Trying... Trying... Trying

[I can do it]

I can't get past day 3. I'm in a cycle of not smoking for 2 days and on day 3 giving in and smoking for a few days. Then quitting again for 2 days. I've been doing this for 2 months. I am reading through the posts and hoping somehow I can get up the strength to get past day 3 and quit for good. I've smoked for 40 years and I can't stand it. 

[Paul723]

You can do it.  Nicotine is an addictive drug and you are giving in to the wants (not needs) of the addict.  Your body and mind can heal from this but you must free yourself.  The panic that you give in to is part of the withdrawal from nicotine.  It's unpleasant but can't hurt you.

[jillar]

Welcome aboard @I can do it and congratulations on deciding to take your life back. You can do it and we're all proof of it so lets get you past day three. First off its going to take a commitment from you to yourself that you won't cave to a crave. What I did when a had a bad crave was to go or do something that I never smoked at. Get some candies to suck on instead. I was hooked on soft peppermint puffs my whole first year quit. Can't smoke and eat at the same time right? I also used my JAC aka jillars air cigarette. I simply pretended I was holding an actual cigarette in my fingers and went through the motions of "smoking" it. It tricked my mind into thinking it was getting the real thing every time. Some people use cut straws, pens even licorice. I preferred my invisible one so I wouldn't have to remember where I put it lol.

Its going to take some self discipline but you can do it!

[I can do it]

22 minutes ago, jillar said:

Welcome aboard @I can do it and congratulations on deciding to take your life back. You can do it and we're all proof of it so lets get you past day three. First off its going to take a commitment from you to yourself that you won't cave to a crave. What I did when a had a bad crave was to go or do something that I never smoked at. Get some candies to suck on instead. I was hooked on soft peppermint puffs my whole first year quit. Can't smoke and eat at the same time right? I also used my JAC aka jillars air cigarette. I simply pretended I was holding an actual cigarette in my fingers and went through the motions of "smoking" it. It tricked my mind into thinking it was getting the real thing every time. Some people use cut straws, pens even licorice. I preferred my invisible one so I wouldn't have to remember where I put it lol.

Its going to take some self discipline but you can do it!

Thank you so much. I was looking at those "Air cigarettes" and I really think that night help me. 

[johnny5]

You can to this, @I can do it  Life smoke free is worth the early struggles of a quit.  You are doinng a great thing in qutting smoking.

 

 

[Reciprocity]

As all have said before me; you CAN do it! The early days are hard for most of us ... really hard but I can tell you for sure, quitting never killed anyone whereas the alternative; well, you get the idea. Even better than improving your health is being free of having to do what your nico-addict brain tells you to do 24/7. Just thing of how great it will be when you don't have to leave a party or any other function just because you feel you have to go for a smoke. That never happens again once you quit.

 

So many other fabulous improvements to your life are just around the corner.

 

Give it your all @I can do it!!!!

 

[I can do it]

1 hour ago, Reciprocity said:

As all have said before me; you CAN do it! The early days are hard for most of us ... really hard but I can tell you for sure, quitting never killed anyone whereas the alternative; well, you get the idea. Even better than improving your health is being free of having to do what your nico-addict brain tells you to do 24/7. Just thing of how great it will be when you don't have to leave a party or any other function just because you feel you have to go for a smoke. That never happens again once you quit.

 

So many other fabulous improvements to your life are just around the corner.

 

Give it your all @I can do it!!!!

 

Thank you!

[QuittingGirl]

Hi @I can do it  Welcome!!  Not sure, but if you have any cigarettes in the house, you have to get rid of them!  That is a must, you cannot have any temptations around.  Quitting smoking is definitely not easy as we all know, but it's totally doable!  The good thing is, the longer you stay without a cigarette, the less of an urge you will get.  I promise those horrible urges go away in time.  What I used for the first couple of months was to take a cinnamon stick and pretend it's a cigarette.  I would suck in the air and make believe that I was smoking, plus the cinnamon flavor tasted really nice.  If you don't like cinnamon, use cut up straws.  Also, drink lots of water and eat healthy foods. Come on this board a lot because you will get amazing support and help from the people on here.  I don't think I could have gotten through the early months of my quit without them.  In the 15 months that I have been quit, I made a lot of nice friends on here.  So please stick around when you get those cravings!  Good luck to you!

