Hi Lady, We ALL know how you feel. I will just say this , hopeful 2's advice is a key that just may work for you:
"I don't know if you read Carr's book, (Easy Way to quit smoking), but I recommend it."
I know it helped me immensely. He makes you realize that what you are going through is actually a beautiful thing, something to be embraced not feared. It is the miracle of your body healing itself the minute you give it a chance.
Self doubt...Yes, I understand that and so do many others...It is one of those things that makes us human...We often feel small when we stand at the base of the mountain. And why not, the mountain is large indeed. We certainly cannot bound over the mountain in one giant leap, nor can we make the mountain disappear by closing our eyes...
However we can begin to climb the mountain with our first small step...And once we take our initial step, we find the courage to to take another step and soon we learn that it is possible to take another and another...And it is that knowledge that begins to erase the self doubt felt when first we began...
Learn as much as you can about the physical nature of this addiction...Once you know all you can know about it, you will find your way to the top of the mountain. I am not saying that this is easy...But I am saying that the value of creating a better self is worth the effort it takes...The alternative is to allow your self doubt to dictate who you will be...I found that it was my own self doubts that caused me to fall to the addiction in the first place...I still have self doubts, but having now been six years quit, I am better able to take on those doubts...I have yet to meet the human who does not have self doubts...
This is a very personal journey, but each quit has enough continuity to it that allows us to discuss it in a rational way...There are many kind souls here who will listen to you and lend a hand when the climbing gets difficult...Come here often and understand that you are not alone...
Welcome and please do read the wonderful support and advice from our seasoned members! They have been here a long time and do know where you are coming from. You are on the right track so keep preparing for your quit date as well as try cutting back ( the program will help you).
Hello thsoldlady65 Being apprehensive about quitting is normal. It might be the hardest thing that you'll ever do but it might just be the best thing that you will ever do for yourself. Everyone has different motivations for doing the things they do. My motivation was that I was away from home and happened to run out of cigarettes. As it happened I had eleven dollars in my pocket and it wasn't enough money to buy a pack so I had to borrow two dollars to get one. I felt stupid for paying it and I felt embarassed asking a non smoking freind for money for my addiction. The motivation was that I was mad as hell at my addiction and I wasn't going to accept it any longer. We , as humans , have more strength than we realise and are more resilient than we give ourselves credit for. The point is that if you want to be done with smoking you need to want it more than anything else that you've ever wanted in your life. That's the way it was for me and still is. Replace can't do this with can do this and will do this. Many others have done this and so can you. Lean on the good people here for support when needed. Excellent for you. breather
As a quit date approaches it is so normal to have self-doubts...will I be strong enough? what if such and such happens? The best thing you can do right now is to prepare in a positive fashion.
Have a quit corner with all your coping aids such as sugar free treats, gum, patches etc. Make lists of what you are going to do in all situations, so that you are not caught out when Nicodemon taps you on the shoulder. I'm sure you have done lots of this, and yet these doubts still niggle. I always felt I had the Nicodemon on one shoulder and my Guardian Angel on the other...I was trapped in the middle with mad conversations going on between them!
Don't torture yourself with doubts, just make sure you are as ready as you can be. Remain in a very positive frame of mind...allowing doubts to creep in will undermine that...normal as it is.
I actually brought forward my quit date because of those doubts, but I'm not saying that is a good idea, it's just what I needed to do. Have you decided to quit on 1 Jan 2013? You should find yourself surrounded by others quitting something or other, and that may be a good thing...just you concentrate on yourself and your quit...you need to be a bit selfish at the start and protect your quit with everything you can.
Do come here to SSC as much as possible at the start, as there are so many people who know how you feel.
I have been having many self-doubts that I can do this. I know I can but these thoughts are getting bad as my quit date approches. I am trying to find ways to keep busy when I have them but at times it does not seem to help. I am ready to go and do this.
