I'm Trying

[KrisTx]

My first attempt at quitting. I've been reducing the number of cigarettes I smoke for about 2 weeks now and I've made some progress, but my anxiety is through the roof right now. I didn't realize how much just slacking off would affect me. I'm determined to be a quitter, though! My mind is made up, just have to get to the other side! I knew it would be hard, but it is much harder than I realized.

[Reciprocity]

Welcome to Quit Train KT!!

The first days are difficult Kris but you CAN get through them. I too quit cold turkey, first attempt, just over a year ago and I am still quit and barely even think about smoking anymore. The nicotine will be out of your system in roughly 3 days but it's the retraining your brain to function properly without the smoking ritual that takes a long time. Please read all you can here on the board. There's a ton of information and videos to help educate you about this addiction.

 

Personal commitment, education and pledging daily in the Daily NOPE page are all key in keeping you on track. Stick close to the board for the next while. Take things just 1 hour, 1 day at a time. Don't look to far ahead. You are just quitting for today

Edited February 25, 2018 by reciprocity

[Martian5]

KrisTx -- the one thing I can say at this time is to go ahead and make the jump.  I smoked for over 44 years and quit 7 1/2 weeks ago.  Yes it is a little tough at first but as the days go by it does get better.  The one thing I found so far during this quit is that yes it is difficult but I am finding not as hard as my mind made it out to be.  This can be done, research here -- read and gather as much knowledge as you can about this addiction, it will better prepare you.  The one thing that can really help is to come here and make the daily "NOPE" pledge, it may not seem like much but it has really help me, also you can reach out to us and we would be more than glad to help.  When you are ready make the jump and we will be here to help.  

[KrisTx]

Thank y'all so much for the encouragement! I'm the only smoker in my circle, so no one around me understands the struggle. So glad I stumbled across this page! Just quitting for today....I love that!

Edited February 25, 2018 by KrisTx

[Reciprocity]

Oh yeah .... we GET IT! That's for sure

[catlover]

Welcome KrisTx ....Yes I agree about reading about this addiction, it really does help.

I love watching Joel Spitzer videos on Youtube. and there are many, you will find inspiring.

Also have a a little read of this. I found it interesting.

All the best to you.

http://whyquit.com/joel/Joel_01_13_gradual_withdrawal.html

[KrisTx]

Thank you! I'm checking out the link right now....

[Doreensfree]

Hi and welcome...

So glad you found us...

Good advice above...read as much as you can..till your eye balls hurt ...it will be the weapon you fight with...

You will main this war.,by winning the battles...

Join in our daily NOPE thread....

You can do it....change the trying...to doing  it...

[KrisTx]

Wow, that is exactly how I'm feeling! I was starting to think that about the cut down, but seeing it written down in black and white, well, it changes my whole perspective. I need to set a quit date and just go with it now. 

[LizQuit]

Hi Kris. I am new too. Glad you are taking the leap. We can be partners in the quit as I am just starting too. Counting hours...heading toward 3 hours quit. 

[KrisTx]

Congratulations LizQuit! 

[Reciprocity]

Yes, having a "quit buddy" can be a big plus. You will both be experiencing similar things at the same time

[despair not]

Hi

 

Welcome and congrats on deciding to quit.

 

The worst torture you can inflict on yourself is the reducing the cigarettes you smoke route.( It gives you massive craves all the time and doesn't clear the nicotine from your system }

 

Been there done that and sorry I did.

 

I quit this time cold turkey at 72 hours the Nicotine is gone from your system then all you have to do is fight off any further craves. they get more infrequent and less intense as you go.

 

its not easy but it is simple don't put things in your mouth and set fire to them.

 

Education about the addiction is key read as much as you can  here hang around and contribute ,apart from anything else its a great distraction.

[JB 883]

Cutting down then nothing was my method. To be exact -

I used to smoke 30 "rollies" a day (made with sorry, weak excuse for tobacco) When I wanted to quit -

Three a day for three days.

Zero a day between Oct 6th 2017 until now.

