It's so hard to quit smoking. I've attempted to stop at least 20 times in the past 6 years and I even quit smoking for a year. I'm aware of the harm I'm doing to my body but I can't stop. I'm in a very vulnerable place in my life which makes quitting even harder. The worse part for me is that I really enjoy smoking.
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Same here :(. Currently quitting drinking, I don't know if I should do both. Quitting drinking has made me smoke a lot less. Hope I can quit smoking for good soon
1 Heart
SO with you on this. I was able to quit for three years back in 2007 but began again after my first year as a public school teacher. I have been trying to do things like track how much I am smoking, waiting 15 minutes if I can when I get the urge to smoke. I have a quit specialist from my PCP who checks in once a month as I approach my anticipated quit date - October 7. My aunt's birthday who is a cancer survivor.
This website which a fellow SG member recommended to me has helped me cut back a little - becomeanex.org. It helps you identify things/triggers that make you crave cigarettes and then come up with replacement strategies for each trigger. My problem is I have identified 32 triggers so far. You rate the intensity of your craving each time you smoke, and note what brought on the urge like after a meal, depression, morning routine, stress, driving, physical pain, etc. And you can enter your own triggers that are not there. Once you see which triggers are mildest, you pick two or three to begin to combat using your alternate behavior/coping skills plan for each.
The specialist helping me said it is safe to and can help to start replacing some cigarettes throughout the day with nicotine gum before my quit date in order to start breaking the habitual behavior of lighting up to quench a craving. I haven't tried yet because I suffer from chronic nausea and am afraid but she assured me it shouldn't be a problem. She said if I do get nauseous to try making sure not to use the gum on an empty stomach and to wait 45 minutes after my last cigarette before using the gum.
I am going to use the patch come my quit date and supplement it with nicotine gum when cravings crop up too strongly. I didn't know I could do that and knowing that helps a lot because I am a chain smoker who goes through about 1.5 packs a day.
She and others have also told me one of the biggest ways to start breaking the habit is to wait as long as you possibly can before having your first cigarette of the day.
I hope that helps somewhat. I suffer from severe depression, anxiety disorder and other emotional illness on top of fibromyalgia, peripheral neuropathy, and osteopenia probably brought on from smoking (the early onset osteopenia; I am only in my 30s). So I completely understand being in a vulnerable place in life and knowing you have to quit. It's ruining my health and, while I love smoking while I am smoking, it makes me feel sick. Pains in my chest, back and lungs. Constant congestion and frequent bronchitis. I can't run to save my life. It's really hard to quit period. But when life is chaotic or painful it's REALLY hard.
Wishing you luck and wellness!
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@Ofelia Thank you so much for this information