Stop Smoking Support Thread
Comments
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Wow! This thread is kinda not doing much.
TGIF Ladies!
I know this may not mean much to some of you but today is 3 weeks for me smoke free! And yes, DH is still smoking and in the house. Eating lots of sugar free hard candies.
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Hi Jo, 3 weeks is grand especially given the fact hubby is still smoking in the house. Wasn't he going to try quiting? Or is he feeling defensive with you doing so well? hugs, Karen
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Karen - I don't know what DHs problem is. I was supposed to be stopping with me. He doesn't even us the Filtrim gradual cut down device anymore. When I ask him when is he going to quit - I get "I don't know."
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i just had a minute to check in. thank you ALL for the well wishes and prayers for my Dad.
They are now saying, gallstones and pancreatitis and today they were doing dialysis since he is still not "putting out" the expected amount of urine. really frustrated. They are still trying to avoid any surgery until they can get all his levels under control and confirm the diagnosis. Seaside I so wish I could get my Mom to agree for me (or one of my brothers) be a point of contact but she wants to do this...love her but want to kill her (isn't there a song???)...and no fear, i manage to get past the smoking cravings, your so right, it won't solve this problem or make my Dad better.
jo - I bet your hubby feels left behind in his quitting plan once you progressed so quickly beyond him. he just didn't think you would do it....but you DID and you HAVE. Be patient with him but don't be afraid to tell him that he is not helping your recovery, try to turn it around on him when he becomes defensive. 3 WEEKS..CONGRATULATIONS!!!!! KEEP GOING!!!!
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Jo - when my DH quit, years before I did, I would get very defensive and dig my heal's in every time he so much as mentioned quiting to me. Maybe your DH agreed to try with you because he thought it would only be a 'try' and now that you are 'actually' a non-smoker he is a bit intimidated...
I think three weeks under these conditions are TERRIFIC! Stay strong, stay focused...You are doing GREAT!
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Jo,
The three week mark for ME anyway was a BIG milestone!!! That and then around 3 months!
Just think.... In 1 more week (7 short days), you will be able to count your quit time in MONTHS rather than weeks! I know many people, myself included, that continued to count days and weeks for a long time because it felt like a bigger accomplishment BUT, the point is... You will have reached a point where it is YOUR choice as to how to count.... days.... weeks... months.... and eventually... years!
Keep up the good work!!!!
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Seaside - Thanks so much. It seems to be getting easier each day. Still working on DH though. We are going away for 4 days next week (Fri - Mon) to a convention in San Antonio and this should be interesting. We will be in a smoke free hotel for this first time. Usually we would reserve a hotel that still had smoking rooms and go to the convention hotel for all the meetings and other activities. I will have to be on my guard as there are events that I know will have triggers for me.
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Jo,
You will absolutely have to be on your guard! the first few times you do anything that you used to associate with smoking can cause some hefty cravings.... But, you are aware that it may be the case and can plan now for what you might do instead should the urge hit you (Very important to have a plan)!!!
Last summer when we went on vacation, I was excited to think we would be staying in a smoke-free room (for the first time in, well, forever) in the same hotel we always stay at!! Was a little disappointed that those rooms were already booked so booked a smoking room... Well... I just really couldn't get over how smokey the room smelled... Something I had not noticed before, although I am sure the rest of my family did.....This year we had a smoke-free room (in fact the hotel has gone completely smoke-free)... What a difference!
Last year, being at the beach and sitting out on the balcony (where I had always smoked) felt very strange and kicked off some cravings even though I was roughly 6 months out.... Nothing too severe but, noticeable none the less.... This year... Not smoking didn't phase me at all!! It was really VERY nice to not have to worry about finding a place to smoke!
Point being... You may have a few tough patches but, you will be ready for them! You have nothing to gain by smoking and absolutely everything to gain by remaining smoke-free!!! And, if you just stick with it, it will reach a point where smoking is but a distant memory... I promise!0 -
SeaSide - I know what you mean about the difference in a smoking room vs a nonsmoking room. We had to take a nonsmoking room one time when we were traveling - that was all that they had left and I have to tell you I liked that room. It is not smell like stale smoke.
I do plan on going loaded with my smoke control spray and lots of crystal light sugar free hard candies. I really like these candies and for some reason they really seem to help. If I just stay inside the building and don't venture out, I will be fine.
It really is a challenge to do this with DH still smoking. I am going to have to put with him when we have to be in the car for 4 1/2 hours together. We are taking his truck - I already told him my car is off limits to smoking. He is not real happy about that cuz my car gets great gas mileage.
I do have some rough patches - they seem to come on the weekends when we are both at home. During the week we are working and DH is not in the house that much. Still can not get him to go outside and I honestly don't think he is interested in quitting right now. He maybe waiting to see if I will really do this all the way.
