Give and get support around quitting
I'm so glad ShawnP just added me as a contact. I've been going back and forth with quitting since last March. My doctor just put me on Chantix. I'm coming to the end of my first week (the amount of time it takes to get into your system and start working), so it's almost time to start working again. Lord knows I can use all the encouragement I can get!
I was almost there. I had broken the addiction but not the habit. I have a very good friend who is legally blind. Plus she has fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. A person can understand why she might smoke with all those problems. Unfortunately, her eye doctor told her smoking is making her lose the rest of her sight more quickly.
Anyway, I was only smoking 2-3 cigs when I was with her. Then we had a yard sale together two weeks ago. What a mistake that was. I smoked regularly for four days. Now I've cut back, but still smoke about 3/day. Not good enough!
So, now I'm trying Chantix. I used the patch, and that took me to a few cigs/week (not too bad). Now it's time to quit for good ... I hope, I hope I hope.
Our goal is to go beyond "try!"
We get there by commitment to a Decision -
I am determined that will not smoke Today No Matter What!
I can't grasp the whole picture but I can wrap my mind around Today!
I made an unbreakable promise to myself:
I respect myself enough to honor this single achievable promise!
Tomorrow I will do the same thing and I will watch those Days stack up:
2508, 2509, 2510.....
I started with Day One just like you and - it worked!
Good enough!
Hi there! Welcome to the site! This is the best place for support! There is a book (free download) which has helped many of us do this. Here it is:
"The Easy Way To Stop Smoking" - free download -
http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf
Congrats on deciding to quit! Be sure to stick around! You can do this - I did and I smoked for 40 years!
Hi Strudel -
I'm not new to the site. Actually, I joined before my first serious try last February. I guess I just wasn't ready, but now I am. Be talking to you as things progress.
Thanks for taking an interest in me!
- Lisa
Welcome to the site, you are in the right place. Quitting involves education and support, you need to ask for help when you need it and know that it's not easy but it IS doable. Many of us here smoked for longer than some have even been alive. We lived our entire adult lives as smokers, I am one of those. If I can do it, I swear, anyone can.
I will add you as a friend as well.
Ellen
Welcome! I have added you as well, and look forward to following your quit journey.
Thomas waa exactky right....the goal is to move beyond try. Sounds easy, hard to do....I know. Trust yourself, trust that you can do it and just let the quit stick.
The habit, as you know, is the hard part to break. Just remind yourself that you don't do that anymore, and view each day as a victory!
Connecting here is also a big help..... stay really, really close and blog a lot. Use conversations, questions and/or blog posts on this site. We'll see them all.
Strength, courage, trust and commitment.....you can do it!
you're back again, how great. Niebauer7 is still here and doing very well. I'm glad you've returned. You know that you have to kick the mind games that go on with smoking. I can't tell you how many times during frustration that I've reached for that phantom pack. Now, after a year, I've taught myself other ways. You can do this. Never say try. Say I will do this. Not I think I can. I know I can
Lori -
How ya doing? Apparently very well. I just want to let you know it was partially something you told me way back when that brought me back.
You explained that you, too, went back and forth with smoking. You said when I was ready, I'd quit. Being able to relate to someone else helps so much. Of course you know that. Otherwise you wouldn't be a successful member of the EX team!
So now I'm back and struggling. As I said in the blog, at one point I was down to 2-3 cigs/week. I got there by finishing my last pack, not by throwing them away. So I plan to follow that course again. I should be quitting today according to my Chantix instructions. However, I still have less than a pack left. So I will probably finish it. That's the way I see things at this point.
One good thing - the Chantix seems to be making cigs taste BAD to me. I go back to one cigarette three or four times before I can finish it. If that taste continues, there's no doubt in my mind. I WILL QUIT THIS TIME!!!
I know I have everyone's support, Ex team and otherwise - even my blind friend that smokes.
Thanks again -
Lisa
here's a blog a posted when I was real close to my year mark /blogs/crazymama_Lori-blog/2017/01/10/my-10-day-fail-but-boy-did-i-ever-change-that . that was back on January 1st, 2016. I finally got with the program and stuck with it on January 25, 2016. So you'll see that you are no different than where I was a year ago. Again, I'm pleased you're back at it again. You know where to find me if you have problems
I'm so proud of you for staying committed to wanting to quit. With that mindset YOU WILL. Sometimes its a matter of trial and error, but eventually you will figure out what works best for you. Feel free to reach out when you feel weak, you'll find people who you relate to. We're cheering you on. Best wishes.