I want to be an EX

[theresann]

Hello, theresann.  1st day here, not first day attempting to stop smoking.  I have failed 4x in my 20+ years of smoking.  I turned 50 in Oct.  I look in the mirror at the wrinkles around my mouth and am so let down with myself, I get bronchitis easy.  I am a nurse.  I am a Mommy.  I do not like how i feel physically or mentally anymore from smoking.  I use to enjoy it.  It was an escape and my "time" but now it feels  more like a crutch and a burden and a destroyer.

I am on Chantix.  (I used it before, it worked very well) did not smoke for over a year.   I do not want to gain weight though and am extrememly fearful of this.  Weight gain was a big excuse for putting off smoking.  But I have had bronchitis since last of Oct 2016 and because of my smoking, my body just is not healing well.  Steroids, antibiotics, inhalers, all too familiar.  I want to stop more than I ever have wanted to before but I am so reliant on the "calm" i get from it.  I need help, I can not do this alone.  So here I am, asking......

Thank you.

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome to our community!

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. 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. 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

[Yaya2.6.10]

Welcome to our world.  Nancy is the best with great advice.  The rest of us are here to help too.

[theresann]

oh wow thank you for all of this, I so appreciate it and will enjoy learning and applying these suggestions.  a thousand thank you's!!!!!!

[Stopforgood]

theresann.   I am new here too, but I can tell you this excommunity is fantastic, and has helped me tremendously with education, understanding, and support.  Welcome, and read, read, read, and study, and take the elders advice.  It will help you in your successful, permenant Quit.  Prayers, Jim.

[RachelMB]

Hi and welcome to our family-

You have been given some very good advice and information to read from Nancy.  Quitting isn't easy, but it can be done and is beyond worth it.  Gaining weight was and still is a big fear of mine too.  Putting on a few pounds is still better than smoking though.  There's a ton of information on the web about gaining weight and quiiting.  Most of it will be temporary.  It helps to have an exercise plan in place.  It doesn't have to be anything crazy to start.  Perhaps some brisk walking half an hour a day or something like that.  The weight can always come off, but the quitting smoking is the most important thing now.  Don't overwhelm yourself with the weight loss right now too.  Focus on quitting and the rest will follow. 

We are always here to help you.  Reach out when you need us and stay close.  Read the blogs, write blogs, and make sure you come here before you smoke.  We are all in this together.  I'm new with only 48 days in, but I know what it was like a few weeks ago.  We have your back and believe in you! 

Rachel

[maryfreecig]

Welcome. You've come to the right place for great support. You can relearn your life without resorting to smokes, eventually the addiction fades and being a nonsmoker becomes addictive... I'm glad you are hear.

[susan_m]

You can do this, you can absolutely do it. When it gets hard, and it will, turn here. Reach out for help and reach out TO help when someone needs it. Breaking free of nicotine is nasty business, but you're stronger than the hold it has on you. Hang in there!

[shashort]

Hi Theresann yep that brronchitis story sounds all so familiar. You have come to great place for support and you don't have to do it alone. Great people ready to help show you the way to success.  Congratulations on decision to quit and read the above info to help you prepare for success. You CAN do this. Hang in there!

[Strudel]

Welcome! You are in the right place for sure! Please check out the Carr book that Nancy mentioned - it really helped me and I quit after 40 years! So, I know you can do this! Stay close! 

[Summer-Rain]

Not being able to take a deep breath sucks dosen't it?  I know how you feel.  I was where you are today.  I made the decision to stop killing my self and kick the nasty habit for good.  Today made 700 days of being smoke free.  Was it hard?  Not really.  Once you commit to not smoking ...no matter what you will be successful.  Even though I've been smoke free for 700 days I still get smoke memories but those memories are not enough to make me pick up another smoke.  You can do this.  You may gain a few pounds but a few pounds is nothing compared to better health.  Stay close to this site and read, blog and read some more.  We are here to help.

The journey continues

[Silverstar]

Hi, theresann, welcome to EX!  I am happy you are here, this is a very supportive community. 

I would recommend doing all the reading, the exercises, come here daily as reading and writing blogs really helps me in my new Quit.  Before this, my forever Quit, I had been smoking for 23 years, and the past 60 Days of Freedom have been worth every effort.

As far as weight gain, I also worried, but needlessly as it turns out.  I have been so focused on my commitment to myself to not smoke, no matter what, on doing things differently, that I haven't really had the time or inclination to pick up a nervous eating habit.  Of course, some emotional eating is normal (ice cream is my weakness), but I found that I needed to work on the empty feeling, not try to feed it something other than cigarettes. 

You can do this, we are here for you, Don't Quit On Your Quit!

[JACKIE1-25-15]

Welcome To EX.  You have come to the right place.  This is all about you and what you are willing to do to be smokefree.

 Start First, by educating yourself about nicotine addiction.  Education is the key to a successful quit.

Read: Freedom from Nicotine My Journey Home and Nicotine Addiction 101         

Here are the links      http://whyquit.com/whyquit/LinksAAddiction.html   and http://whyquit.com/ffn/

Also Read   Allen Carr’s book, “Easy Easier Way to Quit Smoking”.       

The link is here:  http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

 Go to the home click on About EX tab and get started. We will support you. You are in your journey for freedom.

[Dotgirl_1-28-16]

Welcome to the EXcommunity! I'm glad you're here.  Read, learn and educate yourself on this addiction, the more you prepare and educate yourself the more successful your quit will be. Trust us when we say "YOU CAN DO THI!!!!" I was feeling very similar to how you're feeling now, I tursted what those that had gone before me shared with me and even though I didn't think I could do it, I did what they suggested and this January I will celebrate 1 year smoke free.  Trust me when I say, YOU CAN DO THIS!!!