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Share your quitting journey

About Day 3...

SkyGirl
Member
0 11 153

Day 3 is the hardest day in your first week.

This is the day that the last of the drug nicotine is leaving your body.  Nicotine's half-life is about two hours and it takes about 72 hours before all of it is out of your system.

Your brain realizes that this is happening.  Your brain starts to scream louder than on Day1 and Day 2.  Your brain will yell at you: "Give me nicotine!  You know I love it!   You know we NEED it to be okay!!"

This is GOOD.  While your brain is screaming at you, it is very hard to see that this is a good thing.  The louder your brain screams "We are almost out of nicotine!!  We MUST have nicotine!!", the more evidence you have that that you are about to be nicotine-free.

After Day 3, the physical withdrawal from the chemical nicotine is over.  But the brain takes a much longer time for the receptors to heal and return to a pre-nicotine condition.

Your brain has memory.  It will continue to hound you: "Where is that nicotine we love so much?  You'll feel so much better if we get some nicotine!  C'mon, c'mon...it won't hurt to have one".

How your journey goes from now on is up to you.

You will get a million suggestions and tons of advice on how to keep your Quit.

Take what resonates with you.  And leave the rest.  

There is no perfect way to quit.  There is no magic formula.  Do what works for YOU.

There is only one inviolate rule:  Do not put any nicotine into your body.

As long as you follow that rule, you are victorious over the nicotine.

It's simple, right?  But it's not "easy".  Sorry, Allen Carr, but it is NOT easy.  But you can do it.  And it is easiER if you understand what is happening in your brain when you stop feeding it nicotine.

Today, you are an ex-smoker.  You can be an ex-smoker tomorrow.  And everyday thereafter.

And that makes you victorious.  Congratulations!!!

xxxooo,   Sky

11 Comments
snowdog
Member

Sky, You there?

almondflour
Member
I'm having my Day 3 tomorrow so I'm glad you put this up! I agree, it makes it easier if you understand the science on what changes are happening to you physically and mentally.
ladybug21
Member

Great post ! I am at day 41 or 42 lol can't remember, and even so this still helps...thank you !! you have helped me tremendously ! I can't thank you enough !!!  smiling here because of YOU !!

sam67
Member

I will soon move into day3.... Thanks for the heads up!

ret
Member

Such a great post regardless if your on day 3 or day 300.  This is the reason that I have to stay close to this site.  Thanks Sky.

RET Quit 5-12-13

OldBones-Larry

Great post Sky, but you forgot to tell them to mentally take a club and beat the crap out of Nic O Demon who is trying to get them to smoke again. They can scream in their mind anything (even the obcenities) of their choice at him while they are beating him. I DID fill the bin outside my door with beater clubs again. FREE to anyone that needs one!!

Larry the Caravan Master

SkyGirl
Member
  Hey, Larry, thanks for your comment.  
   
  I can certainly see some benefit in mentally attacking the cravings in that way!
   
  As I said, each person must find what works for them.  For some folks, your idea might work well.  Other folks might benefit more from not giving a crave that much attention.
   
  During my own Quit, I did well with the "Kick It To The Curb" school of thinking.  When a crave came, at the moment I first became aware of it, I shook my head hard and said, "No, I don't smoke anymore!".  Then I immediately began distracting myself with other tasks and other tastes.   If I stopped to pay any attention to it (for instance, by trying to imagine it as a physical demon that I was beating with a bat!) it only grew bigger and then it was even harder for me to get past the craving.
   
  "To each their own" said the Farmer as he kissed the Cow.  (My mom used to say that; it's an older version of "Different strokes for different folks".  But it is kind of an odd way to say it, isn't it?)  
   
  I can also see how Larry's method might be a good stress reliever!
   
  xxxooo,   Sky
   
Jordan-11-1-12

joyeuxencore
Member

Hey BFF...

When I got a crave I had to launch into jumping jacks until I was so winded I could not POSSIBLY want to smoke...Didn't take much that first week to be very winded...Worked like a charm...xo

keithr4u
Member

It's been 14 hours on day 1 and my brain is screaming for nicotine, but it is NOT going to win!

christinemt
Member

tomorrow is my day 1 i did not know this fully ,,, this i will remember everytime i feel like smoking . i think im most scared for tomorrow morning when i make my coffee ... this will be the hardest time of day.... i cant get busy doing something i just woke up ...... when i beat this smoking next is coffee ..... i drink coffee all day.... i will be turning 50 wed. and i think its time... so get healthy... had spinal surgery a week ago i am not suppose to be smoking to make this surgery to work....... very scared all around ... i dont want to go back in the hospital....omg im so so so so ll................... ahhahhahhhhhhhhhh

About the Author
I'm a 64 year-old flight attendant for a major US airline. Prior to that, I owned an ice cream store and six hot dog carts and put my five kids thru college on hot dog earnings! Prior to THAT, I was Director of International Administration for Domino's Pizza, Inc. I was married to my H.S. sweetheart (dad of my 5 kids) for 17 years. I've been with Jeff for 23 years, but we just finally got married in 2016! Jeff & I live in Cape Meares, OR right on the beach. I'm from Ann Arbor, MI, where many of my kids/relatives still live. My flying base is Washington, DC, where I have a condo that I stay in when I'm between flying trips. My dream is to retire and stay home with Jeff and my two cats, Kenneth & Barbara...not happening soon, though. So I go home whenever I can get a week or more off. I LOVE to meet up with other EXers in the cities where I lay over. I usually blog about what cities I'm laying over in, so let me know if I'm staying near you! I'll buy dinner!! Xxxooo, Sky