 

Ok so your barrier is being nervous about quitting. Like creating this huge void. This may not be popular to say but look at it like this -

When you do quit, if you just cannot handle it, you can go back. In other words, You are not jumping ship but walking away.

Concentrate on the first day first, just like, fcuk it, I will do this ONE day of no smoking.

Then the next day try it again.

 

Look, it takes only ONE day of voluntarily not smoking to prove to yourself you CAN do it. Once you have that under your belt, you can use that against smoking.

Plus, the nerve-racking feeling of "Damn, I am giving up my addiction" only lasts until that first day is over.

 

About quitting voluntarily - I figured  should probably quit on MY terms rather than something stupid like being stuck in the hospital or some other situation where I just could not smoke. It is always better to do things on one's own terms.

 

Pick a quit day where you will have a couple days to chill out, go nuts, whatever. I quit on a Friday so I would have the weekend to start adjusting.

 

Ultimately, yes there are gonna be rough days when you will think "give me my G.D. cigarettes!" Mine didn't hit til three months quit. Overall though it gets easier.

 

Finally, do NOT keep any tobacco around.

Lead us not into temptation, for that we can find on our own.

 

 

Edited February 25, 2018 by Jetblack

[Reciprocity]

We each need to find our own way. The way that works for us. The main thing is that you find YOUR way!

[beazel]

Hi KrisTx - you can do it...no better day than today!

[Sazerac]

11 hours ago, KrisTx said:

My first attempt at quitting. I've been reducing the number of cigarettes I smoke for about 2 weeks now and I've made some progress, but my anxiety is through the roof right now. I didn't realize how much just slacking off would affect me. I'm determined to be a quitter, though! My mind is made up, just have to get to the other side! I knew it would be hard, but it is much harder than I realized.

 

You are prolonging withdrawal by reducing your smoking instead of biting the bullet and making a clean quit.

Here is a vid by our friend, Joel Spitzer, addressing Quitting By Gradual Withdrawal.

That method is something you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. You should treat yourself better.

 

It takes only three days for nicotine to leave your body and start you on  your journey to freedom.

Your resolve, 'My mind is made up, just have to get to the other side!

will provide strength that you never knew you had.  You can quit.  We quit and we can help.

Commit to NOPE (not one puff ever), educate yourself about your addiction, and don't forget to have a good time.

Quitting won't kill you but, smoking will.

S

 

[JB 883]

3 hours ago, Sazerac said:

 

Here is a vid by our friend, Joel Spitzer, addressing Quitting By Gradual Withdrawal.

That method is something you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy. You should treat yourself better.

 

I did the gradual withdraw method. went from 30 a day to three for three days then nothing.

Though he means well, what Joel fails to mention in his videos is that he never actually smoked so he does not know first hand what it is like trying to quit.

 

The important thing though is once you go from weaning off cigarettes to not smoking at all, one needs to STAY quit.

 

Like I said though, the anticipation is worse than the reality. We hear about how it is worse than trying to quit hard drugs. We see things on TV where people are going batshit cause they want more crack, meth, etc. And supposedly tobacco is harder ti quit than THOSE? Bull. They just say that so people will buy pills, patches, gums etc.

 

Me, I ended up drinking more pepsi.

 

My big motivation to quit was this -

If my nephew can quit school, quit jobs, quit everything he starts, than why can I not quit smoking? So I dropped the habit.

 

[MarylandQuitter]

4 hours ago, Jetblack said:

 

I did the gradual withdraw method. went from 30 a day to three for three days then nothing.

Though he means well, what Joel fails to mention in his videos is that he never actually smoked so he does not know first hand what it is like trying to quit.

 

The important thing though is once you go from weaning off cigarettes to not smoking at all, one needs to STAY quit.

 

Like I said though, the anticipation is worse than the reality. We hear about how it is worse than trying to quit hard drugs. We see things on TV where people are going batshit cause they want more crack, meth, etc. And supposedly tobacco is harder ti quit than THOSE? Bull. They just say that so people will buy pills, patches, gums etc.

 

Me, I ended up drinking more pepsi.

 

My big motivation to quit was this -

If my nephew can quit school, quit jobs, quit everything he starts, than why can I not quit smoking? So I dropped the habit.

