Today is the first day of my quit, but as I like better, "Today is my new beginning". I have been loading myself with as many tools possible to conquer this BEAST! I have been reading Allen Carr's "Easy wasy to quit Smoking" book, I have joined this website, I have started Chantix and I have told ALL of my friends and family! I put out my last cancer stick last night around 10PM.
Thanks
Welcome to our community!
Did your doctor give you instructions for taking the Chantix? I thought you were to start it like 5-7 days BEFORE you quit so it had time to build up in your system. That's what I did, anyway. I would hate for you to begin your journey on the wrong foot.
If you are doing OK, though - more power to you!!! I highly recommend Carr and am glad you are reading it!
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. @https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex has lots of blogs written by members of this site with their experiences and guidance.
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:
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
This is my sister Nancy! She did start the Chantix before she quit! I'm so excited she is quitting!!!
That is awesome that you sisters are ex smokers now!
Thank you for the Advise! And I did start Chantix about a week before my quit day
Congratulations Den1745 on making the best decision that you'll ever make in your lifetime, stay close to this site and read everything you can about quitting smoking and Remaining Quit because there's a wealth of information to help strengthen your resolve to kick the nicotine poison to the curb and start living a life of Freedom and we're all here to help you through any rough patches that may arise.
Thanks
Welcome to the land of the free, Den1745. I love your attitude, and you are doing everything right! Hang around here as much as you need to(I was here every free moment for a while there, and as a result am 75 days free), and we will all be here to support you! Before you know it, nicotine will just be an ugly little memory!
Greg
thanks for the support!
So happy! You can do this! A day at a time, hold on to each smoke free day and never let them go!
Welcome! If I can help let me know!
Thanks
Hi Nancy! Welcome! You've got a Great Coach (your Sister!)
Thanks, and yes, my sister is a good coach.
I love you my beloved Thomas cuz WE have you too as OUR BROTHER in Jesus name amen
Here is a link to a blog that lists 100 things to do besides smoke. It may give you some ideas on way to stay busy and distract yourself. Hope it helps!
Thanks, very helpful
Thanks
Sounds like you have a good plan and a sister to help with the rough patches! Welcome aboard, we're all in this together to support each other learning a new life of freedom from the grasp of cigarettes!
Doug
Thanks, and yes my sister has been very encouraging.
Den1745 Welcome to EX, so happy to see you here. It sounds like you have planned this out and prepared for it and you are doing everything right. Congratulations on being smoke free since last night, that is HUGE. I am pretty sure you know that. Please don't hesitate to reach out and ask for help if you feel like you are struggling. You have a GREAT sister DebiD and I am sure she is very, very happy that you are here. My oldest daughter quit smoking over a year and a half ago, she used the patch and I tried to be her sounding board...she wouldn't come to EX, said she had too many other things that took up her time. In any event, she is not smoking, I haven't smoked in over three years and there is not one day of freedom that I regret. Smoking does nothing FOR you, only TO you and none of what it does is good. No crave ever killed anyone, unlike smoking. Be honest with yourself when you have a crave, ask yourself what smoking a cigarette would do for you, if you are completely honest, I suspect you will find that it will do NOTHING. NOPE, Not One Puff Ever was my mantra for several months and I stayed very close to this site, I still do but more to give back now than to scream out for support.
Best,
Ellen
Thanks for the advise and support
Congratulations on quitting!!! I am a newbie too, only 17 days quit so far. But WE CAN DO THIS!!! I know we can!
Yes you can! Congratulations on your quit!
Thanks for the advise and support
Yes, I know we can do this!
Welcome and congratulations on starting this great journey!
Thank you
Welcome to the community. Congratulations on making the best decision of your life. Sounds like you got a good handle on it for your 1st day. You CAN do this. Holler if you need help.
Thanks for the support
I love your attitude and the way you have made a plan that is a great beginning !!! Now add commitment and discipline and a sense of humor and patience with yourself . By using these acronyms NOPE.... Not One Puff Ever and SINAO.... Smoking is not an option and you will be on your way to freedom from the Nicodemon ( the addict within ! )
You have come to the right place for great caring support ! I don't think I could have done it without my EX friends !
One day at a time will get you where you want to go !
Thanks
Congrats! How did your first day go???
Had a few moments where I went to automatically grab for one, and just got up and did something to take my mind off. On to day two!
HOORAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So proud of you. But more importantly YOU should be proud of you!
This is the beginning of my 1st day of quitting,I have some tools & literature and am on the patch.
Congrats on day 1! I hope you are finding this site helpful.
Congrats! You sound determined!
Mark
EX Community Manager
Today is my quit day. I've had other quit dates, but they challenged me beyond my expectations. So here I am with, hopefully, lessons learned to overcome this challenge and live a smoke free life. Part of my morning, which can be difficult because I usually will pick up a pack of cigarettes on my way home after taking my husband to the train station. Today I came up with my quit mantra that I plan on saying every morning. Nothing can go wrong with not smoking, but I everything will go wrong if I do. If I don't smoke I can't lose. If I smoke I will lose everything. And then I pray to G-d and ask him to help. I am hopeful and am glad for this forum. To all have a wonderful smoke free day.
