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Give and get support around quitting

Darjolu
Member

Prior to my Quit Date

Should I do anything special before my quit date?  Should I try to quit now, rather than two weeks from now?

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33 Replies
RoseH
Member

Yes, you should make a plan to quit!  Ask mikecity here to help with that, since I am still very new on this website.  He will be able to suggest information to quit.  And yes to quit now...  there will NEVER be a perfect time to quit and the sooner, the better!  Waiting just creates tension and fear, in my humble opinion.

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to the community!

I am so glad you asked!  There is lots to read and do to get ready for your quit.  Good that you are willing to do the work.  It bodes well for your success!

 

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 obvious reasons.

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

Darjolu
Member

All very good ideas.  Thank you!

sweetplt
Member

Hi and Welcome to Ex’s Darjolu 

You have some great advice and things to do, that are suggested above me...do the work, plan away, and educate yourself on quitting and addiction.  Keep close to us before quitting, the day you quit and during your journey quit...it is important...we are here for you...infact, we are in this thing together...Happy Monday ~ Colleen 518 DOF

Darjolu
Member

Yes, even though my Quit Date is not for another 2 weeks, I am trying to make the day I started here my ACTUAL Quit Day.

CommunityAdmin
Community Manager
Community Manager

Darjolu You can adjust your quit date. Be intentional and  honest with yourself. This is an amazing group of people here ready to support you in your journey.

There may be some different opinions here on what a quit date is. For a majority it is the day they put down cigarettes or chew or snus or vaping for good. Others may define it as the last time they have nicotine. So if you stopped the day you came here then update your quit date to that date. If you're still smoking, some then you should probably update it to whatever day you have your last one.

Some also would reset their quit date if they had one puff from a cigarette, while others wouldn't, as long as they didn't have just one. 

Mark
EX Community Manager

EX Community Admin Team
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Barbscloud
Member

Welcome to the Ex.  Use this time to prepare for your quit.    Knowledge about nicotine addiction and having a quit plan leads to a successful quit.  So read as much as you can on this site.  Stay close and reach out if you need support.  We're here for you.

I also signed up for text messages from the Ex prior to my quit.  I found them very motivating and added an element of excitement as my date approached. 

Barb

CommunityAdmin
Community Manager
Community Manager

Darjolu

Here are some things you could start working on. I normally share these resources  a week before people quit but you could get started early.

Mark
EX Community Manager

EX Community Admin Team
maryfreecig
Member

To prepare, keep reading, keep learning about the addiction, make a list of things you are willing to do other than smoke, understand that you will most likely have some urges especially the first 3-7 days and prepare your no in advance. Quitting is a journey taken one day at a time (so is preparing). 

Welcome to Ex. We are here for one another every day--rain or shine, covid 19 or whatever. And there are loads of helpful info pages, Exer blogs and so forth. 

 

Quit Kit aka Tool Box by Giulia

Helpful Blogs, Discussions, Comments, Videos, Links, Info Re Quitting  by Giulia

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/newbie-quitters/blog/2019/01/27/one-of-the-greatest-tools-... by Jackie

What is the Single Best Thing You Can Do to Quit Smoking? - YouTube