Grumpy A-holes (quitting cigarettes/ nicotine products) (Part 1)

[Mno]

For your information, for your distraction, for your Quit. You can all do this!!! Day 2543.

Repost: The 4 D’s and HALT – longer read but worth it

Keep the 4D’s close in the early days of your quit. Before you go buy smokes – try these to help beat the pesky craves.

The HALT post comes from an addiction site - but HALT applies to quitting smoking too. Sometimes what you need is NOT a smoke - it is something else. Explore these options and skip the smoke - it does nothing for you but lie and kill you.
KTQ
Cara
D6002

Coping with Withdrawal Symptoms

Withdrawal symptoms are no fun, yet most people feel them when they quit smoking. Most people feel withdrawal symptoms when they quit smoking. There are 2 types of addiction: the physical and the psychological.
*One major withdrawal symptom that you should expect to feel is the strong craving to smoke. You know what it’s like to have a cigarette craving that you aren’t allowed to satisfy. Think of the last time you were in a place where smoking isn’t permitted (in an airplane, restaurant, office, shopping mall, meeting room, etc.). The source of the craving may be physical (your body is telling you it needs nicotine) or psychological (you need stress relief) or a combination of both.

The 4 D’s listed below can help you deal with cigarette cravings. And keep in mind that both the frequency and intensity of your cravings will decrease as the duration since your last cigarette increases.*

Deep Breaths
Breathe in and breathe out slowly, as if you were smoking a cigarette. When you do deep breathing, inhale deeply, hold it for a couple seconds, and then release it slowly. Deep breathing will help you relax and make the craving dissipate.

Drink Water
Drink lots of water all day long, especially during a craving. Drinking water helps flush the toxins out of your system, and it will help keep your hands and mouth busy if that’s something you miss from smoking. Some ex-smokers prefer to drink through a straw, which also helps with the oral fixation.

Distract
Distract yourself by getting up and making yourself active. Go for a brisk walk. Go out and meet with a friend. If you choose to stay indoors, go into a different room. Grab a carrot stick and munch on it elsewhere. Put on some music. Open a book or browse through a magazine. Call up a friend. Many smokers have said that when they get an urge to smoke and then make the effort to change their surrounding environment, they do get distracted and actually forget that they wanted to smoke.

Delay
Most smokers falsely assume that each craving lasts a long time – maybe 45 minutes or so. Time yourself to learn the truth. Cravings come and go quickly. The average craving really only lasts about 5 to 10 minutes. No matter how strong the craving is, convince yourself that you can wait 10 minutes. To help those 10 minutes go by, practice the other D’s.

H.A.L.T

Avoid High-Risk Situations

Some common high-risk situations are described by the acronym, HALT:

Hungry
Angry
Lonely
Tired

How do you feel at the end of the day? You’re probably hungry because you haven’t eaten well. You’re probably angry because you’ve had a tough day at work or a tough commute home. You may feel lonely because you’re isolated. You don’t have to be physically alone to feel lonely. And you’re tired. That’s why your strongest cravings usually occur at the end of the day. Here’s another way of looking at high-risk situations:

People. (People who you use with or who are related to your use. People who you have conflicts with, and who make you want to use. People who you celebrate with by using. People who encourage you to use either directly or indirectly.)
Places. (Places where you use or where you get your drugs or alcohol.)
Things. (Things that remind you of your using.)
How can you avoid high-risk situations? Of course, you can’t always avoid these situations. But if you’re aware of them, they won’t catch you off guard, and you can prevent little craving from turning into major urges.

Take better care of yourself. Eat a healthier lunch so you’re not as hungry at the end of the day. Join a 12 step group so that you don’t feel isolated. Learn how to relax so that you can let go of your anger and resentments. Develop better sleep habits so that you’re less tired.

Avoid your drinking friends, your favorite bar, and having alcohol in the house. Avoid people who you used cocaine with, driving by your dealer’s neighborhood, and cocaine paraphernalia.

Recovery isn’t about one big change. It’s about lots of little changes. Avoiding those high-risk situations helps you create a new life where it’s easier to not use.

Make a list of your high-risk situations. Addiction is sneaky. Sometimes you won’t see your high-risk situations until you’re right in the middle of one. That’s why it’s important that you learn to look for them. Make a list of your high-risk situations and keep it with you. Go over the list with someone in recovery so that can spot any situations that you might have missed. Make the list and keep it with you. Some day that list may save your life. (Reference: www.AddictionsAndRecovery.org)

[Hayleylujah]

it was terrible…
Thanks, we sail at dawn, or maybe around 8am. New day, try again

[Hayleylujah]

Aah I bet that felt so so good to say well done

[SassyBoomer]

@Mno yeah I’ve been delaying the hell out of cravings today. They hit so damn hard and then I get distracted and bam, it’s like it never happened lol

@Tomek I swear to you it does get better. I still struggle with cravings but they don’t have the strength they used too. Keep rocking those days and remember to stay hydrated!

@Teresa.13 be sure to drink plenty of water to flush those toxins out. Hope your day got better

@Hayleylujah how are you doing hun? Patches helping?

