cognitivequitting program
provides the necessary tools to understand our smoking habit
and develop effective non smoking responses. The Foundation
Statements clarify our commitment to choose to use those tools.
Foundation statements are a set of statements
that are ALWAYS true regardless of what emotions we may be
feeling at the moment. The following questions will help define
those statements:
1- Is this a calm, rational moment where I
can ask myself some questions and answer those questions honestly
without the answers being unduly influenced by any emotion
or physical sensation?
If the answer is 'yes' continue, otherwise create a more appropriate
time.
2- Do I want to be a smoker?
This means do I want to respond to all the stresses of life
by lighting up a cigarette? This question is very different
from "Do I want to quit?" No one 'wants' to quit.
Quitting is an uncomfortable experience that is going to last
for several months at least. The most effective and powerful
way that I know of for you to get an honest answer is for
you to stand in front of a mirror, look into your own eyes,
and ask yourself, "Do I want to be a smoker?". While
that can be a little unnerving, it's also as honest as we'll
ever be with ourselves. If your answer is "No. I do not
want to be a smoker" then read on. Otherwise ask yourself,
"Why am I attempting to do something that requires 'total'
commitment at a time when I don't have that commitment?"
Occasionally, due to health reasons or job requirements, someone
'has' to quit. If that's the case, cognitivequitting can still
be effective simply because it teaches the necessary tools
to change what was always automatic behavior. Either way,
Foundation Statements will define the goal and the commitment
to that goal.
3- Having stated that "I don't want to
be a smoker." or that, "I can not continue to be
a smoker.", can I think of any exceptions?
Don't confuse the desire to relieve discomfort, a perfectly
normal and natural desire, with the thought(s) that a cigarette
is the appropriate tool for relief. The question here is simply,
"Is a cigarette ever an appropriate response?" If
you can think of situations where it would be valid, then
you need to examine those in detail and refute them. (If you
need help doing that, contact steve@cognitivequitting.com
) If you are leaving 'back doors' through which you can justify
a cigarette, you WILL go through one of those doors. Just
as you must know whether or not you want to be a smoker, you
must have closed all the back doors and know that there are
no situations where a cigarette will be appropriate.
4- Am I prepared to stay aware of these personal
truths and stand by them regardless of how rough I may feel
at any point in the future?
Life, whether you're in the process of quitting smoking or
have already quit, will most certainly include discomfort
from time to time. Unfortunately there may be times of crisis
when your discomfort will be intense. Staying aware of your
Foundation Statements means you'll have a way to return to
a rational perspective so that you can continue to choose
responses consistent with your goal.
5- Am I prepared to deal with health issues
as they arise?
Quitting is a dynamic process. During this process, it is
possible that there will be changes to the condition of your
health, either physical or emotional. Ignoring these changes
and/or neglecting to deal with them in a timely manner may
have serious consequences. When you decide to take back control
of your life and quit smoking, you must also be prepared to
deal with changes in health as they happen.
6- Am I prepared to 'DO THE WORK'?
Most of us are rarely aware of reaching for a cigarette. And
even if we are aware of some urge to smoke, the subtle associations
and choices that perpetuate smoking are well below our radar.
To expect that those established associations will simply
fade away from disuse is both unrealistic and generally inconsistent
with our own experience. To become comfortably quit requires
more than simply not smoking for some 'long enough' period
if time. Established patterns, such as smoking, will change
only by actively creating alternate effective and appropriate
patterns. The cognitivequitting method involves exercises
which, when done conscientiously, will dismantal your smoking
habit. To quote Goethe...
"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not
enough; we must do."
Based on answers to the above questions, write
out your foundation statements as follows:
(And I do mean write them out. Take paper and pen and actually
write them out.)
"During a moment of personal calm, I have
rationally determined that...
1- I DO NOT want to be a smoker.
2- There is NO situation where allowing my autopilot to choose
a smoking response will be appropriate.
3- I'm prepared to trust completely that no matter how uncomfortable,
cranky, or confused I may be, these foundation statements
are ALWAYS true and I will always help my autopilot find a
nonsmoking response to whatever I am experiencing.
4- I will conscientiously address and deal with any health
issues, physical or emotional, that may arise.
5- In order to retrain my autopilot, I WILL DO THE WORK. Reading
and thinking alone will not make permanent changes to my smoking
habit."
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