Less than week...I am in a panic

[amy-l.-harden]

I am less than a week out from my quit day and I am in a panic...Should I re-evaluate my quit quit day?

[angel6]

Amy,

The first thing you need to do is evaluate why you are in a panic. If you have succesfully worked through your main triggers, then keep your date. If not maybe you need to give yourself a little more time. Just remember, Our nicodemon will tell us anything to keep himself fed. Regardless of your decision, I will be here to help you out. Good Luck and be well!

[cindy25]

I didn't see your post here, just read your blog so I sent you a private message. I would suggest you reset your quit date ONLY if you KNOW you will work on those triggers the entire extra week. That might look like: no smoking in your car, no smoking in your office, no smoking with your coffee, etc. for the entire extra week you extend. That doesn't mean that you won't smoke at other times, just not "when you want to" and not "in your normal pattern". The only way to plan to not smoke during stressful times is to have tried other things that help manage your craves (walking, suckers, etc). Stress will happen all through your quit. Count on it. Don't even make stress a valid excuse to smoke (ever) or you will never quit.
Otherwise, in my opinion, if you don't do these things, you won't have any benefit to extending your date. I worked this program and it worked!!!! No panic ! You Go Girl!!!

I have been quit for 1 Month, 2 Weeks, 17 hours, 13 minutes and 53 seconds (45 days). I have saved $160.00 by not smoking 457 cigarettes. I have saved 1 Day, 14 hours and 5 minutes of my life. My Quit Date: 5/11/2008 5:13 PM

[pland]

Hi, Amy.

My quit date is also July 1st and I understand the "panic" mode. I have tried to quit before and always had that panic feeling when I thought about not smoking. This time has been different.

Not only is Chantix helping me with those insanely frustrating urges, but working on my triggers is also a huge deal. Chantix, for me, has turned that urge into a fleeting thought ... when that happens, I tell myself, "You can have one in a minute." Then I just forget about it and focus on something else (the stuff works! At least it does for me!)

Between the Chantix and for the last few weeks, dealing with some of those triggers, I have cut my cigarette consumption by more than 75%: No cigarette with the morning coffee (which for me can last a few hours!); no smoking in my car; no smoking right after a meal (which works great when I go out for lunch because I go from the restaurant to the car and since I can't smoke in the car, I have to wait until later). I don't work so I make a point of "running around" during the day and driving from store to store or spending time in a mall, where I can't smoke, also seems to help.

I think quitting smoking is a just like quitting any other addiction. When you tell yourself that you can NEVER. HAVE. ANOTHER. ONE. (whether that be a cigarette, a drink, a drug ... doesn't matter), that thought is SO final and overwhelming, it's scary! The truth is, you can have one. You can have one any time.

But ask yourself ... do you really want to do that?

At least that's how I have to look at it.

Good luck. To ALL of US!!
🙂