Been a long day for me. Nothing to do with smoking really. My sister and I have been going down the memory lane of toxic childhood lately and it’s been painful at times. Oh well, healing and growth isn’t guaranteed to be painless, eh?

[Twizzlers]

Im almost a year free from smoking.
I find time does help. I still get strong cravings after eating certain foods like Curry and when i drink an energy drink. Luckily they dont last long.
I used the patches and the gum/lozenges to quit and they really helped to take the irritable mood swings, and strong cravings away. If anyone is struggling id recommend trying them

[Hayleylujah]

Hey Lady
I have been smoking this weekend and today. Disappointing, but I just soaked the last two and crumbled them up and binned them. Patch on first thing in the morning! It’s out ready
Thanks for your support
Hope you’re feeling better today

[Twizzlers]

Dont be discouraged, just keep trying eventually it will stick. For me i used the patch and when i had cravings i used the gum instead of a cigarette.
They also have like a inhaler this is what i used for the first month as its mimicks holding a cigarette and you are inhaling nicotine and it feels like smoking still before i moved to the gum.

Its called the nicorette inhalater maybe this would help too.

[Hayleylujah]

Thank you for the suggestions
I’ve decided that if I smoke again I’m going to keep quitting, no matter how many times, it will stick eventually. Here’s hoping it’s sooner rather than later
I may get the inhalator for that extra support in the first weeks…Thanks again

[Leveller]

20 days @SassyBoomer. That is so bloody good. I know how hard this was for you when you first stopped. Well done. You reap what you sow. Who’d have thought 20 days ago youd be a non smoker now im so pleased for you.

[siand]

So I’ve been getting cravings recently. Not for the nicotine exactly, or that’s not what I’m thinking about. More for the inhalation of smoke. I guess it’s because of the nicotine that I associate that with being soothed. I’ve got some difficult stuff to work through and the idea of smoking feels familiar and comforting. I know in reality it is neither of those things! But the association is there and its strong.

I got some incense sticks instead. And got them going with my morning meditation. Having that inhale of something smoky feels nice. And it smells nice. And meditation is a much healthier thing to be doing all round. Maybe I will build a new association - feel stressed/ meditate. Who knows. Either way I didn’t smoke today.

Keep on keeping on my favourite grumpy a-holes

[SassyBoomer]

Do you smudge? You just gave me the idea to smudge all that negative energy from toxic smoking and the craving right out of the house. It also has a cleansing, smokey process that might satisfy while doing good.

[siand]

No I have heard of it tho and I go to a sound bath where the lady wafts some burning sage around us which is nice!

[JasonFisher]

24 hours felt impossible!

24 days and nobody has been hurt!

Cravings are easier to blow off.
Im proud of the days and dont want to start over!
I can breathe better and I like it!
It still feels weird unless I keep my hands busy.
Ive been getting alot done. Super productive!
I CAN BREATHE BETTER AND EASIER!
I’ve Saved 300 bucks!
I can breathe!

[Leveller]

nearly a month @JasonFisher thats good going mate.
Im 3 months in now and constantly need to remind myself of well im doing. I dont ever want to take not smoking for granted.
Keep going mate.

[SassyBoomer]

Three weeks ago I kept a roll of TP on my bed. I was constantly coughing and spitting up mucus. I coughed in my sleep and often I would wake up and vomit from swallowing the mucus in my sleep. I would go outside for my morning cigarette and cough and choke and spit up in the flower bed while I puffed on cigarette after cigarette. I couldn’t go up the stairs without losing my breath. Walking around the block was difficult. Going anywhere with the family and trying to keep up was hard. We would go out to dinner and I would have a coughing fit while other customers gave me the skank eye. While everyone relaxed and spoke over the last of their dinner and drinks I would run outside for a smoke. I’d sit there coughing and smoking.

I still lose my breath, just not as easily. My breathing test showed me as mild copd rather than the chronic my doctor suspected. I’m not coughing all the time and I no longer wake up from it at night. No TP on my bed and no vomiting.

Yeah I still have cravings I struggle through. But I will continue to struggle through them because I’ll be damned if I go back to what I described above. If you are thinking of quitting join us here. We can do this together!

[Mno]

This post might be a bit early for some (@JasonFisher @SassyBoomer for example). But I can’t stop myself. Might be my favourite post from Quitnet. A bit of a guide through those first months.

No Man’s Land

From tc_guy 5/7/2002

I seldom start a post, unless it is to honor someone’s anniversary. But I feel compelled to share something that I seem to be sharing a lot of lately… and that is my thoughts on ‘No Man’s Land’. No Man’s Land is a dangerous and scary place… and it is a lonely time during a quit. I call No Man’s Land that period of time between about 1 month and 3 or 4 months into your quit, or about the time from the end of your first month until you become an Elder. This is a time when many people slip and go into a full relapse and have to start over… if they can start over, that is. I have some observations that may help some of you who are literally hanging on by your fingernails… or who may find yourself there tomorrow.

