Damage

[Katiemay555]

Hello I’m new here. I’m not trying to bring the mood down since this is a positive website. But I can’t shake the thoughts of “the damage is already done so why stop.” 

[Barbscloud]

@Katiemay555 Welcome to the Ex and congrats on your decision to quit. That can actually be one of many excuses we use not to quit.  It's the addiction talking.  It's not too late to improve your health. See the chart below.

Educate yourself about nicotine addiction and create a quit plan.  Many have found success with knowledge and preparation.   It took me 50 years and many attempts to finally get it. I went into my quits blindly and was never successful.  In addition to some aids, I found the Ex a week prior to my quit.  For the first time I learned how to quit and had the support that was always lacking.

Have you given any thought to using a quit aid?  There are many options and they really do help with the physical withdrawal.  

This link is a great place to start.

https://www.becomeanex.org/guides/?cid=footer_community_linktobex

Make the commitment and you can do this too.  We're here to support you on your journey.  So reach out anytime you need help, want to share your experience or to support fellow quitters. We're all in this together.

Join many  of us on the Daily Pledge.  It's a great way to stay on track on day at a time.

Is today you quit date?

Barb

[maryfreecig]

Welcome to Ex!!! It's hard to know what exactly you mean by "the damage is already done." Have you been diagnosed with cancer, COPD and are you coping with illness? There are others here who are facing health problems due to smoking, so you are not alone in that if this is what you are facing. You'll find many here who have or are going through similar things to you.

In quitting, one of the hardest things about changing is turning away from self defeating thoughts. Addiction kinda works like that--by keeping ourselves pessimistic, it's so easy to suck on cigarettes, vape, chew--(nicotine addiction). Not much is required to keep an addiction but to shell out more bucks, take another hit. We are users, addicts. This is not a condemnation, it's about knowing what the problem is.

Lots of us have made it out and away from addiction. It gets better and so will you. Ex is loaded with info and the community is here to cheer you on in your decision to quit.

One step, one day at a time you can achieve your quit goal.

[CommunityAdmin]

@Katiemay555 welcome, and glad you're here! As Barb mentioned, it really is never too late and there is so much regenerating your body does once you quit. 

It's normal to have mixed emotions about quitting in general though. This Mayo Clinic blog post might get you thinking about what will be your "jolt" to start your quit: https://excommunity.becomeanex.org/t5/Mayo-Clinic-Blog/SOMETIMES-IT-TAKES-A-JOLT/ba-p/2005330

- Megan, EX Team

[Maki]

That self talk is addiction talking , you have everything to gain quitting smoking or vaping . I think this site welcomes you just as you are , be who you are , share how you feel , quitting will have negative days when you don’t feel positive , and positive days when you don’t feel negative . We stuffed many of our feeling in with every inhalation of a smoke , maybe it’s time those emotions are revealed so your  body can heal and you can learn healthier ways of coping . You won’t regret quitting no matter what .