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Give and get support around quitting

Sophijane
Member

Quitting for good!

Hello, I am new to this community. I have decided to stop smoking once and for all. I have “attempted” in the past many times. I have gone for a few days to a few months without smoking only to succumb to the cravings. Many times I have tried to quit for my family. I’m blessed to have a supportive husband and 4 teen/young adult children. I have smoked since I was 16. My Mother and Father were both smokers and I remember how much I hated the stench of their cigarettes growing up. Unfortunately, I lost both of my parents (one to a stroke and one to cancer) at way to young of an age. I have never smoked in front of my children. I have always tried to hide it from them. However, I know they know. I turn 50 this year, and really want to give up the habit, first and foremost for myself. You see, my children are all almost adults. I am thankful I have had the opportunity to watch them grow. I now want to see what they become and what wonderful things they will do with their lives. Also, I want to live to be able to see and be ALIVE for my grandchildren (when they come along). I turn 50 this year, and for my birthday I want to give myself the gift of a Smokefree life.

17 Replies
Sophijane
Member

I forgot to mention... tomorrow is my QUIT DATE.

CommunityAdmin
Community Manager
Community Manager

Welcome! Glad you joined!

Please be sure to follow these instructions to sync your quit date. Re: How do I get my quit date to show on the community?

Mark
EX Community Manager

EX Community Admin Team
anaussiemom
Member

sophijane
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Hugs Kim

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0 Kudos
Sophijane
Member

THANK YOU! I LOVE THE HEARTS!

Giulia
Member

Welcome A'board.  Most of us here have attempted to quit on several occasions.  You are definitely not alone.  Education about this addiction can really help to overcome it.  Here's a little primer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z16vhtjWKL0  It's important to make a strong preparation.  Understanding how to get through cravings and planning ahead for triggers will keep you in safe waters.  Others will chime in with more informative links and info.  Glad you're giving this a new GO!  Cheers!

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

I'm sorry you weren't here to prepare and plan for your quit.  I hope you will do the reading I recommend to all newcomers. It makes a great crave buster!

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.


 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

Sophijane
Member

Thank you for all the positive reinforcements! I have added the 100-things-to-do -instead-of-smoke to my own list I have compiled. I have the Allen Carr’s book on audio and have already listen to it in it’s entirety. I really appreciate the encouragement!

MarilynH
Member

Welcome to the community you are going to turn your DAY ONE tomorrow into DAY WON with many more to come you can do this quit believe it deep breaths and know that we're all here to help you in any way we can......

elvan
Member

Congratulations on your decision to quit and to join this community.  First and foremost, please read everything you can about nicotine addiction, this is more than a habit, it is an addiction.  Education helps so much as does support and you will get plenty of that here. The last thing you need is your own commitment.  You have to commit to not smoking, no matter what happens.  Make a plan and stick to it.  Smoking does nothing FOR you...but it sure can do a lot to you.  I used the mantra NOPE, Not One Puff Ever that I got from this site and I came here every morning and every evening and after more than five years, I still do for the most part.  Quitting is a journey and it cannot be taken more than one day at a time...you CAN do this.  This site is a lifesaver.  

It's nice to "meet" you, hope to hear a lot more from you.  Welcome to EX,

Ellen