I Quit!

Smoking, that is.  It's been two weeks, so I'm not out of the woods yet.  I have had some intense desires to smoke, mostly related to stress or frustration.  I just keep reminding myself that I quit for a reason, that it makes me feel awful, that I wouldn't be able to breathe, that I would smell bad.  I tell myself all kinds of things to keep from buying a pack of cigarettes.

I wanted to quit smoking in January, but then life got crazy and I had excuse after excuse to continue.  Then, two weeks ago I was on the phone with a friend for five hours, smoking the whole time.  Around the time I finished the last cigarette in my pack, we got off the phone.  It was late so I didn't go buy another pack.  The next day was busy all day and forgot to buy a pack.  The next day I made a conscious effort to refrain, followed by another day, and another.

I could say that now was the worst time for me to quit, but that's not true.  Anytime a smoker quits is a great time, if they can make it through.  I joined the Colorado QuitLine and received a bunch of information from them and Anthem a couple days ago, including techniques and ideas to help me be successful.

Let me just say that nothing in this blog post is medical advice, nor do I suggest you make any changes to your life that you are not ready for or before talking to your doctor.  These are just my experiences and some of the information I have come across during my journey.

P - Pick a day to quit smoking

• A birthday, an anniversary, on vacation, a holiday.  I just quit.  No planning, no lead up.  That probably won't work for many people; it's not very realistic, but if the mood strikes, go with it!

L - Let family and friends know I'm quitting

• I didn't tell anyone for several days.  Nobody noticed and I didn't point it out.  I'd say about four days after my last cigarette, I mentioned it to my husband.  He quit about four weeks before I did, and I thought I'd share with him since he wouldn't be judgmental or over encouraging.  That's what I've been avoiding, the over-encouragement from non and former smokers.  I don't feel like it's cause for a parade, nor do I want to hear how "it's about time."  And maybe, just maybe, I don't want to disappoint anyone if I start smoking again.  But that's why you tell people, right?

A - Anticipate the stressors and triggers, and have strategies to cope

• About five days after quitting, I mentioned that I was stressed over quitting to my supervisor, who then began talking about how hard it was for her to quit all those years ago.  She talked about e-cigs that have no nicotine in them.  WHAT?!  I knew about e-cigs, I had tried to use one in their early days, but I had no idea they were making them without nicotine.  I struggle with the behavior of smoking.  I can cope with the nicotine "fits" but not smoking while driving home, or to class, or on my lunch break, or when talking on the phone was almost too much to handle.  On my way home from our meeting, I stopped at Walgreens and bought a disposable zero nicotine e-cig.  It doesn't really replace smoking, but when I'm super stressed and I just need to use the behavior, it's a decent substitute.  
• Some of the coping strategies suggested in the information from QuitLine are avoiding, alternatives, adjusting.
• Avoid people, places, or things that trigger you to smoke.  You might have to stay away from other smokers, where smokers gather, drinking, or places you smoked at home.  For me this is situational, as I mentioned before.
• Make sure you have alternatives to smoking ready.  You can use toothpicks, mints, gum, straws, popsicles, veggies, hard candies, or a water bottle.  I use the e-cig for this.  I have stayed away from eating anything extra because I know food can become my replacement habit.  My choices in gum and mints are limited because of a sensitivity to artificial sweeteners.
• Be willing to adjust your schedule and habits.  You might have to keep busy, work on hobbies, take long walks or exercise another way, or even call a friend.  Go somewhere that doesn't allow smoking or brush your teeth after you eat or when you just really have to have that cigarette.  I had to stop talking on the phone for awhile.  I used to go outside, call a friend, and light up a cigarette.  I'd be outside in the evening for hours, talking to anyone who would answer the phone.  For the past two weeks, I've only talked on the phone at night if it's a business call (A lot of counselors only have evening hours to return calls.  I know, right?)  I haven't really talked to friends and I'm worried about how I'll react when I do make those calls again.  Hopefully, the e-cig continues to be a good substitute.

N - Nicotine addiction medication

• I'm really torn about this one.  I won't receive my first call from the QuitLine coach for another week and they'll talk to me about using the patch or gum and how their use increases the chances that I'll successfully quit.  The thing is, by that time all the nicotine will be out of my system and I don't think I want to reintroduce it.  
• There are some meds that are used for reducing stress that you have to get from your doctor.  Not all medications will be safe for everyone, so be open minded to your doctors suggestions.  If you're planning on quitting, know that research shows that using nicotine medications can double or triple your chances of quitting for good.  

So that was some of the information I was sent.  I also started pinning information and tips for quitting.  I found a great graphic of Quit Tips put out by The Health District of Northern Larimer County.  One of the tips was to keep a journal.  Since I LOVE journaling and I never do it, I thought this was the perfect excuse!

I'm also using an app on my phone called Cessation Nation.  It tracks your quit date, time since you quit, the amount of money you have saved, and the number of cigarettes not smoked, and the amount of time you have saved.  Since I wasn't really a heavy smoker, I've only saved about $40 since I quit.  I have no idea how much my husband and I have saved together!  Good news though, we need that money to pay for medical bills we've racked up over the past couple of months!

Here is what I want to commit to:

1. Not smoking another cigarette.
2. Blogging at least weekly about my progress and tips I find useful.

Research also shows that when you make a verbal or written commitment, you're more likely to follow it.