Trying to breath better

[skipper35]

I have come to realize that I can't breath I'm very upset at myself for allowing smoking to take over my life. I can't work out with out shortness of breath I know it's from smoking. My lips are dark and ugly. I'm so ready to learn how to live with out smoking.. I'm glad I found this site. I've tired 4 times quitting I want to win this time.

[kristen-9-7-15]

Welcome skipper! This is a great place to be! Someone will be along shortly with a link to a great book by Allen Carr, The Easy Way. I highly recommend it!

[TerrieQuit]

Hello and welcome to EX, Skipper! Here is the link for the Carr book that Kristen mentioned. There will be others along with more reading and study material for you, soon!

http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

[Cathy56]

I'm with you-keep changing my quit date.

[Summer-Rain]

Welcome Skipper.  You can win this time as long as you are committed to never smoking another cig. again.  This friday I will celebrate 2 years of being smokefree.  Like you I begin to have breathing problems and I decided I would never smoke becuase shortness of breath really gave me a wake up call.  You can do it.  We are here to help.  May I suggest that you set a quit date if you have not done so, read, blog, and take one day at a time.  You can do this!!

The journey continues

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Welcome To EX.  You have come to the right place.  This is all about you and what you are willing to do to be smokefree.

 Start First, by educating yourself about nicotine addiction.  Education is the key to a successful quit.

Read: Freedom from Nicotine My Journey Home and Nicotine Addiction 101         

Here are the links      http://whyquit.com/whyquit/LinksAAddiction.html   and http://whyquit.com/ffn/

Also Read   Allen Carr’s book, “Easy Easier Way to Quit Smoking”.       

The link is here:  http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

 Go to the home click on About EX tab and get started. We will support you. You are in your journey for freedom.

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

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 also highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read.

As well, read the sections on this site, and read the blogs, responses and pages of folks you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com and quitsmokingonline.com for the good information contained there. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises suggested on this site

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.

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.  Don't let that smoking thought rattle around your head alone.  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

[c2q]

I'm glad you found this site, too. I just have to shut my eyes to remember the self-hate I felt, realizing that I was responsible, no one else, for all the harm I had caused my body by smoking. And the really bad part is that the harm isn't just physical. It wounds us on the inside, too.

I hope you can set all that aside for now. Let now be the moment when you stop the craziness and and show nicotine the door. You've got help every step of the way when you're ready to begin. Please blog again soon.

For me, the first step was to make room in my life for being free. I rearranged furniture where I could, sat in a different room to drink my coffee, changed up my daily routine, put notes to myself in odd places (silverware drawer, on the bag of cat food) and posted "Just do it" signs everywhere. Devising a plan helps make the whole thing a lot more doable.

Read like crazy, blog like a mad women. You'll be fine.

[skipper35]

Thanks everyone I can't afford the book right now I do plan going to the library to see if it's there. Thank you all for the words of encouragement.