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Give and get support around quitting

Bnoq
Member

How else to deal

I think the hardest part for me is not having a cigarette to deal with people I don't like. It makes me feel liberated from the bullshit and people stressing me out, but in the end I'm only hurting myself by smoking. Biggest trigger along with waiting for a ride or at the bus stop. I've had like 7 rollie cigs since I quit DEC 23 I had one one day and one a second. Then the 26th of January I had two I think...but there long papers and then I went to a doctors appointment and I smelled a nurse who had just smoked so I ended up smoking 2 or 3 I think Feb 9th then none the next day. Those were all my slips and I'm on the gum. But today I really wanted to buy real cigs but I know it'll just make me broke and isn't worth it. I have a mantra; death and out of breath along with song bits a passing feeling..I'm moving past the feeling stories and cigaretts ruin lives of lesser girls Pete yorn strange condition even 7 nation army white stripes behind a cigarette mind says leave it alone and keeping my meat bags clean..breaking the habit tonight linkin park.....what works for you?

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5 Replies
sweetplt
Member

Hi Bnoq glad you wrote this post and are working towards quitting smoking.  Part of this journey is learning to do with “life on life’s terms”...however, the early days are “not smoking” and “replacing smoking with healthy things”...May I suggest, you read at My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX to plan a quit day...become knowledgable on the quit process.  Then come here to get help and/or support others in this journey.  It takes hard work, but is so doable.  We are here to help you...Happy Sunday ~ Colleen 447 DOF 

Barbscloud
Member

Glad you have the desire to quit.  That's half  the battle.  It's best to just use the gum as nicotine replacement and follow the instructions.  It's a means to wean yourself off the nicotine.  Those intermittent cigarettes are just prolonging the agony.  Every time you smoke you go through withdrawal again.   If you haven't created a quit plan, definitely do.   These are your tools to help you deal with the physical and psychological withdrawal that we've all experienced on this journey.  And stay close to the site.  This community saved my quit several times early on.  We're here to support you, so just reach out.

Barb.  

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to the community!

Once you do some reading, you will understand that every time you smoke a cigarette, your addiction is awakened again and you are starting again at ground zero.  Know your enemy!  Let's do your quit a DIFFERENT way this time!

 

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.

 

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

elvan
Member

Keep a bottle of water with you all the time & preferably one with a straw. Sip water as people annoy you. Then excuse  yourself to empty your bladder. Have a PLAN!

minihorses
Member

I know this will sound strange but listening to music kept my brain occupied.  I'm into heavy metal and hard rock and since the volume hasn't made my ears bleed yet I'm going to continue to do so because it works for me.  You'll find those things that work for you.  Try something and if that doesn't work out keep trying things.  It may be a combination of things.  Everyone is different but keep working on what fits with you.