Quitting Smoking...arghghghghghgh

[Diamonds4Me]

I''m currently in a battle to put down these awful things. I''ve smoked for almost 10 years and really don''t know why I started in the first place. I can sit here and wish that I never did but the fact is..I do. Now I have to quit...I want to quit!

Easier said than done.

I was curious as to how many of you have successfully quit and what did you do to take control? How did you get over the lack of concentration, the grumpiness, etc.? I''m currently on my second Rx of Buproprion. It does help but I keep reading that if you haven''t quit by the seventh week then it won''t help you. I don''t believe it. I''ve cut down from 1 pack a day to one pack every two weeks. For me that''s a huge cut. But I really want to get over this whole habit thing. I don''t really think its a matter of wanting it..I think it has more to do with the fact that it has been almost 10 years and my mind keeps telling me that I''m supposed to because that''s what I''ve done...if that makes any sense at all.

So...Any tips out there that any of you will be willing to share?

Thanks in advance.

 

[i_like_tiffany_please_dont_hate_me]

10 years of smoking, at one pack a day, that is 3650, plus probably 2 leap year days, 3652 days of smoking

I don''t know how many cigarettes there are per pack, but if there are 20 cigarettes per pack, that is 20 x 3652 = 73040 cigarettes

just think about that number!

and I don''t know how much each pack costs, but if it is around $5 per pack that is $5 x 3652 = $18260!!! so for the money you spend on fags, you could have bought an ideal cut, 1.76 carat, F, VS2 (ex polish, ex symmetry) http://www.whiteflash.com/round/Round-cut-diamond-1024871.htm and if THAT doesn''t make you sick, I don''t know what would!!! so how much does it actually cost per pack?

 

[Matata]

Hang in there D4Me. Remember that nicotine is an addictive substance and it''s hard to kick. I stopped cold turkey more than 20 years ago -- I was up to 3 packs/day and I still occasionally get a craving for a cigarette eventhough I can''t stand the smell and get headaches if I''m around others who are smoking. For a couple of months, I avoided social situations with friends who smoked because of the connection between eating, drinking, smoking. It will get easier day by day.

 

[Diamonds4Me]

Date: 1/10/2005 5:14:22 PM
Author: Matata
Hang in there D4Me. Remember that nicotine is an addictive substance and it''s hard to kick. I stopped cold turkey more than 20 years ago -- I was up to 3 packs/day and I still occasionally get a craving for a cigarette eventhough I can''t stand the smell and get headaches if I''m around others who are smoking. For a couple of months, I avoided social situations with friends who smoked because of the connection between eating, drinking, smoking. It will get easier day by day.

Thank you, Matata. You are far stronger than I am. I tried cold turkey for about three hours..I look forward to the day I can say it''s been 20 years...but at this point I would be jumping up and down for 20 days.

I have started to limit myself from certain places and people. It is helping. I find that when I do light one it isn''t to actually smoke it. One puff and it''s literally put out. The only thing I can think of is that it''s simply lighting it that makes me feel better. I just need to get past that! Thank you for the encouragement. I am going to start keeping a journal. Maybe I''ll write in it when I feel like I have to have one. It''s tough..that''s for sure.


DG, that is quite depressing. They are anywhere from $2.75 to $3.00/pack. $10,956+/- That is so awful. And 73,040!!! I''ve sat down and figured out the dollar amount but never have I sat down and figured up how many.

Eek.

 

[sevens one]

Date: 1/10/2005 6:19:43 PM
Author: Diamonds4Me

Date: 1/10/2005 5:14:22 PM
Author: Matata
Hang in there D4Me. Remember that nicotine is an addictive substance and it''s hard to kick. I stopped cold turkey more than 20 years ago -- I was up to 3 packs/day and I still occasionally get a craving for a cigarette eventhough I can''t stand the smell and get headaches if I''m around others who are smoking. For a couple of months, I avoided social situations with friends who smoked because of the connection between eating, drinking, smoking. It will get easier day by day.

Thank you, Matata. You are far stronger than I am. I tried cold turkey for about three hours..I look forward to the day I can say it''s been 20 years...but at this point I would be jumping up and down for 20 days.

I have started to limit myself from certain places and people. It is helping. I find that when I do light one it isn''t to actually smoke it. One puff and it''s literally put out. The only thing I can think of is that it''s simply lighting it that makes me feel better. I just need to get past that! Thank you for the encouragement. I am going to start keeping a journal. Maybe I''ll write in it when I feel like I have to have one. It''s tough..that''s for sure.


DG, that is quite depressing. They are anywhere from $2.75 to $3.00/pack. $10,956+/- That is so awful. And 73,040!!! I''ve sat down and figured out the dollar amount but never have I sat down and figured up how many.

Eek.

Don''t tell me you don''t have any strength.
Think of the dieting discipline you have. (channel that strength in the smoking direction)
Well if I can lose x amount of weight I can surely quit smoking.


PUt that "LION" in it''s cage and lock it up!

