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Give and get support around quitting

daverson828
Member

First day

Last week I read extensively on this site and some others -- really great resources. Today I have not smoked any cigarettes. As I was going to bed last night I still had two left. This might be dumb, but I took them with me on my way to work this morning; one I slowly ripped up while driving, and the other I pinned to the bulletin board in my office. Next to it I wrote 379,600. I could smoke it, but that's how many I would have to have along with it. That's the reality for me, and I am accepting it. 

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10 Replies
PastTense
Member

Welcome to the Ex Community and congratulations on your decision to quit smoking.

It sounds like you are committed to your quit.

I hope one of the resources you found was on creating a quit plan.  Having a written plan has saved my quit many times.

Reading and writing here have also saved my quit.

I'll be looking for more posts from you.

Day 19

PT

Keep the Quit
PT
marciem
Member

I like your style daverson828‌ !!  Normally I recommend ridding your environment of all smoking materials (from past experience, if they're there they'll get smoked eventually) BUT, I see you didn't smoke them and put them to good use!!  The one on the bulletin board isn't very smoke-able with a pin thru it, and you ripped up the other one.  (now get rid of alll ashtrays and lighters too!  )

GOOD START!!  You seem to have a great attitude, and attitude plus education are real keys to acquiring and most importantly maintaining a solid quit!

Congrats on your first day of the rest of a smoke-free life!!   Read here and post often, it helps.  

sweetplt
Member

Hi and Welcome to Ex’s daverson828 I would say that is pretty amazing...even though I usually say throw all smoking paraphernalia away the day before you quit...but if what you are doing helps you quit and keep a good quit, I say, Go For it...Knowledge, preparation and Hard work are the keys...seems you have all three going on...and will make Day 1 ... Day Won....~ Colleen 259 DOF 

Barbscloud
Member

Big congrats on your firs day smoke free.  Love the symbolism.   Reach out if you need help.  We're here for you.

Time to quit smoking. Cigarette butts on the calendar. Concept of choosing a day to quit smoking

(couldn't find a bulletin board)

Barb

maryfreecig
Member

Keep following these bold steps. One day at a time you will find your life is so much better without cigarettes.

minihorses
Member

Whatever works for you, none of us did the exact same thing as anyone else during our first quit days.  I quit, lasted 7 months and went back to it.  This quit I just got sick of smoking and tossed the half pack of cigarettes I had left on the workbench in the garage where I used to smoke.  They might have been too tempting for others but to me it was just a challenge, or more like a game. They were there in plain sight so I could count the times I thought about, looked at them, walked by them and not smoke which gave me more power and motivation.  Many people could never have done that but for me it worked great. So if peeling one apart and pinning one to the bulletin board is motivating, go for it!

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking!  I actually LIKE the idea of the one pinned to the bulletin board to remind you that there is NEVER such a thing to an addict as "just one!"  I don't know what you found to read, so ignore any that of which you have already availed yourself.

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, 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.

You didn't mention if you are using a quit aid.  If you are I hope you are using one that does not allow you to 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 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 .
 

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

Strudel
Member

Welcome to the site! You are so right about that “just one” cigarette! Powerful reminder on that bulletin board! As we say around here - N.O.P.E. - Not One Puff Ever! Congrats to you! 

elvan
Member

Welcome to EX, we are really happy that you are here and we will do everything we can to help you succeed.  I used the mantra NOPE, Not One Puff Ever when I started here and I had a LOT of years of smoking behind me and many unsuccessful quits.  This one is over 5 1/2 years old, the longest I have ever been quit and I could not be happier about it.

Ellen