I quit smoking for 2 years and back to it again but for some reason I feel like it's harder to quit smoking now why is that ?
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I quit smoking for 2 years and back to it again but for some reason I feel like it's harder to quit smoking now why is that ?
Thomas knows, and there is a lot of experience is on this site from him and others. There are also new quitters (Like me) who will be struggling along with you. If you are ready, Kiristyj24, this is the place to be. Ready to be a non smoker? Put it behind you forever? There is no easy fix, but this site really helps!
Greg
Hi Kiristy. To really answer your question, I'd have to be able to put smoking in the context of your life.
You can ask yourself these questions: What is going on with you? Why did you start smoking again? The biggest question is, can you commit to being quit?
If you have taken a good look at your smoking patterns and have a plan, you will have no problem quitting. I don't mean you won't have urges to smoke during the process, I mean that you can beat them.
I hope you write more. Anybody who wants to quit is a friend of mine.
It really is all about getting your head in the right place, or at least is was for me. Do some reading and educate yourself about this addiction. Also reading other people's success stories helped me to believe that I can quit also. There are some really sad stores on whyquit.com that show the true dangers of smoking and the consequences that we all could face if we continue to smoke. Do your homework - set a date if you haven't already and join in on the fun. This is a great place to get much needed support to help you quit!
I agree with all of the above! Like you, I found it harder than ever to quit this time. I was quit for 170 and lost it then I'd go 3 day and have 1 boom blew it quit again 2 days boom blew it again. I thought I would never get my head back in the game. It's important that you get your head in the right place and I mean NOPE (not one puff ever) by all means! Tell yourself that over and over if you have to smoking is not an option for me anymore like a bad relationship that door is closed sealed tight for good don't leave a crack in it SLAM IT SHUT AND LOCK IT! and go through what you have to to keep your freedom no it's not always easy but it's worth it and it's doable! Don't give yourself justifications to smoke (speaking from experience) my justification was depressed from a bad breakup I couldn't control him and make him stay but I could control my quit and I chose to let go of the one thing I could control behind something I couldn't! Craves don't kill smoking do so surf the waves of the craves the may be uncomfortable sometimes but the saving grace is they subside in about 3 mins! Sooner if you get some good positive self talking and NOPEing going on in there. You can do it! Can you believe we've all been where you are to get to where we are now? Welcome to the EX family. Set your date and let's get this journey on the road!
Welcome to our community!
Perhaps it's more difficult this time because the last time the going got tough, you smoked - and your addiction may be twice as stubborn and ingrained as it was before. Perhaps, subconsciously, you think if you gave in before, you will again. Change your mind's view. Say (over and over if necessary), "I don't DO that anymore" and get busy!
The most important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. Here is a link to a free PDF version of it:
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You should also read the posts here and perhaps go the the pages of folks who you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com, quitsmokingonline.com and livewell.com for the good information contained there. Best of EX has lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises suggested in My Quit Plan http://www.becomeanex.org/my-quit-plan.phphttp://www.becomeanex.org/my-quit-plan.php.
After you have completed the recommended reading, it will be time to make an informed choice of the quit aid, 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. 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. I do not recommend the e-cigarette for three reasons: 1) the vapor has been compared to the polluted air in Bejing on a bad day, 2) they just provide another nicotine delivery system while continuing the hand to mouth smoking motion, and 3) the batteries can spontaneously catch on fire. . But – any method that you think will work well for you will be best for you.
The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced. Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand. 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. 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:
101 Things to Do Instead of Smoke
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.
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
I had the same experience. I quit smoking when I was 21 and foolishly started again when I was 25. I made a feeble quit attempt of a couple of days a month or so later and couldn't stop. My "relapse" lasted around 33 years! I kept procrastinating and kidding myself that I would quit again someday. I would almost never buy cigarettes by the carton "just in case". I think the addiction had me convinced that I couldn't handle quitting and that I even enjoyed smoking. Good news: You can quit. Do all of the recommended reading and learn as much as you can about quitting and nicotine addiction. Quitting is doable and well worth it. It's probably the best thing you can do for yourself. Here is some more helpful information.
Because you gave yourself an excuse to smoke which made you undecided.
Lets try and get you through the hardest part and go from there?
I agree with Dale. You gave yourself permission, found and excuse and acted on it.
Quitting is hard and it is CONSTANT. You can't allow your guard to be down.
