Good for you, this board does not have much support since they updated the site. but quitting can only be a good thing, your health can only benifit from it. I have severe emphysema and believe me when I say your breathing depends on your quit. You do not want to end up like this. It is so hard to live like this. so quit and while you can still breathe well.

Welcome to our tiny board.
I will do what I can to give support, but the quit work is totally up to you.
I too suffered from severe anxiety and once I quit......it hit me full force. I ended up in the ER twice within 10 days thinkin I was stroking.
I later learned I was also diabetic and so it is a good thing I have quit. I'm quit 4+ years after 20+ years (probably more as I started when I was 13.....quit while I was pregnant.....a total of 10 years and then took it up again for about 20 years). I'm 55 and have thus far dodged COPD....however, I am not out of the woods as it can show up years after quitting......so the groundwork is laid. I consider every day a gift and cherish it.
What you need is a plan. As sure as I'm typing, you are going to get triggers and urges. Smokin is a choice......always!
Find a hobby or something to replace smoking. When you get a trigger/urge, GET BUSY!
Go for a walk.......pull weeds.........knit or crochet..........take a nap (your body needs to regenerate, so take a nap whenever you can).....sing and dance around to burn off the energy. DRINK TONS OF WATER!
Keep sugarless gum/candy on hand. One person recommended cutting straws in half and using the as a fake cigarette. You only suck in good clean air (she claims she use to ash them....lol) and it gives you that hand and mouth satisfaction.
I use to LOVE to smoke driving and NEVER thought I could give that up.
What I did to break the habit was to roll up my windows......pop in a favorite CD and sing at the top of my lungs all the to and from my destination.
Know that cravings will pass (most of the time) within 5 minutes. The key is to keep busy or distracted.
Know that there will ALWAYS be stress and unexpected problems. However, smoking will NOT solve the problem and the fix is temporary.
Find a better more healthy coping strategy. It will take time to get use to it......but don't give up!
Reward yourself often........it doesn't have to cost money. A bubble bath or some other cheap or free indulgence keeps you motivated. Save the money in a jar that you use to use for cigarettes is a great visual to keep you going.
Coming here DAILY to do roll call and pledge will help keep you accountable. I know that some days I have come here and I am the only one......so I pledge for me and me alone.

Hang in there. It won't be easy and you and you alone have to do the work.
Know that you are an addict and you can't even have ONE puff of someone else's cigarette or have just one. "You can't have one......they run in packs!"

I wish the best for you and hope you keep your quit. However, IF you fall off the wagon.....get back up right away and never stop trying. Sometimes it takes several attempts before it finally sticks!
Don't be afraid to ask your doctor for help.......they are always happy to help.
You can do this........I know you can :)

Good for you, you have made a very wise decision, one that will save your life.
Eat raw veggies and hard candy, with preferably no sugar. It isn't easy but determination helps the most, the wanting to quit will get you through this. Sleep lots so you sleep through the cravings when you can. Lastly, good luck and congratulations to you, you are a winner !!!!!!!
hugs,
jazzy
Drink lots of water, walk long and hard to get through the anger ( the false thinking that cigarettes are your best friend, and the loss makes you angry)

Hi, I'm here if I can be of any support. Not many are here anymore due to an upgrade of our web site. I was a pack a day smoking for almost 50 yrs. Yes, 50! If I can do it anybody can. I'm quit now for over 2 years and believe me, it was the best thing I ever did for myself. You will never regret it. Quit before you start to have difficulties breathing. I'm on 02 when doing activities and it's no fun to be connected to all this tubing. Goodluck to you! Come here everyday and we'll try to help and su pport you.

Thanks everyone! I've managed to survive the day and it really hasn't been that bad. I have been eating everything in sight....but no more of that. I'm doing this! By the way, I can already tell a difference in my breathing and it feels so great to not smell like a cigarette!

Oh and I have used the straw trick. It helps.

Giving you a ^5

Keep up the great work. If no one is here to help.....become your own cheerleader until we can chime in. ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS have a back up plan in place.

To control my anxiety, I use law of attraction by interrupting the negative thinking and replace it with positive self talk and thinking. I also keep a jar of gum balls on my desk and a baggie full in my car.
My eating is controlled due to diabetes. I have to keep my sugars as even as possible, so I can't snack unless my sugars are too low.......so the gum balls give me the satisfaction of feeling like I can have a "treat" and helps me deal with urges. Two or three gumballs works for me! Just another little tidbit for ya :)

That's great! I made myself a 'quit kit' I put some things in a basket and carried it from my computer to my tv and back. Like water, crackers, cinnamon gum, cinnamon dipped tooth picks, candy, black licorce. whatever you would like. This helped me. Continued good luck!

Thanks guys! Jolly Ranchers have helped for me. I love the idea of the "quit kit"! That's great! I'm doing that today. Jolly Ranchers, my straw (my son laughs at this), gum, water, and my affirmations. Thanks for all your suggestions and support. You guys have been great. I'm so determined to do this. I've lived through a very close person dying of COPD and Emphysema. You would think that would be enough to make me stop for good years ago. Just goes to show how strong the addition and power is in that little nasty stick! Everyone have a great day!

I worked at a funeral home for 30 years. I saw first hand what cigarettes did and yet I continued to light up a 3 pack a day habit. I use to laugh it off and say......becuz I work at a funeral home.....I'll get a good deal on my funeral.
Do whatever you have to in keeping your quit.
Remember.......cigarettes are NOT your friends........friends don't try to kill you!
Keep a positive attitude. Determination is a good start, but add fuel to this fire by just saying NO.

NOPE = N ot O ne P uff E ver

there is a community group called good posts with suggestions on quit and some good reading with all kinds of info. you have to search for it .

Thanks gracenme! You should see me sitting here "smoking" my orange straw...even pretend to light and ash it. Hahaha!

Just remember it's not the smoking: it's the nicotine. You're addicted to a chemical. Your body will go through chemical withdrawals and the addiction will do what it can to get you to find its chemical and feed it to it. So if it tries to convince you to get nicotine gum, or nicotine patches - that's just going to prolong the withdrawal. It doesn't even make a less steep dive. it just makes more ups and downs for you.

I remember being in hospital after an operation and my body was going crazy from morphine withdrawals. I was cramping, in pain, discomfort and I could barely talk. The nurse offered me more morphine to help 'ease the suffering'. I remembering thinking she was too mentally deficient to be a nurse. How could feeding me more of this nightmare stuff possibly ease my suffering? If it pushed me back up the hill I just had to go down that hill TWICE.

you hang on in there. :)

Just keep doing the right thing of quitting smoking. It's always a right choice... for you and your family... :)