1 day to go...

[erin6]

and nervous as hell. i'm actually shaking... UGH!!!! maybe the whole quit date idea isn't so great, but i def need to do it. if i don't give myself a deadline and stick to it, how am i gonna stick to quitting??? i hate smoking, yet i continue to do it because i haven't learned how to stop correctly. but from everything i've researched, i've learned that there is no one way to quit. i just have to do what works for me. the biggest thing that i've learned is that it is not just one thing i am changing. i am changing my entire life!!! i am big on routine... even the slightest kink in my routine and i feel like my whole day is lost. =(( but i know that is a problem and i have already started to fix it. no more cigarette when i first wake up. no more cigarette after the shower. no more cigarette while i scrape the car windows. no more cigarette in the car on the way to work. no more cigarette for my 10am break. no more cigarettes on my lunch. no more cigarette on my 3pm break. no more cigarettes on the drive home from work. no more cigarette after dinner. no more cigarette before i give the kids a bath. no more cigarette after i finally get the kids laid down. and no more cigarette before i lay myself down. jeesh... i really smoke alot!!!! scratch that, SMOKED alot... as of March 2nd 2009 i will be a EX!!!!!!!!!

[Legend]

You can do this just stay very positive and keep telling yourself you can do this. Everyone is different so you do what is best for you to quit. Hang in there you will make it. Read all that you can and educate yourself on this addiction.

[kimberly20]

It gets a lot easier just hang in there and don't give in for nothing. remember we are here for you 🙂

[Giulia]

Kimberly said it: "don't give in for nothing." No matter what, no matter why. It doesn't matter what the matter you just keep saying NO to the cravings.

[betty10]

Erin, I am going through the same process. I believe my triggers are more habit than addiction, my smoking schedule sounds very similar to yours. Damn those cigarettes! Wouldn't it be great if we could erase all of those memories of smoking? We need to do whatever we can to support each other to become EX's.

[laurie-schaible]

Do some new things without cigarettes attached to it? Sounds very scary...and for me, was the only way. Instead of sitting down and smoking, make yourself stand up, go outside, whatever. Focus on the things you are doing without a cigarette. Take a walk around the block. Take a few deep breaths, sitting right where you are. Reward yourself, and commend yourself for not smoking.

You can do this.

[JonesCarpeDiem]

The more you build up the neg the bigger they become in your mind.

You have to take control of your mind and it will be easy.

Thinking about it is worse than doing it.

No luck here. It's a decision.

[jennifer30]

HI Erin!
YOU CAN DO THIS!
My sister and I have been smoke free for 12 days now.
I thought in the beginning that i could not do this. i sat and cried! sometimes turned into a monster but i took deep breaths and walked around house and thought about my kids.
i was on a routine with smoking also.
i was the biggest chain smoker.
after everything i had to have one. i work a 12hr graveyard shift and i make sure on my way to work to smoke at least 5 before i walked in the building. My drive is 7mins to work.
i left 20 mins early just to have time in the parking lot to smoke my ciggs.
Never thought twice about staying home for an extra couple of mins to spend time with the kids i HAD to get there early. i HAD to have no less than 5 before i walked in.
THAT IS SO SAD.
i'm doing this for my kids!
My children are the #1 priority in my life not a SMOKE!
YOU CAN DO THIS!!!!!!
xoxo

[hwc]

Woah, back the truck up! I'm reading the same thing jonescarp is reading, an incredibly negative approach to what should be a joyous moment in your life -- finally breaking free from the trap of smoking. You make it sound like you are forcing yourself to give up every last bit of joy in your life. For what? Because you won't be huddling in a doorway to use a product that is making you stink like a chimney, turning you into an outcast, robbing your money, controlling every moment of your life, and killing you? And you are sad to "give that up". Sheesh, how would you feel about "giving up" terminal cancer!

"UGH!!!! maybe the whole quit date idea isn't so great, but i def need to do it. if i don't give myself a deadline and stick to it, how am i gonna stick to quitting???"

You are going to quit because you decide that the long list of benefits of being an ex-smoker outweighs the list of benefits of remaining a cigarette/nicotine addict (not a single benefit).

"i hate smoking, yet i continue to do it because i haven't learned how to stop correctly."

There isn't much technique involved in quitting. You just stop buying, lighting, and smoking cigarettes. 80% of the adults in the United States do it every day without even thinking about it. The reason that you smoke is that you are addicted to nicotine. All the rest of it is just mindgames that you've taught yourself to justifiy the fact that you've lived your entire adult life with getting the next nicotine fix as your highest priority.

"i am changing my entire life!!! "

Come on. Baloney. The only thing you are changing about your life is that you are no longer going to life it chained to a pack of cigarettes. Everything else goes on exactly the same once you get through a short transition period. 46 millions Americans have stopped smoking. None of them changed their whole life. They just quit smoking and are pretty darn happy they did!

"i am big on routine... even the slightest kink in my routine and i feel like my whole day is lost. =(( but i know that is a problem and i have already started to fix it. no more cigarette when i first wake up. no more cigarette after the shower. no more cigarette while i scrape the car windows. no more cigarette in the car on the way to work. no more cigarette for my 10am break. no more cigarettes on my lunch. no more cigarette on my 3pm break. no more cigarettes on the drive home from work. no more cigarette after dinner. no more cigarette before i give the kids a bath. no more cigarette after i finally get the kids laid down. and no more cigarette before i lay myself down. jeesh... "

You make it sound like a magic genie appears from a magic lantern with every puff. Sheesh. Not only do cigarettes have no magical powers (they kill you), but I dare you to name even ONE positive thing you get from smoking. Even one. I don't think you can.

If you view cigarettes and smoking and your nicotine addiction as it really is, not as some fantasy illusion, you won't have any problem walking away from it and quitting.

[hwc]

"There is one benefit to smoking - you don't have to go through quitting. For some people quitting is easy (my wife and grandfather) and for others (me) it SUCKS. "

Yeah, but what is so bad about quitting? It's just withdrawal from an addictive drug. It's a one-time shot and then it's over. Maybe a week, maybe a month.

Here's the kicker: The people who live their lives in a constant cycle of withdrawal and craving are not the quitters, but the smokers. They wake up every morning in full drug withdrawal. They crave nicotine like clockwork every hour on the hour. Crave it so bad they will put down their babies to go get a drug fix. It's hard to image a life more miserable than that if you really think about it.

BTW, I do know of one "benefit" of smoking. But, nobody's ever taken me up on my challenge and named it, so I'm going to keep it to myself.

[Ben3]

Quitting smoking is a choice. Once that choice is made nothing will stop you from achieving your goal. So make the choice and go for broke. You can do this.

[JonesCarpeDiem]

TWITA

[erin6]

ok...just so everyone knows... this blog was not intended to be negative. i was simply expressing how i feel. my point is that i'm nervous about changing a huge part of my daily routine... not at all do i think of that as a bad thing... just a lil scary. i want to be back in control. i don't want to be a nicotine addict anymore. i am so tired of throwing money away on somethin that is doin nothing but taking away days that i know i want to spend with my family. i'm going to do this. just sayin how scared i am. but thanks for all the support guys... its amazing!!!

[Giulia]

Hey, one thing to keep very much in mind here: take what works, appreciate and discard what doesn't. OK? Because we all have our own points of view, our own methods, and our own way of presenting our love.

[Legend]

Erin I like what you just said that you’re going to do this. When you have made your mind up that you can do this then you will. Stay positive and never doubt yourself that you can do this. You are having normal feelings and you will be back in control soon.