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Here comes the weekend

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 11226

Hi Kristine82,

This might not be the advice you want to hear but early on in a quite we usually advice to avoid high trigger situations like the one you are describing. It is good to face things head on but only when you are ready. One event can really set you back. That being said I think it is great that you plan on not drinking. This is very important early on. If you feel you are ready to face these events then have a look at the Emergency Coping plan in the Tools section under Education. Know this plan and be ready.

It also might be a good idea to know what you are going to say and do if someone offers you a drink or cigarette. It may seem like a non issue but being at a party with drinks and cigarettes everywhere you really need to have a game plan and be prepared.

Let us know what you decide to do and how it goes.

Ashley, Health Educator

Here to help :)

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2508

Hey Kristine!

Sounds like a great time and a perfect reward..

Enjoy yourself and have a great smoke free weekend..

Red.

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 2778

Hey Kristine!!!

Wednesday is a great day to quit! Mine was Wednesday also for primarily the same reasons... that and I was at the end of my first week taking Chantix and was supposed to quit, according to the directions! Although my first weekend wasn't a holiday weekend, the usual after work and weekend traditions with our friends and neighbors were going to remain the same. Yes, you do have to face everyday life situations when you quit smoking. Some of my dear quit buddies back in the day did decide to "hibernate" and stay away from drinking and social situations for fear of relapse and that worked out well for them. Others, like my buddy Breather, continued to socialize and "remain upwind!"

I took the opposite approach and decided to incorporate a beer treat into my reward system! All I had to do was make it through the day without smoking and I would reward myself with a cold one! I'm here to tell you that my reward system worked back then and it's still working today!

Quitting is different for everyone and you have to do what you think is the best way to remain smoke free. Staying home is miserable and if you think that drinking may be too much of a trigger, don't even think about it! Just remember that the nico-demon will be watching your every move this weekend!

Enjoy yourself and have a great smoke-free weekend! NOPE!!!

Jim

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12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 816

Hello Kristine82 You're right that you shouldn't stay away from everything just because you've stopped smoking. The year that I quit smoking I agonised about going to a party for the longest time because I wasn't quit very long but decided to go anyway. As it turned out it was one of the most fun times that I ever had. I still hung out with the smokers and others but remembered to stay upwind of them so I wouldn't have to breathe the smoke. I quit cold turkey but bought the patch just in case I needed it I could put one on. As it turned out I didn't open the box and got rid of it when it was past the expiry date. Have a plan where you can leave if it becomes to difficult for you or chew some nic gum if you have to but just don't smoke under any circumstances. You're testing the waters to find out what you can do and that's part of the quitting process. Your going to gain self-confidence big time if you can make it through the weekend without smoking. Remember N.O.P.E. Not one puff ever. Excellent for you for not smoking. breather

12 years ago 0 +0 / -0 54

Hi, everyone! You all have such amazing and sage advice, I thought I'd check in with you going into my first non-smoking weekend.

I made my quit day a Wednesday on purpose. I figured a Monday would be too hard, but I wanted to put a little margin of error between myself and the weekend. Drinking is a pretty big part of my friends' social lives, and because this is a holiday weekend, there are lots of barbecue-type occasions on the docket where there will be both lots of alcohol and plenty of people smoking away.

I know the easy answer to this dilemma is just to stay home, but a) that sounds boring and miserable and b) it seems counterproductive to avoid these kinds of scenarios instead of facing them head-on, right? I can't stay away from everyone forever. I already know I can't drink and won't be able to for a while, but any other good tips or tricks for resisting temptation at social occasions? (Besides stuffing my face with all the amazing food in sight. Because that goes without saying.)

Thanks!

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Here comes the weekend