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Give and get support around quitting

Animals12
Member

What

What withdrawal symptoms are people experiencing. I'm really nervous about this . My quitting day is Feb 24th and I'm so nervous. I have gotten down to 4 or 5 cigs a day so far and want to go 12 hours between cigs by the 20th. Then 15 hours and so on... Then when Feb 24th comes I will be more confident. Is this a good plan and what do you think about withdrawing. XOXO

10 Replies
JACKIE1-25-15
Member

My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX  is a place to start that may answer some of your questions.  I did not wean myself.  I just set a date and knew that day I would quit.  I was two days late but that is okay.  You have to do what works for you.  Education is the key to a successful quit.  If you are new here read the suggested material. 

Start first devising a plan My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX and by educating yourself on the addiction to nicotine.  One suggested read is Allen Carr's Easyway to Quit Smoking,  which can be found on pdf on the web.  Another site to get info is www.whyquit.com.  There are several articles to read.  Nicotine 101 and Freedom From Nicotine My Journey Home.  If you have any questions you can do a search with the magnifying glass type any keywords and research.  If you have any questions just ask and give us the opportunity to respond.  Again Welcome, there is more to come. https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex/blog/2013/08/11/foundation-for-a-successful-qui... 

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maryfreecig
Member

      Every quitter is slightly different, but withdrawal for me (I quit at age 54--smoked about 34-35 years) included anxiety, some cravings (but not intense because I had decided to quit so I did not pay attention to them), blah--empty stomach feeling. Inattentive. Unfocused. But I had a plan and stuck with it. 

      Stick with Ex. Here you will be surrounded by quitters of all ages, quit lengths-- smobriety is something you build one day at a time. Welcome to Ex.

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

Cutting back drastically like you are doing is not something I recommend.  It keeps you unnecessarily uncomfortable because you are keeping yourself in constant physical withdrawal. If you are down to 4-5 a day, it's time to just quit...... OR you might allow yourself to go back to a limited but normal regular smoking schedule, but THINK about each one you smoke and why - then make a plan beforehand what you can do differently when you quit.  Try putting each one off just a bit (which will accomplish what you are trying to do with your reduction in number). .  When you quit, you get THROUGH physical withdrawal in 3 days to a week, then it's your body adjusting to life without it,  then it's just the psychological part of the addiction you need to handle.  Jump in - quitting never killed anybody  - smoking WILL.

To answer your question, here is a blog which includes withdrawal symptoms:  https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex/blog/2018/01/04/early-withdrawal-symptoms.  You may get none, some or all of them....but they won't kill you  continuing to smoke WILL!

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 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.
 
 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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sweetplt
Member

Hello and Welcome to Ex’s 

You received a lot of great information above me.  This takes a lot of knowledge and preparation.  Even though you are cutting down you will still have withdrawal ... why not get excited about your quit date instead of being nervous?  Make it the best day ever.  Remember you are taking your Life back...that is big...~ try and keep it positive ... keep it close to the site where we are all in this journey together...I think February 24th is going to be a great day ~ Sending good thoughts Colleen

indingrl
Member

COOL plan YOU have chosen just for YOU! CONGRATS AND GOOD JOB!!!

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Sootie
Member

Hello and welcome! If you have cut down to only 4 or 5 cigarettes a day, you must be experiencing some withdrawal already. So how's that going and what are you doing for that?

JUST MY OPINION......but trying to space cigarettes out to 12 hours between and then 15 hours between is sort of like holding them out as a reward plus sort of placing yourself in withdrawal for an awfully long period of time. Best to pull off the bandaid and just quit. I agree with Colleen----I think February 24th is going to be the BEST DAY of the rest of your life!

Think Positive and Stay Strong

AnnetteMM
Member

It's normal to be scared and/or have anxiety. No one wants to put themselves in an uncomfortable situation on purpose. Just know that it doesn't last very long and it's very doable. You've already gone through so much in your life! How do I know this? Because I assume you're a human being, and all human beings go through hard times. Rest back on the strengths you already know you have.

elvan
Member

I got so sick that I quit so I could breathe...seriously.  I smoked for 47 years but have been quit for over 5 now, thanks in large part to this site.  Education about this addiction, support from people who have been there, and YOUR commitment will determine how difficult or how easy this is.  Quitting is a journey and not an event and it has to be taken one day at a time.  It is normal to be fearful of the unknown but please keep in mind that your addiction has been controlling you and is trying very hard to keep you tied up nice and tight. You can do this, stay close to the site, read blogs, become familiar with what is working for others.  I suggest reading a blog by JonesCarpeDiem‌ https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/thread/6040-my-welcome-to-new-members-12-years-of-watching 

Welcome to EX, you are in the right place to quit.

Ellen

The nicotine receptors start rebelling right about where you're at. I suggest you are experiencing withdrawal right now and will continue to do so. It might be better just to quit than to stay in withdrawal until  you quit.  Counting turns into denial, (when you want one after you've reached your designated limit for the day) denial turns into frustration. Puts people in a bad place before they've even quit.

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/message/70402-where-does-it-come-from?sr=search&searchId=cb8b5bcd... 

PS

I used 11 patches. Quit when I forgot two days in a row the end of the second week. 21mg to nothing. Didn't really notice it or I wouldn't have forgotten two days in a row, right?