well i'm on day 8 of the champix again and after my last quit in June i stopped taking them on day day 10 or something - not going to make that mistake again, no matter how confident i feel.
anyway - i think i can crack the physical addiction which is interesting as Id always told everyone "no my big problem is that im just massively physcially addicted to nicotine" - well its true what they say about learning something about yourself and your addiction every time you try and quit.
this is the reason I think Ive gone straight back on it back to back quitting. Well there was about 10 days in between but i was moving house and just can only focus on one big thing at a time.
Anyway ive done a complete 180 degree turn in my thinking since the quit in june and realised that the psychological habit is the big one for me. And drinking is very dangerous! yeah i know you all said it, and i said i could handle it but yep it was drinking that did it in the end. to be honest though I think i had folded a couple of days before in my head anyway.
so really back to the reason for this post. I was hoping for some magic insights in how the people who have remained quit for a decent amount of time have got round that constant nagging.
ive read all the links, all the web pages and I guess there is no magic formula but if there are any tips, things that have worked for you, lifestyle changes, etc it would be great if you could share them as I need all the tools in my quit box i can get!
Have you read this it has a lot of useful bits including a bit on the psychological side of quitting although you'll have to scroll down quite a way to find it I found it really useful
Hi Bman, I really struggled with that in the early days, but in the end my mind would wander and before I knew it was trying to convince myself into smoking, before I would have followed my thinking but this time I laughed at it and said in my head 'nice try' and laughed it off. Some days it came so often it was unreal but now doesnt happen too often but I still have to be on guard as the other day got to the supermarket and from no where I pictured myself buying 10 fags yet when I pulled up I was trying to remember what I had to get. While i was walking around the supermarket it just kept popping in my head trying to convince me to buy them. As I walked out passed the cig counter I said 'NO CHANCE'!!!! and was fine after. Think it is best not to get into a big debate with yourself about it but to just accept the thoughts but not act on them if you know what I mean.
Sorry it is hard to explain hope I havent confused you
yeah i think i get you - acknowledge the thoughts are there, so you don't repress them and then just let them go. give them no weight. no argument because there is none to be had.
I have managed to do this for periods of time in previous quits but its haaaarrrrd to sustain!!
maybe the time wasnt right. will try again this time.
bman, Try reading the first link in my signature. It is rather lengthy, but you can read it while you are still smoking. It really helped me as well as the other links. This Saturday I will have finished with the sixth month, and I still go back and read things over again just to keep things fresh in my mind. You can do this. Just remember not one puff!
I found the simple act of distraction got me through the first few weeks....
Education helps you understand the craves and is absolutely vital, but you can't actually stop them.
I found that by simply stopping what I was doing and taking a walk for 15 minutes would "reset" my frame of mind and I would be OK again.
Of course there are times when you can't simply disappear for 15 minutes, and during those times I would just do something, anything else. If I was at my desk, simply going to get a drink took my mind off it sufficiently until I could go for a walk at lunchtime or after work.
Hi I totally agree with Jody - if you wish to understand more about the psychological battle please do go to quitsmokingonline.com - it is absolutely amazing and explained to me how to try and deal with the cravings - it is all about letting them happen instead of fighting them - sounds strange but I implore you to read through the course it is excellent - the physical withdrawal is actually not that awful it is all about the head !!!!! I am quitting again tomorrow as I fell over after 8 days - have had a week back on the evil weed ! - so back to Day 1 for me but at least I am prepared to give it another shot and feel I have learned quite alot from first attempt and subsequent reading both online and here on the forum - Good luck - Peta
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