Several Questions

[12Finally34]

Did anyone increase smoking habit before their quit date?  

I am painting my apartment before the start date, I read about COPD and other breathing problems.  Should I stay out of the apartment for a few days?  (Beginning stages of emphysema)

I love scented perfume and just received expensive bottles for my birthday, do I have to throw them away?

Should I stay away from people because of the possible irritation and possible grieving that may occur?

I am projecting but grateful I have somewhere I can go and not feel shamed or misunderstood. 

Thank you!

Carolyn

[TW517]

I'm on my 6th quit.  On my 3rd or 4th, I tried to smoke as much as I could the week before my quit date.  The last 2 days, I smoked double my usual amount.  It was the shortest of all my quits.  Only lasted a few days.  I think it made my quit harder, not easier.

[maryfreecig]

Welcome Carolyn.

Regarding what ifs:

I made a quit plan--at first I had no quit date, but quickly stumbled upon a suggestion to not make the quit too far out. I did the best I could to make a plan...took ideas from various online help resources. One notion I picked up on was making a plan for trigger points. In my case, anger was a big trigger. So as I was planning to quit I thought about various things I would do instead. Made a list and committed to doing things on the list rather than smoke. Welp, I sure walked a lot!!!! But I included a variety on my to do list. 

It's not uncommon to avoid others for a while. 

Ultimately, making a plan is a good starting point. 

Saving the butts that you are now smoking in a clear glass jar is a good way to see the ugly of smoking. 

Lots of tips and tricks from others here about dealing with quitting, so keep reading and watch for links to good info!

[elvan]

I think it is very common to smoke more when you are approaching a quit date.  I like the idea of putting your butts in a clear jar, I would suggest wetting them as well and then take a whiff if you feel a crave coming on.  The smell is horrendous.  I did not stop wearing perfume, I don't wear a lot, SOME perfumes really bother me but they have bothered me forever and they are really strong scents.  There are paints available that do not cause irritation but if you cannot use them, air the place out as much as possible and if you can stay somewhere else for a night, I would do that.  I am not sure that I understand this: "Should I stay away from people because of the possible irritation and possible grieving that may occur?"  Would the irritation be coming from the person's scent...like perfume or smoke?  Is that the same with the grieving?  Keep in mind that anyone who smokes is an addict and they HAVE to smoke, once you begin your journey, you won't have to smoke. I made a list of my triggers like maryfreecig  and I planned for what I would do instead of smoking when they occurred.  They WILL occur and if you have a plan in place, it really helps.  There are some things that are hard to plan for but remember that distracting yourself from a crave takes away its power.  Bite into a lemon, rind and all, drink a glass of ice cold water.  Splash cold water on your face, do dishes, take a shower, go for a walk, YoungAtHeart‌ has a list of 101 things to do instead of smoking.  Remember that smoking does not really do anything FOR you...your addiction tells you that it does but the fact is that it does not help with anything and it is killing you while you smoke.  You do NOT have to do this to yourself...you do not have to allow nicotine to rule your life.  Make no mistake, if you are smoking, nicotine is in charge.

I am really glad that you came here because this is the place to vent and to get help with this addiction.

Best,

Ellen (aka Elvan)

[YoungAtHeart]

I pretty much chain smoked the night before my quit date (I had not yet found this site, its good information and even better support system).  I think if I could have found it sooner, I might have felt less anxious.

You might stay away from others who "jerk your chain" or who are still smoking for a bit early in your quit.  You can catch up with them later.  If you don't want to get into a long conversation, you can perhaps say, "I am not feeling very social right now."

Quitting and staying busy with it is pretty much a full-time job in the beginning.  It takes planning and effort on your part.  But - it is SO worth it - I promise.

Nancy

[Thomas3.20.2010]

Carolyn, do you know what your triggers are? If not just begin to pay attention. Some paints drive me nuts and I can't handle aerosol paints at all. I can stand some perfumes but, like Ellen, haven't avoided all of them. I can't stand tree based anything - tea tree oil, eucalyptus, Pinesol. I can handle vinegar and bleach, believe it or not but not Ammonia. Your triggers aren't mine, aren't Ellen's. Find your triggers and stay away from them. 