The first month is an exhausting but exhilarating experience… you are locked in nearly daily struggles and you get the satisfaction of successfully beating your addiction that day. You go to bed a WINNER each night (as Troutnut would say), and you are justifiably proud of yourself. Your friends and family are also supportive as they see you struggling each day to maintain your quit. And you are being constantly supported here, whether or not you post… just being here is good for your quit. And so, the battles are won and it actually becomes easier and the battles occur less often as you finish 30 days or so.

Around 60 days, you’re starting to have some really good days, with very few craves and some nice insights about yourself… but then again, you still have some bad days. Those bad days can really be depressing… you begin to wonder if you’re ever gonna be able to relax. Your junkie is whispering to you, telling you that ‘just one’ won’t hurt. You’ve conquered your daily triggers, but now you start tripping over the occasional ones… a death in the family, unexpectedly bad news, money problems, health problems, going on a long car ride, a trip to the bar, or whatever. You have a strong crave and you begin to doubt your ability to keep your quit.

In addition, the 3D support that you used to get is pretty much gone… non-smokers figure you should be ‘over it’ by now, smokers don’t like to hang around you much because they feel guilty and addicted (remember that feeling?), and people who have quit may not remember just how much love and support you need well into the first few months. They all think you should be ‘over it’, you think you should be ‘over it’… and the temptation is to have ‘just one’ to see if you ARE over it.

But of course you’re not over it, are you? That ‘just one’ whisper becomes much much louder and becomes ‘just one more’… and each time you give in to that whisper, the craves come harder and sooner. The one way to guarantee that your craves will never go away is to light up, to slide that old cigarette needle into your arm and shoot up. Those craves will be back and keep coming back. But if you protect your quit, your craves will eventually weaken and become even fewer and farther between.

As you get to around 100 days or so (some will be a bit longer)… you will begin to really get a healthy perspective on your addiction. You will see the huge role that smoking played in your life, you will see clearly what that addiction really cost you. And you will understand that it was a very high price to pay… the loss of your confidence, your emotions, your self-control… your SELF. All enslaved to your addiction. And you will begin to see that you can look forward to a non-smoking future without romanticizing your addiction. You see it clearly for the life-stealing evil it was… and is. You see a much different future for yourself than your past has been. And it no longer scares the crap out of you to think that you are done smoking… in fact, you embrace that thought with joy every day.

But you have to get out of No Man’s Land first. How can you help yourself? And how can those of us who have been through it help you?

First of all, you need to understand that you aren’t alone. If you haven’t already done so, make a pinky-finger promise with 2 or 3 good quit buds and exchange phone numbers with them. Promise to call them if you’re ever in trouble, and make them promise the same. These are your ‘life and death’ quit buddies… you are literally trusting each other with your lives. Then call them… often. Just to see how they are doing, and to tell them you’re doing well too. Be totally honest with them, this is life and death.

Second, understand that you’re going to have some unexpectedly bad days… but they are going to be further apart. Shrug them off, laugh your way through them, call your quit buddies… whatever it takes to get through them without smoking. Some battles will be easy, some will be hard. Come here and post, send qmail, exercise, learn to cook, take up a new hobby. Whatever it takes, keep going to bed a WINNER each night.

Third, ask some of the older qsters to keep an eye on you… to contact you to see how you’re doing. I have been asked to do that for several of you recently and I am happy to do that, as I am sure that others are too. We know that you just need to hold on a little bit longer and change your focus just a little to make that breakthrough. And then you will OWN your quit, and it will be a very comfortable thing.

Last, take a deep and honest look at your past life… your life as a smoker and compare it to what your life is like now… and what it will be like in the future. You have to develop that vision of your future, of the person that you are going to BECOME now that you have freed yourself. You have to believe in yourself. You have to love yourself enough to deny yourself your addiction.

No Man’s Land doesn’t have to be so lonely and scary and dangerous. You need some company and some courage and some faith in yourself. And when you emerge from it, you will not be the same person that entered it.

Never never never question your decision to quit! This is the most loving thing that you will ever do for yourself. A few days of discomfort in exchange for a lifetime of freedom. You will never find another deal like it.

Protect your quit. Don’t smoke, no matter what.

peace, Ron

[SassyBoomer]

@Mno

Last, take a deep and honest look at your past life… your life as a smoker and compare it to what your life is like now… and what it will be like in the future.

I feel like that is basically what I just did in my last post. I found myself almost romanticizing my smoking days and being forgetful of just how harsh and bad it had gotten for me. I need to keep that vision of me puking at 2am in the forefront of my memories. That will be the best preventative thing I can think of to do.

I absolutely love all your posts here. Thanks for being here for us!

Oh and @JasonFisher probably doesn’t realize it but he is my quit buddy

[Mno]

It took me quite a lot longer, to really get out of No Man’s Land. But I got out. And if there is one thing I truly own now, it’s my Quit from smoking. So much has come from it too. It changed my life. No joke.

Let’s all keep an eye on each other. We are in this together. I’m here with you all. X

[JasonFisher]

I love that! Reading your shares helped me stay focused and not go buy another pack. Perfect timing!

[Leveller]

Thank you @Mno just what i needed to read. Im in no mans land where i could start again because i realise im now an ex smoker who found it easy to stop. NOPE NOPE NOPE.
So pleased @JasonFisher and @SassyBoomer are doing so well!