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Give and get support around quitting

Sersic6
Member

I am a heavy smoker. Im on disabilty and smoking is a stress.reducer. will i be able to quit?

Im a heavy smoker.  Im on disability.  Smoking is a stress reducer for me.  Will i be able to quit?

12 Replies
MarilynH
Member

Welcome to the community yes you can quit smoking it's not easy by any stretch of the imagination in those early days and weeks BUT with commitment and perseverance you will succeed in living a life of Freedom, please read everything you can because there's a wealth of information right here on this site to strengthen your resolve to kick the nicotine poison to the curb permanently I'm not very tech savvy to post links BUT I will mention YoungAtHeart and she'll do a welcome with links please read them when she does post Sersic6 I think we all thought that smoking was a stress reducer but once you're quit for awhile you realize that it actually causes stress, stay close because we're all here to help you in any way we can do this pick a quit date if you haven't already and when your day ONE arrives keep your mind as well as your hands occupied and at the end of the day you'll be able to say YAY for Day WON with many more to come.....

sweetplt
Member

Hi and Welcome to Ex’s Sersic6 

Yes and Yes...most of us quit after smoking for a long time.  Also, many of us used smoking as a stress reliever so you are not alone...For me...it was having a plan, being committed to that plan, then educating myself on quitting and addiction, and this support site having my back.  I suggest, you read at My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX and make a quit date, then plan for it like no other...read here and ask questions...then the night before quitting, rid all your smoking paraphernalia...come here for support.  We are here for you...now getting working and reading...You can do this...~ Colleen 541 DOF 

Jennifer-Quit
Member

Yes you can quit.  Smoking actually adds to your stress rather than relieving it.  Do your homework - educate yourself about this addiction, make a plan, set a date and do it!  A good attitude will take you far - be willing to go through a little discomfort to get to a better place.  Best wishes!

Barbscloud
Member

Welcome to the Ex and you've already gotten the answer.  Yes you can quit smoking.  We all have stress in our lives, quitting involves finding new ways to cope.  Part of that involves developing new associations and behaviors to use instead of smoking.  That's why it's important to have a plan in place in advance of quitting.  Being prepared makes quitting doable.  And, we're all here to support you on your journey.  You just need to reach out.

Barb

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to the community!

We have had people lose their home and pets to a fire; lose a finger and thumb to a freak accident, all while quitting smoking.  So - YES, you can be successful, too!  Smoking actually increases your base stress level.  Read on to better understand how that is true.

 

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 easy and entertaining read provided a world of good information about nicotine addiction, most of which I was not aware.  I credit it in large part with my success at quitting.   You can search for it online or at your local library.


 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 obvious reasons.

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, play a computer game or do some reading here on the site, then take 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, work on a crossword or jigsaw puzzle,  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

indingrl
Member

 yes YOU will be a non smoker one day at a time just blog instead of SUCKING on DEATH sticks - and please give us time to answer ya - welcome day ONE 

maryfreecig
Member

You will be able to quit. But you must prepare yourself to quit. Allow yourself to read about nicotine addiction, read other success stories, keep coming to Ex and read blogs--check out the quit plan page. 

Most of us smokers felt that cigarettes were God's gift to us. Without them we'd curl up in a ball never to feel happy again. Your job is to work for your quit. The payout is tremendous--uncountable. No-one with any length of smobriety says I wish I was still smoking. Ex is always here to help.

If you are willing to quit, work for it, you can. Be patient, accept help, take it one day at a time. Pre quit is where you are--take time to have a heart to heart talk with yourself. 

Here's my story and there are many, many others with quit stories to tell--you'll find plenty right here. Youtube is a good source too.

Quitting Cigarettes Journal  my 2014 forward google quit blog kinda shows how I got over the dependency on nicotine

Quitting Cigarettes Journal : Once upon a journey --a video I made about how I felt about quitting--then quit 2.5 yrs or so.

What is the Single Best Thing You Can Do to Quit Smoking? - YouTube  a classic quit video by Doc Evans

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/newbie-quitters/blog/2019/01/27/one-of-the-greatest-tools-... by Jackie

AnnetteMM
Member

What do you think now?

We're here, and we're glad you are, too. You can do it, with support and education and a good plan.

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TaracaX
Member

Yes, You Can! This community is full of helpful information and I think if you face that the addiction to nicotine is faced and deciding enough is enough, will help you become a non smoker. Good Luck!