A temporary ex ex

[Jec]

I stumbled and fell back into the nasty smoking habit. This has got to stop! I have got to find the strength to quit smoking for good. Just because I felt overwhelmed by life events, I picked the nasties back up again. I'm frazzled that I have given so much power to smoking. Again. I guess this is what addiction is all about. 

I haven't established an absolute quit date but it will be very soon. I'm trying to get the idea into the fore front of my mind and MAKE it my reality. I want to be an ex. Not an ex ex.

[Sandy-9-17-17]

Oh boy, you were quit for quite some time from the looks of it, and I hope you climb right back up and start soon!   Those life events are going to be there whether you smoke or not, so make it NOT!    

[SimplySheri]

Don't give yourself excuses to continue smoking....just quit.  It's not going to get any easier by wrapping your mind around it.  The hardest part is deciding to do it.  You've been quit so you know that   Jump back in and know that addiction is a big old lie...you don't need them to function.  In fact, you'll function so much better without them!!  You can. 

[JACKIE1-25-15]

I have learned over the years that having a support system and using it to quit smoking makes all the difference in the world. Click on this link to read a previous blog. Stay connected  

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

Education, preparation and planning are as important to your quit as commitment.  I hope you will take advantage of the materials I will provide for you.  They made a HUGE difference in the success of my quit and they have done so, as well, for many of the successful people here.

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 highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking.” This is an easy and entertaining read. You can search for it  or at your local library. Here's a link to a video here on the site which describes nicotine addiction: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IpWMgPHn0Lo&feature=youtu.be.
 
 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. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises recommended here on the site.
 
 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.  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.  I do not recommend the e-cigarette for three reasons: 1) the vapor has been compared to the polluted air in Bejing on a bad day, 2) they just provide another nicotine delivery system while continuing the hand to mouth smoking motion, and 3) the batteries can spontaneously catch on fire. . But – any method that you think will work well for you will be best for you.
 
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.
 
I am glad you are here.  Stay close to us 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]

WELCOME- please read Thomas.3.20.2010 BLOGSthank you!

[karenjones]

did life get any better when you smoked? no, It got worse.  Throw those cigarettes in the trash right now. Throw that cigarette lighter away.  Stop thinking about cigarettes, they are killing you.

[minihorses]

Yup, I did the same exact thing. I had stopped for 7 months and in May I started smoking again.  Everyone has their own ways and reasons to stop smoking, especially after a relapse. What worked last time may not work this time around. What honestly worked for me was to realize I was simply sick of doing it.  I remember living free before I caved in, how it made me feel to know I didn't have to put on gallons of perfume just to go in a store, how nice it was to not panic because I'm down to a few smokes, etc.  So I realized right there and then that I was absolutely sick of the things.  For me this was a different set of reasons than last year. A move to the side may open up a straight path that had not been seen before.

[Giulia]

To get this quitting thing into the forefront of your mind, all you need do is settle yourself on this site and read every day.  Anything, everything, different things....   Where we spend our mind time is where our focus will be.  

I'm frazzled that I have given so much power to smoking.

When you give more power to quitting, you will move from an ex ex to your heart's desire which is freedom from this addiction.

[Giulia]

minihorses‌  "A move to the side may open up a straight path that had not been seen before."  WONDERFUL thought!