[DenaliBlues]

Welcome aboard @I can do it. I, too, smoked for over 40 years. But I broke free and you can, too. Your addiction will throw all kinds of tantrums and temptations at you initially. But it does get easier if you give yourself the chance to get to the other side of the first withdrawal pangs. They are illusions… the “conviction” that you can’t survive without smoking is baloney. Smoking is not actually your friend. Re-start your quit, change your routine, plan ahead for how you’ll distract yourself from cravings, and surround yourself with supporters. Don’t give up!

[Gus]

Welcome aboard @I can do it  Day 3 is doable. Everyone here has done it. No, it’s not easy. But totally worth it. I smoked for 35 years. You have to get your of your supply and all paraphernalia. Change up your route so that you are not driving past the places you purchased your cigarettes from. Increase your intake of fluids on Day3 and if at all possible sleep through it. I spent my first week in bed as I was experiencing a horrific state of withdrawal. Get on here and post when you are experiencing these craves and others can talk you through them. We truly want to see you succeed and experience the freedom we have acquired. 

[Doreensfree]

So glad you found us @Icandoit

You fight this Demon with knowledge 

Check out The Main Smoking Board .

Read all the posts pinned with green , this is a great way to start your journey.

We can help you reach Freedom

Stay close to the board , post a daily pledge 

Yes you can do it … we where all where you are , we just had to know how to do it

[garry mhudson]

Hang in there . We`ve all been through this and it can take time. Think positive and don`t be too hard on yourself. Keep trying and it will stick soon. Don`t give up. Trying is not failing. You fail when you give up. You can do this. You are better than the addiction. Best wishes. Stay close.

[Genecanuck]

Hello @I can do it.... please check in with us and let us know how you are doing please!

 

I remember the stop start stop start madness of earlier quits. I want to share a post that helped me get over day three madness. This message still speaks to me today. Smokng has nothing to do with ending any urges, cravings or stress. The only thing that does do that is not smoking. Those urges will go way if you choose not to take that next puff.

 

Hope you are ok my friend. If you did relapse, just come back and get right back on the wagon. 

 

Never doubt that you made the right decision to live a smoke free life.

 

 

RE: Dangerous Thinking----Help
From danl1 on 9/21/2004 8:56:09 AM

No buttkicking for you today, because weakness is not the problem.

Never was, really.

The only problem you have - or ever did - is that you believe that smoking has a way to improve your life. It does not, and the last 107 days have proven that to you if you'll only pay attention to the lessons.

Chances are you are "romancing the smoke" - remembering it to be an enjoyable thing to smoke. IT'S NOT. The things you were doing while smoking - say, relaxing or socializing - were good things, but the cigarette did not enhance that experience at all.

Take a moment to remember the first cigarette you ever smoked, carefully, fully, and honestly. Nasty, Gross, Dizzying, and Nauseating. I've never met anyone who honestly said differently.

Cigarettes never changed. They always were and still are perfectly horrible things. It's only a mistaken perception - one that nicotine helped form - that has you believing that they are any good. It was the things surrounding smoking that were 'good', and cigarettes only stole credit in your mind. It is an error.

Stop believing and you will end the desires/urges/cravings. That's the only way they can form.

 

[I can do it]

6 hours ago, Genecanuck said:

Hello @I can do it.... please check in with us and let us know how you are doing please!

 

I remember the stop start stop start madness of earlier quits. I want to share a post that helped me get over day three madness. This message still speaks to me today. Smokng has nothing to do with ending any urges, cravings or stress. The only thing that does do that is not smoking. Those urges will go way if you choose not to take that next puff.

 

Hope you are ok my friend. If you did relapse, just come back and get right back on the wagon. 

 

Never doubt that you made the right decision to live a smoke free life.

 

 

RE: Dangerous Thinking----Help
From danl1 on 9/21/2004 8:56:09 AM

No buttkicking for you today, because weakness is not the problem.

Never was, really.

The only problem you have - or ever did - is that you believe that smoking has a way to improve your life. It does not, and the last 107 days have proven that to you if you'll only pay attention to the lessons.

Chances are you are "romancing the smoke" - remembering it to be an enjoyable thing to smoke. IT'S NOT. The things you were doing while smoking - say, relaxing or socializing - were good things, but the cigarette did not enhance that experience at all.

Take a moment to remember the first cigarette you ever smoked, carefully, fully, and honestly. Nasty, Gross, Dizzying, and Nauseating. I've never met anyone who honestly said differently.

