CarrieMpls said:

Stop counting........

A few years ago I quit - Lasted 11 months before I got blottoed and sparked one up ..... The more you count the more stressed you get.....Cuz youre thinking about when you last had one and not how long you have succeeded in not smoking.....I am booked in at my Quit Smoking Helpgroup (Yes we have them in the UK so I will be joining you soon.

All the best, I know how very hard it really is.....

But I like counting. Cause I feel like the farther I get away from the last one, the easier it's supposed to get.

40.5 hours.

CarrieMpls said:

Thats ok then.....as long as you count it in a positive manner

how you feeling? has the initial craving died down yet?

myownprivateinsanity said:

Yes and no. It comes and goes. I thought I was gonna die last night. But I made it through and I felt great when I woke up. Now I'm freaking out again, but not as bad as last night. lol.
I'm also doing the nicotine gum, so I have a feeling I'll be on that for at least 6 weeks or whatever. I hate the idea of just replacing and wish I could go cold turkey, but I'd seriously hurt someone otherwise.

CarrieMpls said:

Try not to look at it like you have "given something up"... or you will feel like you have lost something... Look at it as though you have stopped doing something - it can sometimes make a difference....
Good Luck and keep at it!

good for you carrie!~ that takes a lot of courage. hang in there

maybe you could treat yourself to some aromatherapy stuff, like from the Wedge Co-op. they have an awesome line of essential oils and the next time you get a craving you could whip out your oil and enjoy the clean, fresh scent of cinnamon, or peppermint until the craving passes. just my 2c

CarrieMpls said:

Carrie counting will get u no where. Only count the months. But don't think about it every day.

MickG, you're an ass.

kidelrich said:

How do you not think about it every waking second? It does not go away!!!!

CarrieMpls said:

Carrie, don't listen to them. I counted too. The first two weeks are thee absolute hardest. It's almost impossible to function. But somewhere after 30 days you just stop counting EVERY day. And you'll start thinking man I haven't had a smoke in 1 and a half days, then 3 then a week, a month, them MONTHS.

Keep counting.

You'll be so proud and amazed when months turn into years!

Your doing fuckin' awesome.

And all this shit your going thru now. The cravings, the misery, you don't wanna turn back and EVER have to go thru this first week again rite???

CarrieMpls said:

I know! But you will break down if you focus on it too much. It's happened to me a couple of times. Also, cut down on your drinking if you have to. That's always what gets me back smoking.

kidelrich said:

Then stay in bed Carrie. I'm bein' serious. I totally know how you feel. You cannot function. Do whatever ya gotta do to get thru the first couple weeks, and then it'll get easier.

And they say the first 72 hrs are the worst. It's a lie. It's 2 weeks.

You'll be okay though.

I'm going to buy myself flowers for my desk at work in a bit here. I can't think of what else to do on a break and I need to walk away and I'll actually be able to smell them over the next few days. It will also help keep me from killing all of my coworkers.



And thanks, all of you, for the encouragement and tips. It really does help.

CarrieMpls said:

sounds like a fantastic idea good luck Carrie keep us posted how you're doing

keep it up lady, I'm next!

CarrieMpls said:

no shit huh? and he "claims" to be an Angel. pfft!
keep it up! You're doing great! I kept telling my self I would NEVER want to go threw quitting again...you've got the hardest part overwith already.

CarrieMpls said:

Theres another hug.....

If Niccy patches help, then go for it.....Just don't get addicted to them

Stay away from people who smoke for at least the next few weeks and spend the time where you'd usually have a cigarette doing something pleasurable. You have to learn to replace the behaviour.

CarrieMpls said:

excellent! congratulations toots!

www.givingupsmoking.co.uk

I don't know what kind of support / help is available where you live - But here is where I started.

Ace said:

I only know about 3 people who don't smoke. I'm gonna be lonely for a few weeks.

And I'm trying to figure out what to replace it with. Hence the walking and buying flowers today, but flowers every day would get expensive.

carrie you know this already...but im going to say ti again.

i smoked for 18 years. and i have been smoke free now for over 3 years.
when i fiorst quit, i was counting the days like crazy. it made me feel like i was making progress. when i told my grandmother that i had quit and how long it had been since i had a cigarette, she said to me "come back and talk to me when you have stopped counting, because obviously you are still obsessed with the habit"
i was FUCKING PISSED that she wasn't celebrating what i felt like a huge personal success.
however, in the end she was right. (of course)
as soon as i lost track of the days, the hours, the minutes....i knew that it was no longer a habit of importance in my life. i knew that it no longer had control over me.
i knew that i now was in control of my life. not no damn lousy cigs.

so i can see both sides of the "dont count" argument.

i love you and support you whether you count the seconds or not. do what you gotta do girl.

you can totally do this sister.

CarrieMpls said:

That will be the most tempting - being around people who are smoking (even worse if you're drinking). Yeah, I'd advise ditching them for a while.

I replaced cigarette breaks with Internet breaks.

You can do it, Carrie! You are in the grip of a seriously addictive drug and it'll take a few weeks before that shit gets out of your system. But you're stronger than that and you'll be SO glad you did! Trust me.

CarrieMpls said:

why do you think i fell off the face of the earth for awhile? cuz everyone i know smokes! i HAD to be away from it till i was strong enough to say no in the face of it.

AND...

i dont smoke. (maybe you were counting me in with the 3 people you know who dont smoke.)
and i love to walk.
and that is one of the best thing to replace the urge with.
and im here to do anything that you want to do to help you get through this.
for real.

Also: have you considered the patch? I quit cold-turkey, but I know people who've had success with that.

Ace said:

Thanks for all your encouragment.

I'm doing the nicotine gum, but I'm gonna try not to use it much after the first week or two. We'll see how it goes. I tried the patch years ago and I really didn't like it. It made me jittery and I couldn't sleep and when I did I had really, really messed up dreams.

violett said:

Yes, you were counted.

CarrieMpls said:

but they love you and will want to support you by not smoking in your presence, right??

hint, hint


in the mean time
i love that you bought flowers
i say spoil yourself with pedicures and massages
and going out to movies and anything that will help break old habits
it's two weeks, you deserve success