Hell's bells...where did THAT come from?

[nsd_user663_22435]

Wow....creeping slowly up to nearly a whole year...just a few weeks to go...I have survived the most unbelievably stressful situations, had major health problems which are still ongoing, with some craving but without caving. However, never...not once have I had the smoking dream...until last night! I woke up with the most monumental craving for a cig after seeing myself fold & take it up again in the dream. I'm so damn close to a year Nick O'Teen free but it just goes to show you that those bl00dy cravings can still appear & take your breath away. Right now, I'm back to having smoking at the back of my mind...really horrible. It's almost taken me back to square one but I refuse completely to go back to smoking. It will NOT happen. I can't bear the stench of it...we bought a car at the weekend & we're going to have to get it valeted because it utterly reeks of cigs so to be back to struggling with the cravings after all this time truly sucks...meh!

[nsd_user663_2681]

Hi Sophie, well done on your 10 months, I think the smoking dream is a good sign, I'm not sure why but I know another member Debbieh has posted that lots of times, maybe it's because you aren't thinking about fags in the day so it comes out in your dreams which is a good thing? Not sure ill ask her to mail you I think she has a book with the info in.... Anyway, once again congrats on 10 months, awesome achievement xx

[nsd_user663_22435]

Thank you, all. No, Kat, I've not actually been in it at all yet. I think that with everything that's going on with me...the illness, the stressful situations (don't start me off...cowboy builders & a badly damaged house that has only finally been acknowledged...nearly a year after I pointed it all out which means we have to be rehoused!) etc have been kicking off the 'Jeez, I wish I still smoked' or 'I could murder a fag right now' feelings which have probably had the domino effect & made me have the dream. It was the first one last night...hopefully it will be the only one I ever have as I have absolutely no desire to start again...no WAY am I going through all that again. I am adamant that this is going to be the final quit & no stupid bl00dy dream is going to screw that up!

[nsd_user663_22435]

Lol, Kat...it wouldn't be right if every thing went smoothly...there's always a blat with my name on it somewhere. &I guess it serves me right for smugly looking at other members' posts about the smoking dreams & thinking 'Ha...that's not happened to ME' But I am an incredibly stubborn crabby mare (which my husband will testify to! Although he puts it down to me being half Cornish/half Welsh tbh) & I point blank bl00dy refuse to be blind sided by something as stupid as a poxy dream! Ha...up yours, Nick!

[nsd_user663_2681]

Sophie you are doing brilliant so pleased for you.

According to Professor Robert West these dreams are called DAMIT dreams.

He reported that a lot of his clients had very vivid dreams about smoking. In the dream the smoker would be mortified at having lapsed and on waking would be hugely relieved. He found that people who had these dreams stayed quit.

It is abit like PTSD when the client is made to confront their Demons the flashbacks can be controlled. So when smokers dream of smoking its there brain telling them this is what you did and this is how you would feel if you did smoke again.

So the trauma of the dreams is to reframe you experience xx

Brilliant info Deb, I knew you'd know xxxx

[nsd_user663_60964]

I don't think I know a former smoker who hasn't had the smoking dream. OH still has it occasionally and he quit 11 years ago. As Debbie says, it is supposed to be a healthy thing so hopefully, once the inital wierdness has worn off, you'll feel better Sophie rather than worse.

Congratulations on your approach to the penthouse by the way. A mighty achievement.

[nsd_user663_22435]

Thanks, all...I guess it's just Nick O'teen trying it on as, although there was huge relief, there was also a little regret in the fact that it was a dream! Onwards, upwards, screw the craves...this old bag is not for turning!