New to this Forum!

[JH63]

HI!

    I am glad to be here! I have been reading different posts and other materials on this site for along time. I decided to become a member because I need all the help I can get. I'm addicted to nicotine, and have been for about 47 years. I started smoking in my mid teens. I have quit many times before. I just gave up a twenty day quit two weeks ago. A couple years ago I quit for seventeen weeks. I've quit many other times over the years for different lengths of time. I just can't make my quits stick. Guarding my quit is always part of my quit plan. But I just never guard it well enough.

    I have tried about every method of quitting Chantix, wellbutrin, cold turkey, patches. I have watched many hours of Joel Spitzer's videos, always making that commitment to never take another puff.

But my commitment is just not strong enough! I get tired of lying to myself.

    I just started my current quit about a hour ago. I'm hoping I can somehow make it stick this time.

 Take Care!

    Jeff 

Edited May 18, 2020 by JH63

[Doreensfree]

Welcome aboard Jeff....

So glad you made the jump on board and take your seat .....

Congratulations on your great quit ....good to read you have been watching and reading all you can here..

Posting and joining in ..and supporting others....it all helps to make your own quit more solid ...

Don't forget our daily pledge ...a great way to start your day ...looking forward to getting to know you better .

You carnt play the counting game though ...cos you will combust....

Have fun here ..we believe quitting can be fun ...it's not all doom and gloom ...

[Mac#23]

Hi Jeff,

 Welcome to the site and congratulations on your quit. I was just like you. I tried many times to quit and never quite made it all the way. I smoked for over 37 years and I to started when I was young. The big thing that is working for me this time Is that I feel like I am finally ready and fully committed to my quit. In the previous attempts I wanted to quit  but I never really said to myself that this is the time. This time Is different. I really don't want to smoke anymore.  I truly am 100% committed to making that happen. This site has been a huge help with that quit. All the support, videos and articles are a huge part of this quit. It's makes it so much easier going through this long journey with other people. The other people on this site are in all different stages of their quit. I am on just over 6 weeks in my quit. So, lean on everyone here for the support you need to push you over the top. Don't forget our daily NOPE ( Not One Puff Ever) pledge.

[Sazerac]

6 hours ago, JH63 said:

But my commitment is just not strong enough! I get tired of lying to myself.

 

 

When you are tired of obeying the lies of addiction,

 

when you truly see those lies for what they are, you can start to build a successful quit.

 

Take this one moment at a time.  With each crave and trigger faced down, your resolve will strengthen.

 

Re-visit all of Joel's work.  Etch NOPE onto your consciousness, your sub-consciousness.

 

Maybe this post will help,  Decisions/Resolve

 

Welcome to the forum and congratulations on your quit !

 

also,

10 Ways To Effectively Use This Forum To Stop Using Nicotine

 

 

[jillar]

Welcome aboard Jeff and congratulations on making this your forever quit I found that being active on my forum really helped keep my mind occupied and off my misery. We also have our SOS board if you feel you're going to cave to a crave. Post there and we will come running to help you off the ledge.

You can do it!

[Jordan7]

Welcome, Jeff!  Just decide that this is your final quit and it will be.   Never forget that whether or not you smoke is always completely within your control, no matter how much it feels as if outside forces are affecting your ability to keep your quit.  You say that your commitment hasn't been strong enough, but that's part of the choice -- if your end goal is really to quit, then chose to be all in and don't allow any excuses to become the fallback position.  That doesn't mean that every day will be easy or that you won't have doubts from time to time, but stick around here and we'll all help you through any rough spots along the way. 

[johnny5]

Welcome Jeff,

 

I smoked for about 20 years and made several attempts to quit over the past few that did not stick.  I know that frustration all too well.

 

What finally helped me was joining a support site similar to this one, reading, participating often, reaching out for help as needed, and helping others as well.  Support and accountability can really help.

 

Stick around.  Read and participate and please reach out if you are on the verge of lighting up.  Quitting smoking is very doable and is truly great thing to do.

[Boo]

Welcome aboard Jeff.

 

15 hours ago, JH63 said:

I get tired of lying to myself.

 

That's a good place to start.  Being honest about your addiction and recognizing the truth about smoking is the foundation of a successful quit.

 

The truth will set you free.  It may smack you in the head and make you feel uncomfortable, but ultimately the truth is the way.

 

You've made a great decision for yourself.  Commit and be relentless with that commitment.

[Mee]

Welcome Jeff.  We all have been through what you are going through.  I smoked for 42 years and tried everything to quit.  Something special about this place worked for me.  Stick around play some games and get to know us.  We are here to help guide you along this journey.

[beazel]

Welcome Jeff - lots of great advice already given.

