Community
I called the 1800quit line and they guided me here of which I am so thankful. This group is going to help me hold up to my commitment which is so much different from my previous attempt. That being said, I believe if I use the NRT as a step down with support I may beat this nasty addiction. Any suggestions appreciated 
I received 2 weeks of patches by calling 1-800-quitnow. I used patches for 5 weeks and have now been quit for over 6 years. The money you save by not smoking will more than pay for your patches. Best wishes to you!
Quitting smoking is doable if you make quitting smoking your number one priority and make up your mind that you can. Relearning your thinking that you do not have to smoke or vape is a good beginning. Make a commitment never ever take another puff. NOPE. Take smoking off the table as an option and do something different. 101 Things to Do Instead of Smoke SINAO smoking is not an option. That is NOPE concept not one puff ever. It is not by will power but your willingness to let it go forever. Quitting is the easy part. Staying quit takes work. Learning to protect your quit will keep on your journey forever freedom.
I am a firm believer education is the key to success. Education is the key to successfully quit. Read, Study, Blog and be willing to do the work. With the help of the EX Community, you can have a forever quit. Start by educating yourself about the addiction to nicotine. Know the LAW! Go to My EX Plan | BecomeAnEX and review the videos and learn more about your triggers and how to prepare when the urges come
I was advised to read Allen Carr's Easyway to Quit Smoking which can be found on pdf on the web. Another good site to get info which was very helpful to me www.whyquit.com. There are several articles to read. Nicotine 101 and FreedomFrom Nicotine My Journey Home. To get help on navigating this site go to. Community Help. Come here first before you light up. Talk about it. We will help. This journey is one day at a time. Never give up, never give in. Hang tough The main thing is to stay close
Thank you I have been exploring these videos and educating myself more on the actual addiction of nicotine. There is so much I never realized about the actual addiction. I have been trying to navigate this website and all it has to offer, I ask only that you be patient with me as I have only my cell phone to work with and I may not be as computer savvy as the rest of you guys. I suffered a traumatic head injury and I'm learning things over again. Thank you for all your help.
You only need to learn one thing at a time....like how to write a blog and how to ask for help in that space.....and you already did THAT!
When you need to use another feature, learn it - but don't overwhelm yourself trying to figure out all the bells and whistles. I have been here over 8 years, and there are STILL features I haven't needed or used! If you can't figure out how to do something, you can ask us, or do a search with the upper right magnifying glass.
I was also amazed at what I didn't know about nicotine addiction, and I know my quit was helped along by understanding it. Glad you are taking the time to get educated about it, too!
Welcome to the community!
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-instead-of-smoke
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
I went cold turkey on my first quit a number of years ago. I was smoke free for about three years until I foolishly had a cigar with a couple of friends. The sad thing was that I didn't even have any cravings at the time, I actually thought I was cured and could partake without any risk of relapse. Wish I knew then what the EX community has repeatedly told me over the last few weeks.....NOPE (not one puff EVER!), and this means forever. This quit, I have used the nicotine gum. While it will does not make you quit, it has lessened the intensity of the nicotine cravings for me. Whatever works for you.
You're so right about this community...it WILL help. And you can help yourself by coming back here every day, or even multiple times per day. When you can, respond back to let us know how you're doing. It's a back and forth kinda thing.
There are different aids available if you choose to use one. Chantix or Welbutrin would require a prescription and you would begin taking either while your still smoking. There are various NRT that you can buy OTC the counter or like, nicotrol inhalers, that would require a prescription. They're all aids and you still need to do the work.
Having the support from other quitters really helps to achieve a successful quit.
Here's some information I compiled on NRT. The important thing is to follow the directions.
Nicotine Replacement - Yes or No?
Barb
Forem-mylife69 wrote:
I called the 1800quit line and they guided me here of which I am so thankful.
That's great that they referred you to us. What state referred you?
When you called them did they say you weren't eligible to receive gum or patches from them?
Mark
EX Community Manager
Alabama and they never answered any questions at all they just asked for my phone number and email address then sent me a link for your website. I have since called back and received the same result. I have 2 friends who have called and they also are joining the site, I told them we have support here through education. They live in other areas of the state. There may be a lack of funds and I completely understand that I am not asking for anything for a free ride but possibly a discount. Just curious I suppose thank you for responding Mark.
Thanks for sharing additional information. We’re not affiliated with the state quit lines. A long time ago when we did advertising sometimes our site was listed in conjunction with the national 800-Quit-Now phone number. Perhaps there is a funding issue currently. Glad to know that they’re telling people about us though.
I don’t have discounts to share. You could contact your county health department to see what local resources might be available to offset cost or others here sometimes find options I’m not aware of.
Mark
Thank you I will check into that. I am glad they are sharing this website with the people who call the quit line I fully believe it should be a part of everyone's quit. I have learned more in these few days about the effects of nicotine I've ever known. Knowledge is power. Thanks for clarifying the affiliation.
Check if your state has a quit line. Mine does and they offer NRT along with phone counseling if you want.