Cigarettes never changed. They always were and still are perfectly horrible things. It's only a mistaken perception - one that nicotine helped form - that has you believing that they are any good. It was the things surrounding smoking that were 'good', and cigarettes only stole credit in your mind. It is an error.

Stop believing and you will end the desires/urges/cravings. That's the only way they can form.

 

Thank you for that message. That really makes sense. I am again in day 1. The last time, on day 3 I gave in again. But this time I noticed that the first few cigarettes tasted awful. Really awful. I will remember that, when day 3 rolls around this time! Plus I noticed that some things were better without worrying about needing a cigarette. 

I wish I could sleep through day 3 as Gus suggested. It's not possible at this time but it sure sounds good.

[Paul723]

You are not trying to abstain; you're trying to quit.  You'll have to do the work.  Early on I found it best to quickly dismiss thoughts of smoking, "Move along, we're not doing that".

[DenaliBlues]

We've all been there and know what it feels like to cave in to the temptation. (Again.) Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and re-start that quit! Have a plan for what you will do differently this time. For instance:

 

- Make a list of 25 things you will do before smoking (chores, exercize, phoning a friend, posting to this forum, showering, etc.) and then DO THEM ALL before lighting up. I did this and learned that by the time I hit #10 or #11, I was too exhausted to even think about smoking any more. 

 

- Toss out all smokes and smoking paraphernalia. 

 

- Keep your hands and mouth busy - gum, mints, straws, silly putty, fidget spinners, bubble wrap. (Oh yes, popping bubble wrap. The cats hated me for a while when I first quit.) 

 

- When cravings strike, don't silently brood about them. Get out of your head and into your body. Stand up, shake your arms and legs, shout, cuss, sing a song, punch a pillow. I used to do wall push-ups while shouting "F--K THIS, F--K THIS, F--K THIS" over and over again. (Did I mention how popular I was with the cats?)

 

- Change up your routine. Put yourself in a different setting or do things at different times than you ordinarily would. This can include spending lots of time in places where smoking is not allowed.

 

- If possible, spend time with compassionate nonsmoking friends who won't mind if you're a hot mess and who won't let you smoke while you're with them. Not only does this lend support, it also keeps you accountable - because you won't want to confess to them later that you smoked again. 

 

- Understanding that the goal is to become nicotine free, consider temporarily using nicotine gum or lozenges for a while. People have different ideas about NRT, but anything is better than lighting up.

 

Some of these things will feel pathetic and ridiculous. But so is smoking, pathetic and ridiculous... and lethal. These ideas might not work for you, you may need other tactics. That's fine. The point is, put some creative thought into a plan to divert your energy and then stick to it. If you can white-knuckle it through the worst of the withdrawal symptoms, things do get much better afterwards. I promise. Everyone on the Quit Train is here for you. You can do this.

 

 

[Reciprocity]

^^^

What @DenaliBlues said!!

Take a look at the other times you didn't reach your goal and make changes this time around. Change your way of thinking about smoking. Once you put the possiblity of smoking in the past mentally and start believing you're starting on the path to a healthier, wealthier life, it'll be a little easier. Then start changing up your daily routine a little, as DenaliBlues said. Distraction from routine & positive thoughts toward reaching your goal will take you far in this journey to freedom!

[Doreensfree]

Turn all your negative thoughts into positives 

Startjng with … trying trying trying  but  type

Doing Doing Doing … 

Its all about the attitude

[Genecanuck]

@I can do it ... all of this is excellent advice from people who have been there.

 

But I know you've have also had smoke free days. Day 3 is no different than previous days when you have been smoke free. Just take smoking off the table and say to yourself, I am not smoking this hour, this morning, this afternoon, just for today.

 

And really remember how you felt the last time you had a nasty cigarette on day 3.... "But this time I noticed that the first few cigarettes tasted awful. Really awful. I will remember that, when day 3 rolls around this time! This is your rational brain recognizing that cigarettes actually taste aweful and make your body feel sick. Challenge any stinking thinking you have in the moment and just take smoking off the table.... in just this moment, in five minutes, this hour, this morning, just for today.

 

I did this during the past month and guess what? My rational brain started kicking in and my quit got easier. 

 

You've got this @I can do it Good for you for having the wisdom to keep your quit and come here for support. And please let us know how you are doing on the Not One Puff daily pledge page: https://www.quittrain.com/forum/4-the-daily-nope-pledge/ 

 

We are all in this together my friend. 

 

 

Edited September 20 by Genecanuck