I NEED ASSISTANCE TO GET OVER MY CRAVINGS TODAY

[Anite]

Today marks my one month quit!!! I can't start to explain the craving I experience.  I need help!!

PLEASE

Anite 

[YoungAtHeart]

Ah, No Mans Land - I remember it well.  My WORST day (after the first couple) was around 106, but everyone is different.  Here is something to explain it:  https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex/blog/2011/05/24/no-mans-land-days-30-to130-appr....

Get out the tools you found worked for you early in your quit.  Slow/deep breaths?  Sip from a bottle of water?  Go for a walk?  Do a few jumping jacks or a few flights of stairs?  Play a computer game?  Call a friend?  Window shop on Etsy?  If you still have a jumbled closet or drawer, clean it out?  Effort is required on your part yet again. 

Think about what might be causing this...Is it the change in seasons?  It takes two years of that before the association to smoking is relaxed.  Are you Hungry?  Angry?  Lonesome?  Tired? (HALT)  If any of these apply, fix them.
What, exactly, are you thinking smoking is going to do for you right now?  The CORRECT answer is that all the things you think are LIES.

Get busy!  Stop thinking about smoking - don't talk yourself into it.  Day One again is no fun!

Hang in there!

Nancy

[Anite]

Thank you, it helped a bit. I am going to walk around the building now

with a bottle of water.

*Anite *

On Fri, Aug 24, 2018 at 2:48 PM Christine13 <communityadmin@becomeanex.org>

[Christine13]

Great job posting for help!  Try and distract yourself, get your mind off it.  I think maybe you should go to Dale's page and read about thee first four months.

Remember a crave only lasts about 3 minutes.  Go for a walk, suck on a lemon, chew gum, read a book, I'm sure there will be a lot of suggestions, and congratulations on one month!

[Anite]

How do I get to Dale's page?  I am desperate.

[YoungAtHeart]

Here is the link to Dale's page: JonesCarpeDiem 

More good reading here:  https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/content?filterID=all~tag%5Bbest_of_ex%5D 

Hang in there!  Stay busy!  Remember - the only person who can make a decision to smoke is YOU!  Just don't!

Read, walk, read some more, walk some more.  Just get through this however you can.  It WILL pass - I promise!

Nancy

[CommunityAdmin]

Anite‌ there is also Relapse Prevention‌ and https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/message/128616-re-craving-buster-technique 

Mark
EX Community Manager

[Sandy-9-17-17]

YoungAtHeart‌   Nancy is right Anite‌ The only person who can make you fail is yourself.  You have been free for a month?  That's great, ask yourself now, do you want to start all over?  Because you are here to begin with makes me feel like your answer will be "NO" !  So talk a walk if you can, and keep chanting to yourself while you are taking some nice slow breaths in and out, I don't do that anymore!  Believe it and you can get through that urge/craving !!!! 

Do not give in to your brain's receptors, not after you have come this far!   What tools did you use in the beginning?  Get them and start re-using them!   Keep busy busy busy!!!! Keep reaching out as often as you need to and get past each craving !  

[Anite]

Thank you! I have to forget about it!

On Fri, 24 Aug 2018, 15:22 Sandy-9-17-17, <communityadmin@becomeanex.org>

[elvan]

You CAN do this...it's only temporary and it will pass and leave you feeling stronger and not weaker.  Keep going...one moment at a time....deep breath in, hold it and exhale VERY SLOWLY through pursed lips.  Remember how far you have come and how this is only a blip on the radar of your quit.  Keep going forward, Anite, I KNOW you can do this.  Don't let anything or anyone take this away from you.

Ellen