Quitting smoking (HONEST!!)

[August]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

What I have noted over the past month or are these interesting facts:

What I don't like about smoking cigarettes
1. the expense
2. the pervasive smell in car/home/clothes etc
3. coughing like a MF first thing every morning
4. driving across state lines to avoid #1

What I do like about smoking cigarettes
1. actually smoking a cigarette

I had the same facts on my list. Then I added:

5. Caused me a heart attack.

...and suddenly none of the other facts seemed to be that important anymore.

[longam]

Whats really strange is after you do quit for some time you realize it really was the nicotine addiction that kept you going.

Over 2 1/2 years, maybe more, for me...

[mookiemookie]

Wow...I totally missed my 1 year anniversary of quitting smoking on May 6th.

Just goes to show how little I think about it anymore!

[Reece]

Originally Posted by krashkart

I've reached that point where every time I go to the store for smokes I ask myself, "Are you sure you want to do this? You can turn back right now and save yourself six bucks...". I'll be making the decision to quit sooner than later. Again. I think this next time around will be attempt #20 or so.

This is a really strange habit to have. I mean, I can live without the nicotine. But there's also that feeling of having the smoke in my lungs, and every time I've failed to quit it was because I couldn't overcome the desire to feel that again. Pretty messed up, huh? Under normal circumstances we avoid inhaling smoke because it's bad for us. So what's with this urge I have to slowly suffocate myself, and how can I overcome it?

Before you attempt it make sure you change your habits for a month or so prior, with me I automatically lit up every time I had a coffee, so I had to make sure I didn't have one with a coffee, this was actually harder to do than quitting the smokes!! Once done I then purchased patches, took my last cigarette at night, threw the packets out went to bed, in the morning applied the patch, remember that during the night you don't smoke so don't wear the patch then!! That was 15 years ago, and I had a dozen or so attempts before, I can honestly say that it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be!!

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by AVGWarhawk

Today marks two years since I stopped smoking! Thankfully my wife keeps a calander of this stuff.

Me thinks Jim is right there with me!

Rgr that Chris and I'm in sunny Chester with Mrs. Buna atm preparing for some serious retail therapy in the aviation diecast section of that cities Modelzone store.....spending what I would have otherwise would have 'blown' on tobacco had I have not of quit

[McBeck]

Congrats fellas!

[krashkart]

Originally Posted by Reece

Before you attempt it make sure you change your habits for a month or so prior, with me I automatically lit up every time I had a coffee, so I had to make sure I didn't have one with a coffee, this was actually harder to do than quitting the smokes!! Once done I then purchased patches, took my last cigarette at night, threw the packets out went to bed, in the morning applied the patch, remember that during the night you don't smoke so don't wear the patch then!! That was 15 years ago, and I had a dozen or so attempts before, I can honestly say that it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be!!

Thanks for that advice, Reece.

[Kaleun Cook]

I joined this earlier but didn't want to post before I had managed some time without smoking - it's now day 40.

I used to be quite a passionate smoker with maybe 30-40 filters or hand-rolled per day for about 15 years. I finally quit due to health issues that were either caused entirely or were at least heavily exacerbated by smoking.

First I just tried to reduce the number of cigarettes per day. That didn't work well though, I would soon start to light the next one quicker than I had planned.

Then someday I tried not to smoke at all cold turkey. That at first didn't seem to work either: After some hours I smoked again. BUT: I had managed not to smoke for just enough time to really feel the cigarette "kick in": After the first drag I immediately felt this kind of dizziness take over my brain, a bit later my warm hands felt as cold as they used to when I was smoking regularly. As a heavy smoker I never felt these effects - so I realized that I must have kept my brain in that dizzy state constantly for it not to notice such changes when smoking. This "revelation" really helped me to overcome the tough first days.

Beside that, sports helped me, too. I don't like jogging that much, I went cycling instead, at least 20 kilometers a day.

[frau kaleun]

Originally Posted by Kaleun Cook

I joined this earlier but didn't want to post before I had managed some time without smoking - it's now day 40.

Congratulations, man. That is awesome.

I am still struggling with it. I have cut back a lot but not kicked it completely.

[Kaleun Cook]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Congratulations, man. That is awesome.

I am still struggling with it. I have cut back a lot but not kicked it completely.

Thanks!

So the gum didn't work for you?

[frau kaleun]

Oh yeah, it will calm the nicotine craving. It's the other aspects of the "habit" that it doesn't satisfy. You don't realize how lighting up a cigarette becomes such an integral part of certain daily routines until you try to do those same things without one. Parts of the routine have actually been *built* around lighting up and when that option isn't there, it throws everything off, at least for me. That's more a mental aspect than anything else and the part that for me is proving hardest to overcome.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Kaleun Cook

I joined this earlier but didn't want to post before I had managed some time without smoking - it's now day 40.

I used to be quite a passionate smoker with maybe 30-40 filters or hand-rolled per day for about 15 years. I finally quit due to health issues that were either caused entirely or were at least heavily exacerbated by smoking.

First I just tried to reduce the number of cigarettes per day. That didn't work well though, I would soon start to light the next one quicker than I had planned.

Then someday I tried not to smoke at all cold turkey. That at first didn't seem to work either: After some hours I smoked again. BUT: I had managed not to smoke for just enough time to really feel the cigarette "kick in": After the first drag I immediately felt this kind of dizziness take over my brain, a bit later my warm hands felt as cold as they used to when I was smoking regularly. As a heavy smoker I never felt these effects - so I realized that I must have kept my brain in that dizzy state constantly for it not to notice such changes when smoking. This "revelation" really helped me to overcome the tough first days.

Beside that, sports helped me, too. I don't like jogging that much, I went cycling instead, at least 20 kilometers a day.

I smoked a similar amount for almost 40 years and have been clear now for about 3 years....keep it up and good luck.

[Kaleun Cook]

Originally Posted by frau kaleun

Oh yeah, it will calm the nicotine craving. It's the other aspects of the "habit" that it doesn't satisfy. You don't realize how lighting up a cigarette becomes such an integral part of certain daily routines until you try to do those same things without one. Parts of the routine have actually been *built* around lighting up and when that option isn't there, it throws everything off, at least for me. That's more a mental aspect than anything else and the part that for me is proving hardest to overcome.

I absolutely know what you mean. When we moved in our current home we agreed to only smoke on the balcony. While I went outside for a smoke I usually took something to read outside with me, a newspaper or a book. In the first phase I tried to trick myself: I went outside to read something and suck on a peppermint or something to "simulate" the time I would have spent there while having a smoke.

Originally Posted by jimbuna

I smoked a similar amount for almost 40 years and have been clear now for about 3 years....keep it up and good luck.

Thanks man, a good example to follow!

[Flick]

Originally Posted by badhat17

Was going to post this last week but better late than never I guess.

It is now Three Months and One Week since my LAST cigarette.

That is all.

Congrats BH it's now over 3 years for me.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Kaleun Cook

I absolutely know what you mean. When we moved in our current home we agreed to only smoke on the balcony. While I went outside for a smoke I usually took something to read outside with me, a newspaper or a book. In the first phase I tried to trick myself: I went outside to read something and suck on a peppermint or something to "simulate" the time I would have spent there while having a smoke.



Thanks man, a good example to follow!

Thank you and good luck with your efforts