Things that help

[Jaime1234]

I was wondering about patches to help quit I am two or more pack a day smoker with two children and anxiety disorder 

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

I think you will be pleasantly surprised to discover that your anxiety will actually be IMPROVED after you have been quit for a bit.  You might want to discuss your medication with your doctor to see if any adjustment needs to be made when you quit smoking.

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. If you do nothing else to get ready for your quit, please do give this a read.

 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. Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.

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.The patch allows you to wean down the amount of nicotine you are getting gradually and lessens the shock to your system.   If used properly, gum, lozenges and inhalers are fine, but they need to be used only as a last resort after you have tried to delay and distract.   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.  You need to start out with a plan to reduce use of them over time - which the patch does by decreasing the dose contained in them..  For the gum, you can start by cutting each piece in half, then in quarters, then sub regular gum of the same flavor in between, adding more and more regular gum.  For the lozenge, you need to start subbing a mint in between to begin, increasing the number of them over time.  I do not recommend the e-cigarette for four 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,  3) the batteries can spontaneously catch on fire and 4) you can become addicted to that and it has not yet been proven safe .
 

It will be informative if you do the tracking and separation exercises recommended here on the site. As you track each cigarette smoked, note its importance, and what you might do instead. Put each one off just a little to prove that you don't NEED a cigarette just because you think you do.
 

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

[maryfreecig]

Ex is a great place to plant yourself and discover why you are ready to quit and why you can and will. Stick around, read, learn, blog--we're here 365--for the good, bad and in between. Yes you can quit on your say so one day at a time.

[elvan]

Welcome to EX.  Please read carefully all that YoungAtHeart‌ has shared with you.  Quitting is not an event, it is a one day at a time journey.  Each time you get through a day or even an hour without smoking, you will feel a bit stronger.  You CAN do this and you really will eventually feel less anxious.  We are here to help in any way that we can, we all WANT you to succeed.

Ellen

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Patches have been used by many to quit smoking but it is up to you to decide how you are going about your quit.  I suggest you advise your doctor/doctors what your plan is.  They may be able to assist you with your decision.  You have come to the right place for support in helping to quit smoking.  It is a known fact that smoking does create a certain amount of anxiety.  Welcome.  Please go to My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX  and review the information to start. It will help you make a decision on planning and preparing. 

[Giulia]

Welcome to the family.  There are lots of people here with anxiety disorders who have successfully quit.  And you can be one yourself!

Patches (and other NRTs) have helped many quit.  I can't advise on those as I'm a SMART TURKEY‌ quitter myself.  But "things that help" include education about this addiction.  At least for many of us here with long-term quits.  As a matter of fact it's because I was educated and learned that it's not just a bad habit but a true addiction, that I was able to discover the means to overcome it.   I find this cartoon video particularly illuminating and helpful:  What is the Single Best Thing You Can Do to Quit Smoking? - YouTube   We say here, take what works and leave what doesn't.  (Well that's not exactly the quote, but it's mine.)  I say trust your instincts.  You know yourself better than any of us could.  Ask yourself the questions and then answer them as best and as truthfully as you can.  Those answers are your instincts and the truth speaking.  And we really can't hide from those bad choices  that are actually excuses for failure.  We know what's Best for us.  Because that Best of us is always whispering to us.  All we really have to do is head in it's direction.  It will ALWAYS provide the opposite of shame.

A lot of times we discover what works when we use something that doesn't.  So try everything.  But know that there is nothing that will take away cravings totally.  They may lessen the intensity of them, but they will still appear.  So I think one of the things that helps is to recognize that and accept it and learn how to deal with it.  

I wish I could wave a magic wand on here for every quitter suffering through the quitting process to make that journey pleasant and free of cravings.  But then, really - DO I?  It is through the quitting process that I have learned so much about myself and my excuses and how to meet life head on.  If there were a magic craving deleting wand, it would deny that incredible journey to others.  So, actually I DON'T wish an easy out for you.  Because the tough journey is what teaches us what we're capable of.  And the emotional and psychological glory of it is what transforms us into a permanent non-smoker.  

[Jaime1234]

Thank you for u tube video that was very enlightening I’m going to write my plan and pros and cons I will keep in touch start on patches tomorrow and group therapy soon as well I didn’t realize their were so many nice and supportive people out there thanks again

jaime1234

[Giulia]

Glad the video was helpful.  I was amazed when I learned about how smoking affects our brain.  

Yeah, there are an amazing amount of supportive people here.  We KNOW how difficult it is to quit and we also know what smoking really does.  We totally "get it."  And we really want to help people overcome it.  

[Barbara145]

Oh patches help. If you need it you can add a second NRT.  We are here to help you.  If I did it you can do it.

[Barbscloud]

Welcome to the Ex.  If you feel you need an aid to be successful, but all means use one.  The goal is the same--to become an ex-smoker.  There are many options out there.  I used Webutrin and nicotrol inhalers.  Most importantly stay close to the site and reach out if you need support.

Barb