Quitting Smoking

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Bump, just cuz I think it's a good thing to quit smoking.
 
My dad went to a hypnotist to quit smoking. Walked out of the meeting and has never had the urge to smoke again. Only catch with being hypnotized is they can't make you do something you don't want to do, so if you really don't want to quit it won't do you any good.
 
I quit using Chantix a month or so ago. 3 other people in my office have used it with 100% positive results, and 2 people I know are just starting a Chantix regimen.

It works. I smoked close to 2 packs a day, sometimes 3 if we were at an outside event (demo derby) or at the bar for a long night. I quit in about a month, and wierdly enough - just quit in the middle of the day.

I was driving home and ran out of cigs, decided I wouldn't stop for them until after I got home. Then I made dinner and forgot about it. Next thing I know, it's saturday morning, no smokes in 16+ hours, decided screw it - I'm not going to go to the store and get any more.

Habit kicked, and I always said I'd get married again before I quit smoking. Needless to say, I'm not married.
 
jezter6 said:
I quit using Chantix a month or so ago. ...
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Chantix worked for me too. I've had coworkers who didn't have the same results as I did though. One person wasn't able to take Chantix because they had problems with stomach pain on it. It worked great for me as long as I had something to eat when I took it, and then I had no stomach discomfort. I quit smoking after 2 weeks on Chantix. I got up on the 15th day and just didn't feel like having one before I got in the shower, then I didn't feel like having one in the car on the way to work, and at that point I didn't need another smoke.

I've had cravings once in a while since, but nothing I couldn't resist.
 
ma2brew said:
Chantix worked for me too. I've had coworkers who didn't have the same results as I did though. One person wasn't able to take Chantix because they had problems with stomach pain on it. It worked great for me as long as I had something to eat when I took it, and then I had no stomach discomfort. I quit smoking after 2 weeks on Chantix. I got up on the 15th day and just didn't feel like having one before I got in the shower, then I didn't feel like having one in the car on the way to work, and at that point I didn't need another smoke.

I've had cravings once in a while since, but nothing I couldn't resist.
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I tried Chantix twice. Each time it made me so tired and don't give a poop. I didn't feel like doing anything.

Read on CNN that Chantix (and some other meds) caused depression and some suicidies.

I tried the hypmotizing thing - lit up right after the session.

Still trying.
 
Sorry to hear Chantix didn't work for you. It's also not working with one of my other co-workers trying to quit, but did work for 3 of us.

I guess each person is unique and needs their own special remedy to quit.
 
Joker said:
My dad went to a hypnotist to quit smoking. Walked out of the meeting and has never had the urge to smoke again. Only catch with being hypnotized is they can't make you do something you don't want to do, so if you really don't want to quit it won't do you any good.
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What a great racket-

If it works, you get the credit, even if you didn't really help at all. If it doesn't work, then you get to blame it on the "patient", since they must not have REALLY wanted to quit.

It's a no-lose deal.
 
I took Chantix for 3 weeks to help me to stop smoking. I also used this website http://whyquit.com/ to help educate me with my addiction. I am now on day 80 without smoking. I used to smoke a pack a day for 23 years. Chantix helped me control my urges, but after 3 weeks, the meds were making my head pretty cloudy. Now I cannot stand the smell of coworkers that smoke, It makes me sick to think thats how I used to smell!
 
Milhouse said:
Now I cannot stand the smell of coworkers that smoke, It makes me sick to think thats how I used to smell!
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I knew I smelled bad, but once I quit I realized just how bad that stench was, and how easily it was detectable in a closed space, like a classroom, from many feet away. It's awful.
 
My wife was a closet smoker for years. She just quit. I'm not a smoker but the fallout from this has me contemplating my own self deliverance.

How long until your disposition improves?:(
 
There are a few stages of "withdrawal", Initially there is the physical addition to get over and then the habit. In my case the addition withdrawal was over in about a week. The habit itself took a long time to break. Both contributed in making my general attitude poor. There are milestones along the way, at 3 weeks my attitude seemed to improve. More so at 6 weeks,. At 6 weeks you have kicked the habit and the addiction and are well on the way to cleaning up your system... No hard facts only personal experience.

