MY TIP’s

I am sure you want to get on your way with the first step. One thing I did in this step was to learn all I could about nicotine addiction. I did a lot of research online. Below are some of the things I used that were right for me or I found were true. If you have any questions about some of the things you run across, let me know or even post some of it to the boards. I am sure someone will clear it up for you. I also did the take what you like and leave the rest thing in my research.

The 5 D's are pretty popular with people in the group. They use them for dealing with cravings. You may want to try them too!

The 5 D’S

DELAY a minute or two and the urge will pass if you use or not. 

DRINK WATER to fight off cravings.

DO SOMETHING ELSE/DISTRACT to fight off cravings.

DEEP BREATHE It will relax you. Close your eyes and take 10 slow deep breaths.

DISCUSS your thoughts and feelings with someone close to you.

About Weight

Nicotine Anonymous has a saying that "The Weight Can Wait!" Right now, dieting should be low on your list. Remember, putting on weight for a while is not nearly as harmful as smoking. Here’s how you can avoid weight gain if you find the matter troublesome :

• Start a daily habit of taking a brisk walk to burn calories.

• Eat your usual food but reduce the portion size.

• Drink low-calorie drinks, or eat sugarless sweets and fruits.

• Get up as soon as you’ve finished your meal.

• Brush your teeth or use mouthwash immediately after a meal.

Grieving

I found that I went through a grieving process when I gave up nicotine. It was like I lost my best friend. There are 5 main stages of this process: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. I moved in and out of them. 

Denial – when smokers truly believe that the ‘smokers’ cough’ and other health issues are not related to smoking at all.

Bargaining is  ‘if only they’d told me to quit sooner or people become more spiritual' and start to bargain with God ‘I’ll definitely quit if only you take this cancer away’.

Depression results in an overwhelming feeling of helplessness and is probably the first stage of taking ownership of the situation. We become aware of our responsibility for our own bad health as a result of our own choice to smoke.

Acceptance - we become ready to make choices and be responsible for those choices.  

About The Physical, Mental, and Spiritual in Addiction

There are three components to addiction that needs to be addressed in order to recover! The Physical, Mental and Spiritual. The 12 Steps are excellent ways to deal with each of them!

The physical - most of the physical stuff will drop off quickly, in about a month or so. This means, GI upset, Intensive Cravings, Insomnia, Irritability, Dizziness, and even excessive coughing. If you find you are having trouble with these or any other funny symptoms, talk it over with me or with your physician. If ever you have chest pain, please, please, please, see your doctor immediately. Did you know your lungs are in a healing state for up to 9 months? After that much time, you pretty much got what you got. Some of us require Medical treatments related to all the damage we have done to our hearts, lungs, kidneys, etc from smoking. Please be sure you keep all of your Dr's Appointments and let them know you have quit smoking.

The mental - stuff takes a lot longer to get over, which could take months to a couple of years. It is different for each person. We spent a lot of time smoking, and we will not get over it in a few days or weeks. It will depend on the skills you develop to deal with the cravings and how much you use the program in your recovery journey. If you find that you are not coping very well despite participating in the 12 Step program, you may need some outside help. It's okay to make that doctor's visit to see if they too can be of service in your recovery progress. Quitting smoking can become stressful; for some with mental illness, it may elevate the symptoms. Medication adjustment may be required. As 12 Step Support People, we can not recommend any adjustments to a medication. Please talk to your doctor about this, even before you start quitting.

The spiritual - Don't be surprised if you find a new spiritual release in your quit, a new awakening, as your dependence will genuinely need to be turned over, and the seeking of your higher power. We can discuss this further in Step Two. You will likely find that requiring a sponsor will decrease as you turn more to your HP. This is as it should be. Your sponsor sometimes ends up your best friend. I still will use a sponsor or a well-grounded person in the program. As life is always messing with me. I start finding myself very emotional and just can't see what is going on. Talking it over is very helpful.