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Give and get support around quitting

Julie1960
Member

I am trying not to smoke but I slipped and smoked 2 cigarettes now what?

Now what

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7 Replies
constanceclum
Member

Reset your quit date and get back on the wagon.

Connie

JACKIE1-25-15
Member

Here is a very short list of What to do

#1 Analyze what caused you to smoke. 

#2 Make a vow that you will not smoke if it happens again

#3  Get rid of all smoking materials it lessens the chances of being tempted. 

#4  Have a plan for what to do differently when you have the urge to smoke.

#5101 Things to Do Instead of Smoke

#6  Start over with a commitment that NOPE no matter whatQuit Date - How to Reset 

#7 "Keep it Simple"...

#8  Don't make EXcuses https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex/blog/2013/08/12/understanding-excuses?sr=search...

#9  Education is the key to a successful quit!

Here is another good blog that may give you some insight about "trying" https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/message/191579-i-want-you-to-stop-trying-to-quit 

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

You don't really TRY to quit....you make the decision not to smoke another cigarette NO MATTER WHAT and you honor that decision every minute of every day until you don't think about it anymore.  If you kept any cigarettes around, get rid of them all - put them under running water and smash them to smithereens.  - get rid of ashtrays and lighters, too.  Keeping any around is just giving yourself permission to fail.  Before you quit again,  I recommend you do a bit of reading and preparation work.  Do the next time a bit different!

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. that you can find online or at your local library. If you do nothing else to get ready for to resume 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. 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

sweetplt
Member

Hi and Welcome to Ex’s...

Now you must make a plan to quit, become knowledgeable and work hard...you were giving wonderful information from those above me...get working and then you will get quitting...we are here for you and in this journey together...~ Colleen 268 DOF 

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Barbscloud
Member

Welcome to the Ex.  Get right back on track and don't wait to start again.   Definitely create a quit plan if you haven't already.  Being prepared will lead to success.   This community is here to support you.  Reach out BEFORE you smoke.  

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Roark
Member

Put them back down and remember why you wanted to quit.

Don't beat yourself up.

Quit again.  And again if you need to.  And again.  Until it works.

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linda258
Member

Reset your mind..... ok you got married and the next day a sexy woman offered to have sex and you did... oh my!!  But, you made a vow to your wife that you would not have sex with other women no matter how tempted you were... 

Now make a vow to yourself... you will not smoke no matter how tempted … same rule applies as in scene one.... be true to your vows no matter how tempted you are... you can do this. 

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