Topic : Trying to Quit Smoking?

When it comes to addictive behavior and thought processes, the smoker is right up there with the cocaine or heroine addict. Especially in the early stages of quitting smoking do we tend to crave "Just One". Unfortunately, that is nothing but the mind of the addict rationalizing the next of many fixes...  

JUNKIE THINKING: "One Puff won't hurt"
RESPONSE: "One puff will always hurt me, and it always will because I'm not a social smoker. One puff and I'll be smoking compulsively again."  

JUNKIE THINKING: "I only want one."
RESPONSE: "I have never wanted only one. In fact, I want 20-30 a day every day. I want them all."  

JUNKIE THINKING: "I'll just be a social smoker."
RESPONSE: "I'm a chronic, compulsive smoker, and once I smoke one I'll quickly be thinking about the next one. Social smokers can take it or leave it. That's not me."  

JUNKIE THINKING: "I'm doing so well, one won't hurt me now."
RESPONSE: "The only reason I'm doing so well is because I haven't taken the first one. Yet once I do, I won't be doing well anymore. I'll be smoking again."  

JUNKIE THINKING: "I'll just stop again."
RESPONSE: "Sounds easy, but who am I trying to kid? Look how long it too me to stop this time. And once I start, how long will it take before I get sick enough to face withdrawal again? In fact, when I'm back in the grip of compulsion, what guarantee do I have that I'll ever be able to stop again?"  

JUNKIE THINKING: "If I slip, I'll keep trying."
RESPONSE: "If I think I can get away with one little "slip" now I'll think I can get away with another little "slip" later on."  

JUNKIE THINKING: "I need one to get me through this withdrawal."
RESPONSE: "Smoking will not get me through the discomfort of not smoking. It will only get me back to smoking. One puff stops the process of withdrawal and I'll have to go through it all over again."  

JUNKIE THINKING: "I miss smoking right now."
RESPONSE: "Of course I miss something I've been doing every day for most of my life. But do I miss the chest pain right now? Do I miss the worry, the embarrassment? I'd rather be an ex-smoker with an occasional desire to smoke, than a smoker with a constant desire to stop doing it."  

JUNKIE THINKING: "I really need to smoke now, I'm so upset."
RESPONSE: "Smoking is not going to fix anything. I'll still be upset, I'll just be an upset smoker. I never have to have a cigarette. Smoking is not a need; it's a want. Once the crisis is over, I'll be relieved and grateful I'm still not smoking."  

JUNKIE THINKING: "I don't care."
RESPONSE: "What is it exactly that I think that I don't care about? Can I truthfully say I don't care about chest pain? I don't care about gagging in the morning? I don't care about lung cancer? No, I care about these things very much. That's why I stopped smoking in the first place."  

JUNKIE THINKING: "What difference does it make, anyway?"
RESPONSE: "It makes a difference in the way I breathe, the way my heart beats, the way I feel about myself. It makes a tremendous difference in every aspect of my physical and emotional health." 

I had a bad day today, emotionally, that is...I gave in and bought a pack, smoked about half of them, with every one of those "junkie" thoughts going through my head...I had prepared my head for this( telling myself I needed to quit, that I didn't need to smoke, ect.), I had prepared my family for the withdrawl sympthoms, had even told myself that I would feel, as some doctors call it, "some discomfort", HA HA HA Somehow, I had told myself the withdrwals wouldn't be so bad. That I would feel some mild discomfort, a little irritable, I had NO IDEA that my lungs would BEG for dirty air! Or that I would find myself pacing the floors, that I would want to rip someone's head off for a simple mistake...How could I have fooled myself so easily? I am a very level-headed person, I note the risk of everything before I do it, I studied "how to quit" for weeks before making the move. And I messed up...I honestly don't know if I can do this now...the physical addiction is so very hard to go through, I am mentally prepared, but the gum doesn't give my lungs what they are begging for, it only burns my mouth. I read that it takes 4 days to 4 months to get over the physical side effects, and I wonder if I could live for 4 months like that? Or 4 weeks, or even 4 days! I have zero pain tolerance, and that is what I feel in my lungs, a pain that feels like an emptiness, like when my stomach is empty and I am extremly hungry, my lungs are empty and hungry, they are begging for smoke, and I don't know how to tell them "no"...The Junkie list helped get me back into wanting to stay off cigarettes, but then again, I just put one out....I have gone from "I know I can" to "I hope I can". I'm gonna print that list out, it may help to read it in "the moment"...I am so disappointed in myself, not for slipping, but for fooling myself into thinking that this would only be a "mild discomfort"....still laughing at that one guys, forgive me...

