Quitting smoking....

[coffiend]

Any ex-smokers here? Any people currently in the process of trying to quit?

Tell me how you did it, if you're in the process... How you're doing.

I need to stop, I have come to realize that this is a unbelievably expensive and unhealthy habit and it needs to stop.

Any words of encouragement?

[marcus]

its funny how i was watching today that they have a laser that can make you quit smoking..its an hour process but that will boost ur endorphin level ..and after that process you wont ever crave for cigarettes...good luck..

[tomato]

Any ex-smokers here? Any people currently in the process of trying to quit?

Tell me how you did it, if you're in the process... How you're doing.

I need to stop, I have come to realize that this is a unbelievably expensive and unhealthy habit and it needs to stop.

Any words of encouragement?

Yes, many!!! :respekt: :respekt: :respekt: :respekt: :respekt: :bow::bow:

Quitting smoking is the best decision you can make for yourself.

[tomato]

Things that help:

1) talking to people and asking them their experiences, like you're doing now is a great first step. Get their ideas, tips, and stories and find inspiration in them.

2) read self-help books for further ideas, help.

3) Develop your own reasons to quit smoking and write them down. Those are the ones that are going to help you. So no matter how silly it seems, if it's an important reason to you, write it down. For my brother, it was the birth of his first child.

4) talk to your doctor if you are really addicted and want some help. Back a few years ago, people who quit smoking were prescribed something called Wellbutrin. It's a kind of an antidepressant.

5) see if you can use a patch, those take off the edge a bit

6) tapering off, all that kind of stuff is great, but the best way IMO is cold turkey. You just decide you want to quit and go from there.

7) pick a date, expect the first couple of days to feel nasty. Know that it does gets better as time goes on. The more time between the last cigarette and you, and the easier it gets. Keep that in mind always.

8) get free literature from cancer organizations (they have really streamlined pamphlet that can help you)

9) consider joining a support group

10) consider starting an exercise program and changing your eating habits as well, just go healthy. don't subsitute cigarettes for alcohol or some other addiction ;)

12) Know that it is a lifetime battle, and that you always have to be careful to not be tempted.

14) But it is a battle that million of people have won, despite the highly addictive nature of the substance, so if they could do it, you can too

15) When you actually quit smoking and if you need more, like techniques and stuff, we'll talk more :smile: Right now, you're in the very beginning, looking into it, so techniques are a bit too soon.

i have a lot to say about that topic so stop me :)

In a nutshell, quitting smoking is well worth it.

Good luck!

[tomato]

This is the cancer organization I was talking about

http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/StayAwayfromTobacco/GuidetoQuittingSmoking/index

their "how to quit smoking" guide is online.

Also, google "reasons to quit smoking" , in case you need ideas other than "because it's bad for you" because finding your list of reasons is the single most important element IMO.

Good luck.

[nemelek]

I have quit 10 times in my life. Sometimes for years. It is that one poker party or campout where I have just 1 that I start again. After 3 days without smoking I lose the desire until a special event happens.

[coffiend]

Wow thanks for all the responses. I have realized that most of my smoking is done in my car. I'm getting a motorcycle soon so I figure that this would be a prime time to try to quit.

I will make that list, tomato and thanks a ton for all the suggestions / helpful info. I'm going to look into some of those links when I get off work.

[RedRide]

I quit smoking cold turkey about 10 years ago now.
IMO, cold turkey is the best way. All the quitting aids do is prolong the process and makes it harder on you.

1) To quit, you have to really want to quit, even subcounsiously. If you don't want to quit don't even try as you will never be sucessful.

2) Have you last cigarette right before bed time.

3) Drink lots of citrus juce as it help flush the nicotine from you system.

4) Be aware that the first three days are the hardest. Get past that and you have it made.

5) Tell everyone you quit. Keep telling yourself you quit and mean it.
The smoking habit is a psychological issue as well as physical.

6) Contrary to popular myth, the dsesire to have a cigarette will completly vanish after a while.

7) After quitting, be careful you do not gain weight simply because food will taste so much better and you will eat more. :smile:

[Jochen]

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but to quit smoking you just have to....quit smoking.
DON'T put it in your mouth.
DON'T light it up.
DON'T smoke it.
So actually, you don't have to do anything.

I know someone who has also quit smoking from one day to another. With succes.

[RedRide]

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but to quit smoking you just have to....quit smoking.
DON'T put it in your mouth.
DON'T light it up.
DON'T smoke it.
So actually, you don't have to do anything.

I know someone who has also quit smoking from one day to another. With succes.

Actually, that is basically it, just quit.
However there are ways to make it a bit easier. :smile:

[ChilliwackGuy]

I quit smoking cold turkey on April 15, 2000 @ 3:30PM PST - and I made April 16, 2000 - 3:30PM my official date - as to me 24 hrs is enough time to lose the last bits of niccotine / dopamine from blood / neural pathways.

No pills / inhalers / water vapor decoys - just plain old cold turkey.

