Good morning everyone I am new to EX I quit smoking 13 days ago I would like advise on how to combat cravings thank you
Good morning everyone I am new to EX I quit smoking 13 days ago I would like advise on how to combat cravings thank you
Congratulations on your 13 days of freedom I was able to beat back my worst cravings with "Box Breathing."
Stay Strong and Embrace the Journey
Darren
Thank you Darren I will definitely try this
Good morning and welcome to the BEST online quit smoking group you'll ever find! You've got a great start at 13 days already. You made those days on your own too, that's a huge hurdle! First two weeks are pure hell for me and I wouldn't have made it through without the love and support of everyone here. Read as much as you can, take "The Daily Pledge" to not smoke today(under celebrations and events), hop on board "The Freedom Train", post, blog, ask questions, whatever you need you will find here. Keep going, you can do this even if it's one minute at a time.
Julie
17 Days Of Freedom From Smoking
Thank you for the encouragement.. up until the past few days I have been feeling like giving in to the cravings that one day would not hurt that’s when I searched the web and found this site ... thank you for your suggestions. Jeannie
Welcome!
Wow, that you said halt and searched the web says so much about your desire to find the solutions you need to keep your quit on track. Way to go.
My favorite, in order, are:
- deep breathing
- chewing on a cut coffee stir straw
- yelling really loud! This could have been my favorite, but rarely was it practical
Congrats on 13 days!!!
Congratulations on 13 days and welcome to EX. I think the best thing to do is to accept that the craves are going to come no matter what...they are really intense in the beginning but they DO get weaker and less frequent the more time you have behind you. I suggest that you acknowledge the crave...figure out why you are having it and then ask yourself what having a cigarette would do to change whatever is happening. The only thing a cigarette will do is to take away the crave for a very short time and then the nicotine level drops and you want ANOTHER cigarette. That's how it works and in the meantime...nothing has changed, cigarettes do not relieve stress, they actually feed it, cigarettes do not help with depression or sadness, they make us feel more isolated and increase our depression, they do not help with physical pain, they distract us for a very short time and there are much healthier distractions...see Jennifer's comment to you. They do not help with anger...I remember smoking FURIOUSLY when I was angry...I would visualize the person or thing I was angry about incinerating. Clearly, that did not happen. I always felt angrier and angrier, I actually had arguments in my head..you know the I should have said, should have done things? Smoking does nothing FOR us but I can tell you that it sure can do a lot TO us. No crave ever killed anyone...no one can say that about smoking. I suggest that you do all of the reading about nicotine addiction...read blogs here, comment, write blogs like you just did...ask for help if you feel that your quit is at risk. Write a blog and put the word HELP in the subject, we will do everything we can to help you to get past the trigger. I used the mantra NOPE all the time at the beginning of my quit...Not One Puff Ever. It was simple, easy for me to remember, and it helped me to keep my commitment to myself. You CAN do this and there are lots of people here who will help you and who will hold your hand when you need it, we ALL want you to succeed and to be an active member of this community. I am adding a couple of links here for you, one is a blog written by SkyGirl and it is really helpful...Here’s What Smoking DOESN’T Do For You. The next was written by jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007 and I read it over and over again when I first quit...What To Expect In The First Four Months This should give you a good start.
Again, welcome to EX and please let us know if we can help in any other ways.
Ellen
Ellen, Love this post!!! Especially this:
"That's how it works and in the meantime...nothing has changed, cigarettes do not relieve stress, they actually feed it, cigarettes do not help with depression or sadness, they make us feel more isolated and increase our depression, they do not help with physical pain, they distract us for a very short time and there are much healthier distractions...see Jennifer's comment to you. They do not help with anger...I remember smoking FURIOUSLY when I was angry...I would visualize the person or thing I was angry about incinerating. Clearly, that did not happen. I always felt angrier and angrier, I actually had arguments in my head..you know the I should have said, should have done things? Smoking does nothing FOR us but I can tell you that it sure can do a lot TO us."
How is it possible that I actually feel calmer and less stressed now smoke free, than I did while smoking?!! I understand that I am still getting the nicotine from the patch and that does help - but even still my over-all feeling of well being is a complete 180. I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia last year- I read your profile and see you also suffer from chronic pain, my body hasn't hurt in the past 3 days - again, I feel like because I am over all feeling less stressed this has helped tremendously with my chronic pain. SMH, who would have thought!