 

[Diamonds4Me]

Date: 1/10/2005 8:57:34 PM
Author: sevens one

Date: 1/10/2005 6:19:43 PM
Author: Diamonds4Me

Date: 1/10/2005 5:14:22 PM
Author: Matata
Hang in there D4Me. Remember that nicotine is an addictive substance and it''s hard to kick. I stopped cold turkey more than 20 years ago -- I was up to 3 packs/day and I still occasionally get a craving for a cigarette eventhough I can''t stand the smell and get headaches if I''m around others who are smoking. For a couple of months, I avoided social situations with friends who smoked because of the connection between eating, drinking, smoking. It will get easier day by day.

Thank you, Matata. You are far stronger than I am. I tried cold turkey for about three hours..I look forward to the day I can say it''s been 20 years...but at this point I would be jumping up and down for 20 days.

I have started to limit myself from certain places and people. It is helping. I find that when I do light one it isn''t to actually smoke it. One puff and it''s literally put out. The only thing I can think of is that it''s simply lighting it that makes me feel better. I just need to get past that! Thank you for the encouragement. I am going to start keeping a journal. Maybe I''ll write in it when I feel like I have to have one. It''s tough..that''s for sure.


DG, that is quite depressing. They are anywhere from $2.75 to $3.00/pack. $10,956+/- That is so awful. And 73,040!!! I''ve sat down and figured out the dollar amount but never have I sat down and figured up how many.

Eek.

Don''t tell me you don''t have any strength.
Think of the dieting discipline you have. (channel that strength in the smoking direction)
Well if I can lose x amount of weight I can surely quit smoking.


PUt that ''LION'' in it''s cage and lock it up!

lol, thank you, sevens. You are right..after all that I shouldn''t have any problem with it. I am getting better. It''s taking time..and lots of gum! I wish I could hug the person that discovered it because I''d probably be chewing the branches off the Bradford Pear in our front yard at this point...I''d look pretty funny but it would look better than a cloud of poison hovering around me

Speaking of strength...you''re doin'' pretty darned good yourself!! Keep us posted on your success!!!!

And thank you again. Just talking about it is helping out a lot.

 

[diamondsbylauren]

d4U- YOu're going to do this!!!! GO

This might sound radical, but have a listen.
The cigarette companies are the main proponents of the "help you quit" products. The reason- it simply re-inforces the thinking that stopping is more difficult than it actually is.

I smoked from the time I was 18 in 1975. By 1986 I was a pretty heavy smoker and I went for hypnosis. That lasted a few months.
The last time a had a cigarette was in 1998.
I was getting a new life insurance policy- which made me think.
Anyway, the point is- I was able to make a decision to quit. The basis of the decision was that I did not want to use the Life INsurance policy for a long long time.
SO I had motivation- the policy- but I found greater motivation thinking of my daughter every time I was about to reach for a smoke.


COLD TURKEY is the only way any person truly quits- it's a simple decision- you may have to make it quite a few times a day at first- but after a while you simply stop craving them. There's no need to even consider having a cigarette after you make the decision- you're now a FORMER SMOKER.
Today the smell of cigarettes - makes me gag.

I'm not anti smoing or anything- as a former smoker I think that the anti smoking laws go too far. People need to come to this decision voluntarily.

 

[Diamonds4Me]

Date: 1/10/2005 9:41

6 PM
Author: diamondsbylauren
d4U- YOu''re going to do this!!!! GO

This might sound radical, but have a listen.
The cigarette companies are the main proponents of the ''help you quit'' products. The reason- it simply re-inforces the thinking that stopping is more difficult than it actually is.

I smoked from the time I was 18 in 1975. By 1986 I was a pretty heavy smoker and I went for hypnosis. That lasted a few months.
The last time a had a cigarette was in 1998.
I was getting a new life insurance policy- which made me think.
Anyway, the point is- I was able to make a decision to quit. The basis of the decision was that I did not want to use the Life INsurance policy for a long long time.
SO I had motivation- the policy- but I found greater motivation thinking of my daughter every time I was about to reach for a smoke.


COLD TURKEY is the only way any person truly quits- it''s a simple decision- you may have to make it quite a few times a day at first- but after a while you simply stop craving them. There''s no need to even consider having a cigarette after you make the decision- you''re now a FORMER SMOKER.
Today the smell of cigarettes - makes me gag.

I''m not anti smoing or anything- as a former smoker I think that the anti smoking laws go too far. People need to come to this decision voluntarily.

Wow, I never thought of it in that way...as far as the cigarette companies involvement. It makes perfect sense..."we''ll advocate quitting but we''ll make it way expensive and extremely hard and they''ll just keep coming right back to us"....food for thought.

I also have life insurance that I really don''t want to use. The thought of it makes me feel sick...and then I keep coming across these articles of young women who had heart attacks in their early thirty''s..I''m 27 and I don''t want to be in their shoes.
Yes, I''m paranoid..but I guess there needs to be some level of paranoia.

