Really craving

[KatV]

So I decided a week ago that I'm going to quit - like I've done a million times before and I already thought this is going to be just like every other try where I just hype myself up and then continue smoking anyway. I was without smoking for a day and then I bought smokes, but after that pack was gone, I guess I now feel ready to quit for real (which is something I've never felt before). 

 

I had one cigarette yesterday and so far none today, but I'm really craving to go buy another pack right now. For me, I'd say the nicotine isn't that big of a deal - it feels good, but I can live without it. It's the habit of smoking that makes it so, so hard to quit. Honestly, when I think of myself as a non-smoker, my first reaction is this tiny panic of "well if I'm not gonna smoke, what am I gonna do instead?" 

 

Any tips for keeping myself in check? The best thing I could do is hole myself up in my apartment for a few days and not go anywhere until the worst cravings are over, but that's not an option :") How do you keep yourself from buying that "one last" pack of cigarettes when you go to the store or asking for a smoke from a friend when you see them smoking?

[Sazerac]

Congratulations on your quit Katv.

 

You say, "For me, I'd say it isn't that big of a deal..."

well,

It IS a BIG deal.  It is addiction !

You must learn all you can about nicotine addiction,

this will help you figure out 'what am I gonna do instead',

read read read until your eyes bleed. 

Understand what Nicotine addiction is all about.

 

Make a commitment to Not One Puff Ever (NOPE) and stick to it.

This is a serious commitment....like life and death serious

and the way you keep yourself from buying or bumming smokes.

 

Take smoking off the table.  You don't smoke anymore.  That is that.

Sure, you may have some gruesome moments

but, these are nothing you cannot handle

by breathing deep beautiful breaths of oxygen, watching your blood sugar, drinking water

and distracting you brain while it heals up.

 

Don't smoke, start reading and watching the scary movies and the informative videos.  

 

You may find this thread helpful

10 Ways To Effectively Use This Forum To Help Yourself Quit Smoking

[johnny5]

Welcome to QuitTran, Kat.

 

Prior to quitting for good, I had many short quits like yourself and kept falling for the mindset of "one last smoke or one last pack isn't that big of a deal."  Truth is, it is a big deal.  As long as you keep feeding your nicotine addiction, you will continue to crave another one.  What you have to do is break free of that mindset and to do that, you simply need to not smoke.

 

It was scary for me at the time as well but it is very doable and quitting smoking is one of the most rewarding things you can do.

 

As Sazerac posted above, read and learn as much as you can about nicotine addiction.  The more you know about it, the better equipped you will be to defeat the addiction.

 

Read up, post and participate here.  The are a lot of informative posts here as well as plenty of fun and games that can help distract you in the early days of your quit.  It was a forum like this that really helped me in the early stages of my quit.

 

Do whatever you need to do as long as you don't light up.  The longer you go without a cigarette, the better things will get.

 

Welcome to the board, Kat.  It is great to have you here.

[Vivianne]

Heya KatV!
We are at the same quitting stage, and the first thing I want to say is: Well done for taking the time to post this sos. And congratz on your quit!

I am gonna be brutally honest though, cause I think I need to break through your addiction smoke screen (which is more like a brick wall in some cases) 
 

16 minutes ago, KatV said:

So I decided a week ago that I'm going to quit - like I've done a million times before and I already thought this is going to be just like every other try where I just hype myself up and then continue smoking anyway. I was without smoking for a day and then I bought smokes, but after that pack was gone, I guess I now feel ready to quit for real (which is something I've never felt before). 

You need to divide your brain (the voices, the wants, the arguments, etc) into " Free will"  and " Addiction" 
The hype after every pack, every cig is YOU - the rest after, those arguments that make it okay to get another: ADDICTION.
You are a JUNKIE. Simple as that. 
It's rough to hear and/or to realise, but you need to stay sane in the quit, the insanity is the addiction... 
 