As for smoking more before you quit - well, I didn't. I got diagnosed on March 14, had 10 sickerettes left and made them last 6 days so I could quit on the first day of spring, March 20.....2010! But some people say it works. Again, don't be overly worried about how much you smoke right now - just be 100% ready to commit on Quit Day!!!!

[12Finally34]

Thomas!  

What a difference a day makes.  Going over my post and reading and looking back, I was really very anxious.  Afraid of my own shadow.  Suggestions, readings and taking the medication as prescribed, I started practicing the Ex.. program.  

I have 8 days of new information as I approach my quit date.  

12Finally34

[stAn3]

I don't know anything about emphysema but I can relate to smoking more before quitting. That's because I was nervous, feeling anticipatory grief. I figured I'd better smoke as many as possible because soon I wouldn't be able to smoke anymore. What helped me prepare for quitting was reading about what to expect and how to react the first few days. Whyquit.com has a free e-book called "Freedom from nicotine: The Journey Home". It helped me a lot when preparing to quit.

I wouldn't encourage avoiding people. We have to face social situations without smoking eventually. Avoiding people will only make you anxious about dealing with people, making it more scary than it should be. Avoiding people might also cut you off from support, leaving you alone with your disease. The most helpful approach for me is dealing with the irritability when it arises, IF it arises. A friend of mine simply explained that she quit smoking and didn't feel well. This let everybody know not to take it personal if she was not as pleasant or sociable for a few days. Everybody was understanding. She also apologized when she snapped at people (which she only did one time). We were forgiving because we knew what to expect and realized it would only be temporary. 

[crazymama_Lori]

Back in January, around the 23rd or so, 2016, I distinctly remember going out and buying a pack and literally chain smoked.  I remember my husband coming home and saying to me, so you just couldn't hold out, could you, disappointed as all get out.  December and through the beginning of January I was struggling like crazy, My 10-day fail, but boy did I ever change that.  I just couldn't stick with it for some reason.  Now I understand that really the reason was that was all I knew for 43 years was smoking, the wind blew the wrong direction, I smoked.  I never had any substantial quits under my belt.  I heard all the war stories about how hard it is and then heard stories of how easy it is.  It was the anticipation of what was coming next that threw me in a panic each and every time.  My piece of advice for you, try cold turkey, be sure you went through the steps outlined in the beginning, tracking your cigarettes, what are your triggers, what are you going to do instead of smoke.  Make sure you list something different for each of your triggers and stick to it.  For instance, you smoke the most when you're stressed.  Instead of smoking you're going to use a stress ball.  You smoke more when you drink.  Instead of smoking either quit drinking or buy sparkling champagne (no alcohol content) to drink.  The important thing is to do that "instead of" each and every time you are stressed or want to drink.  You are retraining your brain or yourself to do something else over and over again just like you did with smoking.  If cold turkey doesn't work, then try the patch.  Most important thing is to never give up.  An excellent blog written by one of the members on here and what you will find when you poke around on Best of EX‌ is: /blogs/SkyGirl-blog/2015/09/29/you-can-quit-and-yes-i-am-talking-to-you-new-folks-who-have-just-foun... or /blogs/Chuck_Quit_2-20-2011-blog/2017/02/20/six-years-of-freedom-and-it-feels-so-good   I have so many excellent blogs and discussions on here bookmarked that really hit home for me.  Reach out to people on here when you're having a problem or want to vent or are wondering what you're going through is so-called normal.  Try not to find yourself twirling around in circles with all the what ifs.  Take one day at a time, educate yourself.  Take a look at the group https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/copd   You'll be just fine, trust me, you will..........

[JonesCarpeDiem]

Ever hear the phrase Actions speak louder than words?

So what do you think someone who is smoking their brains out before they quit saying?

My opinion is the people who do this are clinging to the idea of smoking and reinforcing those ideas.

This is why I cut down without any counting or ever denying myself a smoke.

I had prepared myself TO LET GO, not smoke my brains out and then JUMP OFF A CLIFF.