Good bye to my old friend

[Reverendmom]

You entered my life at age 15. Along with all my friends I thought you were cool.  I have left you off and on over the years but always come back to you in stressful situations.  I want new friends now and I think we are finished with each other.  You cause me to cough, stink up my home and clothes, and irritate my health yet I keep letting you be my friend.  No more.  I am the master of my body and life, and, I no longer need you for a crutch or a friend.  I can take nice trips now on the money I spent on you.  Good bye and I don’t want you back old friend.  Yea!!

[Barbscloud]

@Reverendmom Welcome to the Ex and congrats on your upcoming quit.   It is time to find a new "supposed" friend and we're here to fill that that role.  A good-bye letter is a great way to begin your journey to become an ex.

Spend time on the site to learn about nicotine addiction and put a quit plan in place. Knowledge and preparation has been the key to many a successful quit. Along with support from fellow quitters, it made the difference for me after 50 years of smoking.  This link is a great resource to get you started on the right track. https://www.becomeanex.org/guides/?cid=footer_community_linktobex

Reinforce your quit by joining many of us on the Daily Pledge to stay on track one day at a time.

There are some great quitters here to support you on your journey. So please reach out anytime you want to share your journey or need some support. I'm here cheering you on to achieve your goal.

Look forward to celebrating your quit on the 17th.  It will be the beginning of a new way of life.

Stay busy and stay close.

Barb

[champsin97]

Congrats on your decision.  It's the best one you'll ever make.  Make detailed quit plan and stick to it.  It will be a fight but just take it one day at a time.  Pledge everyday and post when you need support.  We are all here for each other.

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome!

Great good-bye!   If you do a bit of work to get ready for your quit, it will increase your chance of success.

Understanding the addiction and having a PLAN going forward will reduce the anxiety of quitting.  Get busy learning and preparing, and I think you may actually start to look forward to this journey!  You will do this one day at a time, so don't be looking further ahead than that. 

An important thing you can do right now is to educate yourself on what nicotine does to your body and mind. I was amazed when I learned that the stress reduction you feel when you ingest nicotine is caused by the brain receptors calming that have gradually built in volume jonesing for their next fix!  I highly recommend Allen Carr's “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking”  that brings light two other things you might not know.  You can purchase a digital version online or borrow it at your local library.  Here is a video to inform you further about nicotine addiction: Nicotine and Your Brain.

I quit many years ago , and I base my overall recommendations on my experience and that of others here over the years. If you decide to use a quit aid, I recommend those that don't let the addict control the dose such as Rx drugs and the patch. Lozenges and gum are fine, but don't sub them for every cigarette you used to smoke.  That will simply be substituting one addiction for another.  Have a plan to reduce use over time. Each cigarette you smoked contained about 1 mg of nicotine. If you use more than one form of NRT, be sure you aren't getting more than when you smoked.

To better deal with the habit part of the addiction, 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 walking shoes on right out of bed, going for a quick walk, then taking your shower and THEN your coffee! .  Take a different route to work. Take a quick walk at break time where the smokers AREN'T.

After you have eliminated as many associations as you can, you need to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take a bite out of a lemon (yup - rind and all), 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. Don't let that smoking thought rattle around in your brain unchallenged. You might visit Games: The active ones are at the top of the list going down the left side of the page.

Here is a link to a list of things to do instead of smoke if you need some fresh ideas:

101 Things to Do Instead of Smoke - EX Community

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.

You might want to join other site members by taking the daily pledge when you quit. It helps to hold yourself accountable and also accountable to others here. Find it at Home (top left), then first box titled Take the Daily Pledge.

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

[CommunityAdmin]

Welcome @Reverendmom! Thank you for sharing you good-bye letter. My name is Quiana, and I am a part of the EX Team. Congratulations on your decision to quit! I wanted to reach out and personally welcome you to the EX Community! We are so excited you have joined us. This is a very supportive community so feel free to keep us all posted on your quit journey reach out and let us know if you need anything.

Here are some articles that might be helpful as you prepare for your quit date: 

https://www.becomeanex.org/ex-resources/about-quitting/get-ready-to-quit/right-before-you-quit/

https://www.becomeanex.org/ex-resources/about-quitting/get-ready-to-quit/3-ways-to-get-your-support-...

Quiana, EX Team

[biscuit9]

I applaud you for wanting to take your control back.  It's a nasty addiction that noone needs to have!

[Buddhabarks]

This is inspiring and helpful! Thank you!