A choice to be made

[jillar]

1 hour ago, CanDoCouldBe said:

Nineteen waking hours with no nicotine. While I listen to everyone here telling me how good they are, all the reasons I should quit, and how wonderful they feel, even rainbow farting unicorns, I am ready to commit violence.  An hour ago I was reduced to going outside to the ash bin looking for smokeable butts. 

 

Congratulations on quitting CanDo, I remember my first day doing the same thing as you did, looking for smokeable butts. A Clue I got about three weeks into my quit was using an air cigarette to trick my mind into thinking it was getting the real thing. I just pretended to hold an invisible cigarette in my fingers and went through the motions of "smoking" it. I took deep drags too. And it worked GREAT! I did that for the first three or four months whenever a strong crave would come. Others have used cut straws, pens, etc. Maybe it'll help you too?

Edited July 23, 2018 by jillar

[notsmokinjo]

Hey CanDo ... twenty hours mate... well done.

[Cristóbal]

2 hours ago, CanDoCouldBe said:

Nineteen waking hours with no nicotine. While I listen to everyone here telling me how good they are, all the reasons I should quit, and how wonderful they feel, even rainbow farting unicorns, I am ready to commit violence.  An hour ago I was reduced to going outside to the ash bin looking for smokeable butts. 

 

 I want a MF< GD $#%^&*$*^#$@&* CIGARETTE!

 

Just keep going. The first few days are the most difficult, but they will not last forever. If they did, nobody would ever quit smoking. Any discomfort you may have, is just temporary. 

 

After 72 hours, almost all the nicotine is gone from your body, and you will start to feel some relief. After Day 4, the improvements in how you feel will be noticeable, and it will just keep on gettint better.

 

For the next month, keep sweets close to you, and if you feel like having a cigarette eat some sugar and then wait 15 minutes. The desire to smoke will then go away.  When you were a smoker, nicotine regulated your blood sugar by increasing it with each cigarette.  Now that you have quit, your body needs to learn again how to do this without nicotine,  This can take a few weeks to happen. At the same time, your mind has to realize that when your blood sugar is low, it causes a trigger for you to smoke.  Ignore this mental trigger and it will go away, and probably never come back.

 

Do whatever you need to do, but do not put any nicotine in your body, in any way. Even just one puff, and YOU LOSE.

 

Realize that what you are experiencing is drug withdrawl. We are nicotine addicts, we have a physical addiction to nicotine, and the way you feel right now is BECAUSE of this addiction. The reality is that cigarettes did this to you, and nicotine withdrawl symptoms are really signs that you are starting to recover from this addiction. Again, the discomfort is only temporary. You must believe us, and continue your quit with this in mind.

 

The rainbow farting unicorns are very real, but they will not appear in your life until your quit matures. Eventually you will arrive at a place in your quit where you will stop thinking about smoking, and will feel so much better physically, mentally, and spiritually, that you will ask yourself why you ever continued to smoke.

 

Let us know how you are doing. Stay close to this forum.....and post a SOS message here if you think you are going to smoke. You are not alone in this, all of us are with you in your quit.

 

 

Cristóbal

 

 

 

 

Edited July 23, 2018 by Cristóbal

[Whispers]

Reading the comments they pretty much hit on everything all i can add is the reward is worth it. All you need to be is  stronger than the withdrawal. You can beat it.

[Reciprocity]

Glad to see you decided to give this quitting thing a try; really, I am happy for you!

 

No quitting isn't all sunshine and lollipops but nothing worth fighting for in life is.

 

Try deep breathing exercises for the anxiety and frustration/anger you might feel in the early days. I had that a lot too and didn't like it one bit either. Just take things an hour, or even a minute at a time for the moment. Don't look too far ahead. Get through today. Tomorrow will come regardless so you can deal with that then.

 

Keep coming back and posting. I think you'll find it helps - even if it's just to unload on us. We've all been there, done that.

[CanDoCouldBe]

The woman who reads my gas meter drove up a while ago. It was when I started imagining her having an unexpected lay down in my mud room as I rummaged her pockets and her van for cigarettes that I knew I have a serious problem. Fortunately I refrained from that action. I did find a single edged razor blade and made five small vertical cuts in my lower lip. With these I know I can't smoke and missing a few meals won't hurt me. With antiseptics and minimal mouth movement I expect to be relatively healed in three or four days. I should be past the worst of the withdrawls by then. Thank you all for your wonderful input, but I guess some solutions are best found on one's on.