I still need resolve at times because my wife, BIL, & SIL smoke, but for the most part it is easy not to smoke now.
 
Nicotine is a very strong drug that profoundly effects brain chemistry. I think each persons brain chemistry really makes quitting unique for all of us. I smoked off and on for about 12 years, but been clean for about three now. Not an easy thing to handle. Everyone has to find their own motivation. I personally found cold turkey was the only way for me. The gum just kept me hooked on the drug.
 
This Sunday 5/4/08 will be one week since I quit smoking. My fiance and I decided to quit for her 27th Birthday. She is using chantix and I am doing it cold turkey. The cravings are a B***h but the rewards will be worth it.
 
personally, I think the cravings never go away, they just become less frequent and less intense.

I've stopped for 2.5 months or so and I often get the urge to smoke.


Now, I do cheat. I do smoke cigars ~1 week and I do have a hookah that I hit at about the same frequency.
 
16 months without a cigarette myself. And yes, the cravings still come. Not as often as they used to though, maybe only once or twice a month now.
 
Chimone said:
16 months without a cigarette myself. And yes, the cravings still come. Not as often as they used to though, maybe only once or twice a month now.
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Congrats man!

I had my first craving in YEARS today. It was really strange but it was super easy to dismiss.
 
Wow!!! A few days from a year since I have had a smoke!!!

In my best Ferris Bueller voice "I recommend it"

I can't say that I have not been tempted. As recent as last week at my BIL's birthday party. There is no way at this point, I have fallen into that trap before. Big Tobacco has enough of my money!!!

Good luck to all of you who have recently quit and congrats to us that have quit!
 
Hang in there you guys. My dad never quit even after his brother literally died do to heart attack and his dad died from complications. It's tough, I know.

My in-laws quit cold turkey together and although they were pretty hard to be around for a while, they are still off the cigs and I don't think they even think about it now. They both say they enjoy more food, and can now smell how bad smokers smell.

Find something, anything to occupy your mind when you have cravings. Grab a bite of food, get some exercise, sex, whatever, just don't light up again!

I tried smoking in high school, but fortunately for me I never got hooked. I got my smoke from my dad's cigs and the woodstove anyway.
 
I'm 227 days without a smoke after smoking a pack a day for 22 years. I do owe alot to Chantix helping me to kick this nasty habit.
 
I have tried it all except the hypnojoke (sorry it just doesn't work on me) and I might as well just bought cigarettes and threw them inthe garbage as I walked out. Cause all I did was spend money needlessly.

Gums, pills, patches, lozenges, sprays, etc.... Even tried a Marlboro suppository once and the hospital congratulated me saying I was pregnant [/sarcasm]

I really do have the want to quit. It's having the desire to quit that I lack. But that desire is creeping up on me more an more as I see my boy taking notice. He's 2 years old now. I figure that if I am still smoking by time he is 5 both he and I will be screwed. By then his memory will be strong enough that he will remember that I smoked and his chances of taking it up in his teens will be greater, that is my experience at least even if it is just a theory.
 
shecky said:
Good job all. Any tips for quitting a nasty dip habit?
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That is a little more difficult. I quit smoking cold turkey. I was probably able to do that because I also chewed. I finally quit chewing this January after 32 years. I think the big thing that helped me was the fact that I was in a state of a semi-"coma" in the hospital for 5 days. Those 5 days helped but it was still hard. Here are some tips that helped:
Sanitize a penny and put it in your lip. I also used many Jolly Ranchers.
I found that I would grab for my can whenever I sat in my recliner - put a pocket book on your end table and do a quick read of a page or two.
If you carried your can in your shirt front pocket, keep something else in there.

I still grab for my can but not as much as I used to. Good luck! If you need to talk, you know where to find me...
 