Along the way I lost friends - gained a ton of weight then lost it - but I am still cigarette free - 10 years later.

MAJOR TIP - avoid cigarettes at all costs - i.e. don't even volunteer to buy smokes for a friend or offer to hold a cigarette for a friend

[tomato]

^ agree! (Red Ride's # 8)

#1 above, that's why I was saying making your list of reasons to quit is so important, because then that'll become your drive to quit, long after the patches, etc., are gone.

I forgot something. They say to get rid of everything that reminds you of smoking. Yes, that includes that super-expensive lighter or cigarette case or whatever. Get rid of all the ashtrays and everything around the house, so there is no trigger.

Go read up and check that link, and then we'll talk about techniques, what to do when you have cravings because you'll have them, especially in the beginning. The thing to remember is that it gets better ... before you know it you're gonna be really happy you did it.

[tomato]

I have quit 10 times in my life. Sometimes for years. It is that one poker party or campout where I have just 1 that I start again. After 3 days without smoking I lose the desire until a special event happens.

I quit 3 times. 3rd time's the charm ;) I can't remember if the last time I quit was in 1999 or 2000 now, but it was around that time. I didn't "pick" a date or anything. Just quit. I had box of patches at home and they were approaching the expiration date, so one time I just put one on when I got up, didn't buy cigarettes that day, and went to work as usual. It was a Tuesday, I remember that. The rest of the week was pretty horrible. I didn't tell anyone for a few days because I was sure I was gonna fail again, but I didn't.

I think what "saved" me this time was the realization that I *loved* cigarettes and the only way to ever get rid of the habit was to never pick one up again, regardless of how much I wanted to. Once you accept that something has more power over you and you have to be careful of it, then you can fight it better, IMO. The first two times I quit, I was arrogant about it "oh, it wasn't that bad, I can quit anytime" and tried to smoke cigarettes casually. Unfortunately, I just can't (most of us can't because they put highly addictive sh..t in the cigarettes).

Like I said, best of luck to you, and once you get started and want some feedback, techniques, support, will be happy to be there for ya :)

PS. I can tolerate smokers, cigarettes around me or whatever. Doesn't bother me *at all* (except indoors maybe when there is too much smoke) but outside next to me, I don't care, because I remember why I quit.

[Slummy]

I still smoke, but I quit for two months or so using chantix. I held on to a pack that had two smokes left as sort of a reminder that I was in control and that I didn't need them. That was my down fall. One real $hitty day at work was all it took and now I'm back on the horse.
The chantix really helped though and I had no real desire to light up. The bar was tough at first, but that got easier too. So it can be done!

[tomato]

MAJOR TIP - avoid cigarettes at all costs - i.e. don't even volunteer to buy smokes for a friend or offer to hold a cigarette for a friend

^ + 100 !!! That's how I went back to smoking the second time. :evil:
Plus it was around finals, a lot of stress going on, but in the end ... f'n cigarette won :redface:

But you know, even if you have to quit a couple of times, that's OK. It's a process, you know, so be patient with yourself and keep trying, you learn every time.

OP please let us know your thoughts after yo'uve had time to think about it some.


YOU CAN DO IT!!! :D

[tomato]

Sorry for all the posts but I get really excited about this.

Not because I think ex-smokers are better people or whatever, but only because it is such a positive decision, something everyone can do to improve their life some and it really does improve your life a great deal not having to be dependent on that nasty sh..t. The tobacco companies put addictive garbage in the cigarettes, not to mention the filters :rolling eyes:

And ... LAST BUT NOT LEAST the Yaris will thank you!!! :D

[tomato]

So who want's to quit with the OP ?

[toyo]

I got sick (soretroath) so Smoking was "hurting" my troath, I tought to myself: "I'll quit smoking for a week so I can get better". When I realized, I hadn't smoked for two weeks, and I never went back! about 5 years now :bow:

so my advice to you is: just quit. don't look back. don't think about it too much. don't smoke to quit "gradually". Quit at once.


best of luck.

p.s. I did the same thing with alcohol, haven't had a drop of booze in 4 months now, what motivated me?

I wasn't a heavy drinker, probably one other weekend, but the last time I drove home intoxicated, can't even remember how I got home. Hopefully everything was ok, so I thought to myself: I better stop before something DOES go wrong XD.


Quit smoking now, before it's too late (for your health, longs, troath, family, friends, figure out the rest...)

[mo_feezy]

Any ex-smokers here? Any people currently in the process of trying to quit?

Tell me how you did it, if you're in the process... How you're doing.

I need to stop, I have come to realize that this is a unbelievably expensive and unhealthy habit and it needs to stop.

Any words of encouragement?

When I finally quit, I realized what worked for me. First, I had to actually want to quit. Before I decided this, I "tried" to quit a bunch of times. What actually worked was that I decided I did not want to smoke anymore, so any time I found myself smoking I realized it wasn't something I wanted to be doing.

