Hi everyone, I am new here :)

[Minilove]

This is my first Blog post. I am new to the site and just getting started. My quit date is 1/1/2016. I know we should not pick a holiday or significant date, but that was the last date in my calendar that I should quit on. So why not 🙂

I have COPD, I did quit when I first found out I had it, with the help of Chantix and 8 days in the hospital. I quit for 15 months, then I let stressful situations get the best of me, and started up again, a year ago March.
I tried the Chantix again, but this time it gave me suicidal thoughts ( have bad depression & anxiety to begin with ) my lung doctor prescribed me the Nicotrol inhaler, I have it ready to go. I pray that this works for me.
While waiting for my quit date, I am going to read as much on here as I can so I WILL be ready. Happy Holidays to all!

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

Please use the inhaler as your last resort.  Try distracting activities before resorting to its use.

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

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

[Minilove]

Thank you for the warm welcome and all the helpful info &  links,  I will check them all out 🙂

Donna

[TerrieQuit]

Hello, Donna! The reading Nancy gave you links to above will really help! Stay close! Welcome! I am glad you are here!

[kristen-9-7-15]

Hi Minilove! I almost missed you're blog with all the excitement going on here 😃

i just want to welcome you and to strongly suggest reading the Allen Carr book!