Day three part two

[Moonink]

I can’t believe how hard this is. I have quit before, and this makes me wonder why I went back to smoking after getting past the first few days and even when I had gone for months! My thinking is not too clear and I feel really tired. Maybe I should just lay down and take a nap! I read through the literature the hospital gave me, and it says it takes the body 30 days to get rid of the nicotine. So if I start smoking, I’ll have to restart the 30 days. Very frustrated right now.

[YoungAtHeart]

Welcome!

The early days of a quit always suck.  Accepting this, you get through them however you can.  You probably didn't realize before that nicotine is an addiction and as such, even one puff can send you right back to it.  There can never be even one puff to an addict; it will always - maybe not right away but always, lead you back to being a full-time smoker.

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 almost 12 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

[biscuit9]

@Moonink  I feel every bit of what you are saying.  Quitting was really hard, but I had decided I didn't want to die from smoking complications.  I am slightly over 1.5 years quit and guess what I found out?  I CAN do hard things.  I really, really can and I amazed myself.  I didn't do it alone though, God was with me every step of the way.  

There are no benefits of smokng.  Not only do you harm your body and lungs, but your quality of life can suffer, and who needs that??  The good news for you is, you never have to go through day 1 again.  You only have to experience hell week ONCE.  Keep your eye on the prize and since one puff ALWAYS leads to another, you have to stop the insanity.  Your choice of tools right now is very important, as you will turn to them and not nicotine.