22 Things I've Learned About Quitting
After 40 years of smoking, About.com Smoking Cessation forum member Nenejune wasn't sure she'd ever be able to quit, but on August 27th, 2009 she completed her first smoke-free year. In reading her perspectives about the recovery process, I have no doubt she's done with smoking permanently.
Congratulations, Nenejune!
From Nenejune:
Everything I know about quitting smoking I learned at About.com. This list could go on forever, but here is a partial list of the most important things I have learned:
Education -- An educated quit is a successful quit and knowledge is power. Read everything in the Quit Smoking Library and click on the links at the top and bottom of the front page. Keep reading. If you think you have read everything here, go back and read everything again.
Commitment -- Stick with your decision to quit no matter what.
Reasons to quit never change -- Write them down and read them over and over.
Change your relationship with smoking -- Retrain your brain by reading the articles here.
Support -- Family and friends may not always understand, but the forum is here for you 24/7.
Discomfort is temporary -- You are in recovery. Any discomfort is because we smoked, not because we quit.
Motivation -- Read the happy, successful quit stories and milestone posts.
Post with others -- We are all going through the same thing and you are never alone here.
Stay busy and focused -- Reading and typing will keep your mind and fingers occupied.
Breathe – Deep breathing exercises really helped me, as well as drinking water, sucking on lollipops, and walking.
Visualization -- It helped me to visualize my heart and lungs as something precious that I would never hurt, like a tiny baby, puppy, or kitten.
Make no excuses -- If you give yourself a reason or excuse to smoke, you will use it.
Smoking is not an option -- When you take away the option, you have taken away the struggle of “should I or shouldn’t I.”
Time and patience -- It’s not over in a few days, weeks, or even months, but it does get better and easier with time. Time will heal you.
NOPE(Not One Puff Ever) pledge -- Renew your commitment every day.
Help others -- Every positive word you say to someone else is like saying it to yourself at the same time.
Forget the romance – Smoking is not fun or enjoyable; it is a deadly addiction. Any time you think you miss it, read about someone’s real-life battle with a smoking-related illness.
Be positive -- If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you can’t. Attitude is everything.
Be proud -- Every day not smoking is an accomplishment to be proud of.
Be thankful – You have chosen health and life over addiction.
Own it -- No one can give you the title of nonsmoker and no one can take it away. You must work for it, earn it, own it, and protect it.
Believe – Others are quitting smoking and you can too.
Nenejune speaks the truth - we all have what it takes to quit smoking successfully. Dig your heels in and do the work it takes to get the monkey that nicotine addiction is off of your back. The rewards are outstanding and you'll love the person you become without the chains of this killer habit weighing you down.
Believe in yourself and you can free yourself.
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Take The Quit Smoking Monday Pledge
Healthy Monday encourages us to think of for ourselves. If you're still smoking, put your cigarettes down and get started on your quit program today.
We all have the ability to quit smoking successfully, and we all deserve a life that is free of addiction. Honor your life by choosing Monday as the day to start and reinforce your quit program.
You can quit smoking ... and we're here to help you, one simple Monday at a time.
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I wish I had written this!! For sure About.com was the biggest help I had in quitting. On September 25th of this year it will be 2 years!! That’s after 31 years of smoking. The independence it brings… something I never thought I would be able to do, I did with your help!!!
I am taking part in a university study.
I have pains in my lungs and veins every day as a chain smoker.
What is the best way to quit? I have tried everything possible and can’t function without smoking ?
I am struggling desperately…
I am free of nicotine now for over three years….on my fourth try in 25 years. I still consider myself in recovery. I still read this note religously.
I strongly agree with several points here. I smoked for 35 years. Always there was a tiny little voice inside screaming and pleading for me to quit. I snuffed it out with my impressive powers of delusion and denial. But, it never quit trying. Finally, I listened and summoned the amazing courage it took to quit after the guilt and fear and, frankly, social shame, got to be too much for me to deny or delude.
First point here is that my little quit-voice needed support to grow. So, I read and read and read. I read lots of site, but mostly this one adn whyquit.com.
I was full of neurotic energy when I quit. So I channeled that energy into the healthy things I always wanted to be and do. plus, In used all the tips and followed all the advice I got from people here.
The top of my list was, first, to acknowledge how humble I was, and am, before the awesome powers of nicotine. Former heroin addicts fear it. But, after that I recognized that only one thing had to change…everything. I had to re-grow up, re-calibrate, re-educate. That meant knowledge and knowledge was my little voice’s power against nicotine. So, I acknowledged I was very crazy in withdrawal, and I read like crazy. It worked.
The second main point I agree with here is the view that the agony or hassle of quitting is not because we’re quitting. It’s because we smoked. I blame smoking, not quitting. And, I believed others when they said the agony and discomfort was temporary.
So, if you’re learning about quitting or already on the path I strongly suggest you take suggestions from those befoer you on the quit trail. We’ve been where you are. Among the great thigs to do are to get information for a good brain wash and some good information nutrition. And then, when quitting hurts more than smooking did, just think of it like you got one break i life to escape from a POW camp. It wants you back.
Other good little tid-bits I kept in mind…resoec the beejesus out of this demon drug. It’s got you bad. But, only if you let it win. If someone did to you what cigarettes are doing to you, you’d kill them.
And, remember, nicotine wants you ndead, but it will settle for you being miserable.
Pasy the admission price for freedom.
After smoking for over forty years, I have been smoke-free from 3 September 1995. Of all the tips to keep you from picking up that next cigarette, I want to offer you the greatest advice. Go to Amazon.com and order a copy of the book “The Easyway to Stop Smoking.” After READING IT, you will no longer have any desire to start smoking again. Take care and keep breathing easy forever. Aloha, Royal Yu
i just am writhing to pledge i will never smoke again thank u
I reached the 60 days milestone a few days ago and couldn’t be happier with the way I feel and look. Educate yourself. read, read and then read some more. I sat in the evening surfing the internet for articles and support and it got me through. Also an occasional post on FB helped. I’m also planning on getting in on the smoking forum, which will be helpful to me when the going gets rough. I will say, it is a mind game. Thankfully, my thought process is responding whenever there is a urge to smoke, I will tell my self “will smoking a cigarette change anything” and in my mind my response has always been no! I am committed to NOPE.
I have found the comments extremely helpful. Typically, I do not participate in online forums, however, I think this one is necessary as part of my success in becoming a nonsmoker. My goal is to stop smoking, cold turkey, tomorrow, January 11, 2012. Your positive thoughts, energy, and prayer will be greatly appreciated.