Quitting smoking sober...

[istenya]

Hey guys, I know there are some of you out there. Taking the quitting thing one day at a time, applying the 12 steps to the solution. Would love to hear of your experiences, hope, and strength that has been applied to quitting smoking. For me, it is life-changing. So similar to the way I drank where, at times, I sacrificed giving my body nutrition to give it nicotine. Well, day 4, I hope never to be so addicted again.

[bonnie4]

Hey!
I was just thinking of starting a new group for 12 steppers and viola, there was the one you started. I am set to quit June 1st and am planning to work the same program that got me clean. Addiction is addiction, whether to alcohol, nicotine or other substances. I find hope in your four days and am glad that you are working it. I look forward to experience, strength and hope from more people like us!

[dan-dunn]

Howdy there, I am now 3 days here, and started at our State Assembly. Figured what better time than that of being in a smoke free hotel around other friends of Bill W. Thanks for starting this group, and good to see others in the program taking advantage of this site. I kept telling myself I was going to quit time after time, but my loving sponser in the program told me the time would come when it was suppose to come, and feel now it has. Figured my HP was powerful enough to help me stay sober, and will do the same with this tooooooooo.

[vince4]

I'm two years sober and I just quit (for about the billionth time it feels like). I still feel absolutely crazy. I quit on the 2nd of May. I agree that being in the program will really give you some good tools. It's forced me to reach out for help more. Because even though I should be calling people every day I don't always do that.

I do think that this time is the right time to do it. I needed to get some decent time first.

Last night I had this heavy discussion with my roommate. And that intense feeling of emotion really made me want to smoke. Surprisingly, the feeling was gone in less than 20 minutes. Smoking totally gave me the illusion that I was in control of my emotions. And even though I do feel crazier lately, it feels like I'm more in touch with my feelings.

[dan-dunn]

I was kind of not looking forward to my home group meeting since it is a smoking meeting. Turned out the speaker was really good, and I got a chance to see how I would handle it. Is hard to explain, but I really did not like the smell after not smoking since last Friday. The one thing that sticks out in my mind is how much more I want to not smoke. Is like a new beginning just like the day I picked up a white chip at my first meeting. Just knowing my HP, and the steps are there to help me is of great comfort for sure. Not sure if any of this makes sense, but just smile thinking of how I was dreading the meeting, and then come away very happy. Seems like that is what I did the first meeting I ever went to. I came away with hope.

[cris2]

I am 6 months sober and was using the steps to keep me smoke free. My HP kept me smoke free for 2 weeks and the day I didnt hit my knees for 3 days I was back to smoking. I didnt turn my will over and there I was. I am so happy to have this group here for me.

[bonnie4]

It's funny how we blow something up in our head and then it turns out even better than we ever could have hoped. I've found this out through having to go to court with my ex and many other times throughout my recovery. Hoping that I will find the same thing happen with quitting smoking. Right now, I'm working on becoming entirely ready. I have a good plan and lots of support. Luckily we no longer have smoking meetings in my area. I plan to hang out inside after the meetings rather than chill with the smokers. I have a little over a year clean and plan to use the exact same tools that I used to quit everything else. Today, I'm feeling positive about quitting smoking. I'm finding that I rely on it a lot less for stress relief, etc. after looking at my triggers and developing a plan of action. The cravings become less just like the feelings I used to use over become less when I reach out for help. Glad to have a place on this site where I can keep in touch with people who are living the same principles of recovery with me.

Bonnie - Looking to be smoke-free June 1, 2008

[sherri10]

Hey all, I too am a friend of Bill and Bob. I came to the becomeanex site after a friend of mine the the AA program told me about it. I know what most of them say is not really based on the steps, but I see a lot of similarities in the two programs. And the same issues as well!!!! Principles and personalities!!!!!

It seems to me that the main difference is that they don't really refer to an HP so much and they don't talk about doing anything like steps 5 -11, and that they don't see it as a spiritual disease. They are doing 12th step work by helping each other. They just don't realize it!!! Even the ones that pooh pooh the 12 step approach don't know that they are using the 12 step approach with out even realizing it! To me, that's funny! Talk about contempt prior to investigation!

But I was told a lot in early sobriety that we do not have a monopoly on sobriety. If memory serves me, I think Bill said it.

As for me, hanging out here is really helping me a lot. I only have a few friends in the program who have really kicked the habit. Right now, hanging out here so much is a lot like going to a 12 step meeting for me. This is the best thing I can get next to going to a Smokers Anonymous meeting. So far it seems to be working. I went to a group conscience last night. Those things are usually hell and I wasn't looking forward to because 1) our meetings in Brenham are still smoking meetings and 2) some issues involving some pretty volatile personalities were going to have to be discussed. Thinking about telling the people here about getting through it with out smoking really helped me actually do it!

Been sober for over 11 years now. I have the opportunity to stay clean and sober for a majority of my life. I hope to make that true of smoking as well. I have 2 weeks smoke free today!

Hope to see you guys around here. I'm actually having a lot of fun here. I think you'd be surprised how many of us are around here. A lot of us are just ANONYMOUS about it!!!!

[bonnie4]

Ditto to the principles and personalities! I experienced a little of that in other groups! I was having a bad day and boy did I get involved in some chaos! Decided that there were better ways to pass my time than that! Right when I was about to write this site off, I found this group. It's nice to have a safe place to share my recovery and be with people who look at it all as the same disease. I am still looking to quit smoking on June 1st. I'm a little worried about it today because my ex is causing some chaos for me and I find myself wanting to smoke when I'm frustrated. The good news is that I still have my clean time and I don't think about using drugs. I'm looking forward to the day when I can say the same thing about cigarettes!

[sherri10]

Bonnie, your letting your ex cause chaos for you! 🙂