Hi Nannyp410 

Don't beat your self up so. That is what this board is here for. For you to learn from our mistakes. We all did the same thing as in saying we are quitting, then 24 hours later, go out and buy a pack, only to be kicking ourselves the entire time we taking a drag off of one!!!!! As soon as that is out, it won't be 15 minutes later, you'll say just one more ''then that's it,,,,, no more". This is the addiction to NICOTINE. 

Just a suggestion, maybe that particular plan you had picked out, wasn't the right one. In saying that I also did the hypnosis, years ago, spent plenty of money on it too. It might work for some but not for me.  

Check out the Wellbrutin or Zyban to take the edge off of it (prescriptions only). Replace one form of nicotine with another for now, gum, patches, inhaler (that is what I used, it made me feel that I was as least taking a drag off a cigarette. And as Amy said earlier in her posting, keep busy, busy, busy, the urge will be better controlled.  Another suggestions; go back a few days and read some of the older postings, it's a baby step process, but your life is so worth it. 

I'm just 1 cigarette away from being a smoker again. Right now I'm working hard on 11 months of smoke free.  I smoked 34 years, had the lung cancer, spent thousands of dollars on cigarettes. Don't give up hang in there, we are here for you. 

  

Linda 

  

Ten months, three weeks, two days, 12 hours, 16 minutes and 14 seconds. 7908 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,494.66. Life saved: 3 weeks, 6 days, 11 hours, 0 minutes.
 

I started smoking when I was around 15 years old. I am  45 years old and I've  tried everything to stop smoking. I did quit when I was pregnant with my son, but it wasn't long after his birth that I started again. When Peter Jennings died, something in me just clicked and with the aid of nose spray and nicotine gum, I have been smoke free for about 7 months. I STILL find myself reaching for a cigarette and wanting to go outside on my patio with my cup of coffee and a cigarette, but I tell myself that if I cave in now, I'll just have to suffer more to reach this point again. I have gained a bit of weight, but the good thing is that I now have more time and energy to go out walking. Good luck to the rest of you future non-smokers. If I can do it, you can too.

Hi everyone; 

  

Just a quick update.  Everything going really well.  Been smoke free for one year now.  Thank to everyone here for all the support.  Hugs to all from a very frozen up North!  

  

Aggie One year, one week, three days, 5 hours, 30 minutes and 43 seconds. 9380 cigarettes not smoked, saving $3,747.60. Life saved: 4 weeks, 4 days, 13 hours, 40 minutes.
 

Congratulations Aggie, one year that is sooooo great. Very proud of you. When you start to quit, it seems the hours and day just drag by.....then before you know it, it's one month and now it's one year.....balloons......confettie. So happy for you Aggie, way to go girl. 

  

Linda 

Eleven months, 1 days, 9 hours, 50 minutes and 51 seconds. 8031 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,522.23. Life saved: 3 weeks, 6 days, 21 hours, 15 minutes.
 

Hi Linda; 

  

Thanks for the kind words.  I see that it will be your anniversary very soon.  Keep up the great work. You are an inspiration to everyone here!   

  

Aggie One year, one week, three days, 11 hours, 39 minutes and 43 seconds. 9387 cigarettes not smoked, saving $3,750.16. Life saved: 4 weeks, 4 days, 14 hours, 15 minutes.
 

It has been a rough few days.  I quit on March 1.  I am on Zyban, but the second day was horrible.  I had some shakes, and cried constantly.  I called my Dr the next morning and he told me to go on the patch also...just watch my blood pressure closely.  I put it on immediately and I will tell you, by that night I was feeling better.  I am doing pretty good.  Still have the strongest urges after I eat.  I just keep praying alot and deep breathing, and telling myself  "I don't smoke, so what is the problem here?"...ha ha  I so wish this was easier, but I know its not...anyone have any other advice out there for me????  I could use anything right now!     Thanks!

Hi, 

The only thing I could possible tell you , that it does get easier. Keeping yourself really busy does help. And to recognize that  nicotine is a very addictive drug, so you are fighting an addiction, not just quitting a habit. Being on the Zyban and adding the patch you are going in the direction on being smoke-free for life. Post often on the board, it helps so much to release the anxiety that comes with in quitting smoking. I always remind myself I'm just one cigarette away from being in those chains again. Hang in there, I care. 

  

Linda 

  

Eleven months, two days, 2 minutes and 20 seconds. 8136 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,537.71. Life saved: 4 weeks, 6 hours, 0 minutes.
 

I QUIT, I QUIT 

HELP I'M HAVING A NIC FIT! 

I QUIT I QUIT 

SMOKING MADE ME AN IDIOT!! 

  

NOW I CAN BREATH 

SO EASILY 

NO MORE COUGH COUGH COUGH 

NOW I CAN BREATH 

  

I ADMIT, ADMIT, DARNIT 

THAT I WAS AN IDIOT 

FOR SMOKING A CIG 

BUT NO MORE DARNIT  

  

LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL!!!!!!