About to start *again*
About to start again. 3 left to go, and then I’m going to be doing this.
I’ve quit so many times. Tried so many methods and am afraid I’ll fail. So scared I’m going to fail.
But I need to quit. I’m spending $350 a week on cigarettes. I don’t even think about it. Spend so much time smoking, I could cry. I feel horrible if I can’t have a smoke break, it’s been my master and I want to kick it to the curb.
I am quitting so that I can buy a house. I am quitting so that I can make a better life for myself and my kids. I need to do this so that I’m not running off to smoke instead of spending time with my family.
One of my strategies will be giving my friend my bank card and asking her to hold it until the cravings aren’t at their worst. Also going to start a savings account so I can see the money add up and see the benefits in a visual sense of quitting.
Thank you for having me and for listening.
Hello Feedme. Welcome, you have come to a great place with wonderful people and amazing quit stories. Here you will find the tools to help with your journey and to know you are supported by people who have felt how you feel.
I am going to feed you hope and inspiration. Nicotine is out of your body 93% in the morning when you awaken. It lessens by 50% every hour that you don't have nicotine until the worst is past in 72 hours. A few members who joined sounded even more scared and frankly hopeless given their circumstances, and yet they prevailed. So I know that ANYBODY CAN QUIT SMOKING! I never thought that i could go cold turkey after 40 years, but I did after joining and reading stories and actually believing that I could also be free. Unfortuanately, even after kicking the nicotine addiction is 80% , the psychological part of this change . Habits die hard, but you can retrain your mind to understand that you do not need to smoke. Realizing that it gave you nothing and just makes you feel like crying all the time, just may work on your side. Remember how weak and helpless you feel being under its influence and learn how to fight back. Read and find reasons to back your quit, strength inspired by others to win this battle and techniques to do so.
Cravings are merely thoughts, and quitting can be easy if you truly want to . If you are feeling that you will miss it, that you need it, they you will make this process harder on yourself. Willpower should not really enter into it. Embracing the idea of being free from its talons and desiring the better side of life can make the road a lot less bumpy. I honestly had no cravings after the 72 hours. Sure i think about them, given i spend a lot of time on this site, but I do not ever desire to actually smoke one and give up my freedom that i won.
You only need to quit once. Remember the NOPE mantra. Not One Puff Ever! Take it from members who know and hope to save you that anquish. We are nicotine ADDICTS, one puff will send you back to go.
Do yourself a favour and read Allan Carr's free e-book here:
https://www.reddit.com/r/lastsmoke/comments/7iu9aq/group_reading_allen_carrs_easy_way_to_stop/
He is master at easing your mind and logically argues all of your concerns. Everyone should read it. Strengthen your resolve and stay quit!
Remember that you too have every chance to change your life if you truly desire to. You will not find one person here who ever regretted becoming a non-smoker.
https://www.icanquit.com.au/story/15913/an-ultra-happy-call-from-my-granddaughter
The above is a link to a wonderful heartfelt , warming story that touched us all. Well worth the read start to end (12 stories by TheOldPhart)
Robn's "Embrace It" sums up the attitude desired to make the journey easier.
https://www.icanquit.com.au/story/15757/embrace-it
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These are just two of the hundreds of stories that I have read but come to mind for a start. I hope you benefit from them.
Hi Feedme, just about everyone on this forum had in successful quits in the past, myself included. No need to hit yourself over the head about it. All you need is just one successful quit and if you are here this tells me you are serious. Happiness is right in her summation above but I’d like to add a few more things. 1) get sunflower seed. Hand to mouth movement replaces cig movement and dulls cravings. 2) When cravings hit and you are not in the position to eat sunflower seeds the next best thing is chewing gums. 3) Cut straws to the size of a cig and sick on them as if you were smoking a real cig while vividly seeing yourself smoking a cig and feeling the smoke going down your throat into the lungs until cravings pass. Helped me.
Sending strength and persevere your way. Good lick.
Correction- “in successful” should read “unsuccessful”. “...sick on them...” should be “...suck on them...” cheers.
I know its scary, but believe me, if you keep in touch regularly and post a few times when you feel the need you can begin again, but only if you keep the thought first and foremost in your mind, "Not one puff Ever", you will succeed this time. Pick another quit date, keep in touch and believe in yourself.