New Here...where do I start?

[jillsanimalfarm]

Not sure where to start, I have a million triggers, and they aren't going to go away. 

Do I pick one and just try to not smoke during that trigger?  As for the support, that will never happen, this is definitely on my own.  I don't think I can pick a date, sounds too scary.  As much as I hate them, they are my friend.

Congratulations to all who are doing this.

[angelynna]

It can be overwhelming, especially if it's your first quit attempt.

My suggestion would be to hold off on taking any action for a few days, spend as much time as you can here reading the blogs and some other sites like whyquit.com, and once you have some more information you can start making decisions about your quit date and all of that.   The biggest thing that has to change is your attitude, and you will see lots of people making that change here.

It CAN be done, there are lots of people here who have quit for a long time and are really happy.

[ladynicole]

do as angelynna suggests. Take it slow, learn, and then decide when to do things.  Everyone quits at their own pace. when you are ready.

I will be at the start of day five of being smoke free. I was ready and not to mention my body was telling me i needed to quit.

Good luck with everything, and the support is everywhere around you.. all you need to do is ask.

[Breakinchains]

Triggers must be faced and defeated. It can seem like a daunting task. There is no need to go looking for triggers, they will find you. When you feel a strong craving, realize that you are experiencing a trigger, and get through it without lighting up. ONCE YOU FACE AND DEFEAT THESE TRIGGERS, I ASSURE YOU THEY WILL GO AWAY. It takes time. Don't jump in with both feet until you are ready. It may  seem scary now, but in time you can do this.

[comfortablynumb]

Hi Jill. the thing that helped me get my 45days smoke free, was knowledge and education about this addiction. I have put a few websites here that have helped me. Have a look when you get a chance.

http://www.quitsmokingonline.com/quitsmokingnatural/courseindex.htm

http://http://www.quittersguide.com/stop-smoking.shtml

Peace, Lisa

[anacondahead]

"As much as I hate them, they are my friend."

Congrats on your excellent decison to quit. And no, they are NOT your friend. Friends don't want to kill you. Be careful no to romanticize cigarettes. Go out to quitsmokngonline.com. There is good information out there. Smoking is a habit you learned and you can un-learn. We know it's scary. We were scared, too but the fear of qutting is MUCH worse than actually quitting. Yes, the triggers do go away after time. And as for support, that is why we come here. Often friends and family don't understand the process and don't know how to best respond to it. 

Best wishes to you - let us know how you are doing.   😃

[jillsanimalfarm]

Thank you all for responding.  I know I should take it slow, but I tend to just jump into things once I make my mind up.

I've learned to avoid some triggers, such as smoking in the car.  The hardest was when I flew across the u.s.  The craving would come and go.  But what really angered me, is right when I felt so proud for going 10 hours I got harrassed for wanting just one.  The harassment made me so angry I wanted to smoke more.  Guess that's how it works.

So, more than the triggers, I guess writing here made me realize something.  It's not the triggers that are so bad, it's the "ones" around me.  When I try to deal with triggers, like going in my room and reading, cleaning out a drawer I'm called antisocial, if I don't fix dinner I'm called lazy, if I don't hop for them, I'm a "something", whatever name they choose to call me.

So, I have to learn to work around that, since I can't change it.  Triggers are odd things, but ingrained.  I like to do odd things to get rid of the trigger.  For example, on the phone, the natural reaction is to grab a cig and have a seat.  So, I change that, walk outside, do a load of laundry...anotherwards, don't sit down and do the typical.  I am slowly trying to break the typical.

thank you all for the tips on websites to check out.

[Yaya2.6.10]

Hooray for your decision to Quit and welcome to the site.  Read and get educated.  I had to put my Quit above everything and everybody in the beginning.  I asked for help and got it in some places and not in others.  "They" can't be in charge of your Quit, you have to be in charge.  Some of us have been programmed to take care of others and don't know how to take care of ourselves.  I think that sets us up with lots of excuses to not deal with our own stuff. 

[jillsanimalfarm]

OMG!  I know that, but since I was put into the role of mom since preteens it's hard to put it in that perspective.  Knowing it and doing it are two different ball games.  I'm not sure what kind of help I want or need.  I sound like a moron, I'm sure.  But to one who is unaccustomed to asking for help, I'm not even sure how to broach that. 

I don't know that it's an excuse to not take care of myself, though it may be at times.  Like my room is the last to be picked up, but if I took the time to do that, then all my other jobs would not only not be done, things would be worse and create more work for me.  I already know I can't do everything in one day, impossible.  I do make lists and adjust my priorities each day. 

So, I guess that would be my next question.  How can others help me, what do I even say?  I've tried going over a few scenarios in my mind and they sound so stupid.  Plus, if I say I'm trying to quit and I fail, I'll hear later what a failure I am.  Is that a bad thing?  Will I feel horrible?  Or should I just get over it and try to say, "yeah, each failure is a step closer to a permanent quit."