Quit Smoking!

[Ice_Fire]

I am 24 hours into my quit. I've had one single nicotine replacement lozenge. It's hard, the time today has seemed to go by at a painfully slow pace. One of the longest 24 hours ever!

I'm still wondering if going 'cold turkey' or using the lozenges more consistently will be the better method in the long-term? I wonder if a short but painful withdrawal is better than still being addicted to nicotine, just in a different (although less harmful) form?

Any ideas, tips? Is anyone else currently trying to quit?

 

[Jane.l]

I don't think the addiction is actually so much to the nicotine but more the postive links that have been created in your brain to smoking. I gave up ten years ago after many many attempts and it's all about the right thinking and not much about the drug, of course lots of money in nicotine replacement so those companies will have you convinced you need the stuff.

The best advice I can offer is not to put yourself in a place of denial - don't say I can't smoke, I must not smoke because you will want to rebel - instead say I can smoke as many cigarettes as I want,( because you can) but you are choosing not to because you want to be healthier, smell nicer and any other postive reasons personal to you. Giving myself the freedom to choose helped.

Good luck with it - it's worth it - once I got my head in the right space it wasn't actually that hard and I never looked back .

 

[Seagreen]

Congratulations! Youre doind a great job! Keep going.

 

[Nyssa]

I quit two months ago. Reading Allen Carr's book "The easy way to stop smoking" really helped me. I recommend it.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

Woohoo!!!!

 

[City Slicker]

Congratulations that's amazing.

 

[Ice_Fire]

I agree that it's positive associations that are hard to break. For example, right now I'm sat in starbucks (caffeine is my other indulgence) and I'm not convinced it's the coffee itself making me want to smoke. It's more the, 'this is a break from class, this is nice. This is when I usually have time to myself to just stop'

That's the thing I think. Having a cigarette is a reason to just take five minutes out from life, without just standing about randomly. It's less 'I need five minutes away from everyone' when you smoke because people simply think I need a smoke. But I don't really, I need time out to relax.

My therapist mentioned that book too, I shall try to get hold of a copy.

40 hours...

 

[digger]

Reading Allen Carr's book "The easy way to stop smoking" really helped me.

I'd second this. If you can get past the somewhat repetitive and kinda preachy patronising writing style. I don't think I ever actually managed to finish reading it, but what I did read helped me turn some of the addiction side of things on its head and, while it didn't stop the cravings, it helped me understand them better and made it easier not to give in to them. The reasoning in it has definitely stuck with me and helped me stay quit.

If there are particular smokes that hit you hardest, then I would suggest trying to change some of the other parts of the routine that go with it as well. I did use nicotine lozenges for the really tricky times but tried not to rely on them as to me it felt like just replacing the addiction and associated habits with another one. Some people find the nicotine replacement stage really helpful though as a stepping stone.

I've been quit, and stayed quit, for about ten years now.

 

[Ice_Fire]

:sorry::( hating myself right now.

 

[Jane.l]

I used that book too, it really helped.
And I just remembered that hot water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice is good for bad cravings - just something about it that would make a smoke pretty yucky after.
There is a bit of 'what do I do now' when you give up - normally, I am fed up, I'll have a smoke, I am hungry, I'll have a smoke, I am bored, I'll have a smoke - somehow we made smoking an answer to everything which is pretty crazy, it does take time to adjust - you are doing brillantly, you can read the book to fill in the gaps ;)

 

[digger]

hating myself right now.

Don't. It doesn't help! If you slip, keep your focus on the cigs you didn't have, not the one you did. If you gave your body a break from smoking for three hours when normally you have an hour between cigs - then you quit for three hours. At risk of sounding like a psychobabble cliche, it's a process. Very few people manage to quit straight off with no difficulty or relapses. Slipping up doesn't mean you've stopped stopping.

 

[Ice_Fire]

Thanks @digger. I guess I'm just disappointed and surprised at how addicted I am. I mean, knowing you're addicted and then really being aware of it when stopping are two very different things. A day and a half doesn't feel like much of an achievement though.