 

21 minutes ago, KatV said:

I had one cigarette yesterday and so far none today, but I'm really craving to go buy another pack right now. For me, I'd say the nicotine isn't that big of a deal - it feels good, but I can live without it. It's the habit of smoking that makes it so, so hard to quit. Honestly, when I think of myself as a non-smoker, my first reaction is this tiny panic of "well if I'm not gonna smoke, what am I gonna do instead?" 

You gave in to the addiction, and now it's doing what every pattern fed addiction does, it will scream louder. You gave in yesterday so FEED ME! - BUT! - Do something else~ watch one of the many informative documentaries here, post in games, shout, dance.... anything BUT smoke!! 

 

 

23 minutes ago, KatV said:

Any tips for keeping myself in check? The best thing I could do is hole myself up in my apartment for a few days and not go anywhere until the worst cravings are over, but that's not an option :") How do you keep yourself from buying that "one last" pack of cigarettes when you go to the store or asking for a smoke from a friend when you see them smoking?

Post here is the best thing you can do:) And don't feel like you are a burden, we all have been there... so please do!

 

[Vivianne]

Oh and I forgot:
Breathe... in and out, and let the panic pass.. 
You won't die, it is "just"  addiction that is yelling at you
Embrace the quit and all it's good and bad things
Go through it, experience, feel and
Breathe

[Vivianne]

How are you now @KatV?

[jillar]

Welcome aboard katv, congratulations on deciding to take back your life. We have a ton of great material and videos here to help you see the addiction for what it is. Just the fact that you think you can take it or leave it to nicotine tells me you may not have a true understanding on just how addictive it is. 

As far as the habit of smoking, a lot of us use(d) an air cigarette, I called mine my JAC (jillars air cigarette). I just pretended I was holding an actual cigarette in my fingers and then went through the "motions" of smoking it. Others have used cut straws, pens, even licorice. Maybe you can give that a try? 

Oh and stick close, there is so much to do here to keep your mind busy and off the constant thinking about smoking. Check out our social forums, games etc.

[Lilly]

Keeping yourself from buying that pack is pretty easy. As humans we can stop ourselves doing anything we want to whether it's addiction or not. 

 

If your best friend was dating a real hot man and he made a pass at you then you wouldn't jump into bed with him (unless you really don't care).  It's the same tactic - just because it's tempting doesn't mean you have to go there.  

 

There's people on this site who have sadly lost their lives to smoking. Go find some of those threads because believe me they really do put smoking in perspective. 

 

There's a great Joel thread about a mum who's family are coming for the day, and another about a woman who leaves her baby sleeping and walks through a dangerous park to get her fix. I wish I could point you to them but I can't seem to post the links. 

 

You can do this but only if you keep those cigarettes out of reach. 

[KatV]

Hey everyone! Thank you so much for the replies I'm doing better now than I was before - though I can't say I'm not still craving for that one smoke - but I'm kind of proud of myself for not going to buy that pack of smokes. 

 

I've smoked for almost 10 years since I was 15 years old, so I know that of course I'm also addicted to the nicotine but for me that is the easiest part about quitting. It sucks and there's cravings, but I get over those by thinking about it logically and reminding myself that it's not something my body needs to survive. I've also done all my research about smoking over the years, so I know exactly how bad it is. But for me smoking is a social activity, so to say - I've met most of my friends in the smoking area of my university or my apartment complex and it's also something that I do when I'm bored. So honestly the worst times for me are when I'm bored and all I really want is to go for a smoke - is there anything you guys would recommend I could do instead? 

[Vivianne]

Boredom is one of my pittfalls too. So I started a "I am bored" count when I was still smoking... and guess what I was bored a lot even when I was smoking. In this moment my addiction tells me I wasn't as bored  then as I am now.. but I have proof...ha!

So the problem is me... I need to find a purpose and something to keep my mind busy, smoking doesn't solve anything... it is a false argument..

 

So for a start... keep close to the forum, keep your mind on the quit - not on the cig. (Read romancing the cigarette - will add link when I am not on my mobile).

