Trying ....very trying

[nsd_user663_18743]

Hello to all - I have been most impressed with this site - it is so refreshing to me reading all the various messages and realising that I am certainly not on my own with this mamoth task I have set myself! I am on day 2 ....well 2 and a half to be exact ... 56 hours to be even more precise!! I have attempted once before and managed 5 months free of the demon nicotine .. enough time to experience the wonderful freedom that it gave me .. not being its slave .... always thinking when next I could smoke but unfortunately I started again with the "infamous" one which lead to back on a packet a day. I really am fed up with neverending "slog" smoking feels like to me these days ... hence me starting again on patches and inhalor which I find effective ... the inhalor gives me a boost when I need it and I am gaining trust again in the pacthes which is good. Today though it has to be said I have been very grumpy and snappy a bit like a teenage my partner says! In fact I feel a bit sorry for him as he is trying to understand.... hopefully tomorrow I will start to feel a little better craving wise...... I have to try and stay focused I know that because giving in after lasting this long (lets face it a few hours is a long time in the life of a smoker) would be such a waste .... keep up all the good work you people here as I have found it so helpful even in the short time I have been coming here ... I will be grateful for any encouragement....Shells

[nsd_user663_18145]

hi and welcome

and well done your have def come to the right place for support and encouragement

this forum and the people on here have certainly helped me with getting through each craving and at the end of the day even when you was a smoker im sure you had times where you wasnt feeling 100% on top all the time so dont blame it on the not smoking just focus on keeping your mind occupied when your having a craving and it will soon pass im also using the patches and nicorette even though i have been cutting down on the nicorette usage as i dont want to start relying on that too much

regards carol

[nsd_user663_4149]

Good for you Shells and welcome to the forum. You've had another go and now know it's back to square one if you do light up again. I quit using patches and inhalator, but my nurse told me not to use more than two carts a day while I was using the patches too. I only used the inhalator for a few days, found out that the patches were enough for me. You'll no doubt find what you need though. When you're snappy and grumpy come on here and get it out of your system, don't bottle it up or take it out on your bloke, use your keyboard instead and do some reading from the links in peoples sigs, start with mine. David

[nsd_user663_18743]

Thank you for your great messages .. I have dragged out my Alan Carr book now too .. I take on board the advise about the inhalor I will try not to over use it with the patches though I think it has been a good help initially .. I am still missing my old friend but I feel a little stronger already .. thankyou I hope I can get much stronger as the days go by .. would really like a smoke free Christmas ... the first in 30 years maybe?.. at least like you say Michael I know all the pitfalls this time ... good luck to all of us ...Shells

[nsd_user663_17697]

Well done on your decision to give old Nic the boot Shells. All the advice you read on here works, pick the bits that suit you best and fit how you are feeling. Everytime I read one of the threads there is something there to help me. What has helped me a lot is having a positive attitude to all the cravings, thinking that each one I have and beat is a craving that is over and gone. I really do feel stronger each time I beat one and imagine myself treading it into the ground - triumph YEAHHH.

There is a group of november quitters if you fancy joining us.

Keep strong, you can do it xx

[nsd_user663_18743]

Thanks AngelaKaz .. you are right .. I have tried to "pat myself on the back "each morning .. after every meal ... every time I feel I have got through a time when I would have reached for a ciggy ... as it is important to recognise how much effort it takes ... (only another smoker can understand that however) .. I have read here more than once ..you have to take each minute/hour as it comes ... and just try your best ... I would very much like to be part of the November quitters thank you

[nsd_user663_18743]

Day 3

Well I made it to day 3 .. though I am feeling very pleased with myself I have a long way to go .. I am less snappy which is good .. keep having to remind myself when I think I can pop out for a quick smoke that I don't do that any more .. which takes some getting used to - I am a little apprehensive about the next few days as my partner is away on a course so temptation may be stronger with him not here - I just hope I have built up enough courage to say no to myself which I have been doing to get this far. I have managed to get through one day (Friday) at work so it will be another milestone to cross this next week at work and time by myself .. I may be here alot over the next coming week!!

[nsd_user663_18145]

well done each day is always another notch to add to your collection like the craving collection i found in the first few days especially i kept a note of everytime i had a craving and then tried to keep my mind and hands occupied till it passed which it did i also put reminders on my phone to go of every couple of hours just to remind me that i dont smoke anymore its down to habit and mind set at the end of the day you have to try and retrain your mind and hands not to automatically react to what you used to do

and this site and the people on it have helped no end someone shared this with me talesfromthequit.com when i first joined and just reading a couple of kevins tales have helped me to carry on and saying no to the urges

regards carol

[nsd_user663_18743]

Day 4

Morning to all - day 4 has arrived - have to say I feel nervous today left to my own devices and a little worried I may let myself down - it has always been fairly easy for me to smoke at work as I could literally just pop downstiars and out the door for the few seconds it took to get "a fix" added to which my partner is away on a course, so I will have time to myself tonight. I have changed my morning routine to avoid being the first downstairs to avoid coffee and a ciggy (or 2/3) first thing ... though my craving was quite bad this morning - avoided smoking in the car (1/2) on way to work which was difficult -and here I am. Decided to flit round the office and tell the girls how good I had been over the weekend!! they were pleased for me though going four days without a fag must sound very strange to them as non smokers! spoke to my sister who is still smoking though wants to quit and told her all about this site and how brilliant it was ... now I suppose I had better try and concentrate and do some work .. I am ever hopeful of getting through another day .. wish me luck ...Shells

