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Give and get support around quitting

Ceesara
Member

struggling quitter

It has been 4 days since I quit smoking. I had the ear “zapping” done. I went again today for a second round even though I did not smoke I had some withdrawal symptoms. Does it get easier ? I am still finding it very hard not to think about and want to smoke 

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13 Replies
marciem
Member

WELCOME, Ceesara‌  !  The good news... YES, it definitely gets better,... and better... and easier... and BETTER!

The not so great news... it takes TIME, and Patience and commitment.  Regardless of the method you choose, there are some things everyone who quits will go through.  The first is WITHDRAWAL.  You are an addict.  The only way through is through, whether you use ear zapping, hypnosis, NRT (nicotine replacement therapy) , pills etc.  All those things can ease the journey, but you still have to do the work of re-adjusting your mind-set and re-committing to the quit each and every time your body says "I WANNA SMOKE".  And it will.  Until it doesn't much any more.  (meaning, no specific time-frame, it is an individual thing).

Thinking about cigarettes, smoking, quitting etc. 24/7 is par for the course in the early quit, which you are in.  The first week we call He// Week... as the name implies it isn't much fun.  The second week can be softer, so it is dubbed "Heck Week:".  Third week I've seen called "WTF week"  It can be confusing, with days like day one along with days not so bad at all.   

This is a marathon journey, not a sprint, and all your patience will be needed.

Best wishes to you.  Others will be along with more takes and advice.  Read them, reply to them, keep busy and pretty soon the time between you and your last cigarette will add up to a long time!

YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to the community!

Regardless of the zapping, you are still very early in your quit and the thinking about and wanting to smoke is perfectly normal.  The first week is the most difficult, then the second, and really the first month.  I will give you some reading to do to understand why, and some tips on getting past those thoughts.  Four days is something of which to be proud - just do it again today, and tomorrow, and every day after that, one day at a time.  This quitting is a process, not an event, and it WILL get easier as you get time under your belt.

 

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

sweetplt
Member

Hi Ceesara 

I am so happy you found our site.  Four days of Freedom is super.  Of course, you will have withdrawal and think about smoking, you have been feeding your mind & body with so many chemicals and your body needs time to heal.  Please read at My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX .  Then read the posts and educate yourself about addiction and quitting.  Lastly, keep close to the support site.  We are here to help you.  We have all gone through what you are going through...in the beginning keep busy and keep us posted.  You can do it ! Colleen 578 DOF

Also, here is a good post about withdrawal symptoms...https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/groups/best-of-ex/blog/2018/01/04/early-withdrawal-symptoms?sr=se... 

Barbscloud
Member

Welcome to the Ex.  Congrats on 5 day now.  We definitely have physical withdrawal.  That's part of eliminating nicotine and a  multitude of toxins from our bodies.  The psychological part of quitting can take longer for many of us, so continue to read posts on this site.  I found understanding the stages of this journey kept me prepared.  You're doing great so be patient and be good to yourself right now. 

We're here for you, so just reach out if need encouragement and to share your success along the way.  There will be many to come!

Barb

Barbara145
Member

I remember that obsessive thinking about cigarettes when I first quit.  I also remember the day I thought, "I didn't think about smoking all day."  It will come.  Just give it time.  It just takes time.  Happy 4th.

maryfreecig
Member

You chose to quit for good reasons. Congratulaions on four days and counting. When the going gets tough, I hope you know that Ex is a quit community that will be there for you. Keep coming back: blog, read, learn, make some quit friends. We're already rooting for you.

CrazyQuitter
Member

Yes! It does get alot easier! I have been fully quit 7 years and 6 months now and I don't even think about it anymore.

You can do the same!

elvan
Member

We are all here to help you on this journey, remember that and that you do not have to do this alone.  Welcome to EX, yes, it gets easier, no matter what method you use, the psychological part of the addiction is the hardest.  Nothing will quit FOR you, you still have to put in the time and do whatever you can to keep going.  It really is worth it.

Ellen

Giulia
Member

Does it get easier?  Well, if it didn't I can assure you none of us who have long term quit would have survived it.  WHEN DOES IT GET EASY??????‌