Newbie:Bio/Help

[Ballgame89]

      My name is Ted. I'm 29, a computer engineering student (1st semester at U of I and am insanely stressed out a lot of the time), and have been using varying types/amounts of nicotine for the past 11 years or so. Smoked camels from about 18 y/o to 26 at about a pack a day or so at my worst. At one point, I got sick to the point of not wanting to/being able to smoke, so I switched to chew-pouches to still get my nicotine. I randomly would buy cans after that to take a break from smoking sometimes. 

     I have tried quitting around 4-5 times, and I switched to vaping about 2+ years ago to try and help stop smoking/lower my nicotine intake at least (slowly dropped from ~18mg in juice to what is now 6mg and has been that way for a year or so now). It really felt like it was helping for a while, and I noticed a huge difference in how healthy I felt after a few months. Once I dropped to 6mg, I noticed I was literally vaping every chance I could without being a bother to others (ie. not inside public areas). The past 6 months or so, my smoker's cough randomly will seem to come back for short bursts too.

      I now have gotten sick twice since being at U of I this semester to the point of being unable to vape. Since I was sick, my addicted-self bought some pouches to hold me over per usual. I literally put one in between every class today, and wouldn't even spit half the time due to being self-conscious (yes, I shamefully swallowed that horribleness). I can only imagine how unhealthy that is considering I threw up the second I got home today...but what really, really hit me was just how utterly disgusted I was in myself and how much I hate feeling like something is controlling me to the point of being that ashamed/disgusted with myself on top of just physically feeling awful. 

      Well, now I somehow ended up on here and want more than anything to be done with nicotine once and for all.... I'm scared though....I already have a lot of excuses floating through my head such as how I'm too busy and stressed to put in the effort to quit at the moment. I am a very smart person academically, but my (apparently rather serious) addiction makes me feel like a dumb piece of you know what. I haven't filled out all the stuff on here yet, because I felt like telling my story might be more helpful to others and myself at first (not sure I have the time to keep up with logs and all that at the moment).  Anyways...I really hope I can do this finally. 

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

Do yourself a HUGE, big, ginormous favor and at least do a bit of the reading and the work to better prepare you to quit. Folks have been successful without doing it, but those who do I am sure have a higher rate of success.  At the very least, read the book by Allen Carr (it's short and easy reading!)  and think about each time you either vape or use chew.  Is it a physical need, or is it more of a  psychological one? Plan ahead of time what you can do INSTEAD when you quit.  Knowing you don't have a lot of time, I understand you won't be doing most of what I suggest, but I am giving it to you so you might get it done as you go forward.  You should sub "vape" or "chew" for my cigarette mentions .

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. Here's a link to a video here on the site which describes nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.
 
 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. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises recommended here on the site.
 
 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. 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

[Ballgame89]

Thank you for reaching out so fast...I actually did read most of the introductory stuff on here after posting that. Also, spring break is coming up in a few weeks, so I think reading that is definitely my goal over break. I also am heavily considering maybe trying a non-nicotine medication now that I have health insurance again (but I have heard some horror stories about chantix at least in the past)...maybe even combined with some NRT if I have a really bad craving like before/after an exam for example? I think the end of spring break is going to be my realistic goal for a quit date now that I am thinking about it.... Thanks again!

-Ted

[shashort]

Welcome glad you found us this is a great group for support.  Well sounds like you are doing your homework and reading.  I believe education and knowledge about this addiction will teach you how to get this freedom.  I did try Chantix, it did help me through the 1st 3 weeks and then stopped taking them due to side effects, nausea, vomiting, and insomia.  I stuck with it as long as I could for those weeks to help get me through the rough few weeks.  I have to ask what college you said U of I is that by chance U of Indy just curious as it is about 8 mins from my house.  Anyway, read, stay tough and stay close.  Holler Help if you need us. We are here to help get you through.

[beazel]

Quitting at your age IS very smart. Do not be disgusted with yourself, smoking is an addiction.

Education about the addiction got me my sticky quit (and I smoked almost 5 decades- with more attempts to quit than I care to admit). Read as often and as much as you can!!!!

Commit to the quit and dump the excuses. You can do this!

Post as often as you can - good or bad - it sure helps to have the support of so many people that really know what you are going through.

