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Give and get support around quitting

Mroseforte
Member

New to Community

Hi 

26 Replies
YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

I'm glad you're here!  Tell us a bit about yourself, if you are comfortable doing that.  Have you set a quit date?  How long and how much did you smoke?  Why do you want to quit?

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 it online or at your local library. Here's a link to a video here on the site which describes nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.

 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 in a place different from when you smoked. Maybe switch to tea for a bit.  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.  Keep a cold bottle of water with you from which to sip. 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

Mroseforte
Member

Hi  it’s been 11 days !! I find this app a little difficult to use for some reason , especially the community contact messaging back-and-forth !!

 At the same time it’s awesome and full of information  !! 🙂  I actually just found this so I am going to read it this afternoon  !

I’ll check back with you thank you so much I’m feeling down today and that really helped

JACKIE1-25-15
Member

Hello and Welcome to EX.  You have come to the right place. The idea is to start at the beginning by making a commitment that no matter what happens or goes on in your life that you will not use it as an EXcuse to smoke.  With that philosophy, you will have success on this journey.  No, it is not easy but it is doable by using that principle and educating yourself about nicotine addiction.   If you hang around you will see that quitting is doable, because many of us have.  Look forward to a new day and a new way of life.  It is all up to you.  This is all about you and what you are willing to do to be smoke-free. Quitting smoking requires hard work and determination not to give up.   It can be challenging at times but you will learn that it is doable if you adhere to NOPE not one puff ever no matter what. 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”. 

maryfreecig
Member

Hello and welcome. You have come to the right place for quitting support.

AnnetteMM
Member

Hi

freeneasy
Member

Welcome to ex! Read as much as you can about nicotine addiction and quitting. A good place to start is by clicking on "My Quit Plan" In the upper right of your screen. Chech out all the suggested reading.

How to Quit Smoking for Good 

MarilynH
Member

Welcome to the community please read everything you can about quitting smoking and remaining quit because there's a wealth of information here to strengthen your resolve to kick the nicotine poison to the curb and start living a life of Freedom, stay close because we're all here to help you in any way we can ....

Mroseforte
Member

Hi  i’m finding this app kind of difficult !!

 Is there anyway to stay logged on ?

 Thanks so much for writing back I’m just figuring out my inboxes LOL 

 11 days without a cigarette !!

Feeling depressed I know that’s part of it but it’s still very tuff 

I actually need to get up and get going I’ll check in with you guys later hopefully I can navigate this app better this afternoon

thanks again Appreciate your help

CommunityAdmin
Community Manager
Community Manager

Mroseforte wrote:

Hi  i’m finding this app kind of difficult !!

 Is there anyway to stay logged on ?

When you login your phone should ask if you want to save the password. It should keep you logged in, though periodically it may need to have you click the login button once you have saved your password. Perhaps did you tell it not to save your password?

Mark

EX Community Manager

EX Community Admin Team
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