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Give and get support around quitting

Coyote1
Member

Love and smoking

I want going to post. I slipped. Was embarrassed that I gave in yet again. Excuses, excuses. i wanted it so i did it.

14 Replies
Coyote1
Member

I guess my new quit day is July 19th. Honestly reading about these lifelong smokers quitting for months inspires me. Also, I feel so weak and pathetic.  I don't even smoke daily. I feel like my triggers are all wrapped up in each other. Things that actually bring me joy make me want to smoke. When I'm stressed and sad I don't want them. Odd and unfortunate.

gregp136
Member

Yes, Coyote1‌ we are all weak and disgusting.  We all smoked for years knowing it was bad for us, knowing we stunk, knowing we we hurting those we love.  But we can get beyond this.  We can win over nicotine!  We all can do this with support from others.

TW517
Member

Like you, it took me multiple attempts.  I finally realized that “triggers” were a lie my addicted brain was telling me I couldn’t resist appeasing.  Because I’m in and out of the car all day for work, and would light up every trip, I assumed that was my biggest trigger.  But since I didn’t have any cigarettes with me anymore, that was the first trigger to disappear.  I also had less frequent triggers like your “things that bring me joy”.  It was too hard for me to say I will never smoke in those circumstances ever again, so I just promised myself not to smoke the next time.  And then again, the next time, and so on.  After 2, 3, 4, or 5 times, I finally noticed I didn’t even have craves for that trigger anymore.  The more times you don’t appease your trigger, the more your brain disassociates it with smoking.  Not saying it is easy, but it was easier for me to say, “Not this time”, than “Never again”.

sweetplt
Member

Hi Coyote1 I am sorry you lost your quit and choose to smoke...please don’t beat yourself up...and certainly don’t compare yourself with anyone else because it is your quit...get back in the journey as soon as possible...find out those triggers on the days you smoke and how/what can you do to avoid them or change them...? YOU are working it...so get working more and quit...~ Colleen Happy Friday ~ 228 DOF 

Coyote1
Member

Thanks guys ❤️

indingrl
Member

You are welcome ❤

0 Kudos
indingrl
Member

Thank YOU for sharing YOUR experience strength and HOPE - thank YOU for YOUR courage and self honesty in knowing the TRUTH about YOUR SELF and telling ME - but for the grace of God go I - hmmmmmm - please take what HELPS and let go of the rest - to be HELPFUL is MY only aim - thank YOU and No worries - I wanted to use MY DRUG NICOTINE so I used too- SUGGESTED to ME - I put as much into STAYING quit as much as I put into using MY DRUG NICOTINE - I used everyday -  50 death sticks a day - at the end of MY using - I cried out to MY Lord Jesus and prayed- Dear Jesus if YOU don't take these cigs from ME I will smoke them until I drop dead in Jesus name amen -  I woke Jan 6 2011 with a cold turkey quit and I been coming here every since in HIS love and service to - HELP the next suffering NICOTINE ADDICT - please know -  EVERYONE here has their OWN quit story - with  ALL different ways - yet with MANY similarities in UNITY to NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF EVER- ONE breathe - moment- minute - TOGETHER -  - YOU are NOT ALONE - CONGRATS on learning and growing and healing - gentle hug❤

Barbscloud
Member

Just get started again.   Most of us have multiple attempts, so there's no shame in that.   That fact that you're still here means you want this.   It's an addiction, so it's not easy, but you can do it.  Reach out next time when you're tempted; before you smoke.  We're here for you.

Barb

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

Pick yourself up, dust yourself off and let's get this done THIS time.  I don't see where I have given you my usual welcome information - so here goes. What you do differently THIS time is to read, prepare and plan for your final 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 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. If you do nothing else to get ready for your quit, please do give this a read.


 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. Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.

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 after you have tried to delay and distract.   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.  You need to start out with a plan to reduce use of them over time - which the patch does by decreasing the dose contained in them..  For the gum, you can start by cutting each piece in half, then in quarters, then sub regular gum of the same flavor in between, adding more and more regular gum.  For the lozenge, you need to start subbing a mint in between to begin, increasing the number of them over time.  I do not recommend the e-cigarette for four 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,  3) the batteries can spontaneously catch on fire and 4) you can become addicted to that and it has not yet been proven safe .
 

It will be informative if you do the tracking and separation exercises recommended here on the site. As you track each cigarette smoked, note its importance, and what you might do instead. Put each one off just a little to prove that you don't NEED a cigarette just because you think you do.
 

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