cancel
Showing results for 
Show  only  | Search instead for 
Did you mean: 

Give and get support around quitting

QuitMeNow
Member

Struggling to quit

I'm failing miserably in my quest to quit. I have cut down but I need to stop and stop now. I'll try to busy myself thereby taking longer to light up, yet and still I light up. I have knee replacement surgery Monday so it's very important that I end this madness now. I don't smoke a whole cigarette at one time but relight it a couple of times. I cannot stand cigarettes. Yet I succumb to the crave. I need help

49 Replies
JACKIE1-25-15
Member

Congratulations on making the decision to quit smoking.  You have come to the right place for support. Start with making a plan @My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX  Additional info https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex/blog/2013/08/11/foundation-for-a-successful-qui...‌.  Education is the key to a succesful quit. Welcome

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

While cutting back is good practice, it actually keeps you in constant withdrawal, making it actually more difficult to quit.  When you quit, you get the withdrawal over with and then move on!

The 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, quitsmoking.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 recommended here on the site.
 
 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

QuitMeNow
Member

Thank you. This is very helpful. I have the patch but it itches so I don't

use it. I also have gum and lozenges and you're right it is basically the

same soup but different bone.

A lot of this is habit vs nicotine urge. I'm going to make every effort

possible not to smoke the rest of today even if it means I take a nap. I'm

retired so I'm home all day and cigarettes have become something to do. I

make excuses that I don't smoke that much 3 or 4 a day. But I do realize

that's a lame excuse.

On Thu, Jan 31, 2019, 1:11 PM Youngatheart.7.4.12 <

YoungAtHeart
Member

You might try a generic patch - like maybe one from CVS or Walmart.  the adhesive is the problem.  Be careful using the gum and lozenges, and only use them as a last resort after you have tried distractions, slow breathing, exercise and some of the other things on the list I gave you.  If you sub one of them for every cigarette you used to smoke, you can become addicted to THEM!

CommunityAdmin
Community Manager
Community Manager

QuitMeNow wrote:

Your reply was empty. Did we miss something?

Best of luck on the surgery on Monday. 

Mark
EX Community Manager

EX Community Admin Team
QuitMeNow
Member

I replied via the email notification. I suppose it didn't go thru.

Here's my response.

Thank you. This is very helpful. I have the patch but it itches so I don't use it. I also have gum and lozenges and you're right it is basically the same soup but different bone. 

A lot of this is habit vs nicotine urge. I'm going to make every effort possible not to smoke the rest of today even if it means I take a nap. I'm retired so I'm home all day and cigarettes have become something to do. I make excuses that I don't smoke that much 3 or 4 a day. But I do realize that's a lame excuse.
CommunityAdmin
Community Manager
Community Manager

We saw that one: https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/message/160013-re-struggling-to-quit?commentID=160013&et=watches.... 

The response after that is missing:  https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/message/160013-re-struggling-to-quit?commentID=160013&et=watches.... 

YoungAtHeart wrote:

You might try a generic patch - like maybe one from CVS or Walmart.  the adhesive is the problem.  Be careful using the gum and lozenges, and only use them as a last resort after you have tried distractions, slow breathing, exercise and some of the other things on the list I gave you.  If you sub one of them for every cigarette you used to smoke, you can become addicted to THEM!

EX Community Admin Team
YoungAtHeart
Member

Thanks.