Help suggestions

[smeyer1212]

 I am especially in need of helping me quit smoking. Bills and physical health.  I had a kidney removed January 31 of this year and I already have had cardiac failure, but still OK I have a lot of a fib, and diabetes, and high blood pressure to the point of being in a hypertension crisis, but ended up being OK. This was just about a week ago.  Now that is something to feel stupid about I won’t call myself stupid due to trying to be positive, and I am desperate to get off the nicotine monster, but I just haven’t been able to do it yet. It is very unhealthy for me and fortunately my friends and family are incredibly encouraging and accepting and loving me still.  I’ve gone through quite a bit of depression getting very close to suicidal thoughts, but I would never do that but I don’t like to be that close to feeling the pain.  Mentally a wreck.

However, the great news is that I feel hopeful. That I am going to in a matter of days I am going to get off the nicotine, no substitutes whatsoever.  I did this last week and it didn’t work but I am hopeful that it is going to stick and then I’m going to be able to be smoke-free very soon.  The advantages are so immense and critical for you and I and other smokers, who are trying to quit.  Mental and physical. I’m sure you know all like this but it’s just nice to be reminded of it every once in a while and that’s what I have to do for myself. I also pray to God and read a little bit of the Bible every day, in deep search of being able to hear his word, and his guidance.

The great mood that I am in (honestly) and motivating me is Allen Carr’s the Easy Way to Stop Smoking book and I’m getting ready to buy a Video seminar as well to back up my progress on the side as I go through trying to quit.

I am so sorry for the long book. However, I gave the details of what I’m going through.  Hopefully I haven’t put you to sleep yet!  Due to my belief in God and Allen Carr!  I highly encourage you to get at least the book and I am reading it for the second time because there is so much information in there about what smoking does to us and what smoking really is and it helps you decide why am I smoking in order to become a non-smoker I could go on and on about that but anyway, I strongly encourage you to get the book and keep being sure of yourself!

[CommunityAdmin]

Thanks for posting here and letting us know how things are going, @smeyer1212. Don't be too hard on yourself and like Barb said, you can rely on this community to help you on your quit journey.

This might be a helpful resource: https://www.becomeanex.org/ex-resources/about-quitting/get-ready-to-quit/

Remember, you got this!

- Danielle

EX Team

[maryfreecig]

It's harder to quit if you are forcing yourself to IMO. Telling yourself that you must or you have to is a very punishing way to quit, not sure that it works. Is there anything you can do to get yourself to be willing to quit? 

For sure we are all nicotine addicts, but some of us see nicotine is the most important thing in our lives. Take that away and there is not much to live for. Of course this is insane!!! But in feeling this way it makes facing any time without smoking seem an impossible thing to do. It's important to work on what can ease you away from believing you must smoke. It's hard to quit, but if it is this difficult for you, perhaps you should reconsider NRT or medication in combination with support. 

I quit alone and cold turkey in 2013. I was 54 then, thought I'd given up my power, my secret ingredient to life. Though I persisted, it took a while until I saw how useless smoking was. It was not magic. The addiction had screwed up my thinking. But we all get better in time. Considering how many have succeeded in quitting, and that we all have addiction in common, it has to be true that we really are stronger than addiction...one step, one day at a time.

Never give up, like Barb said. Keep looking for your way out of your nicotine addiction.