HI there was just wondering if there was anyone else out there that is thinking about giving up those cigarettes. I know for myself that I have smoked since I was 14yrs old and I am now 48.

I am an alcoholic and have been sober now for almost 12 years by the Grace of God and taking it each day as it comes as well as doing whatever was necessary for my recovery.

For some reason though I have been very hesitant about breaking this habit. In my mind it has been something I do to stay calm and relax, which isn't really true but my mind tells me it is. I know in my heart that this is the best thing to do for my health and for ME too as  a person who care's about herself. Hmmmmmmmmmm wow did I just say that !!!! Interesting, but why I am putting this here is to see if there is anyone else that is considering to quit and that maybe we can use this form for support and guidance with info and suggestions that will help.

For me I have tried all the aids that are out there and am allergic to them all, so I guess I have to do this without them. Am I ready for the challenge , I believe so BUT to be honest it does scare me just like when I quit drinking, I know it wont be easy but am I willing to go to any lengths to accomplish it? God I hope so as this really is a disgusting addiction that I want out of.

So my quite date is May 1st, and right now I am preparing and  trying to find the best way to go about it. If you have any suggestions that would help please post them here. 

Thank you for reading this and I look forward to any suggestions from those that have succeeded in this journey ! or those that would like to try!

Take good care of YOU and thanks for being here too! 

Thanks Teiger and wow it is good to see you hun. I will most definitely check that site out and I have to admit that I am very nervous right abt now but also very determined to as well.

Sobergirl thank you as well hun , but I am really scared  to do this, I can almost feel the panic strating to set in too a little. Better get that plan in place before May 1st gets here.

 Thanks Di!  I am here for you if you need help.  I will try and be here more often....but if I am not, holler at me on my yahoo.  Hugs and love as always. 

Karen

Congrats on your quit Chuck.  I agree that if we don't pick it up, we don't smoke it.  I am grateful for each day I am smoke free and one day at a time don't plan on smoking again....but it is still one day at a time for me.    At any rate, it is one of the best decisions I have made in a long time.  I want to stick around and enjoy life for years to come and watch my son grow up. 

Hi Chuck, nice to meet you and welcome to Recoveryrealm . Way to go on quitting again and thank you for sharing with us.

In so many ways I am looking forward to being smoke free and am quite excited about it as well as nervous. But I have been thinking that maybe if I try to keep the excitement in front of the nerves. I have plans in place and am willing to do this one minute, hour, day at a time just like I did with the booze. I have joined a support group , have checked out many resources that are available and today I can honestly say I am looking forward to it. Since I have made this decision I can see how much time I waste smoking and just how much my life revolves around it too. (shakes head)  And the smell wellllllllll thats a whole other story isn't it

Will keep u all posted on my progress and thank you again chuck for replying.

Welcome and glad you are here Chuck!!

Melly

HI stickmonkey, WOW that is great and wtg on your 2 months............ i guess being bitchy is a small price to pay to be free of such a horrible addiction isn't it.

I look forward to getting to know you and glad you are here.

Di

O'siyo Di,

I quit smoking a few years ago.  It was one of the hardest things that I have ever had to do, including getting clean and sober.  But I did it!  I went through a couple of week where my emotions were totally all over the place - I'd laugh til I cried, then cry til I laughed.  I applied the 12 steps to quitting smoking as I did to quitting drinking and drugging.  To me, if I was to smoke, it would be a relapse and that is how I have to look at it.  The actual physical craving only lasts for a minute or so and then the rest is just in our mind.

You can do it Di! *hugs*  It's not easy, but it is one of the best things you can ever do for yourself!!  I'm proud of you Di!!

 Well as some of you know I have not suceeded in this venture, nor have I given up. Man this is so much harder than it was for the booze, then again maybe not. With the booze I was in a safe and protected environment for 6 weeks and it was easier, I know that sounds like an excuse but it is true.

I have spent a lot of time evaluating what I can do different and have realized that I need to come up with a concrete plan to deal with STRESS and parenting . On a positive note though I have not gone back to that carton a week either so I have made a little progress .

Just thought I better let ya's know since I was so excited and cocky about doing this, thank you to eveyone who understands and has supported me, I am not about to give up either !!!!

Hey Di. I am a smoker so I completly understand how hard it is to stop. One day at a time and and one step at a time. Just look at what you have done by cutting back. Sending up prayers for ya.

