Tired of being a smoker!

[katherynquit2018]

 oohhh how i yearn to be a non smoking  citizen!

 am so tired of being a smoker !!...  it's the hardest thing to quit  but it can be done .. this I know !

  I've managed to quit  for like four days but stress from life has made me stray ...   I started when i was 16 today i am 34 my twin girls beg me to stop and i say " No more I promise No more " i smoke more when i drink than the next day my throats pain leaves me regretting my weak ways . I just want to be healthy  live longer days to enjoy my family  everyday , am scared .... so scared of getting throat cancer or anything  that would affect my health .. I just wish i had more support , i wish  for a way out , I would ran so fast through that no smoking zone  but everywhere i turn the help is zippo, nada , nothing ... am left all alone ... has anyone felt the same way am sure they have but I am really serious when i say i want a way out !

 today i am buying nicotine gum , patches and everything else ..  am ready to break free from this life sucking energy drenching  cancerous routine ... "I want to live , i want to live "!!! I am done with killing me ... Ive been slowly killing my self ... how sad .. how stupid of me!!... Now i have to reverse all the damage of done to my  body .. I'ts so sad how did i ever think that smoking defined me !  life sucking  cancer sticks STAY AWAY FROM MEE!

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

It would be WONDERFUL if you can quit at such a young age.  You really CAN undo a lot of the damage done by doing so.

Now that you have joined this site, you will be supported and will NEVER be alone.  We are a community of people who have been there, done that or are on the journey to do so.  We KNOW what it's like and can help you along the way. 

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.  You can find it online or at your local library.

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. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises suggested in My Quit Plan http://www.becomeanex.org/my-quit-plan.php

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. If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort.  I have seen folks become addicted to them if they substitute them for every cigarette they used to smoke - just trading one addiction for another.  I do not recommend the e-cigarette for three reasons: 1) the vapor has been compared to the polluted air in Bejing on a bad day, 2) they just provide another nicotine delivery system while continuing the hand to mouth smoking motion, and 3) the batteries can spontaneously catch on fire. . 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. 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

[Chuck-2-20-2011]

Welcome and congratulations on your decision to quit! It all starts with that first thought, no matter how scary that thought might be right now. And as for being scared, we were  ALL scared when we first started. For support, you've come to the right place and it sounds like you have twin reasons to help you to stick to your plan.

 Study all you can and then create a quit plan that'll work for you. Believe me. It's time well spent. Don't ever be afraid to ask questions or to vent when you need to. That's what we're here for 

 The links listed above on Nancy's blog would be a good start. You'll never regret making the decision you just made. I look forward to hearing of your success!!

ONWARD TO FREEDOM!!!

Chuck

[JonesCarpeDiem]

/blogs/jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007-blog/2011/06/26/what-to-expect-in-the-first-four-months 

All that stuff you're buying won't quit for you.

Acceptance

Willingness

NOT WILLPOWER

Whenever you get the urge to smoke, say "I don't do that anymore."  Say it every time and see how fast it changes your thinking.

[katherynquit2018]

Thank youuuu! i will follow the dirrections

On Sat, Mar 17, 2018 at 4:49 PM, Youngatheart.7.4.12 <

[Mandolinrain]

Glad your here. PLEASE prepare yourself before you quit. You truly need to read up on exactly how the nicotine is working wth your brain chemistry. Once you do, you will have easier transition to quit. Read Allen Carrs book, the easy way to stop smoking, That book and this site, these folks saved my life. Knowledge truly is everything when it comes to being free forever of the smokes.....and having a plan of action BEFORE you quit, to deal with all the craves and emotions your about to experience. The only way to get the breakthrough to go go through. You can do it,we can help but you have to do the work.

I wish you well and hope to see more of you.

[elvan]

Welcome to EX, please DO listen to the advice you have been given...this is a journey and not an event and you CAN do this, my favorite expression from this site is from OldBones-Larry‌, "One step and then another will get you to where you want to be."  One step at a time and baby steps count, just keep going forward.  There are no shortcuts to freedom and the only way out is through.  Education, commitment, support...you CAN do this!

Ellen

[Summer-Rain]

Katheryn, welcome to the community.  We are glad you are here !

I just want to add my two cents to some of your statement in an effort to support you through your journey:

"It's the hardest thing to quit but it can be done"   Yes it is however being committed to never smoking again is the key.

"The stress of life.."  As long as we live we are going to have stress.  We can't use that as a crutch to smoke again.

"I smoke more when I drink"  If you want to be successful in being a non-smoker don't drink during the first 90 days of your quit.  Drinking is the number one killer of a quit.

"I wish I had more support"  You will find tons of support on this site.  Camp out on this site and blog, read and blog some more.  Just don't smoke.  It's not worth it.

" I wish I had a way out"  The only way out is through.  You can do this.

The journey continues

[Kimshine]

Welcome Katheryn,

Great advice from all above. This is a great community for support! Do the reading and education on nicotine addiction. All of us addicts "wish for a way out" but we have got to do the work of getting out. I wish the house would clean itself but darn it, I have to do it.

We will be here to help you get through this! You and your twins will have many happy returns for your strength and diligence!

Looking forward to seeing you succeed!!

Kim

[Giulia]

Welcome.  You're not stupid, just uneducated when it comes to this addiction.  Education will set you free.  Read as much as you can.  We all smoked more when we drank.  That's why we suggest you don't drink in the early stages of your quit.  Not until you have some quit experience under your belt.  You'll be able to go back to it.  

The way out is THROUGH.  You have to go through this rite of passage to reach your goal.  This is journey, not an event.  And the journey takes time.  Quit aids help, but they don't cure.  Time and education cure.  Glad you've joined us.  You will get lots of help here.  We will walk the walk with you.  Chin up and have heart.  You'll be amazed at how much you'll learn about yourself in the process.  Keep aiming for the best of you.  And listen loudest to that voice.