Planning to quit
I haven't quit fully yet. I'm reducing, but I have blow outs at least once a week since I made the choice to quit. I was smoking up to 30 cigarettes/day.... But I've reduced that significantly.... A 'good' day is 7 smokes, a blowout is 15 at the moment.... I'm feeling really anxious about not having them in my life and just relying on replacement therapy. My addiction goes further, into the emotional addiction, so I'm trying to find alternative action through mindfulness exercises for the emotional/mental, as having a smoke helps me to refocus from stressful and distress. As you can imagine, there are a lot of issues at play here.... I have chronic and severe depression and anxiety, as well as permanent shoulder, back, hip and knee pain. Smoking helps me refocus when I am in pain physically, as well as mentally. Mindfulness and delay tactics are going well, but because of recent blowouts, I've had to extend my actual quit date. I live alone so I can only be accountable to myself, and due to my perfectionistic nature, a failure to stop means I'm at risk of giving up on quitting completely. I do want to do this, I want to quit. I have blind supporters, but I'm scared to put it out there in the public forum (FB), as I fear being judged as a failure if I give in after my 'official' quit date.... I'm also worried about countinuing to extend it whilst I battle with the concept of no longer having this habit/disease in my life....😳
Hi Liz76. Good luck on your journey and be sure we are here with you. Identify with a great deal of what you have said.
Keep posting and reading these posts. You may not find complete identification with one person but will pick and mix with those who have similar issues.
Best of luck
Hi Lis 76, look, we are all facing a mammoth task. I smoked for 50 yrs and i too feel smokes are mentally part of me, i basically went through life with them by my side in all things i did. But, if you can prevent "bad" damage to yourself by going through life without them why continue to smoke?. I am 6 weeks today and yes some days i am really fighting, but if you place so much negative thoughts about cigarettes, you will continue to go forward and the cravings DO diminish. The habit is hardest to break, but as you go about your life you then realise you are breaking the habit cause the cravings disperse for much longer periods. You must continue to fight and say "no" cause if you feel sorry for yourself or become depressed you will regress. We all know it is hard but we are all on this site to encourage one another and sometimes things need to be addressed hard not in a soft manner. Good luck and stay strong. Cheers.
Hi Lis, welcome on board, everything you say has been said before, maybe with different words or in a different way, we all are in different curcumstances, but we all have the same goal and are all in this together. I used the tablets Zyban as they ar also an anti depressant because I suffer from anxiety and get very depressed, however they helped with the cravings but not with the depression all I did was cry and pace. I have not told anyone apart from close family and the people on this site, that I am giving up as like you I was concerned that I would been seen as a failure if I slipped up. I have the added stress of my husband and children still smoking around me, at first I found it extremely difficult and I was angry when ever they lit up, but I am over this now. Giving up is a private personal thing and no one can do it for you, what you use to help you, or your actual start date is only your business. However you have made the decision and by coming on board here you have held your hand out for help and support. Believe me you will get all the help and support you need here,from a wonderful inspirational supportive group of people just keep posting and reading posts,take each ciggie not smoked as a small step on your future path to nonsmoking , take it hour by hour,day by day, lots of deep breathing, sugar free gum and what ever you need to help. Good luck and stay in touch, can't wait to hear how you progress.
Hi Chezzel, i appreciate the comments made by you very much, very enlighting, however you need to do as i have done if some family member is to smoke while with me then they must go out side or step aside. In time you will not be bothered by the smell of someone smoking near you but it helps greatly if you do not passive smoke. Just my respectful opinion. Cheers.