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Give and get support around quitting

Torrell_87
Member

How can a person quit smoking by themselves?

How can a person who is trying to quit smoking, quit smoking on their own without a or any support team?

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17 Replies
Anite
Member

I did it.  I felf so healthy. But after three months started to to smoke again.  Plain stupidity from my side.  Good luck

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JACKIE1-25-15
Member

So your answer is no, since you are still smoking, right?

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YoungAtHeart
Member

If you are here, I am wondering why you are asking this question?   You could, theoretically, just go to the various quit smoking sites (here and whyquit.com, quitsmokingonline.com, livewell.com) and read all the offerings and the blogs and responses. 

If you don't want to go it alone, you are certainly welcome here!

Nancy

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Keep Them Away From Your Face

TW517
Member

I couldn't.  At least not without this support group right here.  I've had physical support groups of a sort before.  But it was family members who have never smoked and friends who gave up 15-20 years ago and had forgotten a lot of the day to day things I was going through.  So they weren't much help.

This group is ideal for me.  We have long-term quitters with all kinds of wisdom, people a little ahead of me to warn me of what's just around the corner, my quit-buddies who quit about the same time and share my experience, and those just behind that I can help out.  Who could ask for more in a support group?

Jennifer-Quit
Member

I know of many people who have successfully quit without a support system/site.  But in my experience it was much easier to do with this site and the people here to help.  Hope you decide to stick around.

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Angie_machado
Member

Read Allen Carr's book! It's on this site for free.  I have been smoke free for 3 days......that book change the way I feel and think about ciggys.  This book was the game changer for me.  Read it and you will be a non smoker and you will never look at a person smoking with envy.  Everytime I have attempted to stop smoke in the past, I have craved a ciggy for months.  I read this book and now those cravings do not exist anymore.  

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YoungAtHeart
Member

I think perhaps the meaning of your question has come to me (doh!).  You are asking if you can quit smoking by yourself without using a Nicotine Replacement Therapy?  If so, please do the reading I will suggest and you will better understand your options.

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:

http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

 You should also read the posts here and perhaps go to 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. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises suggested in My Quit Plan http://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  A good many people here have been successful going "Cold Turkey," or what we like to call "Smart Turkey."  The nicotine is out of your body pretty much in a few days, and then it's just your body adjusting to life without it.

If you go the NRT (nicotine replacement) 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:

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instea...

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

Giulia
Member

I have quit several times in my life without any support.  However I eventually relapsed with each one.  But not the last time which was over 11 years ago.  The reason why this one stuck, I believe, is due mostly to support. Quitting is difficult, but maintaining a quit is the trick.  Support helps equally with both.