[sweetplt]

Hi and Welcome to Ex’s You are an addict like all of us trying to get that next fix.  You now realize it ... set that quit date and keep it here for help. After many failed attempts I finally quit cold turkey because I found out this is more than quitting.  This is about finding out who we are without smokes.  Knowing that smoking changes nothing.  And eventually smoking does kill ... at least your spirit because health issues do start.  I found that knowledge and preparation are truly the key and the longer you go, it gets so much work.  I think quitting at your age, well I just wish I was smart like you.  Take the plunge, nothing to lose... ~ Colleen

[elvan]

Welcome to EX, you are SO SMART to quit while you are still young.  You will hopefully miss all of the possible risks of smoking for years and years.  I agree with what has been said above, education about this addiction is vital to success, support from others who have been where you are is so incredibly important, and lastly, but perhaps most importantly, is your commitment to stay free.  I had many failed quits but that was before I had EX and all of these amazing people.  We all want you to succeed, we will do anything we can to help you.  I came here every morning and every evening when I first quit and I am usually here every day, even now, after more than five years.  This site and these people have gotten me through some of the worst times you can imagine.  They have kept me grounded and once I accepted the fact that smoking did nothing FOR me, only TO me, I was golden.  All that smoking ever did was to give me relief from withdrawal from nicotine and it was so short lived.  Now, I can get a hit of dopamine by exercising or dancing or singing...I advise you to stay close to the site and read everything that is recommended.  I suggest that you read a blog by JonesCarpeDiem‌ that I read over and over again when I first started.../blogs/jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007-blog/2011/06/26/what-to-expect-in-the-first-four-months   I used the mantra NOPE when I started...Not One Puff Ever.  It helped more than I can tell you.  We are here for you, take this one day at a time and when that is too long, you cut it down to an hour or a moment or an experience.

Ellen

[Barbscloud]

Welcome to the Ex.  Ditto that it's great you want to do this so young and understand the repercussion if you don't .  50 year smoker here!   Cold turkey or NRT-what works for you is all that matters.  Education and preparation are the key to success.  Pick a quit date and do everything you can to understand this addiction and prepare for your quit.  There's lots of good information on this site and all the support you need.  Look forward to hearing your plan for success.

Barb

[Giulia]

Welcome Ted.  You want this?  Then you have to work for it.  Excuses are a dime a dozen here.  https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex/blog/2013/08/12/understanding-excuses?sr=search...‌  We've all used them.  You know what?  The quickest way to not be disgusted with yourself is to go through one smoke-free day.  Hard?  Yeah, it's hard.  Oh but when you awaken the next morning you will feel such a sense of pride.  And that's just the beginning of all the positive changes that will occur.  God how so many of us wish we had quit at your age.  Before all the effects of smoking had taken their toll.  Stress, I'll grant you, is one of the major relapse traps.  So?  Part of your homework is to find stress relief techniques.  Meditation, exercise, taking walks, re-focussing.  You can do this.  Look at how many of us have:  /blogs/Giulia-blog/2017/06/18/elders-list-ao-december-7-2016?sr=search&searchId=657a73cd-69a7-42ea-b...‌  We're here to stand beside you on this journey.  Stick around!

[maryfreecig]

     Welcome to Ex. Part of quitting, maybe the largest, is about building smobriety--and it happens only one day at a time. Hardly any smoker planning to quit can find one final purifying moment when quitting makes all the sense in the world so that smoking loses its attraction, thereby making quitting painless. Nicotine addiction/dependency is powerful--so powerful that most of us can hardly see it as as smokers--but there is that gnawing feeling that we ought to do something about it. 

    There are all kinds of help for quitting (keep reading and think about the suggestions) and support is one of the top ways to keep the quit days coming, smobriety growing. 

     Keep working toward the quit you are wanting for yourself because, one day at a time, you can get there.

[Ballgame89]

Thank you....yeah I wish it was the only hw I had haha...good to know on the Chantix. Going to call student health center Monday and see what they say about everything. I am at University of Illinois actually. 

[YoungAtHeart]

I used Chantix for about three weeks.  I had none of the horrible side effects of it.  It DID help by taking away the physical cravings.  Changing up your routines and learning new ways to deal with stress will help you be successful.  Slow, deep breaths, going slower and deeper with each over a period of 3-5 minutes is a proven stress reliever that you can employ any time, anywhere.  Try it!