Lets try again

[nsd_user663_54068]

Hi all.

I'm new to any kinda forum but looking at this one day has really helped me :).

This is my third attempt at quitting last one 5 December 9.30pm. I tried to quit in 2005 cold turkey and managed it for 3 months. I made that mistake of well its only one I can handle it. My second attempt was at the beginning of October when I left my employer after 14 years, I thought it would be a good time to quit. I managed 5 days (including my alcohol fuelled leaving party) but had just that 'one' again before going on holiday.

So here I am again hoping third time lucky. Cold turkey definitely doesn't work for me so I am trying NRT, patches and lozenges. I've made it through the day today and can say that the patch has helped. The period waiting to get my patches this morning was agony, although I do now feel a bit overdosed on nicotine. Before I was smoking 20 a day each containing 0.50mg of Nicotine, the patches my doctor has given me contain 25mg of nicotine so it looks like I am now getting more nicotine than I was before, but at least I have got through the constant urges today and without resorting to lozenges as well.

I have really struggled with concentration today due to the urges, which isn't great when I have only been in my new job a month and now I work from home so it even more difficult to keep that motivation going when all I can think about it having a smoke.

There seems to be so many success stories on her, it is great and I really want to be one of them so any advice you can give will be much appreciated. I long to be smoke free

[nsd_user663_53617]

Hey J23,

Welcome to the forum!! Reading your post it sounds like you're pretty committed to being smoke free and hope NRT is the way forward for you this time.

Reading all the tips and posts on here are invaluable too, just knowing others are going through the same and succeeded!!

Karen

[nsd_user663_53202]

Welcome J23. I echo what Karen said. Keep reading and keep posting and you will work it out as you go along!

[nsd_user663_52845]

Hi J23

I really hope you hit the smallest nail on the head with the biggest hammer you got when you said 3rd time lucky!

I also tried CT early on and struggled with it.

I knew, after getting told off by many on here! , that I really did not want to go back to smoking so I started my NRT again. It helped me massively and has broken my quit in to manageable stages (well that's the plan anyway! )

When I have tried patches in the past I also think they were too strong...bit out there for a while and to be honest I think they helped me fail rather than helped!

This time I am using the inhaler, it works for me as you can regulate when and how much you feel you need during any rough patches.

I am starting to drop my intake now and so far so good (well, one wobble but I won't go in to that, water under the bridge)

I can see that working from home could be a problem, work for me was a trigger but home not so much. Maybe some of your favourite relaxing music low in the background would help? Or some gentle relaxation therapy cd's? Try to divert your mind a little? (Just a thought!)

Really wish you all the luck in the world with this one

Stay strong and take care

Greg

[nsd_user663_54041]

Take your past attempts and learn from them. You are already armed with such a wealth of knowledge on what does and does not work for you. I like to think of myself as attacking the addiction as opposed to defending myself from it. I really wish you the best of luck and I look forward to the day that I sit across a table from you battling for the gold medal in the I-Can-Breath-Like-A-Mother****er event in the Olympics.

[nsd_user663_54068]

Thanks for all your motivational messages... lets see what day 2 brings

[nsd_user663_20558]

Hi there, and welcome back to the quit road!

Looking at your quitting history as you describe it, I'd say your problem wasn't so much the CT (after all, after three months you're definitely nicotene free!) but that you succumbed to that inner voice prompting you to smoke. You know the one I mean, the 'go on, you've come this far, you can have one and go back to being quit' voice. We've all been there. It can be very convincing!

But whatever method you're using to help you this time, that voice will still pipe up at various times in your quit, and the very best thing you can do is prepare yourself mentally for those moments. In the early days, have things that can keep your hands busy and distract you. As time wears on the prompts to smoke get fewer, but they will happen and you have to have the psychological tools to make the right choice when they do. This forum is a HUGE help in that process, so use it as much as you can. But whatever you do remember, it's NOPE: Not One Puff Ever!

Onwards and upwards, one day at a time. Good luck!

Helen

[nsd_user663_20558]

PS - I wrote this post a while ago but it still sums up my best advice for new quitters. Hope it helps!

forum.nosmokingday.org.uk/s...

H

[nsd_user663_52604]

Well done on joining us quitters

Working from home would have been tough for me so kudos on that, your other quits were trial runs for this one!!! as long as you have learnt from past mistakes they were not in vain.

I think you'll notice on a few peoples tags it says NOPE, not one puff ever, reminds me when i need it that "the one wont hurt" is utter bull. Ive found that when a crave hits head back eyes closed looooooong breath in through your nose and slowly out through the mouth helped distract me (thats why i say chin up alot lol) just gather yourself and plod on, also if say you went the loo put the kettle on then had a cig, change the routine, its a small way of breaking the habit, i ued to have onwith my cup of tea first thing - so i started making myself a cup of coffee to break the assosiation (sorry spellings shocking today)

most of all we're here, and we believe you can do it, and in whatever small way we can we will help x

[nsd_user663_52535]

J23

Wishing you all the very best in your quit journey. Patches were my chosen aid, and defo helped me. However, it's all about the 'mindset'.

Fi x