Just new here. 18 days to quit and anxious about it

[highimamy]

Hi, I'm Amy and this is my first blog post.  I just want to introduce myself.  Currently, I really don't smoke much, but I know it's an addiction.  A silly little voice in my head tells me, 'you smoke additive free', so it's really not that bad.  To some extent it may be true, but there's part of me that calculates my next one or 1/2 one.  Most the time, I only smoke 1/2, and I only go through about 2 packs a week.  I feel that most my addiction is psychological.

Anyway, I fooled myself in to additive free tobacco several years ago and now I am considering herbal to assist me.

I want input to this.  Good idea?  Bad idea?  I am terrified of that 'need' that comes around when the brain is searching for niccotine. 

It's good to have an outlet of others who are on the same journey.    🙂

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

I recommend you do the reading and you will be better prepared to make a decision about quit aids.  You are not informed enough yet!  I, however, would not recommend "pretending" to smoke if you are trying to quit smoking.  The idea is to distract yourself through the craves.

I am glad you are here.  If you take advantage of all the assembled wisdom represented and take it to heart, you will be successful. 

The most 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. 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 visit whyquit.com and quitsmokingonline.com for the good information contained there. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises suggested on this site

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. But – any method that you think will work well for you will be best for you.

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand. 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.

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.  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.  Don't let that smoking thought rattle around your head alone.  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

[JonesCarpeDiem]

It's your call.

I believe going through the same motions the same number of times a day isn't a clean break and my not suit the idea of unlearning smoking which I see as 90% of the work.

The nicotine is out of your body in three days. You may go through some withdrawal. I don't know the extent at 2 packs a week to be honest.

The effort is just distracting yourself for a minute.until it passes.

Don't dwell on smoking or you will smoke.

Self talk such as "I don't do that anymore" is a great phrase to ground your quit if you say it out loud.

[summer-07-06-15]

I have to agree with youngatheart and jonescarp aka dale. You also should read www.quitsmokingonline.com. And should start thinking as of a commit to stop smoking and what to do until the urge to smoke pass. You will do this. Start thinking positive. I know, I know easier said than done.

   It is doable

[highimamy]

Thanks everyone.  I have been mindful of the ones I have had.  Only 3 today, which is better than 7.  Come weekdays, the real challenge begins.  I am going to start planning for Monday.  I have opened all the sites suggested and they will my bed time reading tonight, as well as the blog.  I like the ideas of exercising instead of lighting up.  I started smoking when I was about 18 and quit when I was 30, for 4 years.  Stress got the best of me. 

[JonesCarpeDiem]

please understand that stress is not alleviated by smoking. the stress appears when we need another smoke.

[Sootie]

What Dale (jonescarp) said about stress may seem confusing to you until you do the suggested readings. Then----you will see what we come to know.....cigarettes cause stress rather than relieve it. It's TRUE----I PROMISE. 

I thought I always "needed" a cigarette during times of stress.  But now, I can handle any problem SO MUCH BETTER without the stress that smoking was actually causing. I no longer have to light up with every problem.

Stay Strong

[ret]

All such good advice, please read the above remarks and re-read.  Remember when you crave a cigarette and give in to it, then in about 30 to 45 minutes you will crave another and so on.  The only answer is to get through the craves without a cig and be done with them for good.