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Give and get support around quitting

kdrew
Member

I have been smoking for 30 yrs am now 59 yrs old and its affecting my health! Any advise as to start being a non smoker?

Stop!

11 Replies
maryfreecig
Member

   So, I see that you joined around last December or earlier. You posted that you like to smoke too much. I did too. I refused to believe that I was smoking out of addiction, or I just pooh poohed the idea. I'd say something like this, 'yeah, it's an addiction, but I love it so much.' 

   When I quit, I learned how much of an addiction it is. For a year, I probably eulogized cigarette smoking and my former smoking life although I was very committed to quitting. I wanted my attachment to go away right away. But, being addicted to cigarettes, quitting cold turkey, and using only a limited (but useful) amount of online quit resources, I felt trapped in my old life. Today, I believe that not only is nicotine in cigarettes highly addictive, but that that I never loved smoking--it was a totally bogus belief. Why? Well, there are a lot of things I love to do but, I don't do them to self destruction.  I love glazed donuts, but I don't eat 30 of them everyday, year in and year out. 

    If you feel that your first obstacle to quitting is that you love to smoke, start your pre-quit right there. That is the insanity that has to be broken.

    Stick with Ex. Blog more, tell your smoking story. Talk about why you don't want to quit, why you do. Ex is here to listen and to support. It's always take what you need, leave the rest.

karenjones
Member

I love you Mary. You are so wise and thoughtful and kind. My role model. you and JACKIE1-25-15 Blog

maryfreecig
Member

Love is good! Thanks for passing it my way! Coming back at you with the same. Thanks for helping me grow my smobriety.

karenjones
Member

Lets put it this way.  you can either quit now and be in charge of your own quit or you can let the hospital handle it for you, because when you are in the cardiac ward, hooked up to ventilator you won't have a choice. There is no smoking allowed in hospital. Now that is a pretty tough way to quit smoking ,  do it the safer , more painless way. I speak from experience, i quit when on the cancer ward. That was tough. Not because of the nicotine withdrawal, I hardly noticed it , or if it was there it was embedded in the pain that I felt from having the floor of my mouth surgically  removed.  Oral Cancer, like heart attack, is no fun. Do it the painless way. Love yourself and QUIT NOW. how do you do this? do not put a cigarette in your mouth and light it.  and by the way...... you are in good company.   We're all addicts here. Welcome.

For me, the best way to get started was to call the Colorado Quitline. I'm sure you have something like it where you are. The thing for me was I had a hard time getting started. I wanted to quit, I just couldn't get myself to do something about it. That's why I made the call. To be honest, the first time they answered, I hung up on them so strong was my fear of actually getting started with learning how to quit.

 I did call them back, ordered patches and found the link to this site on their site.  I knew I needed help with this, because I was thoroughly addicted. I began creating a quit plan, and this time I actually followed it. It's never easy to accept change, and change is always scary, but you CAN find freedom if you just get started. Sometimes just getting started can be the hardest part.

 Also, there's a ton of help on the main page of this site. You can begin to plan your quit there, if you'd like. I wish you success!! 

ONWARD TO FREEDOM!!!

Chuck

Giulia
Member

Welcome back.  You got a great bunch of responses on your first blog https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/people/kdrew/blog/2017/12/21/help .  Wouldn't hurt to go back and  re-read them all.  

You've already started the process of being a non smoker - you signed up on this site.  That weeeee little bit of a desire is that Best part of you yearning to breathe free.  Education is the motivator in the equation.  The more you read, the more you reinforce the desire.  So read much.  Learn about the addiction and in the process you learn about yourself.  When we open the door to learning about ourselves we begin to overcome the fear that keeps us enslaved.  It's really just fear of letting go of our comfort zone that holds us back.  

Don't be afraid of the leap to Freedom.  It's more empowering than you can ever imagine.

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Barbara145
Member

Welcome.  You have come to the right place to quit smoking.  I smoked for 52 years.  I tried to quit many times but, " I liked to smoke too much."  As a matter of fact I said I love to smoke.  I didn't know it but it was addiction talking.  I wouldn't smoke now no matter what.  I quit 5 years ago.  You can do this.  Stick close to this site.  It makes all the difference in the world.

elvan
Member

Welcome back....here is Nancy YoungAtHeart‌'s usual welcome.  She posts it for most newbies but she is out of town at the moment.  Please do all of the reading you can about addiction, make a plan, stay close to the site, and remember that quitting is a journey and not an event.

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  or at your local library. Here's a link to a video here on the site which describes nicotine addiction:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.
 
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, quitsmoking.com and livewell.com for the good information contained there. @https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-exhas lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance.  You should also do the tracking and separation exercises recommended here on the site.
 
 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.  I do not recommend the e-cigarette for three reasons: 1) the vapor has been compared to the polluted air in Bejing on a bad day, 2) they just provide another nicotine delivery system while continuing the hand to mouth smoking motion, and 3) the batteries can spontaneously catch on fire. . But – any method that you think will work well for you will be best for you.
 
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

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