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Give and get support around quitting

Hiker
Member

Quit date tomorrow Feb 1

Ok here I go one LAST time.

1. After smoking for 46 yrs, Quit for 3 yrs. Started again for 2yrs.

2. Had 6 cigs a day. I can tell you the exact time each day.

3. Would quit cold Turkey for 1 month then start again. Would quit for a week then thought I'd just smoke 1 week on , one week off. LOL that didn't last.

4. Used the patch and did well until I didn't have any and the store was out. So I bought a pack of cigarettes. 

5. I cant breathe well, cough, difficulty walking stairs and cant keep up with the hiking group.

DONE!!  I bought ALL the patches I'd need so I dont run out. Have plenty of chew toys, have set plans on what to do to beat the crave. I even changed my phone screen saver to a picture of a person using a portable oxygen tank!! Just to remind me of what's ahead if i dont quit NOW.   Plus using this site and all the information it has. So here i go......THE LAST TIME!!!!!

15 Replies
anaussiemom
Member

Hi  hiker  You sound like you have a lot of determination and willpower. I Have no doubt you can kick this addiction's butt!

Welcome and hugs

Kim


 

Sootie
Member

Hello. you may not know it yet but you have come to the BEST site for support. As everyone who comes after me will tell you, education is the KEY to kicking this addiction. You need to know your enemy and what will happen in the coming weeks. I suggest going to whyquit.com and reading the articles......very helpful on all sorts of things about quitting and addiction. This is difficult......BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE. We all did it and we are no different from you.

Welcome to EX.......we are all here for each other.

Giulia
Member

"have plenty of chew toys"  !!!! love that!  I hope they include a sports water bottle with a nipple on it.  Our primal need to suck is great!  

Out of curiosity - have you ever used the term "LAST TIME" in your quitting processes before?  If so, I'd then give that some different thought.  If you haven't ever used it before - then great!  But - personally I never used that term.  Even the last time I quit almost 13 years ago.  Why?  Because I guess I was never quite sure that this was my LAST TIME.  So far it is, but I've seen so many people with 5, 16, 20 years smoke-free who have gone back to another Day One that personally I have never said out loud here "this is my Last TIME or this is my FOREVER QUIT.  If it helps to make it true for you, then go for it.  I just wanted to pass on my own experience with that kind of thinking.  

Sounds like you're all geared up for this new quit, have your quit kit in hand and plans in place.  We're here. Cheering you on!  A whole LOT!

Hiker
Member

Thanks for "the LAST one"  input.  When my sister was 50 she said she was going to quit until she was 80. She turned 80 a few yrs ago and I asked her if she was going to smoke again. She said no, because she felt so good she didn't want to ruin a good thing!

YoungAtHeart
Member

I used to think that at my end of life I would allow myself to smoke again.  ALLOW?  I now understand that there is no way I want to do that.  But - this is a very strong addiction and it takes a bit to accept that all we thought it did for us was a lie!

Giulia
Member

Wise sister!  

0 Kudos
sweetplt
Member

Hi and Welcome to Ex’s,

I love that that today is your quit date.  We are all in this journey together, keep it here for help and also give help.

i hope you read and actively participates in My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX .  I hope you prepared for this day like no other.  You are choosing Life over cigarettes, keep busy, drink lots of water and breath.  You got this ~. Colleen aka sweetp

MarilynH
Member

Welcome to the community you've made the best decision that you'll ever make in your lifetime it's definetly not easy by any stretch of the imagination BUT it's absolutely Doable and totally worth it so hang on tight and don't let go of the best gift that any of us will ever give ourselves which is the gift of LIFE, we're all here to help you in any way we can at the end of today you'll have turned your day ONE intoDAY WON with many more to come. .....

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

Congrats on your decision to quit and your first day.  The readings I will give you will go a long way to understanding why there is no such thing as "just one" to an addict.  Addiction doesn't work that way!

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.


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