A real struggle now

[nsd_user663_5166]

Well, I've got to day 8 - but actually it is getting really tough. Thought it would be easier having gone back to work, and, admittedly, the daytime is much easier (apart from the continuous invites to 'go for a walk' at breaktimes). But the evenings are murder - absolutely desperate for a cigarette this evening - brought loads of work home and done absolutely none of it, so now getting stressed about tomorrow, will have to get up early to do the work I didn't do this evening and will have to do it without a fag and that's all I can think about - doing it all without the cigarette.

Have got to get petrol tomorrow and all I can see in my head is me buying the cigarettes at the same time - I have managed to avoid all cigarette counters, but you can't do it in the petrol station.

Not a nice day today!

[nsd_user663_4990]

At the petrol station tomorrow, get a bottle of fresh orange juice or similar instead, get that before you walk up to the counter, and pay for your petrol and the juice. Divert your attention away from the temptation behind the assistant, look out the window while he works out how his till actually works, and manages to put the right prices in. Listen carefully for the mumbled words of how much you owe the chap..

pay .. then leave.

As little eye contact as you can should keep your focus away from whats behind him anyway.

Hope you get your work sorted, but i think you know only too well, feeding the habit won't make work better, it doesn't give you superhuman powers, it doesn't aid concentration in the slightest. They give you nothing, you'll see that in time... you really will

Sorry you've had some more tough days... there is better, but giving in to the cravings will solve nothing , and all that will happen is you will be back on that merry go round wishing you'd just resisted for longer.

Keep strong, if it wasn't difficult, there would be no sense of achievement from suceeding at giving it up.

Jase

[nsd_user663_4754]

hang in there cheslea.

your doing really well. it is tough, i know. try and focus on how much you want this and go through all your reasons again.

if you havent already done it this could be the time to post your list on reasons to quit. it does really help to get them solid in your head.

which helps with feeling bad about the quitting. You realise just how great a thing you are doing

[nsd_user663_4177]

You say in your head you can see yourself buying cigs, try replacing that image with you buying the juice as Jas mentioned or something else. That is where I have been going wrong this last month picturing myself buying them, then I seem to go and do it like on auto pilot. Its horrid how the picture jumps in your head but you need to replace it as quick as you can.

Hope you will be ok tomorrow

[nsd_user663_5224]

I don't have any tips for you to get past this...just something to think about, I hope.

Allow yourself to grieve for what you have lost in quitting smoking.

I won't smoke again, I KNOW that and I've tried to give up many times over the last 30 years. I always believed the positive hype and actually the positive hype is all true. It's just not the whole truth.

I miss smoking, I probably always will in some way. Cigarettes were always there for me and like a good friend, were able to calm me down when I was about to lose it. They were there for me every half hour of every moment I was awake for 30 years (ok sometimes I could go 2 hours, but sometimes I would be every 15 minutes, or 10 or as soon as I put one out...like a true friend they bolstered me in so many ways). They were my most constant, most regular, most reliable and most predictable companion for 30 years and I miss them.

My Grandfather died 28 years ago and I miss him (actually he died of emphysema...but lets not even go there!). I still miss him for many reasons, but I've had to let him go, I've grieved for him and accepted he is gone.

Actually, I wonder if I should have kept the box fom my last packet, burned it, said a few words, spread it's ashes....you know where I'm going with this!

The grieving for cigarettes is still fresh, new and painful. But they have gone and I will move on. They were only cigarettes, I have discovered friends and family who have always been there for me, waiting for me to finish my fag!