hattonc I am so sorry that you have struggled so much...I remember going through the same thing...more than once. The biggest differences for me were education and support...I had to make the commitment and I had to treat my quit like the fragile and helpless infant that it was. I came here every day, first thing in the morning and last thing at the end of the day to read, to understand how others were doing this. I asked for and I got support...more support than I could ever have imagined. I did have a plan for my quit and I think that you need one, even if you have done this before, clearly something went wrong. I suggest planning, use this link, My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX Figure out EXACTLY what went wrong and prepare for it...plan to NOT allow anything or anyone to derail this quit..If you haven't read it before or even if you have...I suggest reading JonesCarpeDiem's blog What To Expect In The First Four Months, I also suggest reading a blog written by YoungAtHeart that I found particularly helpful...the blog itself was wonderful and then the comments made it even stronger...https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/thread/17060-for-our-new-years-quitters-and-community-members-too This is a whole new beginning and you are young enough and healthy enough to be able to make this decision and go forward...don't keep smoking and doing damage (spoken from someone who did just that). Do NOT let the weight gain hold you back...it's a whole lot easier to lose a few pounds than it is to drag around an oxygen tank for the rest of your life. I am on oxygen at night only...so far. I am doing everything I can to try to get healthier but I am never allowed to forget what I did to myself as I struggle to breathe. I am embarrassed by it and feel a great deal of shame over what I did to my body, you do NOT have to feel that way. Plan your quit, pit together a plan and have a quit kit...know your triggers and plan for what to do INSTEAD of smoking. You CAN do this, look at how far you already came. Welcome back with open arms...we are here, we want to help you, we all had to start at a beginning, some of us more than once but we KNOW that we can do this with support and commitment as well as education.
Lean on us...I came here every single morning and evening at the beginning of my quit. I usually come here at least once a day unless I have a problem...it helps to reinforce my quit, to strengthen it, to remember where I came from AND to remember how easily I could have to start over again. My mantra was NOPE at the beginning of my quit...Not Once Puff Ever AND as OldBones-Larry says..."One step and then anouther, will get you to where you want to be." We have to WORK at building these quits, we have to be willing to go through whatever is necessary to keep our quits...
XOXO,
Ellen