Hugs
Debbie
Deb-EX I have RA and also have osteoporosis and degenerative disc disease, my vertebrae are crumbling and I have a severe scoliosis as a result of that. If it didn't hurt, I cannot imagine what it would be like. I need both of my shoulders replaced but there is no way I am having any surgery that is not absolutely necessary to save my life. When I was first diagnosed, years and years ago, fibromyalgia was just getting recognized. My rheumatologist said he was sure that I had it along with the RA...I asked what I could do and he said...exercise. I wanted to bite his head off, I was smoking then too. I could not imagine how I was supposed to exercise when I was in constant pain. He said it would help, I was determined to prove him wrong and immediately started a regular routine working out. Lo and behold, he was RIGHT. The pain BETWEEN my joints was MUCH better, my joints were not as happy but I kept it up and if I have issues with that kind of pain, I make sure to work out the areas that hurt. Chronic pain is tough, it changes everything about your life. I USED to say I could quit smoking with no issue if I could get the pain under control. It was one of my excuses...once I really paid attention, I was amazed that it did NOTHING for my pain. It MAY have intensified it because of the increased stress and secondary muscle tension and pain. I am completely convinced that there is no good reason to smoke...believe me I tried to find them, LOL. My daughter quit smoking a little over two years ago, she did not come here but she did pay attention to NOPE and the many stories I told her. I am so happy that she is smoke free...when the house burned, she and my granddaughter drove down from NY state to see if there was anything they could do. I was not smoking but she still was, it did not bother me at ALL. The fire was a week and a day before Thanksgiving and the Wednesday before the Holiday, I fell in the yard of the burned house...trying to feed a feral cat who stayed here throughout the fire, the demolition, and the rebuild...he's still here. I knew my shoulders would dislocate if I put my hand out to break the fall so I basically fell on my chest. I broke a rib (I break very easily) and I thought I was having a heart attack a couple of days later. I finally went to the ER and had x-rays and an exam that showed the rib had broken right over my heart so I had likely bruised the heart...it took WEEKS to get better but it did. I think that time in my life absolutely convinced me that smoking was a horrible thing and I did not want anything to do with it. I have enough wrong with my body so I really don't need to make things WORSE.
You are off to a great start and you are going to make it through all of the ups and downs and join the 6% Club....that's when you have a year of smobriety and you become an "elder."
Hugs,
Ellen
Good Morning Ellen!
My heart goes out to you.. as I can only imagine the weight of the chronic pain you feel. It's HORRIBLE! YES, exercise does help greatly. It kind of sounds like an oxymoron, but it does work. As soon as I feel my body starting to go into that pain mode, I get moving, cleaning, take a walk whatever.. sitting and feeling sorry for myself does nothing to help! Accept on days of RAIN, than well you know how that goes :-))))
You are such a inspirational to me Ellen. A very strong woman, so positive and reassuring! You have probably been there, done that on so many things in life! So glad we connected, and I am here for YOU too.
((HUGS))
Deb-EX Thanks, my closest friend has RA and fibro and then two years ago, she was bitten by a tick and now she has Lyme's Disease. Her sister has had deforming RA since she was really young, now she looks like her fingers have been braided. She had all of the joints in those fingers replaced years ago but now they have come apart. She has broken her femur three times in five years from falls...she is only in her 50's. I look at her and I cannot feel sorry for myself. Keep in mind that you are an inspiration to me too and I thank you.
Ellen
WOW.. It's why I hate complaining, there are so many people suffering with so much worse! I love how you can think of everyone else, before you think about yourself! I guess that's where your RN comes in. My best friend is a NP (Neurology Pediatrics) and she is the same as you. I guess when you see how much worse other people have it, ESPECIALLY when it's children, you rarely complain about yourself. Hmm probably why we clicked :-)))
Today was a tough day! Maybe because I did the most errands in day since I stopped smoking. Normally, every time I would get it my truck, I lite a cigarette, every. single. time ! So that thought was SO strong and I felt disappointment in that brief moment when I remembered I wasn't smoking anymore, but I let it pass as I listened to the music. I grabbed the water cap off my water bottle and just started flipping it around and around in my fingers as I drove store to store. OK that WORKED! By the last stop the thought went through my mind a lot quicker. Awesome. Day after day, as I go about my normal routine, and see all my triggers I feel like a "beast" for conquering them LOL. Day 11 and my hair smells damn good LOL.
CONGRATULATIONS on day 11...I worked in pediatrics for a while, absolutely loved it but it was incredibly painful to lose a patient. There really are people who have it much worse than I do and they live near by. My spine is the worst of my issues and I have to remember to take medication as prescribed and not wait until my back is SCREAMING. I was just like you with the smoking when I ran errand...every single time I got to the car.
I am really proud of you and so happy about that HAIR.
XO,
Ellen
LOL Ellen...The hair the whole hair thing makes me literally laugh out loud! I’m settling in for the night, early morning - THANKSGIVING! My favorite holiday of the year.
Wishing you a wonderful day, filled with delicious food and most importantly family and friends. AND..No talking politics- because if that don’t trigger the need for a lemon bite...nothing will...
