Help!

[Durr]

Hi!

I am desperate to give up, I succeeded once for 12 months, then started again.

I say "today is the day" then go buy a pack and hate myself. I have committed myself to 5 a day in the hope I can reduce further. I'm not using any aids (dont fancy swapping from one horrible habit to depend on something else)

I think of any and every excuse to have a cig, so any advice will be gratefully received!

[mushen Valued Contributor]

Hello!

The good news here is that you managed to quit once before so you know it can be done. There is no magic formula to quitting as you already know. It's an addiction not a habit which is why it's so difficult. Lots of us get stuck in the cycle of finding any excuse not to quit 'today'. This is normal. Often, the fear of quitting can be worse than quitting itself. It takes a huge amount of energy and it can be a lonely experience. The problem with cutting down, is it can place you in a permanent state of withdrawl. Often what starts as 5 a day, easily becomes 6 and then 7. Before you know it, you are back smoking at previous levels. Smoking really is an all or nothing experience. There is no such thing as 'just one'. Instead it's one and all the others that come afterwards.

I found, the most successful way of quitting was an educated quit. That is, find out about withdrawl. Learn what to expect. Head over to WhyQuit.com It is one of the best quit smoking sites around. It has (short) videos that will take you through every day of the first two weeks. Before you start, spend some time reading the articles, there is no topic or situation that is not covered. You may find it helpful and you have nothing to lose.

When you are ready, just pick a day and do it. Don't set yourself up to fail so remove all smoking related materials from the house and car. Keep in mind, that quitting is a totally achievable goal. Don't over-think it. Take it 1 hour, 1 day at a time. Come on here for support as much as you need to.

Do it! 😊

[Roxie80]

I quit for 7 months. Smoked for one month. I now am smoke free for 21 days. It is very difficult but if we accept it the easier it becomes. I believe I can be successful again and so can you. Good luck!