MichelleDiane wrote:
Today is my quit day. I've had other quit dates, but they challenged me beyond my expectations. So here I am with, hopefully, lessons learned to overcome this challenge and live a smoke free life. Part of my morning, which can be difficult because I usually will pick up a pack of cigarettes on my way home after taking my husband to the train station. Today I came up with my quit mantra that I plan on saying every morning. Nothing can go wrong with not smoking, but I everything will go wrong if I do. If I don't smoke I can't lose. If I smoke I will lose everything. And then I pray to G-d and ask him to help. I am hopeful and am glad for this forum. To all have a wonderful smoke free day.
Wow this is really a profound post!
Congrats on choosing to quit!
Mark
EX Community Manager
Just noticed you jumped in on your first day as well MichelleDiane! You sound very positive!! Congratulations and welcome to the community!
Doug
Thank you!
Michelle
Congratulations on ONE DAY WON! Den1745 You sound like you're rocking into the second day of freedom!
Welcome to the site Twohearts67! Congratulations on your decision to take control of your life! Stick around, there's a lot of great advice and support here.
Doug
Congratulations Den1745, MichelleDiane, and Twohearts67 on beginning your journeys. Keep saying NOPE, it has a double meaning...telling yourself nope and Not One Puff Ever. I also used the phrase I got from here, "I don't do that any more." There are many, many very good little things you can say to yourself as you travel on this amazing road to freedom. I will not tell you that it will be easy because that was not my experience but I have never regretted it, NEVER!
Stay close to the site and know that we all want you to be successful.
Ellen
Welcome to ALL NEWCOMERS and yahoo for ALL OF YOU. Thanking for your courage and gift of hope to me if you will stay quit no matter what I will too and TOGETHER we will keep on keeping on in Jesus name amen I am so proud to have you in OUR RECOVERING FROM NICOTINE FAMILY... HOORAY FOR JESUS BLESSING ME WITH YOU A BELOVED FAMILY MEMBERS...HUGS FOR EVERYONE.
Congradulations this is my first day and it's been rough but we can do this
Congratulations on your awesome Day WON, you can and will be successful one precious smoke free day at a time, stay close and know that we're all here for you and your precious quit. Den1745
You both absolutely CAN do this...Den1745 and katenalbert, drink lots of water and flush that nicotine out of your system. You are going to have a day WON and many more!
Ellen
Congrats! This is a decision you will never regret
Please come back often, you can do it!!!
Congrats to the three new quitters on this thread! Continue to come and check in as often as you need to. You can and are doing this. We are all in this together!
I'm another on Day One. Eleven hours into the day and I've not had a cigarette. Real challenge when sudden craving hits, but I am sick and tired of smoking and what it's dong to my health and finances so good incentives to keep going. I'm going cold turkey. I'm not crawling the walls, but work is mighty difficult and I'm on a deadline which is super tight and keeps me stuck at a desk where I used to chain smoke. I have faith it'll work, just would be good to read some shared experiences about what day one was like for.you so that I have some strength and hope. Thanks,
hiphouse WELCOME to EX. There is lots of reading to do here...there is the book by Allen Carr entitled "The Easy Way to Quit" and there is a link to a free download, you can also go to jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007's page and read what to expect the first 140 days. MY first day was spent in bed, struggling to breathe, knowing that it might be my LAST time feeling that struggle. Did I want a cigarette? You bet I did but I KNEW they were killing me. I quit 1230 days ago after smoking for most of 47 years. I did it one day at a time, one minute at a time and I did it with the support of this site. You can find many links on the Best of EX https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/content?filterID=all~tag%5Bbest_of_ex%5D and read as many blogs as you can, see how others are getting through and how others have gotten past the first day and called it a day WON and not a day ONE. My mantra for many months was NOPE, Not One Puff Ever!
Again, welcome.
Ellen
OK, I'm seven hours ahead of this website. I'm in Bulgaria and it's 11:40am. It's 4am where you are in the States, so guess it will be a bit quiet round here now. Good luck and I hope that if I super-struggle at any point that this sight can help.
Congratulations, best of luck! Hoping for the best for you.
welcome new friend!
Thank you jimmie-a-littrel. I am grateful for the welcome and the support.
I love that this blog is tagged the_day_i_quit . It would be amazing to see people journaling on the day they quit and have it be a resource for newbies to easily get to to see what they might expect on the day they quit. What do people thing about this? Certainly there is some expectation of people educating themselves on addiction in advance but would this make a new quitter more confident if they could easily locate other posts for people documenting their quit day? Thoughts?
Mark
EX Community Manager
Mark, it's so funny you asked that question with my name in the comment before your post. Eight months ago I tried to quit, but was not successful. Now 30 days free from smoking I am wondering where I was when I posted 8 months ago. I think it would be a great resource for people. Not only newbies, but people who are on their journey (even to look back during hard times to show that you are capable of quitting). Just my thoughts,
Regards,
Michelle
Thanks for your response!
If you want to look at your early posts go here for reflection. Maybe you can also find the one from when you quit and then tag it the_day_i_quit.
Mark
EX Community Manager
Congratulations. Quitting is so doable!!! Saying goodbye to the nicotine addiction is well worth the effort. Keep coming back.