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QUIT DATE TOMORROW - HELP?!?!?

Question asked by timothyjv on Jan 23, 2020
Latest reply on Jan 31, 2020 by Ashley1985

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Dear Members:

It looks like my quit date is tomorrow, January 24, 2020. I am still not sure why I chose this date (I think it had something to do with the numbers 1, 2, and 4, which are my Enneagram spiritual numbers. Anyway, I want to say that I'm not ready to quit tomorrow. I'm sure no one has encountered this issue before, right? Any suggestions about my plan to stop smoking tomorrow would be welcome. I need the confidence of others, especially those who had faced the day before the quit date and had serious reservations. Help?!?!?

NOTE: The attached picture truly disheartens me yet prayerfully can motivate me. I cannot even begin to imagine animals being forced to inhale smoke so that I can smoke. That really hurts my heart. I pray that God will allow my compassion for animals in research to be a huge push in the direction of living a smoke-free life!!!!

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Sootie Jan 23, 2020 9:02 PM
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Hello!
Read everything that you can about this terrible addiction. We are big on education here at EX-----knowing your enemy will help you survive. Seriously, it is very important no matter how much you think you may know about it.....I still read about addiction all the time. And we are addicts.....addicted to the drug of nicotine.
I loved reading the articles on whyquit.com. They are short and more like stories and they are very interesting. There are many, many other places online to find information on addiction, quitting and what to expect.
Here are some tips of my "own".....
>I will bet you did not smoke for only a week or a month or even 6 months. So don't expect to be completely over smoking in a week or a month or six months. It takes a good year to start to learn your "new normal" again. Even after a year, there will be tests to your new found freedom....so stay alert!
>Tell yourself it will be difficult. Don't try to fool yourself by thinking there is actually an easy way through this....there is not. HOWEVER----do NOT tell your self it is impossible. It's NOT! We all did it and we are no different from you.
>Think about the times when you might be really tempted to smoke and decide ahead of time what you will do instead.
You can do anything......cry, scream, eat, dance, run, walk, sleep, hit something (don't hurt yourself or others!) sing, jump rope, do yoga.......anything, anything anything......just DO NOT SMOKE!
>You sound like an animal lover......this is a great thing to do for love of your pet if you have one.
>Most of all know that this is one of the BEST THINGS you will ever do.....so see it through. It is a fantastic life on the other side.
Welcome to EX we are all here for each other!
Stay Strong
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indingrl.01.06.2011 Jan 23, 2020 9:19 PM
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Welcome - I was given SUGGESTIONS by everyone here - please take what HELPS and let go of the rest - to be HELPFUL is MY only aim - thank you - SUGGESTION was to blog BEFORE - I take that first puff over ME - it was SUGGESTED to EDUCATION - MYSELF about MY ADDICTION to MY drug NICOTINE and to write a goodbye letter to MY lover and best friend NICOTINE - like getting a divorce - they told ME. - when I first QUIT to BLOG every day - so I will receive HELP from others - to REMEMBER to live - one day at a time and to READ all the information here from the EXteam blogs - read Dr Hays blogs and read blogs from everyone here and choose what works best for YOU and also to watch the video's at whyquit.com - family shared the early death of loved one's from smoking with the HOPE that the video's would HELP someone - Bryon's early death video - HELPED bring ME out of MY denial and I admitted to MY inner most SELF - I am a NICOTINE ADDICT - I took ALL the SUGGESTIONS and I have been coming here since October 2010 yet MY quit date is January 6 , 2011 - just sharing MY experience strength and H.O.P.E - gentle hug
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Youngatheart.7.4.12 Jan 23, 2020 10:07 PM
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Welcome to the community!

Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking. You can do the recommended reading and prep work I will suggest after you quit as well as before!

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 easy and entertaining read provided a world of good information about nicotine addiction, most of which I was not aware. I credit it in large part with my success at quitting. You can search for it online or at your local library.

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) it maintains the addiction to nicotine, and 4) they are proving to be unsafe.

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-instead-of-smoke

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
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green1611 Jan 24, 2020 4:26 AM
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Do not worry.. no overthinking..
You will be restless the earlier day. That is perfect. We all are human.
The most dangerous enemy nicodemon sits on our neck when we want to say good bye to him.
Nicodemon will trouble you, will discourage you from quit, and make you really sick of everything.

But
Do not worry. Go ahead and be firm on your quit plan.Perfect planning is half won, and you have backing of numbers you chose 1, 2, 4..and of course all on this site and Ex Program will support you.

All The Best !
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jonescarp.aka.dale.Jan_2007 Jan 24, 2020 5:35 AM
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My Welcome To New Members (12+ Years Of Watching)
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Cyn7077 Jan 24, 2020 7:50 AM
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My quit date was Jan 25 , but waking up with a terrible cough has me quitting a day early . I understand what you are going through and truly hope you will go through with it . Faith , prayer , and trust in God . I will be sending a prayer for you . I also have 3 dogs and 3 cats , so know what you mean . God bless .
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- Sootie @ Cyn7077 on Jan 24, 2020 8:48 PM
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  Welcome Cyn7077 There is never a bad day to quit so welcome to Day 1! You CAN do this!! reach out to the community if you need support. I'm posting this late on the 24th so I hope the day was successful.
  Stay Strong.
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sweetplt Jan 24, 2020 7:52 AM
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Good Morning and Welcome to Ex’s timothyjv
Welcome to the first day of your Life...Drink lots of water, stay busy, breath, etc., Take the time to read the articles Youngatheart.7.4.12 Nancy’s as offered in her response to you. Keep close to the support site for help and to encourage others on this journey. Quitting is doable, but takes hard work....You can do this...Make Day 1, Day Won...~ Happy Friday ~ Colleen 417 DOF
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PastTense Jan 24, 2020 8:48 AM
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Good morning, @timothyjv, and welcome aboard.
I understand that feeling of dread when your quit date arrives but your enthusiams for it is in lost luggage.
This is where a quit plan will come to your rescue. If you haven't already filled out the quit plan on this site, now is a good time. I wrote my plan down on paper with pen. The act of writing is helpful for me.
You know all the reasons why quitting smoking is a good idea. Ponder that and quit today.
We are here to help
Keep the quit
PT
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Barbscloud Jan 24, 2020 10:58 AM
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Welcome to the Ex and congrats on you first day smoke fee. This day can be the hardest, but you've made the commitment. Remember it's one day at at time that leads to success. Hopefully you've developed a quit plan. I know educating myself about nicotine addiction and preparing for my quit has led to my success this time. My go to's were walking, chewing on straws, sour candy, video games, and of course the Ex. The support I received here helped more words than I can express. We're here for you, so just reach out if you need help.
How is it going so far?
Barb
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Ashley1985 Jan 31, 2020 10:36 AM
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I set numerous quit dates and was constantly failing. The fear of not smoking kept me immobiled. I used this analogy to help me. I imagined being on a diving board and scared to jump. Once you make up your mind to jump you will be ok. I'm only 4 months in but when I made that jump I was ok. Knowing your triggers helps. When you smoke write down what is going on to make you want to smoke. I still have moments that I want a cigarette but I change what I'm doing to distract that feeling. You got this!! Have faith in yourself.
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QUIT DATE TOMORROW - HELP?!?!?

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