Play a memory game (and loose.. that is part of the process), do something physical like a brisk walk or clean.. cook..learn magic keep those hands busy

There are so many ways to keep yourself occupied. But you need to give yourself that kick in the butt and do something..;)

 

[jillar]

You are very smart to be quitting at such a young age. I wish I had of been that smart. I found if I went someplace where I normally didn't smoke the crave would go away. I didn't smoke in my house or car so sometimes I would take a quick drive if staying in the house didn't work and the crave would pass quick. Maybe give that a try?

[Sunshine59]

Hello KatV ,

You have to find some other ways to kill that boredom and dullness .

 

During my initial quit attempts i thought smoking was a fun activity and i had a hard time staying away from it because that was my only exciting activity 2 years ago .

 

I live in India in an average town , there isn't much activity in these places nor much night life .

 

But when i looked at my neighbor's , they too are going through the same dullness and life but without smoking .

 

Like someone said during my initial attempts life is not always fun , excitement and party .

 

So if you can adapt to that dullness for a few days somehow , you can easily stay from the smoking habits too .

 

You have to learn to adjust in life without smoking .

 

I am only speaking from my  own situations and experience .

 

You must also learn to stay fresh somehow , i am sure your or my life is not always dull

 

Life is like a metronome , it will swing between dullness and freshness , at least that is my experience .

 

 

It is all about conquering that negative dull times

 

[Reciprocity]

Welcome to Quit Train Kat  Glad you are wanting to get serious about this quitting thing because your future health and wealth will depend on your quitting and staying quit. You are wise to start while you are still young too!

Reshaping your life to exclude smoking does take effort and time, a lot of time actually because so many things in our daily life revolved around having that smoke. Especially when you are bored or tired. How you fill that gap is really up to you and what ever your lifestyle will allow. Keeping yourself busy and distracted is important though in the early stages of your quit. There's tons you can do to occupy yourself at little or no cost. Go for a walk, huddle in your apartment and watch some TV or movies. Come here and play some of the mindless games on the game page. Take up a new hobby maybe? Is there anything you's always wanted to do but just haven't done it yet? Get creative in how you can use your time and be sure to reward yourself for each hurdle you get over. Rewards are important. Stick around here too for support from other quitters. We've all been exactly where you are right now so you are NOT alone in this. Post a lot here too. It really does help you to communicate with other quitters. It will also hep to keep your commitment strong too  

[Vivianne]

Btw Well done for keeping your quit today!!

[abbynormal]

2 hours ago, KatV said:

But for me smoking is a social activity, so to say - I've met most of my friends in the smoking area of my university or my apartment complex

Smoking was a very social activity for me, as well. Especially when I was in college. And it was hard when I quit. I lost friends, because I couldn't go out for our usual coffee dates (which involved more cigarettes than coffee.) But you find new ways to meet people. Find a club you are interested in and join. Strike up a conversation with someone (preferably a non-smoker) sitting alone in a coffee shop. Join a gym. Find a study partner.

 

It's also important to learn to be by yourself. I had to learn that when I quit. Find ways to enjoy your own company. Take long walks in nature and breathe in that clean air. Read a good book. Take yourself out on dates to movies, restaurants, etc. If smoking is highly social for you, you may want to spend some time in solitude until your quit is strong.

 

As for boredom, find some mindless activity to pass the time for a while. I played a TON of Wordscapes on my phone when I first quit. It kept the boredom at bay and also kept my hands busy. I also binge watched my favorite shows over and over. I had Bob's Burgers playing constantly,  just to keep me company. LOL

 

Hang out here. That's a great way to pass the time! There's always something going on here at the Train. We are a lively bunch!

[Reciprocity]

18 minutes ago, abbynormal said:

It's also important to learn to be by yourself. I had to learn that when I quit. Find ways to enjoy your own company.

