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June quitter

6 years ago 0 +0 / -0 180

Day 9. The urge to smoke is returning. I am getting through each urge by just telling myself "not now" and then distracting myself with another activity. Thinking of my entire future without cigarettes is too difficult, but I can handle not smoking *today*.

6 years ago 0 +0 / -0 180

Hi Dakota,

Clearly I'm not the person to say what's right and what's wrong when quitting (evidenced by the fact hat I have yet to successfully see a quit through), but I do know what's right and wrong *for me* and that's really all I go on. Every tactic I used worked/didn't work to some degree, and I noted those as I went along. For instance, keeping a pack of smokes around was NOT right for me. I always smoked them. I know this works for some, but it was a MASSIVE failure for me, even though I tried it several times. Cutting down was an important step for me, but not one I'd readily advise (mostly because "cutting down" has simply dragged out the process by several years for me, as well as the fact that if I justify one or two, eventually I justify three... which leads to 4, 5, 6, oops I guess I'm just full-out smoking again). This time around, I even got rid of my lighters and matches. I find that if I have *any* reservations, potential outs, or special rules to a quit, I am going to act on it. Anyway, my point is that what works for you might not be what works for someone else. I can't have "just one or two" in the morning (and lordy I tried!), but I have certainly heard tell of folks who felt this sort of action geared them up for the final quit. I guess you'll find out soon enough which camp you're in :)

6 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2

Thank you so much for the words of encouragement!! Today I have another headache and feel sick to my stomach, but I am sure it's all part of the process. After dinner last night was really hard for me so I immediately jumped up and ran out the front door and took a walk until the craving went away...it was a long 1/2 hr lol. I take the patch off before I go to bed because it causes me to have vivid nightmares. The mornings are EXTREMLEY difficult for me since I don't have the patch on at night so I have allowed myself 2 cigarettes in the AM for the rest of this week and 1 for the next week. I'm not sure that is the right thing to do but I need to break that morning habit. I immediately put the patch on and don't smoke the rest of the day. That is a huge accomplishment from smoking 20 a day. I seemed to have slept very well last night, I was surprised by that, but thankful. Any thoughts or comments are appreciated.

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$330,933.50

Amount Saved
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Days: 6523 Hours: 19

Minutes: 17 Seconds: 23

Life Gained
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45646

Smoke Free Days
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912,920

Cigarettes Not Smoked

6 years ago 0 +0 / -0 180

Day 8 and I can tell I'm getting into the weeds here... I had strong thoughts of smoking this morning after breakfast, as well as on my way to work. This message board is actually what popped into my mind, and I decided the pleasure of updating here with another smoke-free day was greater than the fleeting pleasure (and then consequent guilt and enslavement) of a cigarette. As demoralizing as all my previous failed attempts were, I do have to say I feel pretty well-armed today to be successful - if I want to be be.

One thing I'm future-tripping about already is coming off the Champix. Trying to stay in the day. Today I am choosing not to smoke. Not one puff. And it turns out I'm still "me" even without my favourite accessory :) I didn't suddenly become no fun/uncool/square/fat/ordinary/lonely/whatever-other-BS-values-and-beliefs I attach to smoking. The world will keep turning, and I will still be on it, with or without smokes. Might as well try the "without" version of life.

6 years ago 0 +0 / -0 802

Hi Dakota,

Welcome to the site. I hope you're still a quitter, the 1st few days can really be hard if you're not prepared. I too used the patch to quit and it did help me. It took care of the physical part and let me concentrate on the mental part of the quit.

StellaBlue has some good tips for you, especially the breathing tip. The breathing tip will help you out not just now on the start of your quit journey, but for the rest of your life. Quitting is the easy part, staying quit is the hard part. There's always going to be triggers trying make you cave in, and if you use breathing as a crutch so to speak, it can and will help you out in most instances. Especially when you're re-learning how to cope with most situations without a cigarette. Emotions are going to make you feel like you're on a roller coaster at the start, but it WILL get better in time.

Changing your "routine" is also a good idea. You're trying to change your lifestyle, so a change to your norm is a given. Walking at lunch and eating at your desk are great ideas. Keep busy so you don't have time to think about not smoking. Drink plenty of fluids too to help your body flush out the poisons that are still in it. No matter how much you want a smoke, just say no. You're trying to take back the control of your life from that nasty Nico-Demon and you have to be stronger than the urge. Keep a can-do attitude with you at all times. Humor really helps too.

Stay strong.

Not One Puff Ever

37 years as a smoker and now a quitter!