Congrats on those who have quit for sure. I know how hard it is. Di, leave me an offline on Yahoo or email me if you need me. I know I sure struggled with the nicotine addiction, in fact I just had a smoking dream the other night that was so real. There has to be a plan for sure and stress can be a big reason to pick up again. I have gone through some very stressful times since I quit again but the one thing I realize is that having a smoke will not help my situation.

You can do this Di. Let us all help you and know that there is other resources too. I can be reached at Quitplan too if you need me.

I have not smoked since September 8, 2005.  Quit days 618.  I have saved $4,950.91.  Life saved 3 Months, 4 Weeks, 7 hours and 58 minutes.

Hugs,

Karen

hello am jc and i have been smokin since i was 15 its strange to me because i thought that the drugs and the alcohol was the worst of it but the cigarrette could be the death of me for sure am a male hispanic 39 my eating habits arent great and besides work at this point that is the extend of my exercise life my fear and this may sound funny coming from a male is my weight if i dont smoke i eat like a pig constantly overeating any tips or suggestions i want to stop and need to but more importantly i just want to stop help pls  thank you hope u had a good thanksgiving

Hey family!

I tried over 12 times to (seriously) quit smoking after getting sober. My first attempt was when I was about 3 months sober and almost lead to a relapse drinking. An old timer in AA made me look at the idea of trying to take on too much change at once. "First thing first", "One step at a time" became the watch words.

But when I was about 3 years sober and smoking 3 paks a day average I knwe I needed to do something. I talked to the same old timer (who had quit smoking many years before) and asked him how he did it.

His answer was pretty simple. "If the steps can help you quit drinking, drugging, and all the other things you've used it on  wy wouldn't it work on smoking?"

So I did a real attempt using the 12 steps. I wrote out a list of all the ways my smoking had made my life unmanagable. I made another of the times I told myself I did not want to smoke or to buy another pack or roll another (I was smoking Bugler to cut back the cost) and wound up doing it anyway.

I began talking to others who had quit and learned some of thier tricks and got some support. One thing I started doing is saying a short prayer instead of having those "refex" smokes (when I first got up, when I got in the car, when I answered the phone, right after eating, right after sex, when I showed up at a meeting).

I stopped going to smoking meetings. (We still had quite a few of them at that time)

I told folk who knew me I was quitting and had them promise to not give me any, to remind me I was quitting.

I chewed gum instead.

I prayed in the morning for God to taked the obsession/compusion ( and then again almost ever time I got the urge)

I delayed lighting up for at least 5 mimutes (often getting too busy/distracted to remeber to have one).

I drank a lot of water.

I started walking more.

I made myself hold my cigarette in just my left hand (to make me more concious of when I smoked and it more awkard)

Eventually I was able to wean myself down to just a few smokes a day.

Then I made a mini retreat where if I wanted to smoke I had to walk about a quarter of a block to have one and spent the weekend reading/studying a lot of material I had been facinated in but had not had readily available to me before.

Before I realized what had happened 24 hrs. passed and I neither a smoke not a serious urge. I went for another 24, then another...

That day was May 5th 1994.

I went on to do a 4th through 9th on it. (It never hurts to take another look at the 4th/8th). I had to look at the fact that I stole money/smokes, especially as a kid, and even "barrowed" money from my kids piggy banks to cover the cost of smokes. There were times I took extra long smoke breaks at work and even smoked in places/times when I should not have.

I think one of the thigs that slapped me in the face is realising that I had exposd my kids at a young age to cigarette smoke when I smoked in the car/house with them there.

I eventually found myself repulsed by the thought/smell of a cigarette (most of the time).

There are times when I am stressed, anxious or upset that I still feel the desire to have a smoke. But I do the 5 minute rule (now 1 hour) telling myself that I will not even consider it for at least an hour. By that time I've been able to use other parts of my program (prayer, think it through, talk to someone about it, talk about what is really bothering me, look to what positive or enjoyable thing I can do).

I've also done a gratitude list over not smoking including all the health, financial and other benifits. One of which is the fact that I had stopped smoking when I started to get serious with Rue, my wife. After we started getting closer she told me she would never have dated a man who smoked.  Hmmmm... divine timing?

Wow Hobie, thanks for sharing that with us. It really made me stop and think and I like that about you, you have this wonderful gift in how you say things and express yourself.   Glad I read it today cause I have not given up!!!!

Old timer saying, "If you keep going to the barber shop eventually you'll get a hair cut."