Gearing up to quit - NEED ADVICE/ENCOURAGEMENT!

[jowants2quit]

Hello EXers! Congrats to those of you that have already quit... I hope to be one of you starting Aug 1st! I'm 37 years old and have been smoking for 20+ years. I have multiple, chronic, some rare, illnesses that forced me to stop working 3 years ago. I'm constantly in pain and am unable to stand or sit for long periods at a time. I spend most of my days alone out in the country while my husband works 10 hours a day. Pain, loneliness, frustration, and anxiety are my big triggers. I smoke far less once hubby is home or if I'm staying with family. When I was well, I had quit for 2.5 years (still kicking myself in butt for going back during my divorce). I remember how much better I felt not smoking and given my many health issues, I am desperate to quit to prevent adding to the problemsproblems and complications. I WANT to quit, but I've tried to quit about 5 or 6 times over the past 3 years. The best I did was 2 days. I get INTENSELY ANXIOUS and give in. I DON'T want to give up but don't know how to tolerate the anxiety long enough to be smoke free for good. I've tried nicotine patches, gum, inhaler, vapor ecigs, and even Chantix... They helped the physical craving but didn't do much for the emotional anxiety. Has anyone been in a similar situation? What has helped with the anxiety? The loneliness? I'm unable to go for a walk, cook, do my favorite hobbies anymore. TV is my main company these days. Any help or encouragement is welcomed! Thank you!!!!

[JonesCarpeDiem]

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/people/jonescarp.aka.dale.jan_2007

[constanceclum]

Continue to come to this site everyday at least once to read blogs and get advice. You will find many people here who have successfully quit having a lot of the same problems you have, chronic pain, isolation, depression, anxiety and other addictions. First you have to learn that none of them is an excuse to smoke. Smoking aggravates all those problems. I have only been quit for 12 days this time but I have been using this site for 2 yrs.. Before you do anything, make sure you get as medically and mentally stable as is possible. I few of us our on medication for depression, bipolar and anxiety. A lot of us are isolated do to health problems. I am on the computer a lot and play severl fb games.

Don't worry about the future, just get through day 1. You will get so much help and support from this site. However, we aren't Drs. or Psychiatrists but it is vital that you get those problems stabilized as much as possible.

Connie

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

You have listed a lot of excuses to keeo smoking.  Don't DO that - not even in your own mind.  Everybody has life to deal with - yours certainly sounds challenging, but please don't give up before you start.  You CAN do this.  It takes some effort - but you CAN, I promise!

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. Here is a link to a free PDF version of it:

http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

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. You should also do the tracking and separation exercises suggested on this 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. 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. If you always had that first smoke with your coffee, try coming to the site and do some reading and blogging.  Tell us about your day and how it's going.  Then take a 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,, play a computer game, do a crossword or a jigsaw puzzle, clean out a drawer, say the alphabet backwards, or think of male/female names or cities that begin with each letter of the alphabet.   Sing out loud to your favorite music!   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!

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

[johio]

Welcome to the first step on an incredible journey. We all were where you are today, and we all know what you are going through. There's not a lot of guarantees..... But I can guarantee if you reach out for help....someone will reach out to you

You are not alone

[godschild619]

I too have tried several times to quit and gave in due to intense anxiety. Don't kick yourself, give yourself credit for the time you did quit. You did this before, you can do it!! Don't let anything tell you that you can't, that you will fail. Keep busy with reading,  puzzles, whatever you can do to help distract. Post on here and someone will talk to you. Do you remember what helped you before? I quit for 7 months using the nic gum to help me, than after I started and tried to quit again, nothing helped. Now I am using the gum again and it is helping me a lot . Keep your hands busy. Suckers, gum, straws, cinnamon sticks , carrots, try different things that might help . Is there someone you can call on the phone to support you, or distract you?  I know you can do this , we are here for you!!  

[TerrieQuit]

Welcome. I will be an ex when I wake up Mon morning. I have come to this site several times a day for 2 weeks or more seeking encouragement and support. Sometimes I think it's too much. But like you i have alot of issues. also I am homebound.I have to save money from my limited budget for bus and sometimes i run out and have to depend on others for help. I'm not to good at that so its a struggle. I live alone. I am home almost always. Feel free to message me or  email:Grandbunn56@yahoo.com. I don't go far from this site! you will get lots of encouragement and support from others on this site. Do the readings. and listen to the folks with the time nic free they have really helped me!!! and i believe they know their stuff because i have done the reading, prepared and listen to the people with time and i am ready and excited!! You can too!!