Preparing to quit (again, this time for good)

[hippie_yul]

Hi everyone. I've been smoking for 11 years. My attempts of quiting started about 2 years ago with my father having a by-pass (coronary disease caused by smoking obviously), but none motivated me enough to quit more than 3-4 days. I was always very confident in the beginning as I am now, but my enthusiasm started to fade after 24 hrs and I became frustrated and weak. The thing is I really want to stop... I have read Allen Carr and many materials I could find online, so I know what to expect. Joining a community is very new to me as I am introvert and I only like socializing in small groups, but I hope I can learn from your experiences

[ShawnP]

Welcome! Allen Carr is a good book to read. I suggest that you read all that you can on this addiction. Knowledge is the power that you need to kick this habit once and for all.

Here is my link, Allen Carrs links is there for the book but i have many other links attached that can help you.

https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/blogs/ShawnP-blog/2013/08/11/foundation-for-a-successful-quit

[Junior7]

Welcome!   This community is a great place for support!  Glad you are here!

[YoungAtHeart]

You can start by figuring out what triggered you to want to smoke each time you quit, and make a plan what to do differently THIS time.  You need to make a commitment to yourself that you will not smoke NO MATTER WHAT.

The idea is to distract yourself through any craves.  You can take slow, deep breaths, go for a walk, play a computer game, do a crossword, bite into a lemon (yup, rind and all).   Here is a link to a list of 100 things to do instead of smoke if you need 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 CANNOT be:  "I want a cigarette.  No!  But - I WANT a cigarette!”

Instead, it needs to be "I want a cigarette.  Well, since I have decided not to do that anymore, what shall I do instead?"  Then DO it!

Have you set a quit date?  Have you researched and decided upon a quit aid, or will you go Smart Turkey (the nicotine is out of your body in only 72 hours!).

Stay close to us here; ask questions as you have them and for support when you need it. We will bewith you every step of the way.

Nancy

[Strudel]

Welcome! Yes, reread Carr - I also like the free course at  http://quitsmokingonline.com/ 

And - be sure to stick around here for the support! Think of this as a small group! I smoked for 40 years - I came here, did the reading, stayed for the support - and I quit - more than 4 years ago! You can do this!!

[hippie_yul]

Many thanks for your encouragements!. Friday is my quit date. I started too many times on Mondays 🙂