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Give and get support around quitting

YoungAtHeart
Member

For Our New Years' Quitters (and community members, too)

I'm creating this discussion in the hope it will be helpful to all the New Years' Resolution Quitters, and to solicit comments from current community members, as well.  If you are new here, let us help!  If you have quit or are in the process, please give the newbies your best advice!

The most important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. You can search for a free pdf of it on the net (copyright enforcement won't allow me to post the link here), buy it online, or find it at your local library

 You should also read the posts here and perhaps go to the pages of folks who you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com, quitsmokingonline.com and livewell.com for the good information contained there. Best of EX  has lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises suggested in My Quit Plan My Quit Plan

After you have completed the recommended reading, it will be time to make an informed choice of the quit aid, if any, you will use. If you go that route, I personally recommend the aids that don't let the addict control the dose such as the available prescription drugs or the patch. If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort.  I have seen folks become addicted to them if they substitute them for every cigarette they used to smoke - just trading one addiction for another.  E-cigarettes are proving not to be as safe as originally thought, continue the hand-to-mouth motion and nicotine addiction,  - so I would stay away from them, as well.

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand. If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! Rearrange the furniture in the areas you used to smoke so the view is different. Buy your gas at a different station. Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.

You need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), put your head in the freezer and take a deep breath of cold air, do a few jumping jacks, go for a brisk walk or march in place, play a computer game.  Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. Sometimes you need to quit a minute or an hour at a time.  You will need to be disciplined in the early days to distract yourself when a crave hits.    Get busy!  Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...

The conversation in your head in response to the "I want a cigarette" thought needs to be, "Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead for the three minutes this crave will last?"  Then DO it.  You will need to put some effort into this in the early days, but it gets easier and easier to do.

Stay close to us here and ask questions when you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!

                                 ^4311A04E05BC47F07CDCF56849CF42CBAB93ACC213477253C0^pimgpsh_fullsize_distr.jpg

Nancy

57 Replies

Thank you crazymama_Lori! I am spending time getting "ready" for my quit day. Today I am going to read the two articles you recommend on understanding the difference in a habit and addiction (I think this is what you are pointing out here....and how one can confuse the other, which totally makes sense) Thank you for taking the time to share these thoughts. Btw...do you know if it's possible to change my user name. I haven't been able to find this? Going to add a photo too. Something inspiring I think! Have an amazing day today!

Mark‌, could you assist with this?

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CommunityAdmin
Community Manager
Community Manager

Sure check out /blogs/Mark-blog/2016/12/16/username-update-complete lindalivesfree

EX Community Admin Team

Thank you, Mark. I have submitted for a change. Hoping LindaLivesFree works out!

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CommunityAdmin
Community Manager
Community Manager

The change is complete lindalivesfree‌!

Mark

EX Community Admin Team
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Thank you crazymama!

JACKIE1-25-15
Member

Thanks for starting the conversation.  If you are considering quitting or  new to your quit  this is the right place if you are looking for support. Quitting smoking requires hard work and determination not to give up.   It can be challenging at times but you will learn that it is doable if you adhere to NOPE not one puff ever no matter what. 

Start first, by educating yourself about nicotine addiction because education is the key to a successful quit.  

Read: Freedom from Nicotine My Journey Home and Nicotine Addiction 101 

Here are the links: http://whyquit.com/whyquit/LinksAAddiction.html   and http://whyquit.com/ffn/

I also encourage you to read. Allen Carr’s book, “Easy Easier Way to Quit Smoking”.       

 Go to http://www.becomeanex.org/how-to-quit-smoking.php#thl and get started. 

Roller831
Member

I think this is a great idea!

Welcome!  I know when I first found this site, many Elders told me to read read read….and I did.  Elders are those with one or more years of being quit.  If you like what someone has to say, then you may want to read their blogs.  I have some listed below.

 

A list of our Elders  /blogs/Giulia-blog/2017/06/18/elders-list-ao-december-7-2016 

One of the first things I read was Alan Carr's Easy Way to Quit Smoking.  I purchased the book on CD and listened to it in the car on my way to and from work for 3 weeks over and over again.  It was well worth the money because this is my forever quit.

Your Quit Kit is very important those first few days and weeks /blogs/Christine_Aka_Legend-blog/2014/08/22/quit-kit !

 

So here's the thing.....and you may not like what I am about to say....and that's ok.  I get it.  You need to accept that this is an addiction.  Before you do that, it will be much more difficult to quit and stay quit. 

 

Read read read.  Do the steps to PREPARE yourself to quit.  Do the steps so you are PREPARED on quit day and for the days AFTER quit day.  

 

Some of the things I read in my first few days that helped me:

Dale’s Welcome to New Members My Welcome To New Members (10 Years Of Watching) 

 

YoungAtHeart Nancy’s Blog /blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instead-of-smoke - Check out her other blogs as well since she is one of our wise Elders!

JonesCarpeDiem  Dale’s Blog /blogs/jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007-blog/2011/06/26/what-to-expect-in-the-first-four-months which was already posted and linked to....this is a very good one as are his other blogs.

Visit Best of EX    

And read what has been posted there.

 

JACKIE1-25-15

Some of my favorite saying and abbreviations:

NOPE - Not one puff ever!

SINAO - Smoking is not an option

One step and then another will take you where you want to be - Larry, the Caravan Master (OldBones-Larry‌ - read his blogs, too!)

I don't do that anymore! is a great one from Dale (JonesCarpeDiem‌)

 

One of my favorite blogs is from my time in NML (No Man's Land - around Day 30-130 of your quit)  https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/people/rollercoaster831/blog/2017/10/10/not-getting-caught-in-nml... 

Keep this site close and keep posting and asking for help.  You will get it.  You will get things you like and things you don't like, but don't give up!!!  We have been through similar experiences and can share our strength and hope.  We are here to support you!

Oh wow!! Thank you so much for all.of these resources! Yes.....it is easy

for me, at this juncture, to acknowledge that it is, indeed, an addiction.

Never thought it would be me. How many months/years are you free? I love

NOPE! Going to place that in prominent places as a reminder.

Also anxious to see the quit kit. Kind if stumbling around the site but I'm

starting to figure things out. Btw.....I will be on there as LindaLivesFree

if my new user name is accepted. I am feeling optimistic.....and a wee bit

apprehensive on my approaching quit day!

Thanks so much!

On Dec 27, 2017 12:44 PM, "rollercoaster831" <communityadmin@becomeanex.org>

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Roller831
Member

I have 190 DOF (days of freedom) as of today and I am very proud of each an every day.  Keep this site close.  It was a huge help to me in those first few days and weeks (and still is, obviously).  You can also check our https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/community/community-help?sr=search&searchId=2a2b5846-d1e7-4e19-80...‌ which will help you navigate the site more.  

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