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Give and get support around quitting

Give me ideas of what I can do to help me

Like what did u do to help you stop

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7 Replies
JACKIE1-25-15
Member

Made a commitment that no matter what I would never touch another cigarette. Made a vow to myself that I would do whatever was necessary to remain smoke-free. Learned to love me more than the addiction.  Learn and relearned my behavior by reading the suggested material.  Coming here for support was a major factor.  I was willing to do what it took to protect what I had started. and took the advice of those who have quit and were still smokiefree. Learned about nicotine addiction.  Did the activities suggested on the website here.  Staying busy, self-talk, never giving up and giving back works/worked for me.

If you hang around you will see that yes you can and will.   Look forward a new way of life that does not include smoking.  It is all up to you and what you are willing to do to be smoke free.  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”.       

 The best is yet to come.

JACKIE1-25-15
Member

One of our first responders YoungAtHeart  is not here today.  This is the information that she would relay to you.

Welcome to our community!

 

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 it online or 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. @https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex has lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance.

 

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit.  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.  Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. 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!

 

Nancy

AnnetteMM
Member

You'll see that everyone did it a little differently, so we always say take what works for you and disregard the rest.

I decided to use a vape product for a short time, which is still smoking but I got rid of ashtrays and lighters and packs.  

After two months of that, when I ran out of the vaping juice, I quit nicotine entirely cold turkey.  The day I stopped nicotine is the day I count as my quit date.  It was still tough, but being on this site got me through it.

WELCOME!!

Giulia
Member

I read everything I could get my eyeballs on and stuck close to a quit site.  The more you know, the better prepared you are for the journey ahead. Best of EX is a great place to begin your education.  /blogs/Giulia-blog/2018/03/01/quitting-is-a-skill-that-can-be-learned?sr=search&searchId=0957eed5-35...   Think of it as a fun challenge instead of a miserable uphill battle.  And keep a sense of humor about you!

MichelleDiane
Member

I am using the patch and am staying close to this site.  I chew gum (regular spearmint), drink water, exercise, read, knit, and other activities I enjoy.  Meditation really works for me as well.  Build your tool kit with what works for you.  There is a lot of helpful information on this site, so read on.

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GyorgyiM
Member

I did the same as Giulia, and educated myself to the point of obsession. Then I incorporated as much distraction into my life as possible. Ate, as if I was alone on an island, and readjusted my so called "normal" daily routine as Jackie describes above... most important though.....

My mindset ....I said to myself in all honesty...

I DON'T SMOKE...

Amen......

Miles of Smiles..................YOU CAN DO THIS!

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elvan
Member

Welcome to EX, you have gotten amazing support from all of our fellow EXers...I certainly suggest reading and making a plan...I quit cold turkey or smart turkey as it is referred to by SkyGirl‌ /blogs/SkyGirl-blog/2016/04/27/a-smart-turkey-repost-for-all-our-newbies?sr=search&searchId=a9030f85...  I had no choice when I quit because I smoked for so long that I was seriously ill and I did irreversible damage to my lungs...I COULDN'T smoke.  Poof...there it was.  I had quit many times in the past and always went back to smoking.  The biggest difference this time was this site...the education I got from others who had quit, the suggestions I got from them, the love and support and the BELIEF that I could do it, one day at a time. Sometimes it was one minute at a time when an entire day was too long.  I came to this site every morning and every evening and sometimes, many times in between.  I read how others dealt with craves and dealt with life.  I realized that no one ever died from a crave but that no one could say that about smoking.  I did not realize that I had stuffed all of my feelings into my nicotine addiction and therefore, I did not learn to deal with ups and downs, etc...I was dealing with everything by smoking...if I was angry, I smoked, if I was sad, I smoked, if I was in pain (I have chronic pain), I smoked.  You get it, right?  It was my go to for everything...EVERYTHING.  When I quit smoking,  I had to learn to deal with feelings that other people learned to deal with while they were growing up.  Basically, that is what we all have to do in order to recover and this is a journey, it's not an event.  It doesn't end unless we smoke or we die.  That's the bottom line, it is the same as any other addiction.  You CAN do this...you CAN start to grow...pay attention to the advice you have been given, make a commitment and keep it.  Know that we have all been where you are and there are no short cuts...quitting is not the same for everyone but it is not that different either.  Smoking fixes NOTHING.  

Again, welcome.

Ellen

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