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$24,623.50

Amount Saved
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Days: 792 Hours: 22

Minutes: 42 Seconds: 3

Life Gained
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4070

Smoke Free Days
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89,540

Cigarettes Not Smoked

Stay safe & Strong.

Not One Puff Ever (NOPE)

Tim

6 years ago 0 +0 / -0 180

Hiya Dakota! Welcome and I wish you success. Feel free to post at will/ad nauseum in this thread. I plan to use it similarly... better out than in, I was taught.

In my earlier quit attempts I recall work being a significant challenge. I gradually figured out a few things that helped me: When I craved a smoke at work, it was usually because I a) was resisting a particular task, b) wanted a break from working, c) I wanted to be alone for a few minutes, or d) I was feeling some level of stress or anxiety (which includes boredom-related anxiety).

To address these needs/desires in a different way besides smoking, I found a few tactics that worked for me:

I would go outside for 5 minutes (but not to the smoking spot -it was not beneath me to fish someone else's butt from the can and finish it.... addiction in action) to get some fresh air and a break from the work environment
some very deep breathing (this continues to help me - I realized that one of the calming effects of smoking was actually the fact that I would take long, slow inhales while I smoked; taking similar breaths, but of clean air, is often quite effective)
taking a few minutes to check a favourite website (similar "guilty pleasure" effect as smoking during work hours I found)

6 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2

I just quit today. I am wearing the patch, it is taking off some of the edge however I think this is more mind over matter. I cant stop thinking about smoking. ugh :(I am feeling very anxious since my lunch break is when I smoke quite a bit. I guess I will go for a walk and eat lunch at my desk.

Quit Meter

$330,933.50

Amount Saved
Quit Meter

Days: 6523 Hours: 19

Minutes: 17 Seconds: 23

Life Gained
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45646

Smoke Free Days
Quit Meter

912,920

Cigarettes Not Smoked

6 years ago 0 +0 / -0 180

On Day 7. Feeling depressed, which never happened in my previous billion quit attempts. Perhaps it's unrelated... either way, I'm not suffering the delusion that smoking will help it in any way. Buying smokes would just mean I have two problems instead of one. Onward I go.

6 years ago 0 +0 / -0 180

Thanks for the support guys :) I'm on Day 6 here. I don't feel *good* per se, but I haven't smoked and that's all I need to know.

Timbo - I am indeed very fed up with being an addict. In fact, this desire to quit smoking initially began because I am in recovery from a severe drug addiction (2.5 years clean, yay). What formerly didn't bother me ("it's only cigarettes, at least I'm not _______"), slowly started to feel suffocating. That feeling built until I realized that I am still living in enslavement, even if the master is less life-destroying than what used to rule me. The fact that there are very few negative consequences to my smoking (compared to past addiction, I mean) has made it tough to stick out. Plus my partner is basically a chain smoker, as are the majority of my recovery friends. Over the past 1.5 years, I think my longest quit was 17 days. Usually I last 5-7 days. Hence why I am not joyful or optimistic about this quit (yet). I've tread this ground already, probably 25+ times in the past while. 6 days is nothing to get excited about, in my mind. The half-dose of Champix I'm taking really curbs the irrational, overpowering urges to smoke. It's staying motivated that's the problem.

York Quitter - I'm really looking forward to reading about your quit, and I hope your enthusiasm ends up bleeding over into my own quit, lol. I could use a little oomph. Like I said above, I fairly frequently get to this stage. The hard part for me is day 10-20, when I can't really remember why I quit and I feel like I've done a "good job" and a half smoke is really not a big deal if it's only once a month blah blah blah. I need to remember that EVERY time after that "half smoke", I end up with a pack in my purse within a week. Every. Time.

At the moment, I'm telling myself to go 30 days without a smoke. Every time I think "never again" I immediately want to smoke. Of course, underneath the idea is that at 30 days in, I'll be committed to continuing, but for now I need to know there is an out if I need it. It helps me remember I'm making a choice, not being punished.

6 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2

Way to go! You've gotten through the worst of it!

I'm really looking forward to being able to say that I'm on day 5 of my quit. By that time, you've fought the worst of your demons and have things more or less in control. I know it isn't easy and a few seconds can sometimes feel like an hour but it is so important and so worth it. Keep it up, you're doing amazing and you got this!

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$27,340.80

Amount Saved
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Days: 251 Hours: 20

Minutes: 51 Seconds: 55

Life Gained
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2136

Smoke Free Days
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42,720

Cigarettes Not Smoked

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