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Give and get support around quitting

Og1
Member

New member

My name is OG one.

I am new to the group. I am 62 years old and have been smoking most of my life.  and have been trying to quit for the last five years.

I did quit this year in February for six weeks. But have recently relapsed.

I know I need a support group, others who understand this addiction.

at the moment I smoke about six cigarettes today.

I can do pretty good until afternoon time when I get bored, then I get anxious.

 Finding it difficult because of social distancing.

 I guess I could blame my difficulty on just about anything.

Any helpful hints for the anxiety, and the exhaustion from trying to distract myself. Any words of wisdom would be much appreciated.

6 Replies
YoungAtHeart
Member

Welcome to our community!

First  - if you feel exhausted, rest.  Your body is going through a lot of healing from damage done by smoking all those years - so give it all the TLC it needs right now.  The best solution for anxiety is exercise!  Even marching in place or putting some tunes on and dancing will help.  When you do the reading I will recommend, you will discover that smoking CAUSES anxiety - it fools you into thinking it is helping when, in fact, it created part of the problem in the first place!

 

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

indingrl
Member

 to YOU choosing NON SMOKER life style - when a crave hits bite into a lemon and come here to blog BEFORE you take that 1st puff over YOU 

sweetplt
Member

Hi and Welcome to Ex’s Og1 

Us addicts can come up with every excuse in the book to not quit...but once you decide this is a choice, it gets better...please read at My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX where you will make a quit day which is usually in 2 weeks and you plan for this day like no other...for example...what will you do in the afternoon when the boredom comes on?  Make a list, do a jigsaw puzzle, take a walk, come online to Ex’s read and respond to others, take a class on line, etc., finding healthy things to do instead of smoking can open up so many new beginnings...it is important especially in the beginning of your quit that you come here daily for support and to encourage others in this journey.  You can do it...you just got work it...you have 1/2 the battle, you want to quit, now the other 1/2 is doing it...we are here for you...Colleen 611 DOF 

stAn3
Member

Welcome! Visit this site everyday, read, and take suggestions. I’ve tried to quit unsuccessfully for years. I got more success after I started participating in thIs site. It’s been a little over 2 years since I quit smoking.

Maki
Member

I agree with Stan , if you feel comfortable please do participate and read on this site as much as you can . There are helpful posts , professional guidance in the mayo blogs , distractions , and incentives through points , badges etc , or some groups , ( not all groups are active ) but they do show up in the main feed . Some of those you may find a break from thinking constantly about your quit and find helpful . The idea is to find something and some way for your quit that motivates you to keep moving forward . 

At the bottom you will find the best of Ex . Good reads in there as well . I find pledging with others is also a boost of strength . Just jump on in and someone will grab your hand and you extend a hand to the next . If moving helps please join us in the get moving group , or if games will help you with distraction well there are those too . 

If you are comfortable sharing start a quit blog , share with others your journey . It can be fun , and therapeutic to write it out . 

Write a good bye letter to cigarettes . You won't be needing them anymore ..

If at anytime you need help , post , don't smoke .. post help in the title and wait for the responses .... others can and will help you through . We are in it together . When you help others , you help youself as well so please share your journey if you can . ( not compulsory tho by any means ) you do what works for you . Everything helps those coming up behind you and reinforces our quits too . 

Congrats on your decision to quit . A support group with ex smokers who understood everything I was going through also was the way I quit . That and hard work on my part . The effort we put in to our quits determines the outcome . It doesn't take will power , it takes willingness to learn and to do it . 

One day at a time . It's the baby steps that lead to giant steps . 

Congrats again ...

indingrl
Member

 NeverTakeAnotherPuffEver over YOU - CONGRATS this day NICOTINE FREEDOM - good job

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