first few hours!! need guidance

[karthik]

Have been trying to quit since 2 years or more and the best i cud manage was 2days!!

What i did  was, I said to myself.. I stayed quit for 2days and now need to confirm tat its not an addiction, and had a puff.. and since then its been like.. this is my last cigg. this is my last pack.. and worse, I buy a pack and tell myself that i'll finish this pack and stop then.. wat this did was.. made me finish the pack faster!!

now i've been reading the blogs here since morning and have got some confidence. Finished the last cig of the pack an hour ago..

I know with this effort and enthusiasm I can stay quit for this whole day.. prob is.. tomo when i get up, i would not be at this level of enthusiasm.. how do I cope with tat?!?!? I really feel I don have any will power at all!

[galaxian]

If you're wondering whether smoking is an addiction, then you are probably addicted to it.

It takes getting serious.  Quitting is very hard, no matter how you do it.  But it can be done.  Expect relapses and quit again.  It may take numerous attempts.

But mostly, just stay away from that first puff until you hit the hay tonight.  By then, you will already smell better and breathe better.  It gets better every day and the first week is really, really rough.  But then maybe a little better.

I have friends who are supporting my 5th attempt to quit, only 9 days into it.  Best of luck to you.  Cheerio!

[karthik]

the difficult part for me is, once i get the craving, i have to smoke.. i don think about anything else.. but the 2 days i stayed quit, i did not get any cravings watso ever.. for me i believe its jus the flow.. if i'm on the flow and into it.. i can easily last as long as possible.. but the moment it comes into my mind tat i need to smoke, i have to smoke watever happens.. probably its jus my way of working things out.. anyone with same thots or way of working??

I know that i'm jus one step away from all this smoking Bull Shit.. Searching for tat one small thing.. key to the one block in the mind to let me flow.. and go quitting all my life!

[maggie_8-1-2010]

http://digg.com/news/lifestyle/Allen_Carr_s_Easy_Way_To_Stop_Smoking_Download_free_PDF

http://quitsmokingonline.com/

Check them out for info about your nicotine addiction and positive approaches to quitting that have helped many many members here with successful quits.

Best wishes.

[Linda142]

Knowledge is the key to learning how to do a successful quit, you need to get rid of the lie that it is very hard and the fact that you have been brainwashed into believing so many myths surrounding smoking.

There are many sites here and people to help and educate you. A few are  http://whyquit.com which is a cold turkey site with plenty of info on why we smoke etc. and also gives guidance on how you may feel in the days to come.

Another is http://quitsmokingonline.com which gives you a step by step gude to take you through it.

Allen Carrs Easyway has another free download of his book that many found so helpful, not sure of the link.

I personally used patches because I was so scared,it was the only way I could attempt it. I don't advocate it but I did find it relatively easy and it's my first and only attempt after 40 years of heavy smoking with no relapses as I certainly didn't "expect relapses"

[dragulae]

Its not about quitting smoking. It is literally a lifestyle change. Once you accept that fact, it will be a little easier. There are steps you can take to stay an ex. Make a list of the different events that causes you to smoke, next to that same column, make a list of things to do in place of smoking. Also, take up a hobby. Since you gain weight when you quit smoking, become more active. Take a walk, bike ride, jog or even go to the gym. Any other hobby would suffice, but becoming physically active is really helpful to relieve the stress. Plan ahead to quit. In the mean time, drastically reduce your cigarettes. This will help with the cravings and addiction. Your brain is already accustomed to the nicotine at certain times. If you reduce your habit by 20 - 50%, then you can retrain your brain to work for you, not against you. Also, have a support group with you. Fellow smokers who quit, family and friends that you can talk to when the cravings get a bit rough.

As you can see, quitting smoking isnt just a one step process. Its a very elaborate scheme that takes dedication, motivation, and a willingness to try. You already did step 1 by quitting the first time. Just try it again and see if you can get past day 5. Any positive direction is very welcoming. Just remain positive, motivated, and most of all, keep working at it. If you have to quit in  small steps, then do so, but remember to keep quitting. I'm on my 7th try, and it is Day 7, and starting week 2 tomorrow.

[Strudel]

Maggie has given you the key - read, read, read!! The quitsmokingonline.com site is wonderful and Allen Carr's book (first link) really helped me to change the way I thought about smoking and quitting. I smoked for 40 years and quit 9 months ago!! You can do this!!