Quitting Smoking

[TheJadedDog]

Congratulations on working to quit! I've had several addictions in my day and quitting smoking was one of the toughest. Hang in there, the cravings will go away. A side-note on the gum, you may have to ween yourself off it once you get a little farther along the path to quitting (my grandmother chewed the gum for 10 years when she quit smoking).

 

[Philip1993]

Congratulations and welcome to the club! October marked two years for me. I did Zyban (highly recommended), but my father in law has been on the lozenges for 4 years. His doctor opines that he should quit the lozenges, but is clear that ANYTHING is better than smoking.

 

[Philip1993]

I quit after 26 years, just this last July 22.
One word: Chantix™

Yea for you!


As for the cravings, they get milder and farther apart with time. When they come, just commit to yourself that you will not smoke no matter what for just 5 minutes. If after 5 minutes, you simply cannot stand it, then you may smoke.

BTW, cravings usually pass in 3-4 minutes

 

[Cheesefood]

I went cold turkey.

The best tip I can recommend is to psychologically prepare yourself. Get in tune with how disgusting it is. How bad it smells. Take a look at old smokers and see how damaged their skin is and listen to their voices.

You need to hate smoke. It smells aweful when you're not smoking. It leads to burned clothes, a nasty smelling car. Think about how gross they are - would you ever eat a cigarette? Why would you put something in your body that would make you violently ill if you ate it? Look at overflowing ashtrays. They're disgusting. Smell old, cashed out cigarettes.

You should feel shame when smoking. It's a weakness. It's a personal flaw that you have control over.

Then remember, it takes only 48 hours for the physical addiction to leave. After that point, it's your mind playing tricks on you. Fight back!

Go out to a bar with your friends. A bar that allows smoking. Make it one night out. That's all you need. One night at a bar with your smoking friends where you don't have one. You can make it one night. Be strong. Be brave. Be confident. Smell the disgusting smoke and hate it.

The next day you'll wake up feeling good. You won't have a headache. Your clothes will smell horrible. You'll realize how bad you smell when you smoke. You smell disgusting to non-smokers, no matter how long it's been since your last smoke.

Tell everyone you know that you've quit. You need to make sure they know so they'll think you're a failure if you start up again.

You have to fight, but in the end it'll work. I don't have cravings anymore, and my friends are chimneys.

 

[rohanski]

I agree with cheesfood. Smokers smell horrible. Sometimes when I am driving down the highway I can smell the person in the car in front of me smoking even with the windows rolled up. I don't think I could smell him fart so you know how bad it is.

 

[Brewer3401]

Been reading this thread and have gotten some real inspiration.

Tired of the smoker's cough and wheezing (ocassionally).

Won't give up cigars (3 per week), but dont (and couldn't even if you tried) inhale them.

I read about the therapist saying "remember how you felt before you smoked".

Going to try that one with the gum and cold turkey.

 

[CodeRage]

Good for your Brewer3401! Keep at it and take it 15 minutes at a time

Chris_Dog, how are you doin by the way?

 

[EricK The Red]

I quit a few months ago after relapsing from a seven year quit. I got into cigars pretty heavy 'till I foud myself smoking 3 Fuentes a day!

I had some pretty bad cravings this afternoon and then I found this thread. Sweet! I feel better now!!!

 

[Philip1993]

Hang in there man!!!! It'll be the best thing you ever did! I quit 5 years ago after developing asthma. When you can't breath, nothing else matters. Take back your life! I'm pulling for you brother!:rockin:

Ditto for me. Stay the course. You may be miserable now, but that will pass. Once the cravings pass, you will *never* regret quitting. That anniversary has more significance to me than my birthday...

One thing that helped me tremendously; Don't think about quitting as forever. When you have a craving, just focus on not smoking for the next 5 minutes. Since most cravings are only 2-3 minutes long, they will pass before the time is up. And mentally, facing a craving over days or weeks is impossible. But 5 minutes is easy. You could put up with just about anything for 5 minutes.

Last thought: Zyban/wellbutrin. It seriously helps...

 

[Chris_Dog]

Good for your Brewer3401! Keep at it and take it 15 minutes at a time

Chris_Dog, how are you doin by the way?

Thanks For asking! I haven't had a smoke since I quit! I would be lying to say I haven't been tempted at times. It is hard when my brother and sister in law come over. We drink and they smoke along with my wife (outside of course). I can't wait until my wife quits!!!

I feel better as a whole. The pollen starts getting real bad in FL this time of year. Over the past few years it has been bothering me more and more. Nothing at all (yet) this year!

I can't stress enough that I am SO glad I quit. It is probably the best thing that I have ever done for myself. There are just so many reasons to do it.

Good luck Brewer3401 & EricK the Red!!! It is going to be hard at first but, well worth it!!!

 

[JustDave]

Congrats Chris, that's great. Keep up the good work!

 

[DUCCCC]

Bump, just cuz I think it's a good thing to quit smoking.

 

[Joker]

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.

 

[kornkob]

The other catch is that somepeople can't be hypnotized at all.

 

[jezter6]

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.

 

[DUCCCC]

I quit using Chantix a month or so ago. ...

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.

 

[Brewer3401]

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.

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.

 

[jezter6]

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.

 

[Docapi]

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.

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.

 

[Milhouse]

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!

 

[DUCCCC]

Now I cannot stand the smell of coworkers that smoke, It makes me sick to think thats how I used to smell!

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.

 

[Glibbidy]

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?

 

[Chris_Dog]

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.

 

[Beer:30]

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.

 

[sflcowboy78]

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.

 

[jezter6]

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.

 

[Desert_Sky]

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.

 

[CodeRage]

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.

Congrats man!

I had my first craving in YEARS today. It was really strange but it was super easy to dismiss.

 

[Chris_Dog]

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!

 

[niquejim]

I'm at 8 months this week. I still have 1 cigar a month like I did when I smoked so I think I'm good