Tough Tuesday :(

[stephanie123]

I made it through the first 3 days, mostly due to my husband having those 3 days off from work. This morning he went back to work and I feel like I'm on day 1 again. I know it's my head, but that doesn't change the way it feels. I watched Joel videos for Day 4, but the mere mention of cigarettes has brought me close to lighting up. On Day 1 I was really moody and instead of yelling at everyone, I was crying for hours. After taking a shower, I felt better and was able to push through the rest of the day. I'm crossing my fingers that today's shower has the same effect. 

[Puff-TM-Draggin]

Hey Steph!  You hang tough, girl.  You've got this!  Not comfy, I know, but you've come this far and your still livin' and breathin'.  It's a mind game.  Fight back with a mind game of your own; any scenerio under which you simply wouldn't/couldn't smoke.  Make it real for you and then squirm, cry, scream ... whatever you have to do to NOT smoke, because you just don't do that anymore.  Not even an option.  Deep breaths.  Chug cold water.  Exercise!  Exercise is great.  Run around the house.  Jumping jacks.  How many push ups  can you do?  Try it!  Let me know how many.  Bet you can't do fifteen.

I'm waitin' ...

One, Two, Three, Four ... C'mon, Soldier, hit the floor!

You can do it!

[Puff-TM-Draggin]

If you light a cigarette, you irrevocably launch 295 nuclear missiles at Russia and China simultaneously, triggering a retaliatory launch that will end civilization as you know it forever.  Your family.  My family.  Every family in the world.  It is all on your shoulders, Stephanie.  DON'T DO IT!  PLEASE.  FOR THE SAKE OF ALL HUMANITY!!!

[JonesCarpeDiem]

The first 2-3 weeks are the roughest symptoms physically.

Smoking is Not Required.

[Puff-TM-Draggin]

Yes ... or just remain calm and relax in the knowledge that this too shall pass.  Good advice.  (phew.)

[Jennifer-Quit]

You are going thru withdrawals and what you are feeling is normal.  That does not make it any easier but when you get thru this (and you will get thru it), you will never, never, never have to go thru this withdrawals again.  The only way out is through!

[djmurray]

Stephanie, you can do this --  I smoked heavily for 53 years, and I'm at day 314 of my quit.  I never thought I could do it, and at first it was very, very uncomfortable.

The bottom line is that a successful quit is based on education, attitude, acceptance and determination.  Education:  Once you've learned the truth about this addiction it's much harder (for me impossible) to go back to smoking.  Rather, it helps us unlearn the connections we had with smoking.  Attitude:  Your attitude or mindset is key to whether your quit feels like torture or feels like something very doable.  If you feel deprived, if you feel sorry for yourself and just use willpower to get through not smoking, it will be torture (and you'll read more about that in the Carr book).  But if you have that attitude that smoking is nothing and you are willing to go through the discomfort that is generally associated with quitting, then you can be a happy quitter.  I am definitely a happy quitter!  Acceptance: If you can accept that you will have craves early in your quit and sometimes later in your quit than you would imagine, and don't fight them but observe them and say "Yeah, I don't do that anymore" and find something else to do you won't have as many craves.  It's true. Determination:  This is tied up with the willingness I mentioned.  You have an addict's brain, just like the rest of us.  Your addict's brain will whisper to you, scream at you and plead with you to come back.  There will be times when you find yourself thinking "oh, what could it hurt to have just one."  That's your addiict brain trying to entice you.  Determination is your ability to say NOPE -- Not One Puff Ever.  

And keep coming back to EX -- we're a wonderfully supportive group who've been there done that or are being there doing that right now.   There's no better resource than a good support group to get through the initial discomfort of quitting.

[sparky26]

Stay committed , it's worth it , You are worth it . Remember you don't do that anymore.

[Giulia]

Don't dwell in the well of smokey thoughts.  Distract.  A shower will help, walking will help, vacuuming will help - DO SOMETHING. Read the list of 100 things to do instead of smoke. Do them all!  

You want this, Stephanie?  This Freedom that we tallk about?  Then you don't give up.  No matter what.  You do everything and anything to get through today.  Just today.  Go to the Daily Pledge Group and plege.  I dare you!  Come on. 

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Sometimes it is not easy.  But you have to pull from you inner strength and tell yourself that no matter what I am not going to smoke.  You have to say if this is what has to be not to smoke, so be it.  You have to know that you will get through this and you will be okay as long as you do not take a puff.  You are not against a pack a cigarette it is the puff just the puff.  You are stronger than a puff.

[cpsono]

And just on the practical side, you don't have cigarettes available, right?  At the beginning of my quit, I had an unopened pack in my car-emergency pack, you know? Kept it there for 2 1/2 months until I finally opened it, ran it under water and then into the trash.  I know now that keeping those cigs so close by was risky behavior...so my point is that if you don't have them, you can't smoke them.  And taking time to go to the store just might make you think twice about doing so!  Stay safe...CP 167 DOF

[TerrieQuit]

distract, distract, distract! Find something to do. Don't let those smoking thoughs rattle around in your head! Use that list that Giulia gave you above. It works. Do all of them if you have too! We were all once where you are now! It's doable! and you can do it! Congratulations on 3 days! Hang tough!

[Puff-TM-Draggin]

Well ... so far I'm still here.  No EXPLOSIONS.  Good 4 you, Steph.  = )

You're doing fantastic.

[YoungAtHeart]

How are you feeling now?

Hope better! 

(and, whew, we all are still here!!)

Nancy

[joedice711]

good 4 you..go girl..the days do go bye..

[MarilynH]

Stay strong, hang tough and continue stacking up the days of freedom from smoking because quitting smoking is absolutely the best decision you will ever make. 

Marilyn 

[stephanie123]

Thank you for helping me through the day. Everyone's comments really made a difference. For about 3 years I had been rolling my own cigarettes and I hadn't gotten rid of any of it yet. After my shower, I loaded up my car so I could go do a dump run....all of my rolling supplies were included, plus a couple of weeks ago my lighter had died and a friend had given me a lighter. I gave it back to him tonight (he's a non-smoker, but he's a bit of a boy scout). Still had a few rough moments, but I got through them. Thank you 😄 I'm taking it one day at a time and it's almost time to take on Wednesday. I don't dread it. I say bring it on