Rezilynt said:
That is a little more difficult. I quit smoking cold turkey. I was probably able to do that because I also chewed. I finally quit chewing this January after 32 years. I think the big thing that helped me was the fact that I was in a state of a semi-"coma" in the hospital for 5 days. Those 5 days helped but it was still hard. Here are some tips that helped:
Sanitize a penny and put it in your lip. I also used many Jolly Ranchers.
I found that I would grab for my can whenever I sat in my recliner - put a pocket book on your end table and do a quick read of a page or two.
If you carried your can in your shirt front pocket, keep something else in there.

I still grab for my can but not as much as I used to. Good luck! If you need to talk, you know where to find me...
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Good advice. My problem is when I sit down to write (for work) I instantly grab a dip. When I'm with my family or doing other things, I don't even think about it. I tried grabbing a run every time I wanted a dip but quickly found that doing that meant I would be running 30 miles a day.

I'm working on it, but it's a b****.
 
I have decided that I am going to "cut down", whatever that really means. I have never been a heavy smoker. For a while I was smoking a little over a pack a week. Since then I have cut out my morning cigarette and I was basically right at a pack a week. Recently I started thinking that I can cut down more, so I decided to cut out all smoking except when I drink. So far I have not had a smoke since Saturday night and it has been a piece of cake. I don't even think about it. It is just when I drink that I even think about it. Ultimately the goal is to quit outright, but I will be at about a half pack a week, which isnt that bad.
 
I'm at 3 months and 3 weeks. I did the Chantix route...having quit for various lengths of time, using various methods (cold turkey, patches, gum, weening off) I have to say this has for the most part been the easiest quit I have done...even now that I'm done taking pills...still no interest or desire...

Plus there was none of the headaches, crabbyness, dizzyness that usually happens initially when you try to quit...

If anyone's considering it..seriously Chantix was the bomb for me...

I did have a little dizzyness/nausea on occasion...just a little bit (I didn't hurl, just felt a little woozy on occasion)... and that was it.


(and this is coming from a pack to pack and a half a day.)
 
shecky said:
Good advice. My problem is when I sit down to write (for work) I instantly grab a dip. When I'm with my family or doing other things, I don't even think about it. I tried grabbing a run every time I wanted a dip but quickly found that doing that meant I would be running 30 miles a day.

I'm working on it, but it's a b****.
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I hear ya! That's when I would put the penny in. I had a chew in from 6:00 am til whenever I went to sleep. I sometimes would skip eating because I just put in a fresh one. I'm not gonna lie to you, it's freakin' hard but it is doable! The time for grabbing a run is when you want to take it out on your family:D I'm not one of those "ex-smokers/chewers" that start preaching to everyone I see (I hate those people). I'll only speak up if someone asks. I'm also not much for the support group thing, but it does help some people...
The biggest thing IMO is that you have to decide that you really want to quit. I never really wanted to quit because I enjoyed everything about chewing. I don't know what it was, but, I just decided one day to want to quit.
 
cubbies said:
I have decided that I am going to "cut down", whatever that really means. I have never been a heavy smoker. For a while I was smoking a little over a pack a week. Since then I have cut out my morning cigarette and I was basically right at a pack a week. Recently I started thinking that I can cut down more, so I decided to cut out all smoking except when I drink. So far I have not had a smoke since Saturday night and it has been a piece of cake. I don't even think about it. It is just when I drink that I even think about it. Ultimately the goal is to quit outright, but I will be at about a half pack a week, which isnt that bad.
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First, (Ive been wanting to say this for a while) shame on you! Did you get dropped on your head or something? Cub fan in St. Louis????? That's alright though - I was a Cards fan in Peoria:D
Second, keep it up and congrats!!!!
 
I'm still failing to perform adequately.

I started smoking at 14, by 17 was up to 1 Pack/day. By 19, closer to 2 Pack/day, always Pall Mall Filter, or Marlboro Menthol Full-Flavor. Skip forward a couple years, right after I bought my house (Age 21) I started cutting down, partially for $ reasons, and partially because I wasn't smoking indoors anymore.

