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Share your quitting journey

Irony

ceanncait
Member
0 10 32

I've noticed that I'm actually smoking more today. I wonder if it's anxious "stocking-up" before the big day on the 28th. It's kind of ironic. But...if this goes like last time I took the bupropion, I should notice waning desire to smoke beginning sometime next week. So I'm not worried about it. I've been wandering around the site and been so impressed with everyone's bright, positive outlook. I've joined other quit smoking sites in the past and left because I just got so tired of everyone constantly talking about their "quits" and nothing else. Here, people seem to talk more about their lives and what they're doing and their hobbies and stuff. That's great because going forward, I hope to get to the point where I'm not obsessing about smoking or thinking much about it at all. I've been there before, but at the moment I can't remember what it feels like.

It's hard to explain how I feel...I just don't want smoking to rule my life anymore. And I feel like after I quit, if quitting is all I talk about or think about, then smoking will **still** rule my life. Does that make sense to anyone? I just want to quit, deal with the cravings as they come, and forget about it the rest of the time. If I can. Unless it's to celebrate how freaking AWESOME I feel, milestones, etc. Meh...I'm still not expressing the thought properly.

10 Comments
Sootie
Member

I know exactly how you feel....I felt the same. I am free from that now and you will be too. I was just TIRED of smoking...tired of the smell, the need to always have enough cigarettes, lighters,  the need to find places where I could smoke.....etc.etc.

Not only will you not think about smoking but when you see somone smoking you will not be able to believe you once "did that"-----so welcome to EX! We are all here for each other.

rizza
Member

YOu said it well. I get it  I had those thoughts too. 

You don't have to talk/blog/share anything about smoking. You already know everything there is to know about smoking. 

So much so, that you say it rules your life. 

So talk/blog/share about NOT SMOKING.

So much so, that YOU MAKE NOT SMOKING THE RULE IN YOUR LIFE!

Chris265
Member

Something you should be doing now (if you are not already) is understanding your triggers and “delaying” your cigarettes.  Make yourself wait five minutes, and then 10 minutes etc before you light up.  If you normally light up in the morning with coffee – drink half the cup before you light up.  If you smoke in the car – stop and wait until you get to your destination.  (I was reading SkyGirl’s old blogs and she wrote about going to the grocery store and leaving her cigarettes and lighter on the kitchen table so she couldn’t have that after shopping smoke)  What this whole exercise does is give you some practice getting through craves.  When you actually quit and get a crave you will know you can get through it, because you have done it already!  I stopped smoking in my car two weeks before I quit, and that turned out to be a huge trigger I did not have to deal with.

Another thing is your “Quit Kit”.  For me it was DumDum lollipops, carrot sticks, celery and lots of brisk walks.

Enjoy the journey.

YoungAtHeart
Member

I REALLY hope you are doing the reading and exercises recommended.  You may think, "how can they help?"  Believe me, Allen Carr's book will show you, probably how little you know about nicotine!

I am so glad you are here!  Be sure to blog whenever you need advice or support.

Nancy

Quit 7/4/12

ceanncait
Member

I've actually started doing that already, with certain smokes. I'm still having trouble with first thing in the morning and after meals. Starting tomorrow (only because I'm in for the night and won't be driving anymore today...) I'm going to leave my cigarettes in a basket on the kitchen counter along with some special aromatherapy lotion a friend made me. No more cigs in the car or anywhere, for that matter, except at home. Then after the 28th, none at all!! WHEEEE!

Hmm...quit kit...my lotion, jolly ranchers, games on my iPhone, my quit smoking app, dog walkies, Just Dance wii game. I'm sure I'll think of other things...OH! crocheting...

motherlovebone

I totally hear what you're saying.  I'm just sick of it, too.  So many of my waking hours devoted to either smoking, kicking craves to the curb, and just working to keep them away from my face.  Gah.  I'm finishing up Day 5 today, so we'll hit the same stages at the same time.  : )  xo Kristin

Thomas3.20.2010
Be sure to do the reading! It makes all the difference! We have to retrain our brains!
wishingstar
Member

Sound like you doing the prep. deep breaths . postive self talk, and trigger buster , do help alot. Educating self is so important and stay close to this site . it really does help and its a God send.  You can learn alot from others.

Renee 25 days

joyeuxencore
Member

I am on this site almost all the time talking about quitting smoking but my battle with it ruling my life evaporated after 2 weeks...granted until then I was a wreck furiously breaking into jumping jacks to get so winded i simply could NOT smoke...gasping for air was my trigger buster....i also ran up and down staircases...I am not 20 so these physical activities were pared down for sure but I just needed to remember how I would rather breathe than smoke...

We had an amazing mentor here who was a 1st response poster and reading her post on my 1st blogs and subsequently so many more gave me much comfort. I am re-posting her words here:

Hi and welcome to Ex! use these coping techniques and don't give in no matter what! The only way to feel better is to stave the addiction. (Also, always post here.)

Stay close to this site and remember NOPE=Not One Puff Ever...and as long as you stick to this ONE SIMPLE rule, you will win....it the meantime, drink plenty of fresh cold water to rid your body of the toxins,6 smaller, nutritious meals throughout the day to keep your blood-sugar levels steady...and it will keep your blood sugar level and the low blood sugar induced fogginess and craves away.

....take big arm STRETCHES as often as needed to relax tense muscles and most importantly, take big DEEP BREATHS TO RELAX AND RELIEVE anger... take a nap, take walks, stay busy with something you LIKE and brush your teeth immediately after each meal...stick your head in the freezer and DEEP BREATHE....If you bite into a lemon, the smoking thought will be gone instantly...try it, it works, also suck on sugarfree hard candy or lollipops and one of my friends here says be sure to use the Halls mentholyptus cough drops......Be prepared in advance for it,not surprised by it...Smoking thoughts only have power when you have fear. Face it head on and do not try to run or hide. You have the strength and power to tell it NO...You have the CHOICE to tell it NO. Each time you get a smoking urge, immediately DISTRACT yourself and kick the thought out of your head.

ceanncait
Member

Man...I am just so tickled by how awesome and supportive you all are!! With everyone having my back...I GOT THIS!!! August 28...I can do it!!