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Give and get support around quitting

Mona15
Member

How did you quit?

I've smoked 13 cigs yesterday and today and threw away the pack so I wouldn't smoke anymore..  Visiting my late Pastor's wife on Wednesday and am going to ask her to help me quit.  My quit date is Feb. 13.  I've been struggling with cigs over 15 years, ever since my beloved husband Sam died unexpectedly.  I used to smoke a pack and a half a day and am now smoking almost a pack a week.  The more I smoke, the more I smoke.  Thanks.

36 Replies
YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

Education, preparation and planning are keys to a successful quit..  You can continue to smoke up to your quit date as you do the work.  Please start by reading the Allen Carr book.  You CAN do this; we can help.   

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. You can search for a free pdf of it on the net (copyright enforcement won't allow me to post the link here).

 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. 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

Lisaml
Member

Hello!;-) 

i think you will find people around here use a very wide array of "aids". Personally, I have used chantix the first 3 weeks but quit that because of really unpleasant dreams. (I started 1 week before quitting) 

i bought some patches, but never used them...

I think the key is to read, research and learn and devise a PLAN for you. You know yourself best. 

Best wishes for you, and welcome! 

JACKIE1-25-15
Member

Welcome to EX First by educating myself about nicotine addiction.  Then making a commitment that no matter what was happening in my life was no EXcuse to smoke. Sickness, Death, Divorce NOTHING Coming here reading blogging commenting learning and relearning behavior. 

Taking it one day a time with a plan. http://www.becomeanex.org/how-to-quit-smoking.php#thl 

Tabbiekat
Member

Research was my biggest helper, after I decided I really wanted to quit, had set a date to quit along with my husband. I started searching for quitting help online and came across this site. I read, I posted, I saw my doctor, I started Chantix Oct 13th, quit Oct 17th, slipped Oct 30th, reset my quit Oct 31st and have not smoked one since. I also never went to the 2mg of Chantix that I was prescribed. I quit so quickly after starting it I did not feel I needed the full strength so I stuck with the 1pill a day vs 2. I know educating myself on the nicotine addiction truly helped me quit for the last time. Husband still smokes, but even when he decided to quit he chose not to learn about the addiction and has always said that it is his last crutch (not so, but I will let him keep his dream). He told me when I met him 14 yrs ago he had no intentions of quitting so I will not leave him for not quitting since I do know it is a personal choice, but being here will help you in your choice to quit.

Best wishes and keep in touch with us

Tabbie 94 days quit

indingrl
Member

CONGRATS for asking for spiritual TOOLS early and God willing YOUR CHOICE DATE FEB 13, 2018 will be a BLOG to share in YOUR NICOTINE FREEDOM

MONA15! I am so sorry about your husband and Pastor passing in Lord Jesus peace and strength to you Mona15. Amen.... HOW did I quit? I didn't and here is  MY recovery story... same as you I used NICOTINE too... similarities NOT our differences...FACTS not feelings... I used nicotine for 38 YEARS at the end of MY using I smoked 50 cigs a day while doing at home Bible study... MY story begins years ago always TRYING to quit on MY own many many ways and off and on for YEARS! This TIME I was quitting on MY own... AGAIN... determined I WILL DO THIS.... I tried ALL the gum patches nicotine panels groups stop start stop start etc....this TIME I was eating healthier exercising reading the blogs here since october 2010 and I was down from 50 cigs to 1-3 cigs a day... then BAM! I was buying another pack and using MORE... so one night I drop to MY knees in the kitchen and prayed Dear Jesus if you dont take these cigs from me I will smoke them until I drop dead in Jesus name.amen Then I woke up the next morning with a COLD TURKEY QUIT and I have been ONLY by Gods grace NICOTINE FREE FOR 7 YEARS on Jan 6 2011! JESUS doesnt use NICOTINE neither do I.... please take what HELPS and let go of the rest to be HELPFUL is MY only aim ....OH I also TOOK all SUGGESTIONS given to ME here too they said to educate MYSELF about MY nicotine addiction NOT anyone else so I did what the said read the BLOGS here EVERYDAY for the first 90 days I was here and obeyed those STAYING QUIT! They said go to whyquit.com and I watch the video of early death from using NICOTINE a man name Bryon his video saved MY life it brought ME out of MY DENIAL see I believed OTHER PEOPLE got cancer NOT ME I was born again I was special cuz I belong to Jesus I went to church I tithed and I read the BIBLE....I was DIFFERENT....Bryons early death video help ME admit I was a NICOTINE addict and I was powerless over NICOTINE and MY life was unmanageable...thats when I dropped to MY knees and completely surrendered MY NICOTINE addiction and COMPLETELY SURRENDERED MY NICOTINE ADDICTION TO MY SAVIOR JESUS... is the Pastors wife a RECOVERING NICOTINE ADDICT cuz IF shes NOT she will NOT be able to HELP you if she doesnt KNOW NICOTINE ADDICTION the truth Mona15..... you came here to the place I believe God has led YOU Mona15 where THOSE who KNOW the lengths you went to get YOUR DRUG NICOTINE.... in your praying just ASK the Holy Spirit to tell MONA15 the TRUTH ABOUT MONA15 and YOUR NICOTINE ADDICTION and he will in OUR Lord Jesus name amen please REMEMBER you asked the question and God willing I pray you REMAIN OPEN MINDED TO ACCEPT the many many many different WAYS to CHOOSE yet IF your a believer than you already KNOW our brains are too little to comprehend Gods ways and thoughts HIS OUR HIGHER than ANY human and NO ONE can phantom GODS deepness of how GOD works....NO HUMAN...I know I cant FULLY comprehend OUR AWESOME DADDY GOD! Keep on keeping sister in our Lord Jesus he ain't got NO favorites what he did for ME he will do for ANY whosoever IF he is their Savior they MUST choose him of their OWN FREE WILL please get your bible and read for YOURSELF 1 Corinthians chapter 15 verses 1-4 and Roman chapter 10 verses 9-10 for YOURSELF dont take MY word on it! Thats what was said to ME on Nov 5, 1986 and MY NICOTINE quit date Jan 6, 2011.....NOTHING is impossible for GOD! amen

AnnetteMM
Member

Hi Mona! I see all the really smart "elders" as we call them have chimed in with site's greatest hits. Do read them, they really help. I'm a widow, too, going on 4 years now. Smoked for 45 years, quit on Christmas. The best advice I can give is to take whatever works from here, disregard the rest, and live one day at a time. We're here for you.

Mona15
Member

Thanks Annette! 

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tjanddj
Member

Hi Mona Good to see you. 

Trudy

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