 

 

This is getting a bit tedious and frankly, takes away from what we're doing here at QuitTrain®.  Joel doesn't fail to mention in his videos that he never smoked.  In fact, he addresses this right up front.  Should he mention it in every single video? lol  Again, tedious and unnecessary.  http://whyquit.com/joels-videos/you-never-smoked-how-can-you-know-what-i-am-going-through/

 

There is no hidden agenda.  There is no money being made.  When folks dedicate themselves to helping people quit smoking and save their lives, why does it have to met with malcontent?  We have all had different experiences with quitting and not a single method is THE BEST for everybody but there are some that prove to be much more effective for most people, as the data on this site and many studies show.  I tried to quit by gradual withdrawal using some app and it was tortuous and I was able to cheat and in the end, it didn't work for me.  If it worked for you, that's great!  Nobody is going to disparage you, not here, it's not allowed, but others have the right to point out methods which prove to have overall better success rates, especially when offering a new quitter advice.

 

I own this site, don't take donations and don't make a cent from it.  I invest in it.  I personally invest in your addiction and everybody else who wants to quit.  This is my stance (as previously posted) on the issue and I'd like all to put it to rest once and for all as it's old news, wasted energy and takes the focus off of the addiction and onto superfluous tit-for-tat.

 

"The notion that Joel's materials are insignificant or somehow illegitimate because he never smoked is preposterous.  The psychiatrist who successfully treats patients doesn't have the prerequisite to have had the same disorder in in which he/she is treating in order to see results.  He or she only has to have empathy, experience, knowledge and most importantly, the data which shows efficacy of treatments.  Through the many clinics that Joel ran through the American Cancer Society and on his own, he gained a vast and invaluable collection of data which came directly from smokers over the course of decades.  He, like the Dr. helping a person cope with the devastation caused by a divorce, losing a job, a spouse or a child does not have to have experienced the same to help the patient.  You know who spoke truth to me about my drug addiction to nicotine?  My Dr.!  He never smoked a day in his life yet he knew about this addiction and what it would take for me to quit." 

 

[c9jane29]

19 hours ago, KrisTx said:

Wow, that is exactly how I'm feeling! I was starting to think that about the cut down, but seeing it written down in black and white, well, it changes my whole perspective. I need to set a quit date and just go with it now. 

Thank you for choosing life KrisTX!

Yes, please, just go with it! Set a date and do it!!

You have to commit to the quit and you can't smoke and quit at the same time! 

Anyway you want to do it, quitting is the BEST thing you can do for yourself and anyone who loves you. 

 

[Doreensfree]

If you only smoke 1 a day....you are still keeping the addiction alive and kicking...

Oh the agony waiting until it's time for your fix...clock watching ,waiting for the next fix....you need to kill the beast once and for all....

Make the decision to never take another puff.....

Come here and pledge....read up on this addiction.... Watch the videos...soak up all the info like a sponge....

This is where you will get your strength...jump....we will catch you..

Don't over think... It's not as hard as you think....

Let's get you started ...

[Reciprocity]

I firmly believe NO ONE can just cut down for any appreciable period of time. You will ALWAYS fall back into what ever volume of cigs you used to smoke, and sometimes, even more! Even just trying this method is putting yourself through extreme withdrawal for an extended period of time - makes no sense to me. Why torture yourself like that?

 

You either have to quit completely or not. Quitting is not that horrible. It sure beats every long term outcome that smoking will provide you with!

[LizQuit]

Kris I just finished day one smoke free. It was not as bad as I anticipated it would be. Into day 2 and found that when craves hit I immediately jumped up and did something to distract myself. Sometimes I just laid back and let it run its course. Ice water and deep breathing did help. Set a date when you are ready. It can be done. Hope to see you soon. 

[Reciprocity]

^^^ This is great stuff Liz You will be surprised at how much helping others really ends up helping you!! Stay active here and post as much as you can. You will see it really does make a difference for you

[Wee fluffy me]

Lots of great advice been given to you already .. So I just wanted to say hi and quitting is the best thing you can do for yourself.. Now jump on in the water is lovely