Hard day

[sirrilda72]

It's been a hard day. It's been 3 days since I quit. I feel like things should be a little different. I haven't really notice any change. I'm still hanging in there. I'm trying different things. But still sometimes I want to just say it was easier when I was smoking. I dont give up without a fight. Hoping tomorrow will be better

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Congratulations on 3 days of FREEDOM.  There will be hards and some good days but it is not by power or might. It is the willingness to let it go is the key. Relinquish the fight and be willing to do whatever is necessary not to smoke No Matter what is happening.  Fight only makes it harder.  Let it go.  Say I don't do that anymore.  Read the suggested material.  Education is the key to a successful quit.  Come here often.  NOPE no matter what will keep you free. Yes, right now it would be easier to smoke than to not smoke.  It takes time.  How many years did you smoke?  It will not be over in 3 days.  In the meantime educate yourself about the addiction and what to do when the urges come. 

[TW517]

The first week or so can be pretty tough.  Be very proud of your 3 days though!  Most don't make it that far.  I hope you don't give up, but like Jackie says, try to think of it more as a commitment or a resolve rather than a fight.  You'll learn as you go along how much little attitude adjustments like that can help a lot.  Welcome to our EX community!

[elvan]

It takes time...three days is not enough time to get over the flu.  Give yourself a chance to grow and remember that you had bad days when you smoked too.  Everything wasn't magically wonderful when you lit a cigarette...it did not make sadness go away or anger or stress, it did not FIX anything...your addiction to nicotine is trying to hold onto you, don't let it.

Ellen

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

So glad you found the blogs - you will get better support here!  Congrats on your first three days.  You are DOING this!!  This is an addiction from which you are recovering, not just a bad habit like biting your nails.  It's a journey - and not a short one.  The beginning days are uncomfortable, but it gets easier as you get some time under your belt.

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 is an easy and entertaining read. You can search for it online or at your local library. If you do nothing else to get ready for your quit, please do give this a read.

 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 four reasons: 1) the vapor has been compared to the polluted air in Bejing on a bad day, 2) they just provide another nicotine delivery system while continuing the hand to mouth smoking motion,  3) the batteries can spontaneously catch on fire and 4) you can become addicted to that and it has not yet been proven safe .
 

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, try putting your tennies on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking 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 so the scenery is different.  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, 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 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

[Mandolinrain]

It will pass, I promise. It will take time. It will take you being patient with yourself and committed to 'going through'. Please read the suggested reading above, That book by Alan Carr was a lifesaver for me early on. Its a fast read and I highly recommend it! Glad you're here.

Welcome to our community

[Daniela2016]

Congratulations on 3 days, they are the most difficult, with every day, thinks will get easier, while is not a linear evolution.

You've been given advice, and thing to read, which I found extremely helpful at the beginning.

Here I am adding a link from Dale's page, he is one of our eldest elders

/blogs/jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007-blog/2011/06/26/what-to-expect-in-the-first-four-months 

Take it one day at the time, we all did the same, and we made it, you will too, please ask questions, learn to breathe through the craves and you will be fine!  Hugs for patience...

[Giulia]

Of course it was easier when you were smoking.  No self-discipline required. (grin)  I always thought that magically I'd suddenly reach a point after which I'd never have another craving.  But that's not reality.  Expectations  Every day is different on this journey.  The majority of the nicotine may be out of your body after 3 days (assuming you're not taking nicotine replacements), but all those emotional and psychological connections we've made throughout the years - the behavioral aspect -  takes much longer to get over around and through.  

Here's a question for you:  what exactly were you expecting to feel immediately after you quit?  And do you think those expectations were realistic given how long you smoked?

I felt no particular change at all.  And I smoked for about 35 years a pack and a half a day.  Except there was no trail of phlegm down my throat in the morning within two days after  quitting.  But I didn't seem to have more stamina, didn't seem to breathe any better.  Didn't notice I had more energy.  Didn't notice much difference at all.  Except that I was going crazy!  lol  But I knew in my heart of hearts that beneficial changes WERE taking place within my body.  The major difference I DID notice was several weeks (or was it months?) later.  My sense of smell became like that of a dawg.  It was an extraordinary difference.  And because of that I was able to smell the nastiness of cigarette smoke, on my clothing in the closet, on other people.  And I felt so awful for those who had been around me and had to put up with that awful stench.

Another question for you:  Does it matter, ultimately, that you don't notice a major change due to quitting?  You either believe all the statistics and realities of what smoking does to our human bodies, or you don't.  You're came here to quit because you do believe smoking is damaging to your health, right?  Trust that quitting is doing GOOD things for you.  You're body is ever so grateful.  Even if you can't immediately feel all those benefits.  We can't feel cells healing.  We have to trust they are.  Keep the faith!

[Bree19]

Hang in there.  Everyday is one more step away from smoking.  And everyday that one step makes you feel a little better.

It's a journey and an awakening.  It's going to get easier but no one can tell you how your journey will develop.  Be kind to yourself.  You are doing an amazing thing for yourself.

Blessings

Bree

[sweetplt]

Hello and Welcome to Ex’s,

You received some great advice above me...the only thing I can add is 3 days quit is super.  However, you are early in your quit and it takes time and work when quitting...use the tools above me and you should have a better understanding in this journey...Hang tough...you can do this...~ Colleen 148 DOF 

[elvan]

How are you doing?

[sirrilda72]

I'm doing alot better today. Thanks for asking.

[elvan]

So glad to hear it...remember, this is a journey and it is one day at a time, there is no way to predict what the next day will bring.  
We had good days and bad days when we smoked too...

Ellen

[Giulia]

Hang in!