CAN I GET SOME ADVICE PLEASE?

[ms.kmartinez79]

HI everyone! I am in the beginning stages of this journey! I have set a quit date and am reading everything I can on here to help me. But I would like some advice from those of you who have quit and those like me who are in the beginning stages. Mainly I would like to know WHAT KIND OF THINGS DO YOU DO TO BREAK THE HABIT OF SMOKING after meals for example. I smoke first thing in the morning after meals watching tv watering the grass when I'm bored when I see some one on tv light one up while driving walking laying in bed and the last thing before I go to bed. (Deep breath) I smoke a pack a day! Yesterday I was proud of myself for only smoking 12... but then again I slept half the day!! WHAT STOP SMOKING AIDS WORKED BEST FOR YOU? Did you have any side effects? I'm trying gum and patches. WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN YOU CROSS A "TRIGGER"? I have no clue on that. I'm still working on my log... Thanks in advance for all your advice and input.

[jojo_2-24-11]

Hi ms.k. Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking. Laugh alot, take lots of deep breaths, drink tons of water, chew sugar free gum, candy, plastic straws are good to chew on. Come here often and blog, comment on other blogs and get to know the people and site. Do the homework, read as much as you can about quitting smoking and apply it to daily life. And the most important thing is to NOT SMOKE! Keep a good positive attitude about your quit and nurture it, take care of it, you will feel the benefits of quitting. 

[Thomas3.20.2010]

Ditto! Also, right after meals brush your teeth! You'll enjoy your fresh breath! Take a walk and BREATHE slowly! Practice Mindfulness and EXercise! Do you get that neither JoJo nor I are talking NRTs? They can help some people IF and only IF you get your head right, too! Cold turkey? It works IF and only IF you get your head straight! Chantix? It works IF and only IF .....

[candylance]

Cold turkey for mme and the right MINDSET!! Read, read about nicotine addiction. We are addicts. Do what works for you!! Blog, Blog, Blog!! We will be here to help. You have gotten advice from two long time quitters. I'm approaching 6 months and it's been a journey of self discovery. You will learn so much about YOU!! It's a wonderful trip!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!

Candy       d171

[ladybug21]

i am at day 49, things that really sealed the deal for me and helped get through cravings with my quit 

Read Allen Carrs book "Easyway" to quit smoking.

get rid of ALL smoking things...lighters, ashtrays, cigs, any hidden cigs, etc....

talk to yourself and keep telling yourself  "I don't do that anymore" and go do something else. there are a million distractions.

my favorite distraction for right now is a coloring book and crayons. after I color a picture I put the quit day number on it.  kind of like I conquered this day !

promise yourself you will not smoke. do it for YOU and no one else. it is your quit, your body, your lungs, your life. so do it for YOU first and for the others second.

and be happy you are going to do it and not smoke.  all in the mind.

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

The most important thing you can do  is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your mind and body. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. Here is a link to a free PDF version of it:

http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

As well, read the sections on this site, and read the blogs, responses and pages of folks you think might be helpful. You might also want to visit quitsmokingonline.com, and whyquit.com.

After you have completed the readings, it will be time to make your quit plan, including what quit aid , if any, you will use, and the crave busters you think will work for you. Then you can approach your quit day with a plan in place.

To answer your question, you will need to change things up to make new, non-smoking associations.  You might finish a meal, get up from the table and take a short walk.  You might eat your meal in a different place for awhile (or change up the room where you eat so you have a different view from where you sit!).  Get the idea?  I also ate a frozen Hershey Kiss with my coffee the first couple of weeks!

I used Chantix and had none of the side effects reported by others.  I only took it for three weeks, though.  I think it helped. 

 The idea is to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take slow, deep breaths, go for a walk, play a computer game, do a crossword, bite into a lemon (yup, rind and all).   Here is a link to a list of 100 things to do instead of smoke if you need 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 CANNOT be:  "I want a cigarette.  No!  But - I WANT a cigarette.  NO!"  Instead, it needs to be "I want a cigarette.  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!

Stay close to us here and ask questions as you have them and for support when you need it. We will be with you every step of the way!

Nancy

[ladyhawk3]

Been there done that.  Thanks for friending me as we both start on this journey.  I won't lie to you, we are addicts and we will have withdrawl, BUT there are a lot of supports to help lessen the effects and it is SO worth it.

I used to light up first thing in the morning while the coffe was brewing then during the day  have a lot of the same triggers you do. You have got to learn what your strongest triggers are so you can deal with them without using a smoke.

First I got medication from my doctor (Zyban) and my son uses Nicorettes.  I have used this med 12 years ago and was successful and it really helps manage the withdrawls.   Next I have tried to delay smoking when I recognize a trigger. My morning cigarette was delayed by first waiting until the coffee was ready, then waiting until I had my coffee and ate breakfast, next was coffee, breakfast, shower and get dressed. 

Another example is driving.  It really scared me because I didn't want to flip out while driving.  So I started with short trips, don't smoke until you get there, then increase the time.  Yesterday, I drove 75 minutes to the doc and had my first cigarette of the day at 8:10 am in the parking lot, after getitng up at 3am.  Doing this gives me confidence that I can do daily activities without a smoke.

I really want to quit for good,  I know how hard it is, but WE CAN DO THIS!

[ms.kmartinez79]

I am literally moved to tears from all the advice and support! Thank you all so very much!!! I am definitely going to try many of these techniques and tricks in my journey.

[Stac2]

I actually switched routines around for awhile.  Example, instead of morning coffee, I switched to tea.  Other mornings, I cut the coffee in half.  I drank it indoors instead of outdoors.  For the after dinner crave I bought Werther's sugar free candy.  I drank a TON of ice cold water.  I distracted with new tv shows and new movies.  I'll send you a link to a list of other things to do too.  My next post will be long and some of it you may have already, other items you may not have already.  But it worked for me, so I want to share it with you.  Take what you need, leave the rest.

Glad you are here.  You CAN and WILL do this!

[Stac2]

Strongly suggest the following readings:

John Ryan’s www.quitsmokingonline.com.  You can read on your computer free, or for a $20 contribution they will download it to you via Adobe. Then you can print it. You'll also get a daily support email for three weeks.

Allen Carr’s “Easy Way to Quit Smoking.”  Here is a link to a free copy:

http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

Plan for what to do instead of smoke – check out this list:

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/aztec-blog/2012/10/16/things-to-do-instead-of-smoke

Write a list of your reasons for quitting and post it on your page, and keep with you at all times.  Write a farewell letter to sickorettes telling them why you no longer want them in your life.  Both are great to refer back to as you continue your journey.

Stay on this site as much as possible and listen to these folks on here. They have your back. And if you need to, do the readings (Carr & Quitsmokingonline) again. Yes, again. I say this from EXperience! The more we read the readings and delve into the wisdom on this site, the less room nicodemon has. Reinforcement is good - retrain the brain.

The readings are essential. Getting the proper mindset is THE key. Go look at that list of things to do. I’ll say it again- stay close to this site.  

When you need or want to, blog: a) distracts nicodemon; b) helps you help yourself; c) introduces you to new friends on this site; d) gives you a wealth of support from folks on this site; e) by the time passes from you writing and you reading the replies, any craving you may have had will likely have – passed!

When you find someone on this site whose comments resonate with you... go to their page and read some of their old blogs and the comments to those blogs.  There, you will likely find affirmation.  There are many golden nuggets on this site.

I PROMISE you it does get better. Please trust us when we tell you that. We mean it.

It is WIT (Whatever It Takes) time. Knaw on that gum. Suck a lemon. Jumping jacks (exercise releases that dopamine that brain likes!). A bath. A nap. A tall glass of water......

You CAN and WILL do this.

Not smoking deprives you of nothing.  Smoking deprives you of everything.

Cigarettes are not worth the trouble, and you are worth the effort.

"Nicotine doesn’t relieve it, it causes it." Allen Carr

The task ahead of you is never as great as the power behind you.

[Mike.n.Atlanta]

NRT's will work but YOU have to work them. They aren't magic bullets. The biggest & best NRT's are education, commitment & protecting your quit no matter what. It may even mean giving up another vice or friends for a short time until you get it together. Just be more than willing to do what it takes to remain smoke free. It is a choice.

Keep on keepin on Ms. Martinez,

M n @

[moody_9-18-13]

It amazes me how I started out on my first blog and how I feel now about nicotine addiction. I'm now on day 164 and feel I have been on a major self discovery journey.

Keep busy, know what you're going to do instead of smoking by going through the quit exercises on this site. This is not an overnight, oh I think I'll quit smoking thing, it is a journey, and it is so doable. I smoked 40 years a pack a day and I've made a vow to myself to not ever let another sickorette touch my lips. If I CAN, YOU CAN TOO!

If you want to quit, you have to do the homework and change how you think and feel about smoking. Here are my favorite links that helped me on my quit journey.

http://quitsmokingonline.com/
http://whyquit.com/whyquit/LinksAAddiction.html
http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf
http://whyquit.com/joel/Joel_03_21_blood_sugar.html

[virginiadonie]

congrats i am new today is my quit day 03/01/2014

looking forward to not smokeing anymore

   im virginia i go by jinny

[maria86]

Hello and welcome we are here to stay, unbelieveable or what:-)))) Looks like the community did it all. Just to let you knoe I used the patch and took it off at night because of the nightmares. I am no longer using it. I too lost interest in things and really in life itself. So as the saying goes, Stella get your groove back, you can do this but you really have to commit Follow the step suggested, watch the videos, read, blog and congratulations! If we can do it so can you! Absolutely wonderful people in this community!!!!!!xoxo

[joyeuxencore]

Hello and welcome!!!!

The day will come when you do not even think about smoking ... Oh my goodness it seems I used a cigarette to punctuate every move I made and every feeling I had good or bad…

I have had to find new, healthy ways to ‘punctuate’ my life…The grouchiness…boredom...which is actually just your body & brain chemistry adjusting to the lack of poison! So much of your craziness in quitting is just 'chemistry' so you must distract through the cravings to get to the other side!

I bought myself fresh flowers, lit a sweet smelling candle, took a bubble bath, rented a movie, watched a special tv show.

I kept coming up with fun things that made me feel good and remembered that life is made up of little moments and a cigarette break is NOT one of life’s beautiful moments…It NEVER was…My addict brain thought it was good because I needed to feed the addiction NOT MY SOUL…Now I feed my soul…

Hang in there no matter what because “You are worth SO much more than a cigarette!”

DO the reading...It works on the 'mindset'  needed in ways you do not understand right now! xo

[elvan]

You can do this, I did cold turkey but I know my daughter used the patch effectively, it really is all about making the commitment and ditching the excuses.  I had a bag full of them...biggest one was chronic pain, like smoking helped.  We ARE addicts and we need to lean on each other and realize there will be tough times, tough days, but most urges only last a couple of minutes and they really DO go away whether you have a cigarette or not.  I smoked for 47 years with some little breaks here and there, did not smoke when pregnant and I have three kids.  I used to be at a pack and a half a long time ago but for the last year or so, I was at half a pack and found that I was so embarrassed by how bad my breathing was that I did not want anyone to see me smoke.  I NEVER smoked in my house so that was not something I had to get over.  I did smoke after meals, in the car, when I was bored, yadayadayada, blah, blah, blah.  Life is pretty much a trigger.  This place is a lifesaver literally, I come here every day whether I post or not and today I am at six weeks.  I am going to do this one day at a time and sometimes one MINUTE at a time but I will not smoke.

[shar3341]

Hi there! I am new here too. My quit date is on 3/14/2014. We CAN do this!!! I also have lost interest in the things I liked in the past, but we can get them back or even gain new interests 🙂 Take care and please feel free to contact me anytime!