Read the materials above and re-educate yourself on the addiction. As Thomas stated about addition, he is right on. We are addicts to Nicotine and the 1000 other chemicals or more in one smoke. I know I will be right where I left off if I start to smoke again....and probably even more so because the drug NEVER sleeps or forgets where IT left us.
Your stronger than that. So very glad your here now. You can do this. Hey, many many of us have failed. Theres no shame in coming and starting over. I had too a lot. Its a horrible addiction but quitting and stay quit id doable.
Wishing you the best, hang in there. We are all here for you
Is your mindset different this time? Have you made smoking easier than before?
Kiristyj24 I think I was scared to death to restart a quit until this time. I have not smoked in over 3 years but before that, I was a serial quitter for 47 years. I had never quit with the education, support, and commitment that I did THIS time. Do all of the reading, prepare for your quit, make your commitment, and know that you will never be alone on this site. There is always someone here who has been exactly where you are!
Best,
Ellen
Hi Thomas, Priscilla. I don't guess I have COPD yet or emphazema got to relearn the program. getting sick and tired of being sick and tired. Thank you found a lot of your info to be very helpful now and in the past.
I think it's because the first time we quit it's new and a rather exciting adventure. We also don't know what we're in for. With each successive time, however, the psychological tricks don't work as well - they lose some of their effectiveness. Here's an analogy: my aunt and uncle went to Tahiti and had one of the most amazing times of their lives. They enjoyed it so much, several years later they went again. But the bloom was off the rose, so to speak. The repeat was not nearly as exciting as the initial experience, because they had already seen the hula dancers, and taken the ukulele lessons, received the leis, done all those touristy things. Part of the thrill and charm of an experience is it's first-time uniqueness. First ride in a hot air balloon is amazing. I would imagine the 10th, not quite the same.
When I quit back in my early 20's I spent time getting my head in the right place for it. I thought of it as a spiritual growth process. It wasn't that I wanted to rid myself of the slavery of the addiction (I didn't even know it WAS an addiction) but rather that I wanted to OVERCOME my weakness and feel empowered. I knew that in order to do so would take a great deal of self analysis. I turned it into an exciting challenge and that challenge was motivation enough. And I stayed smoke free for over a year.
But with each successive quit attempt it became more difficult to "get it up" psychologically. That's one of the penalties of relapse. And that's been quite a motivator for me this time around. That's why I coined the phrase Day Won, Never Another Day One.
So what do you do if it seems harder this time to quit? Well you must discover and develop new ways to motivate yourself. Hanging out in this support group is one great tool. Reading, increasing your knowledge base, communicating with others and holding yourself accountable are all part of the umph that can help push and pull you through. For we need both the push and the pull I think.
So, rather than trying to figure out why it harder, try to figure out how to make it less hard. That's part of your homework.
I'm glad you're here!
The others have great wisdom above.
I just want to add, JUST KEEP AT IT. If you really want to quit - you will. Don't think about the last one (or in my case ALL of the previous ones). Just focus on this one, and not smoking ever again.
Be well.
~Lisa
Everybody gave you such good information already . I must say my answer was in line with Ellen's answer to you . I also was a serial quitter foe 52 years the first time I quit was so hard I went 3 months nicotine free but when I relapsed I went 10 years before even making another attempt to quit after that failure (again ) I went another 10 years then they got closer together as I became more and more determined to quit ! I have now been over 2 years and I believe it is because I found this site and have had so much support from all of the Ex'ers that are here . Even the
Newbies like you help me to stay quit because " I am giving back to keep it "Hang in there ,Welcome to Ex, and take the advice above ( take what you need and leave the rest )
what got me to quit was when i was looking up why my cats eyes werent getting better, it was because of my smoking. my cat was born with damaged tissue. but that was it for me, i bought nicorette gum, for 3 months, and it took care of the craving, but chaos is my son. there was no question that was it for me. he is 13 years old now. and it wasnt really hard for me, after i read it was my fault. nicorette was good for me, i dont like the patches. hope this helped alil bit
the nicotine receptors in your Brain from your first Addiction never went away they went dormant when you quit smoking even after 2 Years. So even though you felt high smoking that first relapse Sickerette you weren't starting with a clean slate. You restimulated your old Addiction all over again and then added to it with each puff you took. The Law of Addiction: "Administration of a drug to an addict will cause re-establishment of chemical dependence upon the addictive substance." So it's as if you never quit smoking.
Now it's time to start over and you can only do that with knowledge of Nicotine Addiction and Recovery but yes, you can do it! I was a Serial Quitter and now I have 7 + Years Free from Addiction - you can too!