My h2b has come up with a wonderful idea. For every mini craving that I can overcome I''ll put $5 in a jar and $10 for the massive ones. But if I cave in and have one it''s $10 taken out of the jar for the mini cravings and $20 for the massive ones! Sounds harsh but I''m all for it. I''m already eyeing a few things on your website

.

I know that good health as my reward is the most important part but there is just something about being able to show that you overcame it by showing how much you wasted on those things..ya know?

I''m not anti-smoking either. It actually made me smoke more when people kept hounding me about quitting. I agree that it should be the decision of the individual. They tried enforcing anti-smoking laws around here but it backfired. Restaurants were going under so they had to pull it. This area is far too small to support that law.

I''m also amazed at how bad my hair smells.

Washing it four times in a row doesn''t get rid of the smell...it just dries it out really bad. I end up with frizzy, stinky hair.

Nice. And I have a LOT of hair! I can''t wait for that part to go away..it''s quite embarrassing to think that is what everyone else has been smelling for 10 years. Blechk.

Thank you, David. And thank you Sevens, Matata and DQ..I appreciate this more than you could possibly know.

 

[aussiegirl]

Hi! Just wondered on how you were going with quitting? I could not believe cigs in the US are only $2-3 per pack! In aust I pay anything from $7.50 to $10.50 per pack of 20 or 25! This is reason to stop alone... I keep thinking of all the diamonds I could buy

I have been smoking for 10 years and wish I never started. My most recent exercise with quitting was using the book "Allan Carr''s Easy Way To Stop Smoking". I lasted 3 days and felt great - although had a few too many bevvies (hey, it WAS Christmas!) and back on the wagon I was. I am starting the book again, and I do recommend it - although I think the key for myself is to stay away from alcohol!

best of luck and let me know if you get the book!

Cheers
aussiegirl

 

[strmrdr]

Iv quit 4 times the longest was for over 9 months.
Once you do quit dont fall into the trap that just having one is ok.

Each time i quit a little differently.
First and second cold turkey with nothing.
Third and fourth with patches and cold turkey.
Tried quiting again with the patches and they didnt help at all.

 

[yellowfan]

Diamonds4Me-

You can do this! My father smoked from his teens to his forties and he quit cold turkey buy chewing massive amts of gum-you would find gum all over the house, on counters, cars, etc. He has not smoked again and at first being around others that smoked bothered him and now it does not.

My sis in law recently quit after 20 yrs or more. Went to a hypnosis sessions and she ended up trying Zyban, or Wellbutrin, then quit cold turkey! BELIEVE ME, IF SHE CAN DO IT, YOU CAN TOO. SHE WAS THE WORST ABOUT SMOKING ALL DAY AND THE WORST ABOUT QUITTING.


hang in there and you will do this!!!

Lori-yellowfan

 

[Kamuelamom]

I''ve done it, cold turkey. Like David said, it''s a decision you make for yourself and live by it. Just like your decision to start in the first place. At first you will fight it. Substitute the craving with something else. Then reward yourself in baby steps. In no time you will have gone a couple hours, then a day, then a couple days, then a week. Before you know it, a month will pass. If you can make it pass that you''re in the clear. But you must remain conciously aware of your original decision to quit. Don''t know if its true or not, but I read somewhere that it takes 28 days to break a habit. After that it''s a mental thing.

You can do it. Don''t give up D4M. Come back here for support. I did this on another forum and the original poster who wanted to quit stopped posting on the thread because I think she fell off the plan. That''s OK too. But I think if she stuck by the thread to receive support it would have strengenened her so please check in regularly.

I smoked from age 14 - 28, and quit cold turkey since my now DH (then fiance) was a non smoker. I felt guilty polluting his air.

Now I''m a self righteous non smoker and generally remove myself from smoking areas because I can''t stand the smell. And it makes me cough. Imagine that.

The other thing was that back then in ''89 cigarettes hit $2.00/pk here. That was enough for me. They''re now up to $5.00 I''m told.

I like your idea about the reward jar. Think, your success could earn you a nice new sparklie someday. Isn''t that a better way to spend your hard earned money?

 

[Diamonds4Me]

Wow, thank''s everyone. I really appreciate all the encouragement...I need it. It is by far the hardest thing I''ve ever been faced with. It stinks in so many ways! But I''m working on it. I''m getting better with it. The worst time is during my stressful times..which is most of the day, lol. But I''m getting there.

Thank you all so much.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Hang in there!!! Your body will love and thank you for it afterward!! (can you tell I''ve a medical background??).

Keep on swimmin, keep on swimmin......

cheers--Sharon

 

[mightyred]

Just wanted to add my support here.

My mum and dad both smoked heavily then my dad quit when my sisters and I were small because he needed to save the money - but my mum carried on smoking!After that I never, ever thought I would see the day where she would stop but then about 7 years ago she did-cold turkey! She just hit that moment where she really wanted to stop for herself and not for any of us who badgered her!

I''m so proud of her. She''s an inspiration! Not to mention when I hug her she no longer smells of smoke or has yellow fingers!

I know you can do it! And I can''t wait to see the bling you get for your hard work!!