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Give and get support around quitting

DonnaMarie
Member

Quit date looming

Looming makes it sound so ominous. October 1. That gives me time to figure out how to use the message board system here. 

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15 Replies
Roller831
Member

I agree looming makes it sound ominous....but know you came to the right place and CAN do this!  Follow the steps at the log in page and list out your triggers and habits now.

I was told to read read read.

Do the steps to PREPARE yourself to quit.  Do the steps so you are PREPARED on quit day and for the days AFTER quit day.  Keep this site close and keep posting and asking for help.  You will get it.  You will get things you like and things you don't like, but don't give up!!!

 

101 Things to Do Instead of Smoke 

What To Expect In The First Four Months 

Start first, by educating yourself about nicotine addiction.  

Education is the key to a successful quit.

Read: Freedom from Nicotine My Journey Home and Nicotine Addiction 101         

Here are the links: http://whyquit.com/whyquit/LinksAAddiction.html   and http://whyquit.com/ffn/

I also encourage you to read. Allen Carr’s book, “Easy Easier Way to Quit Smoking”.       

The link is here:  http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

 Go to http://www.becomeanex.org/how-to-quit-smoking.php#thl and get started. 

 

We will support you. You are on your journey to freedom.

DonnaMarie
Member

 I have "used" Carr's book to quit twice before. As with many people, this isn't my first time. I have the book on my phone now and am reading it again. Never say never. It's the best book out there, IMHO.

Roller831
Member

And for help with the website:

Community Help 

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

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 also highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read.

 You should also read the posts here and perhaps go to the pages of folks who you think might be helpful. You might visit  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. 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:

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

prjimm01
Member

Hi Donna and Welcome!  All of us have walked in your shoes so now you can walk in ours!  You will love love love being an ex!!!

MarilynH
Member

Welcome  you've got some great links above me to read which will help prepare you for your precious quit date which is the best decision that you'll ever make in your lifetime so be sure to do the reading because it'll strengthen your resolve to kick the nicotine poison to the curb and start living a life of Freedom.

maryfreecig
Member

Welcome. October one it is then.  

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elvan
Member

Welcome to EX, so happy that you found us and that you are preparing for your quit.  I tracked my cigarettes after identifying my triggers and I made a list of things I would do INSTEAD of smoking when triggers occurred after I quit.  Trust me, they WILL occur.  I had all kinds of things in mind, I would drink ice water, I would suck on sour candies, I would come to EX and blog...I would read blogs and see what other people did.  Ultimately, I would decide what I expected a cigarette to do FOR me and then I would pay very close attention to whether it was fulfilling its role.  It wasn't...EVER.  It didn't take away pain, it didn't take away stress, it didn't make me happy when I was sad, it didn't take away anger...it didn't do anything it was supposed to do so WHY was I smoking?  Oh yeah...addiction.  Read everything you can find about nicotine addiction or any other addiction because this is NOT a habit, it is an addiction and it does all kinds of irreversible damage as long as you feed it.  Smoking did nothing FOR me but it sure did do a lot TO me.  I am not pulling an oxygen tank around behind me...yet,  but I am sleeping with oxygen on and I am increasingly short of breath no matter what I do.  I am exhausted all of the time...another part of COPD.  I would not wish this on anyone...it definitely was not worth it.  

We are all here to help you in any way that we can and we want you to succeed, coming here and quitting are two of the best gifts you will ever give yourself.  Stay close to the site, read, blog, comment...it is worth every single minute that you might feel that you cannot do this...we are here to tell you that you CAN!

Ellen

DonnaMarie
Member

Thanks, Ellen. One of the reasons I'm here now is that I want to feel comfortable navigating and knowing what's what. Jive is not familiar to me, so am learning a new commenting platform in the process   

" I would pay very close attention to whether it was fulfilling its role.  It wasn't...EVER.  It didn't take away pain, it didn't take away stress, it didn't make me happy when I was sad, it didn't take away anger...it didn't do anything it was supposed to do so WHY was I smoking?"

Sounds very much like the way I am. Carr reminds us there is no reason to smoke other than to ease the urge from having had the last one (addiction, like you mentioned). 

Last night, my daughter (33) emailed me to say she really wanted me to quit again and that it was super important. I think I shocked her when I said, "Give me a date."  She replied with, "October 1." I agreed and here I am. I know what I need to do. I know I need to set a date. I know I need to process my pre-quit and be ready for quit day. 

My sister, who does have COPD, moved in with us a bit over a year ago. She still smokes. I need to step back and let her have her addiction and stop making it mine too. 

So many needs and wants. I will be using lozenges and lots and lots of water as an assist. I will sleep and not allow myself to be exhausted and weak on the decision-making end. I will walk. I will not sit on the front porch for a while as that's where my sister smokes. And even prior to deciding to make October 1 the day, I had made the decision to re-join the local rec center and go back to water exercise classes.

I didn't mean to go on so long, but I'm at that point where I need to reinforce my decision every day.