Hi Ann,

Welcome, glad your here, are you quitting smoking? I am I've had about a dozen attempts this year alone,my latest attempt is Aug. 8th so I'm 17 days in Australian time, it's the 25th here, My longest quit this year was 10 weeks and then blew it all with the just one theory which lasted 3 weeks before I re-gathered my senses. Happy to say this one is doing fine, using the patches 21 mg and don't plan on cutting back any time soon, Good luck if your quitting hope to see you round here some more...post, post post. breathe deep and drink ice cold water through a straw, believe me it works to keep those cravings at bay.

Kind regards

Anthony

Busted at 1930 hrs last night, cleaned my teeth and went straight to bed, woke up at 2 am this morning and have smoked another one, I have put on a 21 mg patch and chewing a gum. I am determined today to stay smoke free, this is serious I don't want to go back to smoking, this follows some changes I made to my quit attempt, 1. I reduced from 21 to 14 mg Patch and 2. I have gone off my pain meds for arthritis, and am considerably in more pain, though how I thought smoking would relieve that pain is beyond me. Any way reaching out for support If any one is online?

Kind regards

Anthony

I'm not an August quitter but I do feel awful I wasn't here for you. Stepping down from patches is REALLY hard in my experience. There is a huge difference and it is rough. My advice is to stick with whatever works. I'm finally off patches but still using lozenges and can't seem to make it very long without one. If you need to stay on patches longer, keep doing it. I'm not sure if it was you, but I think I remember that you can't do chantix. I can't, because of my other meds. Anthony, you are fighting a very difficult battle. You are living with a smoker and trying to quit. This is doable, incredibly hard, and I do mean painful in every way, but I believe in you. You've got this. 

Thanks TinyBadger,

I will try to keep the demon at bay, it's so tough, but I hold on to my reasons for quitting, and the one that resonates with me is to be a good example to my wife, children and grandchildren, thanks for posting and thanks for the confidence in me I can sure use that at the moment.

Kind regards

Anthony

Hey, any time. I know that the last time I relapsed, I was so embarrassed to come on here. I didn't want anyone to be disappointed in me. However, I found that my feelings were just that: my own. You keep punching this thing in the face, and you're honest about it punching you. The thing is that you are motivated and persistent and that's how people succeed. That's how YOU are going to succeed. Now you get on this horse and get ready for the ride of a lifetime. I'm usually around here, though I admit I do go to bed early and am in mountain standard time zone. If you need anything or want to smoke, please post here so we can help you. People here care about you and they want to help you. Let is show you how much we care. I don't have all the answers but I like to think of myself as positive, and I think we all need a cheerleader sometimes.

Thanks Tiny,

Went through most of the day without a smoke but fell again after tea, I appreciate your candid honesty and will try that little bit harder to conquer this addiction, I am up front because I appreciate honesty in all my dealings with people and I expect it from myself. They're just to handy being close by all the time. anyway will have to build strategies for combating the urge, I am my most animal when I wake up in the morning and that's when the urge strikes, he  knows my weakness, thats when I have to be alert if thats possible after waking up. Will try and relax now and get myself ready for bed..

Kind regards

Anthony

The mornings are my trigger time, too. I wouldn't even go to the bathroom, I would run outside and smoked two or three. So now I wake up and immediately put in a lozenge. Then I walk the dogs. It gets me out of the house and away from the store. If I don't feel like walking, or like the last three days one of my.dogs had had an upset tummy, I lay out the stuff for a craft or something to do right away. I forgot to lay stuff out last night for today so i got up and had a nice sammy. Just put in a lozenge now. I'm going to hang around here for a few and then go cross stitch. I struggle, man. I have struggled with this thing for years. I'm sure people will disagree but I've been told for years that's it's willpower. Just gritting your teeth and powering through. I do admit there is that but I also agree with the American lung association class I took that it's also about knowing your reasons, planning ahead and having distractions. I know that if I'm watching TV and I want to smoke that I have to get up and vacuum out my car. I know that if I am cross stitching and I want to smoke I have to mop the floors. I leave places a lot and I haven't taken many walks at work recently because of the smokers. I know this is sooooo hard. I promise I do. Would it help if you took pictures when you want to smoke? Cook a stir fry? Does your wife smoke in the house? Would it help if she smoked outside, maybe around the corner so you don't see her doing it, only smell her scent when she comes in? That helped me with my husband. I didn't see him smoke, I just smelled him and it was nasty. (No offense to your wife) he'd come in and I would gag. Barely any smooches for him. This isn't about your lack of willpower. I know from your posts that you really want to quit and that you are trying very hard. Just don't give up, whatever you do. Do NOT give up on this because you are worth it. 

Hello Anthony,

Sorry about the slip. Listen. You know the drill. One foot in front of the other my friend. Dust off and keep on truckin’.

Does your wife show no interest in quitting? It seems to me it might be helpful for you to have that support and would benefit her too. I can’t imagine going through this and living with a smoker. I’m stepping out side of what may be respectful boundaries here, and apologize for that, but am going to anyway. You guys are gonna have to sit down with pen and paper and make some game rules. Post them where you both see them all the time. There is nothing that will get her there but her, and we all know that, but you need stricter boundaries with her on it and better support and limits for you.  I know this sounds harsh... you do know the tricks and have the tools but having them perpetually under your nose is a set up for a slip. 
More later as I’m at work, but, I care very much for your success and believe it is doable....just very hard with the situation you are in. How can we help you set some healthy boundaries? We are all rooting for you!

Hi Tiny,

I'll take your advice and use a lozenge, and the get up and go when you get the urge is good advice also, I will follow that. This morning I caved yet again, but I've only had the one (if that aint enough) I am using the lozenge now I popped one in when I read your post, It's a vicious cycle if you let it get hold of you, I am determined to nip it in the bud, You don't know how much I appreciate your support, I really need it, I feel like I am the solitary person on a deserted island surrounded by packets of cigarettes with no way to turn, I will climb this mountain with every fibre of my being, to that smoke free rarefied air. I do a walk of 7-8 Km 5 days out of 7 and swim the other two days with a friend- a non smoker, the exercise is good and a distraction, today I'm going to spend in the garden weather permitting, and push a mower around that's after I capture (Photo) the sun rising over the horizon, so I have a plan, for today tomorrow is my swimming day, and a walk, I forgot to mention I try to exercise every day at home as well so it's not like I am sitting at home dwelling on my next smoke, the  key is distraction as you said, keeping yourself occupied, hey heck it's a new lifestyle we are embracing, the possibilities are endless. Thanks for your support TinyBadger.

Kind regards

Anthony

Hi Loreficent,

My wife and I  have had this conversation over and over again she shows no inclination to stop smoking, but abides with my request to not smoke in the house, and if asked hides her cigarettes so that I don't see them and trigger off a want. but apart from that she is inflexible to all persuasion regarding quitting, and she has a heart condition. It's like a death wish, In response to all efforts to persuade her she will say I'll cut down and I applaud her for that statement, but I am yet to see any evidence of that plan succeeding, I am trying to set an example but keep falling into the trap, I will just have to socially distance myself from her while she keeps up this behavior but at the same time be supportive when she shows an inclination to improve her health. Thanks for your support.

Kind regards

Anthony