Hi Congrats to you both. I also used the Chantix... I did picture myself as a Non smoker and in all kinds of situations.. without smoking.
One of the situations that happened to me: At a family dinner,, cold, rainy , windy outside.... We finished dinner... I was the Only one to put on a coat to go outside to get a "fix" As I stood smoking ... I could see everyone inside, the fire going , people talking and laughing... etc. (It was MY choice... the Junkie screaming for nicotine) I Was the one standing in the cold, rain, wind........ there is something wrong with this picture.... all I could picture was the sceen from Scrooge and little Timmy looking in the window.....
Then I am hopping around waving my arms, and popping a mint to go back in.....like I dont smell....
Find some situation... and re run it in your mind..... after a few days of not smoking.. walk past someone smoking, or smell an ashtray. NO matter how much YOU think you don;t smell of smoke.... YOU DO, close your car up real tight, and let it get warm and open the door.... YUCK You get out of the shower, do your hair, put on clean clothes, light up, smoke on the way to work.... you smell like stale smoke... You are ONLY kidding yourself. you may NOT reek, but your nice smelling shampoo and bath products.. are now covered in a layer of smoke.
To get you thru the first few days .. you can use a straw.. and fake smoke with air.... do deep breathing. I used ice chips, frozen juice bars.. sometimes cinnamon or something tangy or with a lot of flavor..
The first 4 days, the nicotine is leaving your system... So that junkie is going to scream .... like a baby with colic.
The nicotine has turned off dopamine receptors in your brain.. so you are not numbing them and they are not working.. It will be about 6 months before the dopamine receptors are working properly...... so You have to rewrd yourself, and tell yourself how good you are. when you get thru a crave or a day, a week without icotine. you need to replace the "feeling" it takes 21 days to change a habit...
your rewards don't have to be expensive.... a bite of chocolate. something for dinner that is one of your favorites. a magazine, a warm barh with bubbles, some new shower gel.....when you have a crave, take the time it would take to have a cigarette, to read an article in a magazine, or play a computer game, a walk. bird watching ????
The more you say NO the easier it gets, and the craves are shorter.. I have some craves/urges around "milestones" most f them are short lived.. and not that hard to deal with... more like batting a pesky mosquito... annoying.
Smoking is an Option I chose No .... N O P E (not one puff ever) there is NO such thing as one puff or one cigarette... I will be back to one pack a day... one carton a week.... whatever...
Just hang in there,,, IT is NOT easy but it is Doable... Bonnie
My Milage:My Quit Date: 2/10/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 95
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 1,615
Amount Saved: $323.00
Life Gained:Days: 13
Hrs: 15
Mins: 49
Seconds: 55
I am just trying to stay busy now until time for bed.. hoping tomorrow will be an easier day... or if nothing else, not as craved crazed!