[jillar]

Wow @CanDoCouldBe, that's an extreme measure to take and one I've definitely never heard of before! I guess like you said some solutions are found on one's own.... Please don't harm yourself though, don't let cigs have that much power over you!

[Doreensfree]

Hi Can Do..

Late to the party...no bloody internet all day...

Wow..did I get a surprise to see you here...glad you decided to give it a try..what have you got to lose ...nothin...

You have been given great advice already....

All you have to do is ...never put anything in your mouth and set fire to it..

You can do it...you just need to want to...

Stick around ....you might surprise yourself !!!!

[JimHannoonen]

3 hours ago, CanDoCouldBe said:

Nineteen waking hours with no nicotine. While I listen to everyone here telling me how good they are, all the reasons I should quit, and how wonderful they feel, even rainbow farting unicorns, I am ready to commit violence.  An hour ago I was reduced to going outside to the ash bin looking for smokeable butts. As I am nearly thirty miles from the nearest place which sells cigarettes, I had the bright idea of giving my car keys to my father-in-law so I wouldn't be tempted to drive there. Cream of tartar with OJ. Honey. Turmeric. Hard candy. Toothpicks. No gum in the house, I looked. Ran until my feet hurt. My dog won't even stay in the same room with me. Showers, hot and cold.  I want a MF< GD $#%^&*$*^#$@&* CIGARETTE!

 

Welcome to the club, my friend. Yes, my life may be sunshine and rainbows now, but I struggled for a long time.

 

You are no more addicted to nicotine than I -or anyone else here- was. We have all been through this.

 

Commit to your quit. I mean really commit and you cannot fail.

Edited July 23, 2018 by JimHannoonen

[Jordan7]

4 hours ago, CanDoCouldBe said:

Nineteen waking hours with no nicotine. While I listen to everyone here telling me how good they are, all the reasons I should quit, and how wonderful they feel, even rainbow farting unicorns, I am ready to commit violence.  An hour ago I was reduced to going outside to the ash bin looking for smokeable butts. As I am nearly thirty miles from the nearest place which sells cigarettes, I had the bright idea of giving my car keys to my father-in-law so I wouldn't be tempted to drive there. Cream of tartar with OJ. Honey. Turmeric. Hard candy. Toothpicks. No gum in the house, I looked. Ran until my feet hurt. My dog won't even stay in the same room with me. Showers, hot and cold.  I want a MF< GD $#%^&*$*^#$@&* CIGARETTE!

 

I quit several years ago and I'm not particularly good and I don't feel anything close to wonderful.  Does that help?  I have slowed down the damage though, so I'm still a bit ahead.  

[Boo]

4 hours ago, CanDoCouldBe said:

While I listen to everyone here telling me how good they are, all the reasons I should quit, and how wonderful they feel, even rainbow farting unicorns, I am ready to commit violence.

 

"Rainbow farting unicorns" are the domain of smokers not quitters.  The belief that a tube filled with tobacco and carcinogens is the magic elixir that will solve all of life's problems.  The belief that if you could just have one, all will be right with the world.  Just one good drag of nicotine, and here come the unicorns.  It's a lie.  All a lie.  The cigarette will temporarily relieve nicotine withdrawal symptoms.  The same withdrawal symptoms caused by the cigarette.  The magic cigarette creates the problem that is solved by smoking another cigarette.

 

And at the risk of sounding "sanctimonious", I do feel great.  Fantastic even.  Quitting smoking has been one of the most rewarding things I have ever done.  The rewards for dealing with the early challenges have compounded many times over.  I'm not a martyr, just a regular guy who decided I was tired of being a slave to nicotine and killing myself in the process.

 

Quitting is easy, but you can make it damn near impossible.  The choice is yours.

[JB 883]

Boo, not saying what another member should post but the way you just described smoking is kind of making ME want a cigarette. At one point in time you could have sold that writing to big tobacco to use for an ad (except the "It's a lie" part)

 

For a successful "on one's own terms" quit, one does have to be ready.