 

Glad to hear that you are reading lots & watching videos, educating myself about the addiction had made a huge difference in this quit.

 

If you truly commit, you will find strength you never knew you had. Remember - No Smoking....No Matter What!

 

Smoking is a choice, it will always be your choice. 

 

Take it one day at a time (sometimes one moment at a time) - don't think too far ahead - one day at a time....................

 

You can do it!!! Post often - lots of support here!

 

 

[JH63]

  Thanks to all of you for the Welcome and for the advice.

   I had a pretty easy first day, considering how some days can be early in a quit. As time goes along I will figure out how this site works. I haven't figured out how to reply to a single post, so I am replying to the posts above me as a group.

  I know that I lack the commitment to stay quit. That lack of commitment causes me to become complacent over time. I actually handle the hard part ( the first days or even weeks ) of my quits better than I handle what I think should be the easier part, staying quit. I don't have any excuses for the loss of any of my past quits. I was the one that picked them back up. In fact, I've thrown quits away for no reason at all. I wasn't under any stress, nor was I having any unmanageable cravings at the time I lit up.

I don't believe there is any such thing as an unmanageable craving. I'm just an addict and nicotine is the drug I'm hooked on.

  I am really watching a few things that I can control. Cutting my caffeine consumption in half, making sure not to let my sugar level get low, and staying hydrated. I've experienced brain fog, been lethargic, and had these tired spells (where I couldn't move a muscle) early in past quits. Maybe paying attention to these things more closely will let me avoid some of them.

  I will read the links that the moderator gave me! Again Thanks!

[Sazerac]

Hey, JH,

Congratulations on your first day of freedom, now on to the rest.

 

6 hours ago, JH63 said:

  I am really watching a few things that I can control. 

 

You can also control whether you smoke or not.

 

This is the key, you ARE in control.  Addiction is not a third party or a construct of a demon. 

It is all about Your choice and YOU have complete control

.

As addicts we blithely gave away that power.  Now is the time to take it back and your power will grow as you build a sturdy and successful quit.

 

6 hours ago, JH63 said:

  I know that I lack the commitment to stay quit. 

 

Here is the crux of your failures and it will continue to thwart your success.

If you can't make the commitment and stick to NOPE,  your quit is doomed.

 

We all have to drink the NOPE kool-aid.  Not One Puff EVER.    

NOPE~Never/Ever/Forever

 

Some deep thought and weeding out the lies of addiction will help to clarify your mind.

Here are some of the lies we all told ourselves, please add any of yours.  It is quite a collection.

 

Red Flags

 

 

and yes, The Great Smoke Free Mental Fog

 

So glad you are with us.  I believe you CAN deal truthfully with your addiction and build your forever quit.

We have and we are not special snowflakes of super men/women.  We are addicts just like you who took our lives back.

 

S

 

[Boo]

5 hours ago, Sazerac said:

You can also control whether you smoke or not.

 

This is the key, you ARE in control.  Addiction is not a third party or a construct of a demon. 

It is all about Your choice and YOU have complete control

 

She's telling the truth.

 

Our addiction is our own creation.  It has as much or as little power as we give it.

 

As long as we fed it, its force was strong.  When we stopped feeding it, it wilted away in time.

 

Accepting a few basic truths can change your world.

[JH63]

HI! I hope everyone is having a great day while being smoke free. Thanks Sazerac for your links to info that might be helpful to me. I've been reading and learning. It will take me some time to get through everything in the link, 10 Ways To Effectively Use This Forum To Stop Using Nicotine. That's a lot  to read and listen to, but I'll get it done.

     I'm going to try and think more positively about this quit and reflect this in my posts. I am in the middle of day two. I've had some cravings, but I have no doubt that I will make it through the day.

     I will tell you a little about myself. I live in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. I am retired from WVU where I was a Theatre Tech for 31 years. I worked on sound and lighting for all types of stage productions and programs. I went in the Army straight out of High School for six years, then to college and graduated in 1983 with a degree in Electronic  Technology.

    I live with my wife of 42 years. We have two daughters and two grandchildren. The oldest daughter is an elementary school teacher and the youngest in an RN. My wife still works in the office of a car dealership. We live in a very rural area.

Thanks for Reading! Jeff 

      

[Doreensfree]

Lovely to meet you Jeff....

Don't over load your brain ...take it one day at a time ...you can do it ....

We will support you..all the way to Freedom ....

Your family will be so proud of you ....

[Sazerac]

There is no hurry, you have a lifetime to protect and enjoy your freedom.

 

The 10 ways are there as a reference to gain knowledge about nicotine addiction and ways that may assist.

This is a marathon not, a sprint.