Thanks for the wonderful words of encouragement. They help more than you know.
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Congrats Jo!!!
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LadyinBama - Thanks - I couldn't have made it this far without you wonderful ladies.
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Congrats on 3 weeks, Jo. That is HUGE!!
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when I'm working with a client, one of the most important questions I ask is, "What is the longest time you have ever quit smoking?" because there are different challenges at different time periods. What the answer tells me is what aspect or challenge of smoking they need to work on.
A smoker who has never quit more than a few days--is usually highly physically addicted to nicotine. At about 3 to 4 weeks--that is the time where "habit" cigarettes have stopped being a trigger (it takes about 30 individual situations of each trigger--ie--answering the phone, coffee, or about 3 weeks to "extinguish" the habit conditioning of nicotine. The challenges that arise in months 3 to 12 are: intense stress and negative emotions, positive social situations, weight gain, alcohol and being around other smokers. having an ICE plan (In case of Emergency) to deal with individual issues is key for long term abstinence.
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VJ - I'm sorry - I don't understand where you are going with the post.
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Jo,
What I got from VJ's post was that it can take sometimes just a few times and sometimes many times of doing something that we aways used to do while smoking without smoking before that 'connection' is broken....
And a heads up that, in her experience with people trying to quit, that those triggers can morph and change on you as you go on in time..... In the beginning, it can be felling physically sick from withdrawal... Then the next stage, for many is the 'habit' triggers.... But, as you get further down the road, for many people, the triggers tend to be some or all of the things she listed..... weight gain, alcohol, etc.... also, your plan for how to deal with whatever your triggers may be might also need to change as your triggers do...
Each person is different and none of those may affect you at all..... but it is important to have a plan!
VJ, feel free to correct me if that was not what you meant!!0 -
Seaside - Thanks for clarifying that for me. I read it several times and it was not quite making sense to me.
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Forgive this for being off-topic but do any of you know if there's a thread for people who used NRT to stop smoking but then got hooked on NRT? Thanks!
Aza
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Seaside--Thanks for the clarification--that's exactly what I meant.
Aza-I can provided some suggestions. what type of NRT? For how long? What dosage and how often? What happens when you try to stop using it? Each product has a different absorption rate and usage mechanism--which leads to different types of "addiction"--some NRT's are physically addictive and others are psychologically and behaviorally addictive--so treatment and weaning off ot it should fit together depending on which NRT. I hope that makes sense. Please feel free to PM is you don't want to post on here.
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Aza,
First off welcome! I haven't come across a thread specifically for that but, I think there could be a need for it... I know of several people that this has been an issue for both, in my real life and on these boards!
If you can't find a thread on this site, you could always start one! If you don't want to do that, you are more than welcome to post here!!!0 -
Aza - Shame on me - where are my manners. Welcome! I have been smoke free for just a little over three weeks and these gals have been so great. I did not use any of the NRTs so I can't help you there but like Seaside said, you can either start a thread on the topic or just post here.0
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I just got my quitnet email: 1 year quit!!!! I can't believe it. I appreciate the help all you ladies gave me along the way. Love you all!!!
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YAY Bama!! Good for you!!! How many more chemos do you have? Saying prayers for you, gal.
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Hey gals, check out a website called why quit. Com. There is some superb info on quitting smoking there. There is also a book by Alan Carr called "the easy way to quit smoking" Cold turkey is the way to go the nicotine is out of your system in 72 hours. There is also a kick butt quit site called Kill the Can.org It is primarily for smokeless tobacco users , BUT there are a number of smokers and women on the site. I quit approximate three years ago, once you decide to really quit, it isn't as hard as you think. Nicotine is not a crutch but an anchor, the only problem it solves is the one it created in the first place. If I can quit so can you.
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Bama - Doing the happy dance with you. Congrats on one year quit.
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Chantex worked wonderfully for me. I didn't even try or set a quit date. Just kept smoking until they grossed me out.
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Congrat's Bama!!!! We need to throw a Party!!!!! I'll post some yummy's when I get home
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Hi Bama, a job well done!!!!!!!!!!! Now we get to have a party, a mid-week party at that. Congratulations, Bama.
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OMG.....
I can't post pictures with my I-Pad so I have to be back on my old and VERY SLOW computer... I am so frustrated at how slow this stupid thing is that I am just pulling my hair out!!!!
Wanted to pop in and say Congrats to you, Bama!!! Really doesn't seem possible that a year has passed (where on earth does the time go?) but, here we are!!!
I am SO happy that, through the ups and downs of this past year (and there have been MANY for you) that you have stuck with it and remain smoke-free!!! So glad to have 'met' you and hope for many more smoke-free years for all of us!!!
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Also... Mr. Clooney sends his congrats too!!!!
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Congrats Bama on 1 year thats awesome.. Today is 1 month for me. Didn't think I would make it but I did
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