For candocouldbe - Try to look at things like this also - at least you are quitting on your own terms instead of having some doctor tell you reasons you need to quit. One member here was told  by the doctor, "If you keep smoking, you will lose your feet". Something about blood clots.

 

[Whispers]

 

[Cristóbal]

CanDoCouldBe,

 

QuitTrain is a great forum to get support for your quit from others who have quit before you. This support can be critical, especially in the first days and weeks.

 

I would also like to recommend, for more education about quitting smoking, Joel Spitzer´s videos which are available in a special section here on QuitTrain https://www.quittrain.com/forum/15-joel-spitzers-quit-smoking-video-library/ Also, please check out the website https://whyquit.com/ where Joel is the education director. His videos are also available on youtube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCag4hg_fX_NnOb1N4yXA97Q

 

Joel is focused on cold turkey quits, which is how you have quit. (I also quit cold turkey).

 

Combine your support available here on QuitTrain with this education about nicotine addiction and quitting smoking, and you have two very powerful weapons available as you move forward in time with your quit.

 

The more education you have about quitting smoking, the better you will understand nicotine addction, and understand what is happening to you.

 

You will get your permanent quit not completely by being "stronger", but by being "smarter" and committed to your quit.  Nicotine addiction has no intelligence. It is a very primitive, completely understandable and predictable phenomena. You have intelligence.

 

 

Cristóbal

 

Edited July 23, 2018 by Cristóbal

[johnny5]

What you are going through is normal.  I know that is probably of little comfort right now but all of us went through this.  Things really do get better with time.

 

The first few days really are the roughest and you are making it through that roughest part.  Just keep fighting through it.  We'll be here if you want to yell, curse, etc.  Do what you have to do as long as you don't light up.  What you are doing is a great thing.

[Boo]

1 hour ago, Jetblack said:

Boo, not saying what another member should post but the way you just described smoking is kind of making ME want a cigarette. At one point in time you could have sold that writing to big tobacco to use for an ad (except the "It's a lie" part)

 

I'm content with what I wrote.  I described the ridiculous myths surrounding cigarettes and identified them as abject lies.  I also described smoking as a self-perpetuating problem that enslaves the addict and eventually kills them.

 

As for the claim that what I wrote could be used for a marketing campaign for big tobacco...that is a ridiculous allegation.

[Jenny]

CDCB, glad you found your way here and that you have quit smoking.  No need to harm yourself to get or keep a quit..  (and make me worry )  Quitting is easier than you think in that you just need to decide that enough is enough and do it!   Stay close to the board and stay strong in your commitment and there will come a day that you won't even be able to believe you were once a smoker.  

[Cristóbal]

Hello CanDoCouldBe,

 

How are you doing with your quit ???

 

 

Cristóbal

[Giveintowin]

When I read your post I wondered if you thought you had no purpose, nothing to give. Can I just say thank you for saying the withdrawal has made you “ready to commit violence”. You see I remember that feeling of being in withdrawal but I often forget it now. I forget how hard the struggle was in the beginning. I love it when someone says something so poignant that it gives me. A good reminder of why our quits need to be protected. 

[Reciprocity]

11 hours ago, Giveintowin said:

When I read your post I wondered if you thought you had no purpose, nothing to give. Can I just say thank you for saying the withdrawal has made you “ready to commit violence”. You see I remember that feeling of being in withdrawal but I often forget it now. I forget how hard the struggle was in the beginning. I love it when someone says something so poignant that it gives me. A good reminder of why our quits need to be protected.

Very true Givi! We all forget the intensity of our early quit days after some time has passed and that can put us at risk of becoming complacent about protecting our quits. That's how new quitters help us longer term people. They remind us of just how precious our hard won quits are  

[Sazerac]

Hey,

Sorry I missed all the fun with farting unicorns and the razor blades.

Damn....

Thinking about you and looking under rocks. 

I may have left some innocents bleeding after my coffee detox this week.

The one's maimed and killed during my nicotine free frenzy are compost by now.

 

Forgive me for being a bossy britches but,

go into town and reward yourself with tangerines

and something special for you with all the ducats you have saved.

Read this

The Significance of Rewards

 

Primal screaming helped me and may be your cuppa tea too..

 

 

 

 

Edited July 29, 2018 by Sazerac