Take good time.  Absorb as much knowledge as you can. 

This will help you understand what your body/mind are experiencing and strengthen your resolve.

 

So happy you are with us Jeff.

Let us know about your thoughts and experiences,

helping us help you and serve as an inspiration to other quitters.

 

Your family will be relieved and elated you quit smoking.

You should be too, you are gaining so much...your LIFE !!!

as well as freedom, self-respect, self confidence and a profound trust in yourself. 

No longer are you a slave to poisons.

Stick with this, you will never, ever regret your decision. 

 

 

 

[jillar]

Hi Jeff, thanks for your service to our country You have great reasons to want to make this your forever quit. Think how proud you will feel when those grandbabies hug you soon and tell you how good you smell instead of stinking like stale smoke!

Another thing that helped motivate me was creating a ticker for my signature https://www.quittrain.com/tickers/. It was so inspirational to log on everyday and see all the time, money and cigarettes not smoked add up

[Mee]

Jeff, we are close in the same periods of our life.  I have been retired for three years and my husband retired this year.  Being able to finally quit has really given me hope that we are going to enjoy our retirement and hopefully  not dealing  with health issues.  It also feels good not wasting  money on something that was killing me but spending it on travelling.  There are so many positives to quitting.  You can do it and stay quit.    

[JH63]

 Thanks to all who replied to my last post! I am taking in all the advice and encouragement that's being given to me here.

 I'm now done with day two. It wasn't as easy as day one. I had a lot of urges and cravings in the evening, after supper. They were manageable by creating distractions as soon as they hit. I use crushed ice, a walk around the outside of the house, etc. I also use a short straw at times, with a little cotton in the end of it to create some resistance on the draw. I've found that it sometimes fools my mind. Not always, but at least it is a distraction.

  jillar Thanks for the link! I will do that when I get through these first days or weeks of my quit. I hope to feel stronger about my quit by then.

Sazerac Thanks for reminding me that this is a marathon and not a sprint. Sometimes in forget that. I think forgetting that leads to complacency which leads to losing a quit.

Mee   I understand what you are saying about being retired and dealing with health issues. I've been retired for five years and last year I had to have a pacemaker put in twice. It's a long story, but it all comes down to paying for those many years I've ignored my health. I fell very lucky that I don't have cancer or COPD.

 Well it's on to day three!

       Jeff

[Doreensfree]

It's the nature of the addiction Jeff to ignore our health ....

The addiction comes first ....

Quitting brings so many benefits ..no matter how long we smoked ( 52 years here )....

Before long you will start noticing some changes ....smell was the first for me ...

You can do it ....one day at a time ...you just need to want it bad enough ...

[Sazerac]

Congratulations on quitting and here is Day THREE !

 

Most of the nicotine will be gone from your body today.   Your cilia is busy scrubbing all the tar from your lungs.

 

Celebrate this day, every day and reward yourself for every crave beaten, every trigger conquered.

 

The Significance of Rewards

[Mac#23]

Great job Jeff,

 I believe you have the makings of a really strong and productive quit. It's one thing to just hear the advice that is given to you but it's another to also act on our implement it into our lifestyle. You need to believe that quitting is the best thing for you. 

[jillar]

You're doing great Jeff, I used an air cigarette too, my JAC (jillars air cigarette) for almost my whole first year and totally recommend it for tricking our minds into thinking we're getting the real thing

[JH63]

It's the middle of day three! I'm alright. Been reading here and watching videos. Some of the Joel Spitzer videos I have already watched in the past, but it won't hurt anything to watch them again. I don't pick up on everything the first time I read or listen to it anyway. I'm headed out for a brisk walk. I will post again at the end of the day.  Thanks for the support!

 

   I have been trying to figure out a few things about the use of this site. Please help me if you can!

   How do I respond to a specific post made by one person. So far I have been submitting a reply at the end of this tread to everyone.

   Example; I get a message from jillar. How do I respond to jillar's message? I know that my relpy will be seen by others on the tread, but I'm not sure jillar knows I'm responding to jillar.

 

   This is the Introductions and About Us thread. Now that I have introduced myself, should I be posting in another thread?

    Thanks, Jeff

[jillar]

@JH63, if you type an @ symbol and then an initial, i.e. "j" a list of members will pop up. Type another letter, i.e. "I" and you'll see the list goes to those members with ji in their names. The more letters you type the more you can hone in on the member you want tagged. Click on the name you want to tag and it will turn blue and insert into the post. 

You can also quote an individual post and that member will see that you've quoted them in their notifications.

As far as continuing to post here or on a new thread, that's up to you. Some people use their intro post for their whole journey while others choose to start a new one on maybe the main board.