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Give and get support around quitting

Stringbean
Member

When I mean how long...

I quit 1 week and 2 days ago. I still feel like I want to grab a cig and relax and smoke it. The urge is there. I am fighting it. I have no cigs in my house and threw away all ash trays but when will this need for a smoke go away. I have even left my debit card home when I go away so I can't buy cigs. HELP!!!!!

19 Replies
Cousin-Itt
Member

Keep in mind how long you have smoked and the hold it has upon you. You are now in the process of breaking that hold Each time you beat a crave that hold becomes weaker and you quit becomes stronger. In a very short time your Quit will becoming stronger and smoking will no longer have that control. Just take it a day at a time 

You're wining right now continue moving forward

Stringbean
Member

Thank you for the positive help.  I need it.

sweetplt
Member

Congratulations on your quit Stringbean ... Unfortunately, it takes time and work until those craves, urges and triggers go away...Not sure how long you smoked, but think how you have been feeding your body all the years with smoke and chemicals...your body needs time to heal until it feels comfortable in your new quit skin...Keep working it...by keeping busy, divert your attention and/or come here and read blogs and help others on this journey...~ Colleen 454 DOF 

Stringbean
Member

I have smoked 2 pls a day for 30+ yrs.

GyorgyiM
Member

2 packs a day for 43 years.....................had no intentions of stopping ......

Woke up one morning.....lit up my cig.......and stopped before I inhaled.......

decided I wanted to feel Healthier...

decided I wanted to smell better....

decided I wanted to start a happier journey....

decided I wanted my fur babies to have a healthier life....

decided I wanted to live.....

You "can" do this.............because you WANT to do this...

Miles of Smiles

Gyorgyi

( 2 years + DOF ) 

SuzyQ411
Member

congratulations star.jpgTwo years plus,  not smoking....Hooray!! Happy for you~

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to the community!

Congratulations on your decision to quit and making it through H#ll Week!  It may not feel like it, but you are doing GREAT!  This is a journey, not an event.  It will gradually start to be easier.  The better able you are to change your routines and stay busy, the less difficult these early days will be.

 

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.

 

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

Sootie
Member

Stay Strong. Remember- you did not smoke for 1 week and 2 days.....you smoked for a very long time. And so you need to give yourself the time to re-order your life and learn to live without smoking. It takes awhile......but it is so worth the effort. 

Welcome to EX......we are all here for each other.

maryfreecig
Member

You came here rather than running to cigarettes. You won. Keep doing these kinds and you will get where you want to be. But smobriety comes one day at a time. Stick with Ex and welcome to the community.