The second thing was that I really had to try to figure out what places/people/events/tasks I usually smoked with or during. Once I did that, I tried to minimize those times/places until I had quit for a few weeks.

When I actually quit, I had the most insane withdrawals I've ever had from anything, and once they ended I just told myself that if I smoked again, I would have to go through the withdrawals once more and just thinking about it made me sick to my stomach.

(1) really want to quit, you can't quit for anyone or any reason other than this.
(2) avoid situations when you smoke a lot (for me it was driving, drinking, hanging with certain people) at least until you are over the withdrawals.
(3) once you are in the process of quitting (i.e. no smoking for 3 or 4 days) and it gets tough, remind yourself that if you smoke, you'll have to go through another 3 or 4 days to get back to where you are now. After a few weeks, you won't even like the smell of cigarettes, let alone want to smoke them.
Since you are in Omaha, these last few days would've been perfect, as it was so disgusting outside you would want to avoid going out to smoke at all. Maybe wait to see if this winter is like last winter and do it then.

[toy_toronto]

Any ex-smokers here? Any people currently in the process of trying to quit?

Tell me how you did it, if you're in the process... How you're doing.

I need to stop, I have come to realize that this is a unbelievably expensive and unhealthy habit and it needs to stop.

Any words of encouragement?

hi coffiend, i just quit smoking again in january of this year.

This is my 3rd time quitting. Every quit attempt i made i had to have some kind of a smoking cessation aid and never done it cold turkey. For example, I used the patch the first 2 times I tried quitting and for this third time I used Zyban -- all three methods worked for me like a charm.

I go back to smoking if i have a smoke during social events, etc. I think i've learned my lesson now and i won't be doing anymore 'puffing' at parties or anywhere else.

I breath better, feel better, and all my clothes including the yaris (never smoked in it) have never smelled so good.

Here's my mileage to date according to http://smokershelpline.ca:

Smoke-Free Days: 202
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 2,432
Amount Saved: $906.58
Life Gained: Days: 30, Hrs: 5

good luck!

-toy

.

[tomato]

^ this looks like a great website! Can you really talk to people and everything?! Pretty cool! and congratulations to ya and the other posters who did quit ! :thumbsup::respekt:


quitting smoking rules :headbang:

[junorico24]

Any ex-smokers here? Any people currently in the process of trying to quit?

Tell me how you did it, if you're in the process... How you're doing.

I need to stop, I have come to realize that this is a unbelievably expensive and unhealthy habit and it needs to stop.

Any words of encouragement?

Yes, I quit for a year and half.Then re-stared again :help: My advice is be active do some exercises. I do Boxing not serious but for fitness or anything that improves your fitness and stamina like running or walking etc.I guess i started again coz half the peeps at work smokes. On the break I lit one and then 2 and that was it.

:bow:

[tomato]

yup. Thinking you can smoke "socially" will usually do you in. I'd try to quit again (when you're ready) and know that you can't have "just the one"

Or, if you fall off the wagon - that can happen - resume your quitting the next day. Look at it as a "one time thing", just cross off that day and continue on. As time passes, you think about cigarettes less and less and when you're finally pretty much over the habit, you'll be glad you went down that path. 02

[BailOut]

coffiend,

My experience is similar to others. I tried to quit a few times because I knew I should, but it didn't work. One day I realized that I was just tired of it and didn't want to do it anymore, and that's when I was successful.

I used the patch and it helped, but I'm not convinced that it was a net-positive thing. Sure, it let me down more slowly, but it also prolonged the whole quitting event by several weeks. Like most people I couldn't wear a patch at night as they would give me vivid nightmares, so when I woke up I had to wait for a fresh patch to begin soaking into my system to give me that morning boost that I was so desperately used to.

Months after I quit I still had some issues with it. I remember sitting in our chair-and-a-half, curled up and reading a book, when I got the most intense craving I've ever experienced. For the period of a few seconds I would have sold both my children for a single puff of a cigarette, and I spent the rest of the day mentally beating myself up for it. We once had friends over for a barbecue and as we sat on the back patio sipping wine after dinner, before I even realized what I was doing I had grabbed my wife's pack and lighter (she still hasn't quit, and that made things harder on me), pulled out a cigarette and had it half way to my mouth. I would have dreams that I was smoking and would wake up so mad at myself!

It truly is an addiction and an insidious habit. Quitting it is one of the most difficult but worthwhile things I've ever done.

[slothman86]

If you start smoking again you never really quit, you just prolonged times in between cigarettes...LOL

Don't buy them, destroy the ones you have, associate cigs with something you despise/hate/are disgusted by... like poop or something

[toy_toronto]

^ this looks like a great website! Can you really talk to people and everything?! Pretty cool! and congratulations to ya and the other posters who did quit ! :thumbsup::respekt:


quitting smoking rules :headbang:

thanks tomato. it's a good site and helped me a lot. it's rough to quit but if i was able to do it (3 times!) then everyone can do it easily :laugh:

[tomato]

yeah, I know it's hard :frown: