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Share your quitting journey

False Friend

Nanarene46RrGgr
Member
2 6 158
2 weeks ago

Dear false friend

Its me Rosalind I know you know who I am. I've supported you for so long even before I was even able to work a job so I found  myself stealing for you and sneaking to have you around.  You have calmed me at times but I never needed you as you made me feel I did.  I've left you so many times and how you left the impression that I need you baffles me that I keep letting you back in.  I remember the time I found out that you were impacting the quality of my life and trying to kill me.  I came to the conclusion we should no longer be friends you still didn't care you continued to try and Kill me. So as I have thought this threw with prayer I'm leaving you for good and as our relationship comes to its end I can no longer call you my friend! Rosalind Grant 

6 Comments
Barbara145
Member
2 weeks ago

Congratulations on your decision quit smoking.  Stay with it, it gets really good. So glad you found this site.  I tried to quit many times over the years.  I could never do it until I found this site.  Not one puff ever in over 10 years. Have a good day.

YoungAtHeart
Member
2 weeks ago

Welcome!

You nailed it!  If you had known that Big Tobacco added cough suppressants to them to disguise their true nature and keep you addicted, would you have still thought they were your friend?   Smoking was NEVER your friend! 

Understanding the addiction and having a PLAN going forward will reduce the anxiety of quitting.  Get busy learning and preparing, and I think you may actually start to look forward to this journey!  You will do this one day at a time, so don't be looking further ahead than that. 

An important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. I was amazed when I learned that the stress reduction you feel when you ingest nicotine is caused by the brain receptors calming that have gradually built in volume jonesing for their next fix!  I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking”  that brings light two other things you might not know.  You can purchase a digital version online or borrow it at your local library.  Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: Nicotine and Your Brain.

I quit many years ago , and I base my overall recommendations on my experience and that of others here over the years. If you decide to use a quit aid, I recommend those that don't let the addict control the dose such as Rx drugs and the patch. Lozenges and gum are fine, but don't sub them for every cigarette you used to smoke.  That will simply be substituting one addiction for another.  Have a plan to reduce use over time. Each cigarette you smoked contained about 1 mg of nicotine. If you use more than one form of NRT, be sure you aren't getting more than when you smoked.

 

To better deal with the habit part of the addiction, 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 walking shoes on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! .  Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.

After you have eliminated as many associations as you can, you need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), 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. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. You might visit Games: The active ones are at the top of the list going down the left side of the page.

Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:

101 Things to Do Instead of Smoke - EX Community

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.

You might want to join other site members by taking the daily pledge when you quit. It helps to hold yourself accountable and also accountable to others here. Find it at Home (top left), then first box titled Take the Daily Pledge.

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

McMoney
Member
2 weeks ago

Addiction is so sneaky. Putting time between you and nicotine is the only way to see through all the lies. It takes time. You are the only one who can do this for you. Leave that stinking, life stealing crutch behind you. 

Anyone can do it but it might be hard at first. It doesn't have to be but you have to decide for YOU that enough is enough. And then stick with it. No more smoking. No excuses. Find your reasons, commit to change, plan to distract and delay. Plan to perservere. You are worth the effort; your future is worth whatever it takes right now to get free of this addiction. Reach out when you need help. Do whatever it takes to rewire your brain, starve the addiction, replace the old routines. CELEBRATE your success. I will be rooting for you.     You can do this! 

ReallyReal
Member
2 weeks ago

@Nanarene46RrGgr Good for you for realizing tobacco is not doing you any good--all the lies the addict in us tells us about how smoking helps us are just that, lies.  And we hear those lies around us too, from Big Tobacco, other smokers, etc.--but we see first hand that they are lies and we know smoking is killing us.  Congratulations on realizing the truth about tobacco and on making the decision to walk away from it.  It can be difficult at times, but it is absolutely doable--you CAN quit and put that nicodemon behind you.  Wishing you all the best in your quit.  Post here often, to get support, to vent, to ask questions and to celebrate milestones.  Cheers.

CommunityAdmin
Community Manager
Community Manager
2 weeks ago

@Nanarene46RrGgr This is a great goodbye letter, welcome to the EX and congratulations on getting ready to start your quit journey! This is a supportive community so please keep coming back and sharing your progress. And here are a few site resources that might help:

https://www.becomeanex.org/ex-resources/about-quitting/get-ready-to-quit/right-before-you-quit/

https://www.becomeanex.org/ex-resources/about-quitting/get-ready-to-quit/3-ways-to-get-your-support-...

You got this!

- Danielle, EX Team

 

0 Kudos
Barbscloud
Member
a week ago

@Nanarene46RrGgr Welcome to the Ex  and congrats on your upcoming.  A great good-bye letter to begin your journey to become and ex.

Understanding that nicotine is an addiction plays a big role in our quits.  It actually does make us feel better temporarily and we need more to sustain that effect.   I'm glad you've come to the realization that it's time to break that connection.  It takes work, but you can do it with education and preparation.   This link has to great information to get you started on the right track.  https://www.becomeanex.org/guides/?cid=footer_community_linktobex

Reinforce your quit by joining many of us on the Daily Pledge to stay on track one day at a time.  We're here for you, so reach out anytime we can lend a helping hand.

Look forward to celebrating with you on 8th and many milestone to come.

Stay busy and stay close.

Barb