First days

[QuitJules]

I’ve been thinking about it for weeks. Picked three dates in the past, but said I wasn’t ready. Yesterday, was my first attempt. I smoked 6 cigarettes vs my usual 1-2 packs a day. I excused that bc my ultimate quit date is Sept 4....allowed myself a few days too wean & fail. Is this normal?? 

[YoungAtHeart]

My advice?  Put that last cigarette under running water, then into the trash (along with the lighter)  Keeping it around is just giving yourself permission to smoke it.   You need to make it difficult to smoke one - not easy.  In a weak moment, come here and blog "HELP" and wait for us to come to your rescue.

Can you get your car detailed so you won't want to smoke in it again?  Keep a cold bottle of water with you and some sugar-free mints.  Find new routes to your normal destinations so the scenery is different.  While driving, count the red/ blue/white cars you see, the lights you hit or miss, or make up stories about the people in the car next to you.  Take some of your favorite tunes with you and sing aloud with them, or get a book to which to listen.  Change things up in the car so you can relearn that part of your life without smoking.

The better you get at doing things differently, the fewer the triggers and associations will become, and the easier this quit will be.

Nancy

[elvan]

macm69 Congratulations on your 7th day of freedom, I have to agree unequivocally with YoungAtHeart‌ that you should DROWN that last cigarette and make it a big deal, tear it apart, make it part of your past and throw it and the lighter in the trash.  You cannot have reminders of your addiction sitting around and keep testing yourself.  Do you think a junkie would be able to keep a syringe full of their drug of choice sitting on the counter?  This is an addiction, it is not just a habit, it is a lifelong recovery from addiction and keeping the drug around is seriously dangerous to your recovery.  

I did not cut down on purpose, I have COPD and I COULDN'T smoke as much as I used to, that last year that I smoked, I smoked less than half a pack a day and never smoked more than half a cigarette before putting it out.  I guess my body had made a decision since I had many failed quits.

Best to you both QuitJules 

Ellen

[QuitJules]

Well, y’all, I failed. Yesterday i Made it from 4am - 1pm. I just told myself to get through one hour at a time. Then when a trigger friend ( we always smoke together) got to work, I smoked three. Last night at home, I felt like I could’ve sold my soul to have a cig. My sister who is 7 years sober from alcohol is my go to. She talked me through the whole night. I felt so proud of myself. Got to work this morning, and trigger friend left one cigarette for me. I smoked it immediately. Left work a couple hours later to buy a pack. I smoked 9 of them from 9am-4pm.....none of them tasted good. Not one felt good. Got home and destroyed the rest of the pack. Disappointed and angry at myself. I didn’t get on BecomeAnEX once yesterday. I’m not using my resources. I’m not being mentally strong. I feel defeated. I failed on the first day. But really blew it today. 

Ive smoked 1-2 packs a day for probably 10 years. I underestimated the hold this addiction has on me. 

[elvan]

It IS an addiction and you are an addict...I might think a bit about trigger friend really being a friend...sounds to me like she is sabotaging your quit because she doesn't want to lose her smoking buddy.  Maybe you should think about a heart to heart with her and ask her if she really can support your quit because at this point, she is your dealer.  I have a very good friend who I worked with when I quit, she acted hurt and sad when I said no when she wanted me to go outside with her for smoke breaks.  I told her very honestly that my quit was my number one priority and that I had to protect it, no matter what.  I also told her that there may come a time when being around her when she smoked did not trigger me but I could not take chances.  We are still friends...I did go outside with her after I had a few weeks of freedom but  I never sat on the bench with her and I also never stood downwind of the smoke.  Sometimes, I sort of danced around as the wind shifted.  I talked a LOT about my quit and about how much it meant to me and how I did not want to give it up.  Your friend has to accept that this is important to you but FIRST, you have to accept that and you have to protect your quit, that is the only way you can keep it.  One minute at a time, one BREATH at a time.  Get some sour candy to suck on, don't spend time with that friend until you are stronger.  Your life is much more valuable than a smoking buddy.

Ellen