3rd times a charm!

[LizzyG]

5 days smoke free! Sadly this isn't my first time on this rodeo, but I'm determined to become an ex! I'm sick of smoking and I truly believe I can do it this time around. I know all the things I did wrong in the past to not succeed. First and foremost, I plan on sticking to this community like glue! That's one thing I never did the past few times I've tried to quit, I just didn't have the support of a community.

Secondly I will not fall into the trap of "just one won't hurt," we all know that's not possible. I got cocky one too many times and truly believed I could handle it.

Thirdly, I am doing this for me! Not anyone else, me! I think I've failed in the past by saying I need to do this for my kids or my husband. Wrong. Doing this for myself. 

My frame of mind is different this time around and I will succeed!! Not one more puff!

[cheyenne7]

5 days is wonderful.....congrats for your new found freedom!!!

[djmurray]

Hi, Lizzy.  Welcome to Ex!  The very best thing you can do is educate yourself about this addiction.  The first thing I suggest you do is read Allen Carr's book The Easy Way to Quit Smoking.  Here's the link to the free, online PDF of the book --

http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf.  You can also watch a condensed version of the book on YouTube with Allen Carr discussing how to quit smoking:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDJo1vfEqlo .   I smoked heavily for over 50 years and reading that book completely changed how I looked at smoking and what it is and is NOT.  The basic premise is that no smoker actually enjoys smoking and all we're doing is satisfying the crave we created when we smoked the last one.  Therefore, quitting smoking is giving up NOTHING.  Every other time I quit I felt deprived, like I was foregoing something of value.  But it's not true -- there is no value to smoking.  Boy, has that understanding made a difference! I am at Day 213 of my quit and I know that I will never smoke another cigarette.  

Also, read everything you can find here and at sites like whyquit.com (which has a ton of really good information).  Come here regularly and read the blogs, see what people are experiencing at every stage of their quit.  We have people here who are planning to quit just like you are to people who've been quit for over 10 years and come back to reach out to the new people.  Comment on the blogs -- you will find that when you do it benefits you as well.  Write your own blog about how you're feeling about your quit.

The bottom line is that a successful quit is based on education, attitude, acceptance and determination.  Education:  Once you've learned the truth about this addiction it's much harder (for me impossible) to go back to smoking.  Rather, it helps us unlearn the connections we had with smoking.  Attitude:  Your attitude or mindset is key to whether your quit feels like torture or feels like something very doable.  If you feel deprived, if you feel sorry for yourself and just use willpower to get through not smoking, it will be torture (and you'll read more about that in the Carr book).  But if you have that attitude that smoking is nothing and you are willing to go through the discomfort that is generally associated with quitting, then you can be a happy quitter.  I am definitely a happy quitter!  Acceptance: If you can accept that you will have craves early in your quit and sometimes later in your quit than you would imagine, and don't fight them but observe them and say "Yeah, I don't do that anymore" and find something else to do you won't have as many craves.  It's true. Determination:  This is tied up with the willingness I mentioned.  You have an addict's brain, just like the rest of us.  Your addict's brain will whisper to you, scream at you and plead with you to come back.  There will be times when you find yourself thinking "oh, what could it hurt to have just one."  That's your addiict brain trying to entice you.  Determination is your ability to say NOPE -- Not One Puff Ever.  

So welcome to EX -- we're a wonderfully supportive group who've been there done that or are being there doing that right now.   There's no better resource than a good support group to get through the initial discomfort of quitting.

You can do this!

[constanceclum]

You can and will do this if you read the educational material and stick close to this site. Follow the free advice from our elders. Days 1 and 3 were my very hardest. It doesn't get too much easier but it does get easier. If you make this your forever quit, you will never have to go through those days again.

Connie

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

Third time CAN be the charm.  You make the decision that you will not smoke again NO MATTER WHAT and you stick to it.  It's just that simple!

The most important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. To that end, I also highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking” linked for you above. This is an easy and entertaining read and serves as a great crave buster!

As well, read the sections on this site, and read the blogs, responses and pages of folks you think might be helpful. You might visit whyquit.com and quitsmokingonline.com for the good information contained there.

The idea is to change up your routines so the smoking associations are reduced.  Drink your coffee with your OTHER hand. 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.

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.  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.  Don't let that smoking thought rattle around your head alone.  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

[LizzyG]

Wow thank you all so much for the great advice! I will definitely be looking into the books mentioned as well. 

[linda258]

Your attitude and frame of mind will get you through.... yes, the only rule is "Don't take one puff.... EVER!"  

[elvan]

Welcome back, DO the reading, DO stick close to this site,  It will NOT let you down. This is your quit, it belongs to you and only you can nurture it. Congratulations on five days.

[Strudel]

Welcome and congrats! You are right - stick around here! We have a slogan to remember that one puff thing - N.O.P.E. - Not One Puff Ever! Write it on some index cards - carry one with you and post a few - that's what I did! I smoked for 40 years - I did the reading, got the support here and I quit!! You can do this! 

[geronimo]

Hi LizzyG 

Congrats on your quit! How's it going? I quite on July 27th so I think were at about the same place. Stay strong and hang tough. We CAN do this!