what is the hardest part

[christine 12]

about quitting

[c9jane29]

Comitting

[jillar]

^^that!^^

[christine 12]

I'm not sure i would even know how that feels. 

 

this is like my ninth or tenth attempt. I'm not even sure

[Whispers]

3 minutes ago, christine 12 said:

I'm not sure i would even know how that feels. 

 

this is like my ninth or tenth attempt. I'm not even sure

I was there, blown 2 1/2 year quit and over 10 failed attempts. I'd go go weeks sometimes a few months and blow it. Just saying NO and or replacing smoking with something else. It becomes our crutch when we get triggered, just re-learn how to handle situations without the cigg. NOPE ... Not One Puff Ever is clever and works . You can do it, you just gotta wanna do it

[c9jane29]

21 minutes ago, christine 12 said:

I'm not sure i would even know how that feels. 

Trust me, you will know what it feels like!! There is something, maybe something here, in Allan Carr videos, on google, a mantra...something will click @christine 12 and it will be your "ta-da" moment.

Mine was a very wise man on a quit smoking forum told me the "only way I'd ever quit smoking is to stop putting cigarettes in my mouth"

--duh. 

You just keep trying. What is smoking doing for you? Education is important because the only answer is killing you.

[Reciprocity]

35 minutes ago, c9jane29 said:

Comitting

And, the depth or strength of that commitment you make. You need to re-commit each and every day for quite some time in order to get through and establish a really solid quit. 

You can't just wish you could quit. You've gotta REALLY WANT to quit and for an extended period of time.

[jillar]

Wait, didn't we just celebrate your one month smoke free @christine 12?

[christine 12]

6 hours ago, jillar said:

Wait, didn't we just celebrate your one month smoke free @christine 12?

i just haven't changed my ticker since my last failure

[jillar]

That's a bummer Christine but when you're truly ready to quit you'll do anything you can to protect each and every day you have smoke free. I stayed close to home the first month or two and only ventured out if my never smoked husband went with me because I didn't trust myself not to cave to a crave. I also was glued 24/7 to my forum, posted a couple SOS's even though my vanity didn't let me actually put SOS in the title. I made sure though to word it so members knew I needed some support and they were there for me.

So when you're truly ready to quit, we'll be there for you too.  So my final answer to what is the hardest part of quitting? It's deciding that you're ready.

[Reciprocity]

As has been said many times; you just have to want to quit MORE than you want to smoke. And not for just a day or two!

[MLMR]

Comitting is one thing, accepting and embracing everything that comes with it is a second. For me that's the hard part. If I 'just' commit, I become hardened and  solely do it to prove myself that I'm not a ... loser. I don't want to do it like that anymore. After eight weeks (!!!) I find that's its less and less about not smoking, but merely to do things differently. And I love that because I know what I learn now, is for life

[brand.new.ela]

Looking at the previous quits and this one, I think for me the most difficult part was to change the attitude to smoking. Previously I was feeling and acting as if I was losing something, this time it seems a more conscious decision. That change of mindset was the recipe for success in my case.

[notsmokinjo]

I'm with ela there is wanting freedom and to be quit and there is giving something up and loosing something..... this quit is different because I haven't lost a mate I've freed myself from a prison... that attitude switch from what I was loosing to all I am gaining made a huge difference.... and being present, in your face... everyone saw me quit... everyone read all about it.... I was accountable to them... it was all out there for the world to see.... a lot easier to keep hold of, especially early one, when I was declaring to all and sundry here I am, I have quit... I don't smoke anymore.

[Doreensfree]

Once you understand the whole cycle of smoking ...and the lies that we are led to believe....

Helps us relax....bla

Helps us calm down ...bla

It's our reward ..bla....bla......bla.....ect.....

Quitting becomes much easier....

This is why reading all you can about this horrible addiction...is the best weapon you can have....you fight it with knowledge...

[c9jane29]

Please do not be hard on yourself because a quit will never work if it comes from a dark place. I live around a few cronic quitters and it seems defeating and exausting but...everyone makes their own choices, you know?

You have to change your mindset and figure out what hole smoking is filling up for you. (Most smokers are trying to fill depression/ anxiety) and fill it in another way. You have to separate your quit from all of that. 

Your quit is your baby so no matter how you *feel*: you don't feed a baby cigarettes. 

 

[Sazerac]

The hardest part, for me, was accepting that I was a Drug Addict.  A veritable JUNKIE.

Once I made that leap, I could no longer find comfort in Denial and truth became my motivator.

Education led me to acceptance and a commitment to NOPE (as in, Not One Puff EVER NEVER EVER)

 

Once I copped to being a bona fide nicotine addict

and continued my unremitting education about smoking and nicotine addiction, 
I became a ferocious NOPE-er and everything got easier. 

See 'what is the easiest part...'

[JB 883]

Pretty simple - the hardest part of quitting for me was fighting off craves.

 

I never felt guilt or shame about smoking.

I just got tired of the mess involved like the smell and it was just gross. That and i figured If I wanted to avoid health problems... After age 40 isn't the best time in life to play games with your health.

 

I guess what helped me hang on to the quit was focusing on the things I didn't like about smoking. I didn't want to spend the money, didn't want to ruin outfits with the smell, didn't want to clean up cigarette butts and ashes.

 

I do not know your living situation but one thing that might help is avoiding temptation. If you do not live with smokers then that should be easy - just do NOT have any tobacco in the house. Toss the ash trays. Do whatever practical to not remind yourself of smoking. I would say toss the lighters but sometimes those come in handy as they are more of a tool than a smoking thing. But if you must toss them for the time being, if it helps then yeah. Clean up as much evidence of smoking as you can. Like emptying the car ash tray, launder curtains and beddings, maybe all clothes.

 

If you live with a smoker - try to make whatever arrangements necessary. Maybe they go outside to smoke, maybe they hide their cigarettes from you, whatever.

 

For me when I quit, i basically had to get it completely out of my life. It was a cleaning project. My room mate does not smoke so that helped.