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Give and get support around quitting

NonSmoker07
Member

Help: I need help with...

Dealing with the cigarette cravings first thing in the morning.

Tags (2)
12 Replies
sweetplt
Member

Hi and Welcome to Ex’s...NonSmoker07 

Glad you found our site.  I assume you already quit smoking.  The morning coffee and cigarette is a hard habit for many of us to break.  You have to start by slowly changing your routine.  Perhaps drink hot tea instead of coffee for a few weeks, if you need your coffee then come to Ex’s and have your coffee and read the blogs and answer each one (typing will keep your hands busy), or go for an early walk, sleep in a bit later, drink your coffee in the bed (somewhere you didn’t smoke, etc., some suggestions, more at the site will offer ideas.  A lot of this journey is changing up our routines and it takes time while our bodies are healing from all the chemicals.  I suggest, you read at My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX and to educate yourself on addiction.  Keep close to our support site.  You can do this, and we are here to help you out...Colleen 626 DOF 

Barbscloud
Member

Welcome to the Ex and congrats on your decision to quit smoking.  How are you doing?   If you can go for a walk--it really helps you to refocus.  

Barb

NonSmoker07
Member

Hello. I didn't do so well this morning. I smoked 2 cigarettes. I feel really guilty about it. I will try to go the rest of the day without smoking.

Barbscloud
Member

Guilt is not a part of quitting.  This is not easy and most of us have had multiple attempts.    Get right back on track--put those two cigarettes behind and move forward.  As Colleen said, don't have cigarettes available--it's just too tempting.  If you didn't create a quit plan, it's not too late.  Education and preparation made quitting possible for me.

We're here for you.  Reach out BEFORE you smoke.  That's what support is all about.

Barb

sweetplt
Member

Hi NonSmoker07 If today was your quit date, you should rid all your smoking paraphernalia the night before...no guilt, but work on your plan to quit smoking...do the reading I suggested...Colleen 

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to the community!

You have gotten some good suggestions.   This quitting takes EFFORT in the beginning - but it will become second nature after awhile.  Keep in mind that you had many repetitions of your smoking behavior you will need to unlearn.  RIGHT NOW get rid of all your cigarettes, lighters, ashtrays, butts - keeping anything around is giving yourself permission to fail.  Don't spend time now ruminating over your failure - make a plan NOW for tomorrow morning so you don't repeat and then move on.

I ate a frozen Hershey Kiss (freezing makes it last longer) with my coffee in the morning.  Worked for me!  The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit.  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. Buy your gas at a different station. Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.
 
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.  Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. 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.    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.  This pertains to first thing in the morning, too!

 

I highly recommend you spend some time reading.   I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This easy and entertaining read provided a world of good information about nicotine addiction, most of which I was not aware.  I credit it in large part with my success at quitting.   You can search for it online or at your local library.

 

You didn't mention if you are using a quit aid, so i will give you my thoughts on them.   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 after you have tried to delay and distract.   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.  You need to start out with a plan to reduce use of them over time - which the patch does by decreasing the dose contained in them..  For the gum, you can start by cutting each piece in half, then in quarters, then sub regular gum of the same flavor in between, adding more and more regular gum.  For the lozenge, you need to start subbing a mint in between to begin, increasing the number of them over time. I do not recommend the e-cigarette for obvious reasons.

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

Barbara145
Member

Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking.  Now, let's get it done.  I had to promise myself I would never smoke another cigarette.  I then honored that promise to myself.  I found that having a cup of really strong coffee in the morning helped me.  Mornings are difficult for most smokers quitting.  I can promise you that it never enters my mind these days.  It will get better but it takes time.  Enjoy your day.

maryfreecig
Member

Cravings are a part of letting go of the addiction. This is why it is called an addiction. If all quitters only had a weak impulse to smoke then quitting would be so easy. Try not to see the craving as an enemy but as the ending of your addiction--the urges will grow weaker and eventually go away completely. There is nothing wrong with you for having urges, cravings. 

It happened/s to all of us.

Beat the cravings by accepting that they are there and then turn to something else till they pass. Walk, do chores, come to Ex. Let the crave pass. Each one you get through is a victory.

JACKIE1-25-15
Member

Good morning. Planning and preparation is key when quitting smoking. Have a plan and implement it. Find things that work for you not to smoke. /blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instead-of-smoke?sr=search&searchId=e628...

.  Education is the key to successfully quit. Read, Study, Blog, and be willing to do the work.  With the help of the EX Community, you can have a forever quit.  Start by educating yourself about the addiction to nicotine. Know the LAW!  Go to My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX  and review the videos and learn more about  your triggers and how to prepare when the urges come.  I call it homework. I was advised to read Allen Carr's Easyway to Quit Smoking which can be found on pdf on the web.  Another good site to get info that was very helpful to me is available at this site  www.whyquit.com.  There are several articles to read.  Nicotine 101 and FreedomFrom Nicotine My Journey Home.  To get help on navigating this site go to. Community Help‌.  The main thing is to stay close.  Come here first before you light up. Talk about it.  We will help.