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Give and get support around quitting

bobno
Member

Quit Date

How do I get in the right frame of mind to set my quit date 2 weeks from today?

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16 Replies
Barbscloud
Member

Welcome to the Ex.  Read as much as you can on this site and become educated about nicotine addiction.  Education and preparation are the key.  In addition, the support from this community is priceless.   Understanding and sharing what I'm experiencing has made all the difference for me this time.   It may be hard to see it this way now, but you're not giving up anything.  You're gaining your health and your freedom.   Reading and posting as your quit date approaches is going to contribute to your success.  If you need help, reach out.  

Barb

264 DOF

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Giulia
Member

You read.  Educating yourself about this addiction will spur you on.  Welcome!  Here's something to start you off with:  /blogs/Giulia-blog/2018/03/01/quitting-is-a-skill-that-can-be-learned?sr=search&searchId=5eec661f-fb...‌  and a little video What is the Single Best Thing You Can Do to Quit Smoking? - YouTube   Other will chime with more material.  You cannot read too much on here.  I had NO motivation when I began my quit journey.  Support is what made ALL the difference.  Chin up and have heart!

JACKIE1-25-15
Member

Welcome to EX, in answering your question, you simply say 2 weeks from today is__________  set it 

Start First, by educating yourself about nicotine addiction.  Education is the key to a successful quit.

Understand the law of addiction."

Law of Addiction 

Administration of a drug to an addict will cause re-establishment of chemical dependence upon the addictive substance."

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/  

Also Read   Allen Carr’s book, “Easy Easier Way to Quit Smoking”.  Which can be purchased of found pdf format on the internet. You

When we start this journey sometimes we have to change the people places and things for a while in order to make a change.  We have to set boundaries and let our friends and family know that we are quitting smoking.  One day a time with support quitting is doable. Get rid of all smoking paraphernalia. Having the right attitude plays a major part in being successful. Also, you must educate yourself about nicotine addiction.  NOPE (Not One puff ever) will keep you free.  

Start First, by educating yourself about nicotine addiction.  Education is the key to a successful quit.

Understand the law of addiction."

Law of Addiction 

Administration of a drug to an addict will cause re-establishment of chemical dependence upon the addictive substance."

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/  

Also Read   Allen Carr’s book, “Easy Easier Way to Quit Smoking”.  Which can be purchased on line of in pdf fomat on line.

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex/blog/2013/08/11/foundation-for-a-successful-qui...

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

A lot of folks here have reported that they became excited about their quits after reading the Allen Carr book noted in the next paragraph.  When you read and understand that smoking actually does nothing for you, you will come to believe that you are not giving up a thing....and it gets much to quit.  

The important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I also 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. 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-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 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

SaraCorinne
Member

Are you using Chantix?  Kinda sounds like it.  So am I.  I think I was on it for 3 weeks before I set a quit date.  It's hard choosing a day but once you do, try your hardest to stick with it.  I've been sticking with it for 105 days and counting!  YOU CAN DO IT!

Sara

Sometimes when it comes to addiction, just getting to the point that we're ready to start our quit is half of the battle. I would imagine that right now, putting out that last cigarette seems scary as hell! It was that way for all of us. That's why learning addiction and how you interact with your own addiction is so important. Once you understand how the addiction kind of pushes your buttons in order to keep you enslaved, then you can start looking at alternatives to to those buttons. 

 That's why so many above me offered some incredibly useful links for you to investigate. Setting a quit date is easy. Making sure you're ready for success is a completely different story. Education can take some of the guess work out of quitting. I always believed that to beat an enemy, you must first know that enemy. Learn how that addiction operates inside of you, and then when you're ready, go for it!!

 So glad you found us. And when you choose that quit date, display it proudly on your profile because you've chosen to do an incredibly wonderful thing for yourself and your future! We're here to offer both information and an understanding from others who have had to do exactly what you're contemplating. Most of what you're feeling and will be feeling is something that we understand because like you, we had to do it too and as such we can help to take the mystery out of addiction. 

 Read all you can!! I look forward to hearing of your continued success!

ONWARD TO FREEDOM!!!

Chuck

elvan
Member

Education, support, commitment...planning.  Please read everything recommended by YoungAtHeart‌ and remember that we are all here to help in any way we can.  Every single one of us started at the beginning.  I suggest a plan...identifying triggers and PLANNING for them...they do not magically stop when you quit.  You CAN do this...read blogs, pay attention to what has worked for others...stay close to the side.

WELCOME.

Ellen

desiree465
Member

The fact that you've joined this website means you're close to being in the right frame of mind. And yes reading is the way to get yourself prepared and put into a good frame of mind to quit. The first couple weeks I joined this site I literally only read articles and blogs I didn't even post anything and it served me well. 

maryfreecig
Member

      Good question. Have you already made up your mind to quit? Or are you imagining that your set quit date  will sort out whether you can do this--meaning that if it feels too difficult to quit, then you won't. If it feels easy then you will. 

     Planning (make a to-do list, learn about the addiction) can help you face your quit by preparing you to do things other than smoke--especially if or when a crave comes on once you've quit. Craves don't last long, or forever. But having a list of to-dos will help you deal with cravings.

     Avoid thinking that quitting is just too hard and that you can't take the stress of quitting forever--we quit and smober up one day at a time. Avoid awfulizing the future. Getting over the addiction happens over time, one step at a time. Support from Ex will be here for you as much as you want it to be.

      Welcome to Ex!