Day one

[Jclarke241]

I can do this, right?

 

I'm 41 and have been smoking since I was 14 with a couple of years of quitting scattered throughout. Lately I've just become sick and tired of smoking but haven't been able to say goodbye to the old friend. That's how it feels, an old friend. I turn to a cigarette whenever I'm bored, anxious, depressed, excited, happy, celebratory etc. It's the constant in my life but I'm tired of being chained to such an unhealthy (and expensive) habit. 

 

I've had excuses to not quit but I've finally run out. Honestly it's probably not the best time in my life to quit. I'm unemployed and without a car so I'm stuck at home with not much to do. It's just that I feel like if I feel motivated to quit, I should just do it.

 

I've already blogged about my first hour as I'm still getting to know this site and didn't know to start here but even so, the feedback I've gotten so far has been helpful. It's now been about three hours and my fingers are crossed that this time the quit will stick.

 

Thanks for all the support! 

[MarylandQuitter]

I read your blog earlier.  Welcome to the fold!

 

Look, yes of course you can do this!  Cigarettes are not your friend even though right now it feels like it. 

 

My Cigarette, My Friend?

 

How do you feel about a friend who has to go everywhere with you? Not only does he tag along all the time, but since he is so offensive and vulgar, you become unwelcome when with him. He has a peculiar odor that sticks to you wherever you go. Others think both of you stink.

 

He controls you totally. When he says jump, you jump. Sometimes in the middle of a blizzard or storm, he wants you to come to the store and pick him up. You would give your spouse hell if he or she did that to you all the time, but you can't argue with your friend. Sometimes, when you are out at a movie or play he says he wants you to go stand in the lobby with him and miss important scenes. Since he calls all the shots in your life, you go. Your friend doesn't like your choice of clothing either. Instead of politely telling you that you have lousy taste, he burns little holes in these items so you will want to throw them out. Sometimes, he tires of the furniture and gets rid of it too. Occasionally, he gets really nasty and decides the whole house must go.

 

He gets pretty expensive to support. Not only is his knack of property destruction costly, but you must pay to keep him with you. In fact, he will cost you thousands of dollars over your lifetime. And you can count on one thing, he will never pay you a penny in return.

 

Often at picnics you watch others playing vigorous activities and having lots of fun doing them. But your friend won't let you. He doesn't believe in physical activity. In his opinion, you are too old to have that kind of fun. So he kind of sits on your chest and makes it difficult for you to breathe. Now you don't want to go off and play with other people when you can't breathe, do you?

 

Your friend does not believe in being healthy. He is really repulsed by the thought of you living a long and productive life. So every chance he gets he makes you sick. He helps you catch colds and flu. Not just by running out in the middle of the lousy weather to pick him up at the store. He is more creative than that. He carries thousands of poisons with him which he constantly blows in your face. When you inhale some of them, they wipe out cilia in your lungs which would have helped you prevent these diseases.

 

But colds and flu are just his form of child's play. He especially likes diseases that slowly cripple you - like emphysema. He considers this disease great. Once he gets you to have this, you will give up all your other friends, family, career goals, activities - everything. You will just sit home and caress him, telling him what a great friend he is while you desperately gasp for air.

 

But eventually your friend tires of you. He decides he no longer wishes to have your company. Instead of letting you go your separate ways, he decides to kill you. He has a wonderful arsenal of weapons behind him. In fact, he has been plotting your death since the day you met him. He picked all the top killers in society and did everything in his power to ensure you would get one of them. He overworked your heart and lungs. He clogged up the arteries to your heart, brain, and every other part of your body. In case you were too strong to succumb to this, he constantly exposed you to cancer causing agents. He knew he would get you sooner or later.

 

Well, this is the story of your "friend," your cigarette. No real friend would do all this to you. Cigarettes are the worst possible enemies you ever had. They are expensive, addictive, socially unacceptable, and deadly. Consider all this and NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF!

Joel

http://whyquit.com/w...lcigfriend.html

[Sazerac]

"I can do this. right?"

 

Absolutely !  You are doing great.

 

Educate yourself about your addiction, read and watch the videos   HERE

 

Post an SOS if you need HERE

(and write a response to your own SOS there too, when you can)

 

Post often.

 

Commit to Not One Puff Ever -  N O P E

and you cannot fail.

 

I am so happy you quit smoking !

Let us know what you need.

Love,

S

[BAT]

Welcome to the QT JC  :)

[Fay]

Welcome, JClarke!  Yes, you can do this!  I understand all about cigarettes being your friend.  I felt like I lost my best friend but it turned out it was my worst friend!  Just remember before you light up you should post an SOS and wait till 3 people answer.  It's amazing how much just being occupied on the computer (or phone) will let the crave come and go!  Just remember NOPE - Not One Puff Ever - just for today!

[action]

Nice tower you and congratulations on your decision to quit!

 

You have chosen a great time to quit - I'm sure that being unemployed and spending a fortune on cigarettes do not go well together!

 

You have certainly come to the right place, and we will do everything in our power to help you stay quit!

 

Hope to get to know you better and watch your quit grow - you just need to protect it at the moment :)

[jess]

Welcome JC...you can do this..stay close to this site read read and read some more... watch videos and ask for help. Thus site and the wonderful people here helped me tremendously.. without them there was several times that I would have given in. We are all here for you!

Again welcome aboard the train

[Colleen]

Welcome Jclarke :)  

[Pippa]

Welcome JC - of course you can do this ..... Trust me I smoked for a long time and was sure I was that special case that couldn't quit ... at least until I actually went and did it !!

 

Read up- and stay close to the board - you will find great support here

[Kristin]

Welcome!

[Still winning]

Hi J, Good to "meet" you.

 

Shhh, but our brain will always tell us "now is not a good time", it's one of the nicotine addiction tricks of the trade. Sorry to read about being unemployed, perfect time in my opinion to get this quit underway...it gave a lot of us an amazing amount of self esteem and personal feelings of achievement, so I would say perfect timing!!  

 

Buy yourself some fruit juice (orange, cranberry, apple etc), and take sips every couple of hours. Some of those dodgy chemicals did weird thing to our blood sugar levels and it can make you feel really tired or create cravings. It's simply our bodies way of trying to do a quick fix so if you help it out it won't need to do that to you :)  

 

Read on the site. People gave me NOPE which I used to shout, in my head or out loud. I also used hard boiled candies, sucking air through a straw, clicking fingers, switching from foot to foot, cleaning something till the thoughts passed. A number of people took up exercise or took a power walk sorta thing when a crave hit, that would help.

 

Basically, you can do anything other then put something in your mouth and set fire to it - sounds advice that I am happy to pass on.

 

Keep talking whenever you'd like too, we love to hear. Congrats on the best life choice you will ever make!! 

 

x

[sherry]

Welcome aboard the QT!!

[Doreensfree]

Hi and welcome aboard....

You asked ..can I do this......I say absolutely.....no question......

Read all you can here.....and then some more.....Allen Carr is a great read.....

Stay close to the board....all the support you need....is right here....

Take it one day at a time ....

Congrats

[Sazerac]

How are you doing today, J ?  We are all very excited for you and cheering you on.

[Frezflops]

Welcome!!! you got this!

[El Bandito]

Welcome JC.

 

Can you do this?

 

.......

 

 

.......Well, you kinda have.

 

Of course you can! Don't mope, rejoice. You have quit!

 

Welcome aboard the QT! 

[Sazerac]

How are you feeling today ?

[Still winning]

I know yesterday was a tough one.

 

How is today for ya buddy?

 

x