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Give and get support around quitting

jenjen4thewin
Member

When does it get better?

This is day one for me and already I've felt irritation, anger, and sadness. Also, it's been such a habit for me that every now and then I think "I'm going to go smoke" and then I realize no I'm supposed to be quitting and then I feel sad. Like on the outside I look pretty chill, but on the inside it's like watching the grand finale of fireworks on the 4th of July. 

Does it get easier?

19 Replies
BarbieGene
Member

I am on day 97.    The first 30 days I went to work - ate a lot of popcorn and seeds in the shell.  

At night I would go in my room and read the book Easy Way to Stop Smoking.  

It will get a little easier.    You do have to fight for it.  

Try to do other things to keep your mind busy.  

I hope I help some. 

We can do this.

aboyd63
Member

Congratulations on your quit I'm day 76.  From my experience it gets easier than it gets hard but if you tell yourself that you quit and do something else such as reading blog's on here . Always know you can come here and get help. You'll  be able to stay quit.  Congratulations  once again you can do this.

aboyd63
Member

I forgot to tell it gets easier and then harder then you get  it easier for me it workes like that. But everyones quit is different.

sweetplt
Member

Hi and Welcome to Ex’s...jenjen4thewin 

Today is your quit date...Congratulations...! Now how long does it take to feel better...well everyone is different...but I can tell you honestly it takes a lot more time then the first day...this week and your first few days you go through withdrawal from the nicotine and chemicals...then you have the mental withdrawal...so it takes time...it isn’t easy, but so doable....we are all in this journey together and all addicts and 322 days ago I was you...I suggest if you haven’t already read at My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX here you will learn about your triggers and craves and what you will do in place of smoking...ie., drink water, take a walk, do a jigsaw puzzle, play a game, take a shower, etc., here is a big list to get you started.../blogs/Maggie_quit_8-1-2010-blog/2012/03/19/100-things-to-do-instead-of-smoking?sr=search&searchId=a... You want to stay here at Ex’s and read as much as you can about this journey...also, come and encourage others on this journey and to get help...we are all here for you...

Keep us posted on how you are doing...~ Colleen 322 DOF 

Kboyd66
Member

Congratulations on your quit just go day by day first occupy your mind and time in something you like to do like walking, listening to music, etc just try not to look to far ahead ok and day by day you'll notice that you're getting stronger. 

DOF 76 

SissysMom
Member

YES!!!  IT DOES.  If you get yourself a sippy cup with a straw and fill it up with ice and water, it will be your new best friend.  It will help you wash out all those terrible toxins from the nicotene.  It took me 3 -4 quits to get it right.  Once you get through hour one, you can say I don't want to go through that again, after day one same thing, week one, month one, and before you know it you will be at 6 months.  Then you just tell yourself if you can make it to one year, the 6% club you are all set, because if you make it there it is like 80-90% make it to year 2 and so on.  That's how I finally did it.  I'm on day 613 today. 

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

Congratulations on Day WON!  This quit thing is a journey, not an event.  It does get easier, but it takes time.  You have to give it however long it takes - and be patient.  You smoked for a long time, and you first need to get the nicotine out of your system (3 days); then it's your body adjusting to life without it - several weeks to a month.  THEN it's creating new ways to deal with your emotions and the day-to-day associations you have built up around 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, 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

Barbscloud
Member

Congrats on your first day smoke free.  Yes, it will be easier, but it will require  commitment and patience.  Not only have you eliminated nicotine from your body, but a multitude of chemicals.   Your're body needs time to adjust physically and psychologically.  It is a journey with different challenge along the way.  Continue to read so that you know what you're feeling is normal and so that you know what to expect along the way.  I you need help, reach out.  We're here to support you.   

Barb

Pookweencess
Member

Congratulations on your quit.  I am on Day 92 and I won’t lie to you it is a fight- this addiction doesn’t want you to let go of it.  People told me it would get easier and I didn’t believe them but they were telling the truth.  I have had some very hard days of crying, being angry etc but one thing that helped me was to focus on one day at a time sometimes one minute at a time.  You CAN DO THIS - I promise it will get easier and you will be so proud of yourself!!  Come here when you feel like you are going to give in - people on this site have helped me to not give up in myself.  Find tools that will help- thankfully I was able to get a smoking cessation counselor through my job and I can’t even tell you how many life savers I have gone through.  One minute at a time my friend do whatever you need to do.  We are all rooting for you