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.pdfThose 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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