SOS

[Babsywabsy64]

I have just got to 16 days, cold turkey! I had been doing really well up until 4 days ago and my son came to stay. I have wanted to smoke ever since, why? I thought the want/need a cigarette had finally gone and I had cracked it! I have been crying for the last few days, how mad is that? I am really trying not to go to the shop to buy some!

[mushen Valued Contributor]

Hello!

It sounds like your son coming to stay was a trigger. Your brain still associates him visiting with smoking. I'm guessing this may be the first time he's come to stay since you quit. This happens. You have to learn how to do things without smoking. I remember (having quit), getting the Christmas Tree out of the loft and within minutes, it was a trigger, I wanted to smoke. I'd smoked every Christmas previously and I associated it with smoking. You know how you hear about people saying 3 months into a quit is a danger point? Well, it's because 3 months often coincides with a change in season and a trigger. Spring arrives, you smoked last Spring so you associate it with smoking. Triggers will pop up all over the place, each time you do something that you last did when you smoked.

The good news is, anything you did when you smoked, you can do without smoking.

Do not go to the shop. You will hate yourself for it. And, it won't be just one (you'll tell yourself that, we all do), it will be one and all the others that follow. If you give in now, you will have to go through every day of your quit again.

This is not about will power. It is about addiction. You, like me and many others, will always be a recovering addict. Do not give up. You can beat this. You are 100% capable of quitting permanently. Overcoming triggers will become easier.

FWIW, I gave up years ago and today outside work, somebody was smoking. I smelt it and, for a second I thought 'I could smoke that'. It was a fleeting thought but there, nevertheless.

You can do this.

[Babsywabsy64 in reply to mushen]

Thank you, Mushen! He was a trigger on my last attempt at quitting, I cried last time too in front of him! I didn't go to the shop. I need to find a way to move forward without just sitting here waiting for the time to pass and I will feel like a non smoker. I know I should be occupying my time better but I am suffering with anxiety too with covid and worrying about countless other things too.

[mushen Valued Contributor in reply to Babsywabsy64]

Don't worry about what you should or should not be doing, just do what works. Quitting requires a huge amount of effort and energy and if that means all you can do is wait for the time to pass then so be it. Also count the little victories. Not going to the shop was a win, a big win! Feel good about it. Quitting may feel like one huge battle but the reality is, it's actually lots of little ones. You came out on top today, be proud 👏.

You've got this!

[Lastquit]

Nice to see you back and 16 days into a quit. Well done that an amazing achievement. I'm glad to see you didn't go to the shop. Mushen has giving you some great advice that I can't really add anymore too. Hang in there and do wantever feels comfortable for you to keep ticking off those days. It will get better.

[Babsywabsy64 in reply to Lastquit]

Thank you! I found it a little easier this afternoon but the urge is still there. I have been reading alot and perhaps I am thinking about smoking too much, now lol