Just joined and needing advise

Discussion created by mjnewell1989 on Oct 8, 2017
Latest reply on Nov 4, 2017 by ranjitthewolf

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I'm a recovering drug addict, I'll have 8 months clean on Oct. 27th. I'm 27 with COPD and have been trying to quit smoking for a few years, I've tried the inhalers, the patches, the gum and Chantix and nothing has helped. The Vivitrol shot has lessened the nicotine cravings but no matter how hard I try I still can't completely stop smoking cigarettes. I've been smoking cigarettes since I was 7 years old and am finally down to around 3 - 5 a day but the stress keeps getting the best of me. Anyone have any suggestions for me please? I need help.

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JACKIE1-25-15 Oct 8, 2017 7:56 PM
Education is the key to a successful quit.
Start first, by educating yourself about nicotine addiction.
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.
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Youngatheart.7.4.12 Oct 8, 2017 8:16 PM
Welcome to our community!

Please do understand that none of the aids you mentioned will quit FOR you. You still have to do the educational materials, preparation, planning and commitment not to smoke another cigarette NO MATTER WHAT! We can help with all but the commitment. I'm glad you're here.

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-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
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ahkhippiechic Oct 8, 2017 10:48 PM
Wow that is quite a story and my heart goes out to you. Addiction is addiction is addiction. I can’t offer any expertise but I do offer my support and positive thoughts and encouragement. You CAN quit. It is a little hard just like quitting any addiction but you won’t get sick, you will get BETTER. !!
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elvan Oct 8, 2017 10:58 PM
Welcome to EX, you have gotten some wonderful advice above...I do recommend that you also read jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007's blog, I have attached a link: What To Expect In The First Four Months
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shashort Oct 8, 2017 11:47 PM
Hello and welcome to the community. You have come to the right place for education and support. You have been given some great readings to help you understand this addiction and how to get through it. Read all you can and read some more. The great thing is you don't have to go it alone we are here to help you. Have you set your date yet? Track your cigerettes that you smoke and know what your triggers are so you then can figure how to plan. You CAN do this! You have made a great decision to quit smoking, so read, plan, prepare and believe in yourself.
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rollercoaster831 Oct 9, 2017 9:58 AM
Welcome! I know when I first found this site, many Elders told me to read read read….and I did. Elders are those with one or more years of being quit. If you like what someone has to say, then you may want to read their blogs. I have some listed below.

A list of our Elders https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Giulia-blog/2017/06/18/elders-list-ao-december-7-2016

So here's the thing.....and you may not like what I am about to say....and that's ok. I get it. You need to accept that this is an addiction as you did when you accepted you are a recovering drug addict. Before you do that, it will be much more difficult to quit and stay quit.

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.

Some of the things I read in my first few days that helped me:
Dale’s Welcome to New Members https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/message/68188-my-welcome-to-new-members-10-years-of-wisdom-

Nancy’s Blog https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/Youngatheart.7.4.12-blog/2013/02/25/100-things-to-do-instead-of-smoke

Dale’s Blog https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007-blog/2011/06/26/what-to-expect-in-the-first-four-months

Visit https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex
And read what has been posted there.

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/people/JACKIE1-25-15 gave me the link to Alan Carr’s book, “Easy Way to Quit Smoking”. I actually didn’t read the online PDF, but purchased a book on CD from Amazon and listened to it in my car over and over again for the first two weeks of my quit. The link to the PDF:
http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

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!!! We have been through similar experiences and can share our strength and hope. We are here to support you!
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maryfreecig Oct 9, 2017 4:14 PM
Welcome. One step at a time. If stress is your biggest cue to smoke, you might want to start dealing with your stress differently....by asking how you can do better (for yourself) in responding to stress. If you are assigning those 3-5 cigs as stress reducers, that's what those 3-5 cigs will continue to mean.

There are a gazillion ways to deal with stress (I've been working on stress reactions too since I quit). Meditation, problem solving (what is the problem, what are the possible solutions), walking, swimming, music...white noise (youtube has a lot of calm your nerves white noise vids). The list goes on and on. One thing that won't work, or so I've learned, is waiting for stress to disappear. Damn! Oh, comedy is another stress reducer.

Anyway, you've been looking for your quit for a long time, so get ready for a lot of fellowship and support. Yes, you can find your quit one day at a time. Thanks for sharing your story.
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Thomas3.20.2010 Oct 10, 2017 12:47 AM
Stress? WOW! What could be more stressful than knowing you have COPD at age 27 and still smoking? That is stress!
I'm so sorry that you have COPD. It really sucks!
How do you recover from Addiction? It's all the same! You decide that no matter what you will not use your drug(s) of choice. Research shows that it's just as doable to stop all drugs, alcohol, and nicotine simultaneously - actually more so - than one at a time! You say NO to your drug(s) of choice and you reconstruct your New LIFE around Addiction FREE decisions. New lifestyle - new diet - new exercise - new attitude - new everything! Do the Reading! You have to penetrate the Addicted Brain that says every Lie in the book to convince you that you can't - because the truth is that you CAN and we're here to show you how! READ READ READ!
2 people found this helpful
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Giulia Oct 17, 2017 9:17 PM
So - where are you in this quitting process? Are you digesting the information you've been given. You've put out two blogs and gotten some pretty good information back in comments. But you've never responded back. The best of support is a two-way street. Did you heed any of the suggestions given? What else can we do to help?

You're 10 days short of closing in on your first year of freedom from drug addiction. How incredible is THAT?!!!!! And now you're working on the cigarette addiction. You're going to conquer the world soon. Stay with it. The more you do, the more empowered you become.

Tell us what's going on. We're here to help you beat this next addiction. One step at a time.
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mjnewell1989 Nov 3, 2017 8:37 PM
Thanks for all of the suggestions, I'm 5 days tobacco free today
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- Jennifer-Quit-05-01-14 @ mjnewell1989 on Nov 3, 2017 9:04 PM
  That is wonderful news!
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- elvan @ mjnewell1989 on Nov 3, 2017 9:04 PM
  Congratulations on your five days...it will get easier, it is one day at a time, one experience at a time...you CAN do this, you ARE doing this.
  Ellen
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Youngatheart.7.4.12 Nov 3, 2017 9:20 PM
YIPPEE!
Don't be a stranger! At the very least, we LOVE to cheer folks on!
Nancy
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Giulia Nov 4, 2017 1:02 AM
WOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOO! Five days! We KNOW how that feels and how much it took just to get there. Hold onto it! Five days will lead you to 500 days if you just keep walking.
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ranjitthewolf Nov 4, 2017 5:31 AM
Thanks for coming to this website my brother. You are just a year younger than me. I was at your place 5 months back. For me i wanted to see my child being born and spending my life with my wife that made me want to quit smoking. The first month is not going to be easy at all. But once you cross the first month barrier, things will start getting better. I taught it never will get better for me. But 5 months down the line i can tell you with confidence that i am a non smoker.
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Just joined and needing advise

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