Hey Samuel!!!
I think it's time for you to write... You made up your mind last night, so it's time to write your goodbye letter to that ex so-called friend! A lot of us have done that and I think it really helps to bring closure! Tell that stinking non-friend exactly how you feel about it and why you will never let it into your life again!!!
Then print that out AND your 9 reasons and read them both whenever that stinking nico-demon calls you out!
I've always loved campfires and fire in general, too, and was fortunate to end up with the job that I now have! Maybe that's one reason that I became a smoker as such an early age! Anyways, there are plenty of resources available to learn how to make jewelry and stuff out of glass. If you want to IM me here during the week, I'll be happy to share some tips!
As for your questions, coping mechanisms... the main thing that got me started was the Chantix! It REALLY minimized the gut-wrenching cravings I had experienced on previous quits and for me that was 50% of what I needed! The second 50% was the SSC... learning from the program, learning from the posts on the forums and finally, logging in here when I got to work!!! I would read and post in between jobs for the distraction instead of stepping out to smoke another coffin nail! Then if a crave was really coming on, I'd head over to the stair well and climb 4 flights of stairs. I would do rhythmical deep breathing to every step up those stairs, just concentrating on the breathing and telling that nico-demon NOPE!!! Upon my return to my shop, the ice water was there!
Another part of my coping mechanism was my reward system!!! My long term reward is going to be a great scuba diving trip when I feel that I have saved enough "cigarette money" to do it right! This includes taking my dive buddy (my wife), so it's going to take a while longer to accumulate for the trip! I did have my daily rewards in the beginning, though! I told myself that if I was a good boy and didn't smoke the whole day, I would reward myself with a beer after work! I always have had a beer or 2 after work and I just told myself that if I slipped... NO BEER!!! That was real incentive to me, because I'm a former homebrewer and have come to enjoy a specialty beer or two in the evening! To me, it would have really sucked not to be able to have a beer, so maybe that helped to brainwash me a bit!!!
As for the Chantix... no, I don't feel that I had any long term effects from it! I got through 3 weeks on the drug and by then I had my mind made up that I was NOT going to ever smoke again! I have heard all of the reports on the side effects, but I do think, like many others here, that smoking often masks some mental issues that some people have and when they quit while taking the drug, the issues are exposed. My sister, her husband and my sister-in-law all took Chantix for maybe a week or so, because they said that they couldn't handle the side effects. They all said that the drug was really helping in reducing their smoking that first week and that their cravings were very mild, but their complaint was either the dreams or the acid indigestion. I experienced both, but there are ways to aleviate the acid indigestion and the dreams and sleeplessness were something that I was willing to put up with if it was going to help minimize the cravings so that I could remain a non-smoker! BTW... my siblings and in laws are still smoking and it just breaks my heart. I am hoping that you can succeed and be a good role model to your parents, as I am trying to do with my loved ones!
Keep telling yourself that you can be the non-smoker you want to be!!! Do what ever it takes to get through the first couple of weeks, one day or one minute at a time!!! Slay the demon!!! Post before you smoke!!! NOPE!!!
Jim
My Milage:My Quit Date: 3/5/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 544
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 13,600
Amount Saved: $2,244.00
Life Gained:Days: 92
Hrs: 4
Mins: 57
Seconds: 48