Oh and Pleaseeeee take your medication on time, no need to hurt.....☺️☺️
Xo
Debbie
"one day" will definitely hurt, not help. One day will put you right back at Day One after all the work you've put into your quit over the past 13 days. It's just your addicted brain screaming for it's binky. Exercise is a great craving buster. I found green tea also helped me beat cravings, oddly enough. The following as an illustration of the back and forth dialogue we have with ourselves. A Quit Dialogue in IV Acts It's important to try to focus the brain elsewhere when craving come about. To not sit dwelling in smoking thoughts. Because they WILL swamp you. Here's one technique that can be helpful: Craving Buster Technique .
13 Days is MAGNIFICENT! Don't you let it go now! Ya hear?! (Glad you've joined us.)
WELCOME!!! Please know that if you hit a rough spot you can jump on the site type HELP as a blog title & hang tight for someone to get back to you! In the mean time the best thing to do is distract yourself as the craving passes whether or not you smoke so best not to smoke. You get stronger every time you say no to it.
Craving Kickers
Did you know most cravings only last 3 to 5 minutes?
20 Craving Kickers
Welcome to the site, you've made the best decision for you and your health congratulations on 13 precious DOF - Days Of Freedom, read everything you can right here on the site because there's a wealth of information to strengthen your resolve to kick the nicotine poison to the curb and continue stacking up your Days WON - N.O.P.E. Not One Puff Ever - I used this mantra alot in my early days of quitting it helped me alot, stay close we are here to help you through any rough patches you may come upon, just let us know if you need us.
Welcome to Ex. Congrats on 13 days.
Joining a community of quitters is one way to deal with craves because you get to see that others have been there and succeeded in getting past them, and you can see that others are there now..making the craves not such an isolated or lonely experience.
Invest yourself in what you like to do--whatever that is--and reward yourself with a little something everyday. The craves will fade and you will find your comfort zone without the cigs. Keep coming back and share your experience.
I have found that having a small sucker in the car helps me while driving. I've seen other people write that we must break the hand to mouth habit so I dunno. I'm new too.
Welcome. Driving is one of my BIGGEST triggers because I love taking long drives to nowhere in particular. I go for either the great curvey roads or the highway headed towards the beach, cruise control on and tooling down the road. If I'm just out driving I turn around before the beach. It's therapeudic for me. Just me, with my tunes cranked and a cold bottle of Diet Mt. Dew in the cupholder. There used to be a pack of smokes on that list until 18 days ago. It's one of my biggest hurdles and I haven't gone out except to go to the store but I'm getting used to it. I keep breath mints in the car and take gum with me. There is also and unsharpened pencil in the car in case my hand really needs to have something in it. My singing voice is coming slowly all the way back (I can hit more high notes again) so I sing too. After a while you'll notice how bad the car actually smells and realize that there won't be any more gross ashes all over the floor and seats and burn holes in the upholstery or carpet. It is difficult at first I know! Keep that N.O.P.E. in your head and you can do this!! Congratulations on taking your first steps at this and make this site your best friend because you WILL get love, support and wisdom from all the great people here! It's the ONLY thing that has kept me quit this long.
Julie
18 Days Of FREEDOM!!!
Congrats on 13 days, I am12 days in. I set my quit date for 11/18 but wanted to get a head start so here I am 12 days and ready to hit my Quit date!!! I praise myself each day, I am also on Chantix which is a great help or else i'd be miserable with the craving issues. I also keep mints in my car and on my person. The Book - Easy Way to quit was also very helpful the first week. I know I can do this, its just one day at a time.
Stay positive on this journey and know that this site is a great help. Stick it out and hang in there!! We can do this!!
You are definitely where you need to be....right here on EX, with people who will provide you so much support, it's
nothing more than a win, win!!!
Not a whole lot more that I can say that hasn't already been said by all before me, EXcept, Welcome to EX!
Congrats on your 13 huge DOF! Take it day by day! You CAN do this! It's a great journey, but so worth it!
Sandy
Hello, I will be three weeks as of tomorrow. The way I would combat cravings is to color in the adult coloring books. My thing was in the beginning I was edgy and a little aggravated I had to quit so my coloring books contained cuss words which was a great stress reliever. Lol now, when I get a craving, I take a deep breath and relax for a few minutes. I'm using nicotine patches (I'm finishing 14mg), spearmint candy and cinnamon. I still color when cravings are bad but I bought a book with positive affirmations in it. Another method I used was I would look at my x-ray results and that really was a big help. Long story short, if I don't quit smoking I will end up with COPD and I'm not doing that. I want to be healthier not just for myself but for my family and friends. If you need anything, you can always message me. I'm pretty new to my quit and the best tip of all is read everything and listen to everyone on here plus stay close on this site. You can do this! Remember N.O.P.E. Not One Puff Ever!
My advise - stay busy! Do things that don't remind you of smoking. My go-to thing the first couple of months was reading. I could start reading an interesting novel and not have a single thought of smoking for hours. Here is a link to a blog by aztec that lists 100 things to do besides smoke. Maybe you will find it helpful.
100 THINGS TO DO BESIDES SMOKE
PS - Welcome to the community!