Stephanie's Re-do

[stephmart]

Hi Everyone

My name is Stephanie and today is my first smoke free day (again).  I had quit about 5 years ago and was doing fine until I started go out with friends again to bars.  The first time I had a smoke at the bar didn't bother me at all.  Next day I felt no cravings at all.  Then I was with a friend who smokes the same kind that I did and I thought it would be ok to have one (two) since it didn't bother me the first time.  WRONG!!!!  It was all I could think about after that.  So I went and bought a pack and then another...  I had been smoking again for about 5 months until today.  I don't even know why I kept doing it.  I felt/feel like crap everyday.  My allergies are way worse than when I wasn't smoking.  I can't do cardio because I can barely breath.  So, today I put my patch on and am beginning again.  Today, I am again, a non-smoker.  One day at a time until it doesn't bother me anymore.

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome back  to our community!

The Law of Addiction: Quitting's Only Rule. ... It is called the "Law of Addiction" and not self-discovering or being taught this law is a horrible reason to die. The Law of Addiction states, "Administration of a drug to an addict will cause re-establishment of chemical dependence upon the addictive substance."Jul 29, 2007 - whyquit.com

The most important thing you can do right now is to re-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

 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, quitsmokingonline.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

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. 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.  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

[elvan]

Please remember that no matter where you are...there is always someone here who has been exactly where you are and we completely understand.

Welcome to EX, stay close to the site, read, blog, comment, ask for help if you need it...know that we want you to be successful.  You cannot be overly educated about this addiction and you cannot get too much support.

Ellen

[maryfreecig]

Thanks for telling your quit story and what happened. Welcome back to your quit.  Yes you can!

[MarilynH]

Welcome back and yes you can and will be successful one precious smoke free day at a time or one minute or even one second and every day you get through is another Day WON!

[JACKIE1-25-15]

I am not sure if you have ever participated on this site.  You will find that quitting is easy.  Protecting the quit is what really take the work.  Please read the information that YoungAtHeart‌ has suggested.  Along with that go to 

www.whyquit.com and read Nicotine 101 and Freedom from Nicotine, My Journey Home.  Welcome to EX you have come to the right place to learn the skills to remain smoke free.  At EX it is a not one puff ever approach.  NOPE will keep you free. 

 Go to http://www.becomeanex.org/how-to-quit-smoking.php#thl and get started.  If you did it for 5 yrs you know it is doable. 

[KMC56]

Welcome back to a successful forever quit!

[Sootie]

So glad you decided to return to your quit. It is one of the best decisions you will ever make. Take it one day at a time as you have said and reach out if you need support. This is the BEST place for that!!!!

Stay Strong.

[freeneasy]

Don't feel bad feel good because you made the right decision to stop again. Thanks for telling your story. It helps people to understand how addictive smoking is. I did the same thing once before and lost a 4-year quit while drinking in a bar. I bummed a few cigarettes and that's all she wrote. Only, it took me 33 years to quit again. Just remember N.O.P.E.  Not one puff ever!

[c2q]

One day at a time. Or one hour, or 3 minutes. This moment that you are in. That is all the time you have to commit to not smoke. I am glad you choose to quit again. You know what it takes, and I know that you can do it. WAY TO GO.