This statement is not only true but pretty significant because smoking used to be that excuse for me to spend time away from everything; people, problems, stressful issues etc. It takes time to replace that alone time with something more positive and constructive but it does happen. We all find ways to fill that void. I used to think smoking was my friend and trusty companion who never judged me, never criticized me but was always there as an excuse for me to break away from things. Now I know the truth. Smoking never did me any good at all for me in fact it kept me from finding positive ways to deal with life. Life is now so much better without "my friend"!

[Mee]

Welcome katv.  You have come to the right place for help to quit smoking.  We all have felt like you.  I actually came to believe I could not quit.  I had tried everything and was not able to quit until I found this forum.  The people here knew just what I needed to realize I had the power to quit.  Since I am on my phone, I Can't quote @Vivianne.  She is right on the mark when she says you have to separate your thinking.  Educate yourself on the addiction so your brain recognizes the junkie thinking.  Understand that you will go through a couple of days of discomfort and then learn to redirect your thoughts.  The further you get away from smoking, the more power you achieve.  Stay close to the forum, read through other people's quits.  Realize you can do this!

[Sazerac]

5 hours ago, Lilly said:

There's a great Joel thread about a mum who's family are coming for the day,

and another about a woman who leaves her baby sleeping and walks through a dangerous park to get her fix.

I wish I could point you to them but I can't seem to post the links. 

 

 

 

Here are the links to those Joel Spitzer threads

 

I Don't Need To Smoke

 

Isolation of The Widowed Smoker

[Vivianne]

4 hours ago, Vivianne said:

Boredom is one of my pittfalls too. So I started a "I am bored" count when I was still smoking... and guess what I was bored a lot even when I was smoking. In this moment my addiction tells me I wasn't as bored  then as I am now.. but I have proof...ha!

So the problem is me... I need to find a purpose and something to keep my mind busy, smoking doesn't solve anything... it is a false argument..

 

So for a start... keep close to the forum, keep your mind on the quit - not on the cig. (Read romancing the cigarette - will add link when I am not on my mobile).

Play a memory game (and loose.. that is part of the process), do something physical like a brisk walk or clean.. cook..learn magic keep those hands busy

There are so many ways to keep yourself occupied. But you need to give yourself that kick in the butt and do something..;)

 

Found it!
How to recognize if you're romanticizing the cigarette

[Sazerac]

4 hours ago, KatV said:

 So honestly the worst times for me are when I'm bored and all I really want is to go for a smoke - is there anything you guys would recommend I could do instead? 

 

Try these threads,

the first from our friend, Joel Spitzer, 

How To Do Nothing Without A Cigarette

 

and Five pages of what helped us in the early days

Your First Days Nicotine Free

 

 

[Doreensfree]

Sorry I'm late ... Internet troubles ...

You have been given really good sound advice already ...

You have to be in this ....take smoking off the table no matter what ...

You are young ,and much wiser than me ...I smoked 52 years ....

I can tell you about the horror of smoking ... eventually it catches up on you ...some get away with it longer than others...

I came here ,because I was on the verge of having both feet amputated...imaging that ...

While I was dealing with that ,my hubby was dying with Emphysema...on Oxygen 16 hrs a day ...

I don't normally come here and keep shouting about his passing ..in May ....but sometimes it's needed to get the message across....

Smoking Kills and causes all kinds of other illnesses....

You can do it ....because I did ..

[Vivianne]

I know you don't want to steal focus but I am gonna sneak in a quick hug for you @Doreensfree

[HeatherDianne]

I have the same challenge with intense craving in my car. I smoked in my car ALOT - I have an hour long commute and this was my alone time and puff puff puff - I am only 2 weeks in and guess what I still have the most cravings in my car - But I am finding ways to get around them - I suck on a tootsie pop - and when that is gone I chew on the stick. It isn't always pretty but I am getting to work smoke free - getting home smoke free- some days are easier than others - but these little tricks do work. 

[Sazerac]

Sing or holler REALLY LOUD !  Each crave you beat is another brain receptor owned by your freedom.

You are doing great @HeatherDianne, keep up your good work.

[Sunshine59]

Me on cigarette

 

Me without cigarette

 

Make a wise choice