Hello

[dawn28]

Hi All,

I joined a couple of weeks ago and am really just starting to look into how to do this. I know I need to quit smoking. I want to quit, yet I struggle with letting go. There is that part of me that really likes to smoke.

I just printed out the tracking sheet and plan on beginning that tomorrow.

Dawn

[dawn28]

This is why I am glad I found this site. Yes, they are destructive. I have tried cold turkey, I can't do that. I cannot take any of the pills they have out to help you not smoke because I get all the side effects. I have tried the patch, the gum, the lozenges. Relearning is the way I am going to have to go.

My father died from COPD a few years ago. I am well acquainted with what smoking can do to you. Thanks for the story.

Dawn

[mary41]

Dawn, Suggestion - put some time into strengthening your commitment to quit. When the cravings are strong, that commitment is important. I put together a list of a hundred reasons to quit. I thought it would not be possible, but it was. I had to dig deep to find all the negatives that I'd avoided facing, or hidden from myself. It helped strengthen my commitment. For me the biggest negative is that I value self control very highly. But the nicotine controlled me for over 30 years.

I've been puzzling over this feeling that I like to smoke. And I've come to some realizations that help. Each time I used to smoke, my brain released chemicals that created a feeling that I like to smoke, but thinking about the reality of what I was putting in my body - Did I really like that? Thinking about the reduction in oxygen in my blood, heart and brain - Hard to believe I liked that. Coughing, choking, the list goes on and on. That kind of thinking helped me realize, It isn't so much pleasure as feeding the addiction that creates a feeling that we like to smoke.

[gettingthere]

Hi Dawn! I just started this thing a couple weeks ago too. I feel the same way. I love smoking, but I also find that sometimes I feel ashamed of it. Do you ever feel that way? I seem to love it when I'm craving one, but I find I don't love what I know it's doing to me. I like the idea of being a smoker, and sitting around dinners smoking with friends, and going home with a nice drink and a smoke, etc. But then the times when my throat may feel dry or something, but I need one, but it tastes terrible. Or in the winter when I start coughing things up. (Too graphic? Sorry) The tracking thing helped me out a lot. I found out a lot of my triggers and it helps show that you don't really love smoking, its more like you just need it. Or that's how it was for me at least. Let me know how you're doing. I'm doing the separation thing. So far, I've been up since 6:45am and haven't had one!!! Good luck, Dawn.

[dawn28]

Thanks for the encouragement. I do want to quit and I do realize that the "liking to smoke" is an addiction that I have to conquer. There is actually a very large part of me that looks forward to not being addicted to cigarettes anymore. Being freed from them will be awesome!

I have some very good reasons to quit. My father died a few years ago from a heart attack due to COPD. I have two boys that I do not want to put through that again. It is EXPENSIVE! I am a Christian and not proud of the fact that I smoke. I don't hide it but it is not a very good witness. The constant colds and chest infections during the winter months.

I have no reasons to continue smoking other than I am addicted to it. So tomorrow morning I begin my journey in the process of becoming an ex. I have been wrapping my brain around this concept for quite a while now and even though I know it will be difficult I look forward to it. I look forward to being able to breathe again, of my lungs beginning the healing process.

Dawn

[mary41]

Let us know how it goes tomorrow. You can do this. You can regain self control. It sounds like smoking just isn't consistent at all with your self-image or who you want to be. That's great motivation.

[dawn28]

I hope so! I am starting the tracking process tomorrow. I have not gotten to the separation part yet or the quit date. I do look forward to beginning the process and I like how it seems to ease you into it. I have tried cold turkey and I am not a very nice person when I do that. LOL!

Dawn

[gettingthere]

get excited about it! your kids will love you for it, and you are so lucky to have them and the church for support. i would definitely lean on some people at the church for support who do not smoke. they will be great people to turn to if you're having trouble, or losing motivation. i like to read/watch the things they have online about why smoking is bad. i love mary's suggestion. i think im going to make a list tonight.

[j-k]

Separating is pretty important to this process... for me it became almost like a game. What tool will I use to separate today? Will I sing LOUDLY along with the radio? Will I hold my pen/chapsick/straw/sucker when I get an urge? I shopped around at the store for things to distract me from cravings, called people I hadn't talked to in forever just to kill time until the craving passed, made lists of all the things I was going to buy with the money I saved, it was fun to come up with new things all the time. The cravings were certainly no fun, but when I started treating the quit as something I was doing for myself, like a treat, instead of a punishment, it worked a lot better for me. I liked having a plan, and not just being out there all alone with no idea how to cope with the cravings. Plus I have met some wonderful people here on this site! I like this more than I liked smoking. You will too!

[dawn28]

I am very encouraged by the replies and the friendliness of the community. I actually started a group called Ex-Crafters here. I have picked up knitting again, I do some cross stitching and plan on learning to crochet and make jewelry as sort of a reward for success. I will have accomplished 3 goals.

1. Learning something else to do with my hands instead of smoking.
2. Hopefully coming up with some neat patterns to share with others if they know how to do any of these things and want to implement it into their quit smoking regime.
3. Hopefully, making things that I can turn into gifts for friends and family with a quit date on each completed project.

Dawn