[nsd_user663_18536]

Hi

Congrats and very well done on another day done

One craving at a time

Best of luck

Dean

[nsd_user663_18145]

Hi Shells and well done for reaching day 4

you can do it just remember to try and keep busy when the cravings come also i found just having the nicorette in my hand when i was driving or on the phone or even when i was chatting over coffee it helped as thats what i found the hardest when i first gave up what to do with my hand i didnt puff on it that much think it might have been a comfort thing i still carry it around in my bag but try not to use it but in the beginning it was def a big help for me

and the people on this site has been a bigger help

best regards on this cold morning carol

[nsd_user663_18743]

Thanks again for the encouragement .. and yes Carol I understand what you mean it's the habit thing I have to work on .. I keep thinking to myself ..well if I was still smoking ...the flipping thing would have to be scraped off my lips this morning !! How silly would I look then!! ha ...onwards and upwards!!! (hopefully)

[nsd_user663_18145]

yep habits are hard to break but they are breakable and take time just try not to rush it too fast you will get there

[Hidden]

Hello to all - I have been most impressed with this site - it is so refreshing to me reading all the various messages and realising that I am certainly not on my own with this mamoth task I have set myself! I am on day 2 ....well 2 and a half to be exact ... 56 hours to be even more precise!! I have attempted once before and managed 5 months free of the demon nicotine .. enough time to experience the wonderful freedom that it gave me .. not being its slave .... always thinking when next I could smoke but unfortunately I started again with the "infamous" one which lead to back on a packet a day. I really am fed up with neverending "slog" smoking feels like to me these days ... hence me starting again on patches and inhalor which I find effective ... the inhalor gives me a boost when I need it and I am gaining trust again in the pacthes which is good. Today though it has to be said I have been very grumpy and snappy a bit like a teenage my partner says! In fact I feel a bit sorry for him as he is trying to understand.... hopefully tomorrow I will start to feel a little better craving wise...... I have to try and stay focused I know that because giving in after lasting this long (lets face it a few hours is a long time in the life of a smoker) would be such a waste .... keep up all the good work you people here as I have found it so helpful even in the short time I have been coming here ... I will be grateful for any encouragement....Shells

Hi Shells hows it going??? Hope no nicotine?

[nsd_user663_18743]

Hi John - still free thankyou .. been a struggle today at work .. have been tempted more than once .. but it would undo so much effort to give in now even after four days as we all know how much effort that involves .. each hour is a bonus ... hopefully this week it will get easier ... thanks again Shells

[nsd_user663_18743]

Leapt into day 5!! (well almost!) .. feeling good this morning - my other half is away so knew I would have to be extra extra strong last night and this morning and I did it! ... when you are smoking it's really really hard to understand that you will be OK and get through the craves .. I can't believe that I am actually doing it! good luck for another day all x

[Hidden]

Well done you!!

[nsd_user663_7529]

Just interested Shells, having quit for 7 months earlier this year myself, what was it that got you back on the smokes agin after being free for so long?

[nsd_user663_18743]

Hi Munter - for me it was a the long illness of my mother who I nursed - she saw me give up and stay free and was so thrilled for me - but when she got worse I am afraid I "gave in" - she died in January and I have not felt ready to try again till now - I know she would be so proud if I can do this .... I feel positive at the moment though I know that when life throws "another challenge" my way as it tends to do (as we all know) it can make you vulnerable to the dreaded weed ... I just hope I can overcome future problems without resorting back to the weed ... I have to say that I never had this support before and I think this will help me so much in the days/weeks/months to come ... thank you all so far ...xx

[nsd_user663_7529]

Wow - that's more than understandable and I'm sorry for you!

I would say something glib like - in my case all it took was a few beers - but strictly that's not true. I did start again when I was working away from home and was out for dinner and drinks with some workmates, but I think it's more than that. Staying stopped takes a lot of effort and concentration, even if you think yo've got it beat. I think I was tired from new baby/lots of work stress/illness (I had an ulcer!) - and just didn't have the energy or concentration to stay stopped.

Similarly, maybe you were so tired and stressed by your mother's situation that you didn't have the energy to keep it going?

Good on you for getting back to your quit so soon. The time before last it took me nearly two years (after another stint of 6 months off the fags) to feel "ready" again.

Good luck. Keep posting!

[nsd_user663_18743]

Glad you are doing it again for your little ones sake anyway .. I was in a strange place back then but there are always going to be problems for us to overcome ?... thinking back it took alot of effort for me get back to smoking 20 a day again after I had been off them and coping for quite a long time ...bizarre!! ... I can remember my sister had left a packet open one Sunday when I visited and I took one and smoked it ..then the following week I remembered this and took another one ... I was smoking just one week for a while .......but I had let the monster back in !!. ....when things got worse it was inevitable I would turn to them ... so I know i cannot have another one ever this time .... I will do my best anyway xx