April 4, 201412 yr It's all very personal. Even though the methods used to quit are the same with slight variations depending on an individual's preference it all is a very personal thing. You always choose what works for you or just wing it. You do that on your own, always. Some plans I see I just cringe, but you know it usually ends up that it works for that person. A step-wise plan to quit is a good idea but doesn't need to be complex, and a fallback plan is even better. You can start by acting like a nonsmoker; see yourself a few weeks and a few months from now. What do you look like, what are you doing?Get to the reading and the writing. Post and become a part of this forum and pay it forward to cement your quit in your mind. You will do this on your own with a little help (minimal) assistance from your friends here. Nobody can quit for you, but you can learn how to stay quit here.Any or all of items 1-7 below, will make it better.(1) Commit to Not One Puff Ever (NOPE).(2) Commit to Never Take Another Puff (NTAP).(3) Educate yourself about your addiction. Read, post, learn, overcome. Lather, rinse, repeat.(4) Decide that you do not want to smoke more than you want to smoke. This may save you from relapse.(5) Take control of your life, reclaim your mind and body, and get it straight about who owns you. Is it you? Or your addiction?(6) Realize that you'll always be an addict, a puff away from a pack a day, but you choose not to smoke. That's all of us.(7) Start acting like a non smoker, like you never smoked, walk the walk. A cigarette is never the answer to anything but disease.( 8 Have a plan B if Plan A that you are using now fails. Make your plan B from steps 1-7, above.*(9) Celebrate your quit! Talk it up, be proud of what you have accomplished!Alright, enough with the steps and commitment to this and that already! Look at this logically if you will. :) How else can you possibly quit smoking by any other means than stopping using cigarettes? The addiction to nicotine cannot be overcome by administering the same thing to yourself that you are addicted to, (nicotine). What that means is when you are at 5 days, 7 days, 10 days, 28 days quit, and you find yourself craving a cigarette (your delivery device for nicotine), you cannot beat that crave/association with a cigarette. You might fix a bad hangover with some hair of the dog that bit you, but you can't fix a cigarette crave with a cigarette and still expect to quit smoking. Can you? Now go look at the items again, you have the desire. What is missing if anything? You decide along the way, revamp the plan if you need to, adapt to your conditions, if something isn't working, get rid of it. Anything to keep the quit. You have to be fair to yourself, but firm. It will get better over time, but you'll only see it if you commit to it. And so you will. Welcome to a new life! :)
April 4, 201412 yr Thank you so much Markus! Reading - writing and posting has helped me a lot. I just went through some of my early notes and laughed. I sound like I don't know what I am doing....I really recommend it to everybody! It's like a free therapy session
April 5, 201412 yr Any lurkers out there - worried about quitting? Will you fail? Will you feel terrible? Don't worry! No you won't. Now you will feel fantastic! Jump in - read, post...it will save your life....
May 9, 20179 yr I wonder where dear Markus is? How is his quit? I want to be babs and Nancy and MDQuitter, here supporting Newbs like me, celebrating my 3 yrs quit, yet never forgetting how close an addict is to a relapse and letting this community serve as my reminder. All whilst helping myself remain vigilant. Thank you to those of you on the lido deck and beyond for staying to help us newbies.
May 9, 20179 yr I think it's important to continue to pay it forward and keep the addict in us honest. Somewhere on this board is a thread where you pledge to stay on here for one year minimum. It really does make a difference. NOPE every day for a year = super impactful.
May 9, 20179 yr It is on the main Discussion Board..second post down..sorry I'm not very savvy to link it here..
June 15, 20179 yr Author I forgot about this post. I am still around, my quit is good, going on 10 years. Wow, I feel old. I turned 60 this year. We have 8 grandchildren. Congrats to all of you doing the tough slogging, nothing worth having is easy! And it does get better...it just takes some time. I read a post on the Quit Train earlier. One of the members forgot to think about smoking recently! She's won a battle, and is on the way to winning the war. I remember that feeling... Forgot to think about smoking...sweet, you just gotta love that/ :)
June 15, 20179 yr I just realized the other day that I no longer wake up each day thinking about smoking. That surprises me as that 1st one in the AM was always a focal point for getting the day started. Made me feel really good :)
June 15, 20179 yr I went a whole day last week without thinking about smoking, you're right that was a great feeling. It is getting easier and easier to push smoking out of my mind.
March 5, 20188 yr It IS a great post Doreen - something all newbies can and should take to heart. Thanks for the bump.
October 27, 20187 yr Gonna bump this up because it's good, encouraging information for our newbies (and I stalked on Markus when I saw him in celebrations ) Thanks for giving back!
October 27, 20187 yr Author 40 minutes ago, c9jane29 said: Gonna bump this up because it's good, encouraging information for our newbies (and I stalked on Markus when I saw him in celebrations ) Thanks for giving back! Sorry I haven't been around. Glad to see all the quitters, it really does require some work, but very attainable.
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