I quit last August... made it a week. Then I quit for New Years... made it a week and a half. Then, I quit in April... but wedding was stressing me out, and started within a week. Then, I agreed to quit for our wedding, and tried going cold-turkey after that (June 08)... made it as far as July 4th, and cheated once. Made it another 3 weeks, then snuck another one. Then, more frequently. I've been able to keep to less than 5 cigarettes / week, but SWMBO isn't happy about that.

SWMBO is Very Pissed I'm So Weak, and wants me to Quit For Good, Dammit. I'm less happy about that, because honestly, I never envisioned quitting, and enjoy smoking occasionally/socially. It's especially hard when I'm a bit druck, on football weekends for example.

Latest revision is that I've got to quit by New Years - I've got between now and then to Shape Up. I'm a bit sad though. I miss it, each and every day. I had long since gotten over smoking at work - that was no biggie at all, I quit that over 18 months ago. But it's evenings and weekends that kill me.

*sigh*

Damned addictions. And damned lack of discipline. And damned lack of desire.

Chantix might be my next attempt. >_>
 
Rezilynt said:
I hear ya! That's when I would put the penny in. I had a chew in from 6:00 am til whenever I went to sleep. I sometimes would skip eating because I just put in a fresh one. I'm not gonna lie to you, it's freakin' hard but it is doable! The time for grabbing a run is when you want to take it out on your family:D I'm not one of those "ex-smokers/chewers" that start preaching to everyone I see (I hate those people). I'll only speak up if someone asks. I'm also not much for the support group thing, but it does help some people...
The biggest thing IMO is that you have to decide that you really want to quit. I never really wanted to quit because I enjoyed everything about chewing. I don't know what it was, but, I just decided one day to want to quit.
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The frustrating part is that in all other facets of my life I have discipline. I'm a workout freak, so I run a lot, play basketball, golf, light weights. Anything athletic, I'm there. But I can't seem to quit, nor have I ever found the time when I say, I want to quit.

It's sort of disgusting, spitting into a cup/can/bottle everywhere. When I'm working, pecking away at my laptop on deadline, I'm an odd sight with tie, sport coat and dip cup.

Fortunately, I don't do it near my kids or my wife.
 
Rezilynt said:
You are more than half-way there, then! Just a thought - try chewing while working out or playing ball one day. Not fun, but may just push you over the edge.
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Not a bad idea. Of course, I started dipping when I played baseball, which I did until a couple years ago. That was back when you weren't a true baseball player unless you had a pinch of Skoal or a wad of Red Man in your cheek:D
 
My wife quit about 3 yrs ago. She used (still uses actually) an online forum support group dedicated to helping people quit smoking. I believe it is subsidized by the tobacco settlement. It also has a whole bunch of non-smoking realted sub-topics like cooking and gardening so it is not all talk about quiting smoking. This helps my wife because she would feel very guilty to have to tell her online community that she fell off the wagon.

Quit Smoking All Together with QuitNet.com - Stop Smoking Help and Cessation Support
 
shecky said:
Not a bad idea. Of course, I started dipping when I played baseball, which I did until a couple years ago. That was back when you weren't a true baseball player unless you had a pinch of Skoal or a wad of Red Man in your cheek:D
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Ahhh the good old days....I wonder how many of us started for that reason?
 
I have to wonder how many teens start smoking because they work fast-food for their first job. That's what did it for me. The shift manager took 5 cigarette breaks a night, so to be cool, so did I. :drunk:
 
Chriso said:
I never envisioned quitting, and enjoy smoking occasionally/socially. It's especially hard when I'm a bit druck, on football weekends for example.
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Maybe you are wired differently than I am. I would never have made it this long without an absolute resolve to quit. I am sure 1 or 2 and it would be like I had never quit. (At least that is how it was before).
 
Just fell off the wagon this weekend at a wedding in Vegas and now I'm struggling to avoid picking up a pack.

I've smoked for 18 years, quit four times - just recently for several months, and still to this day I think about it all the time. Man I really hate them.
 

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