Anyone with tips on quitting smoking.

[Incitatus]

Who here has quit and what worked for you?

[Hawkeye-X]

1. Wife is insisting I quit smoking

so any help here too. :)

[niallmac]

10. Have you tried before?

Some people do well with 'The Patch'. For others Wellbutrin is the ticket.
Can you visualize your typical day without smoking? What are you going to do
at the danger times...those times the urge is strongest? How long have you smoked?
Smoking is more than a nicotine addiction. It is something to do with your hands, in social situations. Find a smooth stone to carry in your pocket or carry gum.
How old were you when you started. The younger you started...14 years old or younger then conjuring up a self image of yourself as a non smoker is harder. Be aware of this and beat the problem with plain old resolve. Tell friends you are going to quit. Make it a public affair. Harder to back down then. Some set a date and quit on that day. Some are cold turkey types and just quit and that's it. Try quitting with someone else so you can support each other.
Best of luck. You can do it!

[Ready2Snap]

112. No matter what method you try, this is crucial

Understand that you have a chemical addiction that has wired your brain to want you to keep doing it.

I quit cold 25 years ago, but it still took over a year to rid myself of all the little attendant mannerisms.
I would catch my hand reaching into my inside coat pocket all on its own, looking for the pack.
I'd look down at it and say, "sorry, nothing there."

So, the key to stop smoking permanently is to reprogram your brain. How do I do that, you ask?

Do this - When offered a cigarette or asked about it in any way say, "I DON'T SMOKE." That's all!

People who say "I haven't had a cigarette in (whatever amount of time) are still smokers,
they just haven't had one lately, even if its years. They're still hooked!!
They've never reprogrammed themselves to overwrite the chemical addiction's message.

Good luck, and keep repeating - I DON'T SMOKE! - I DON'T SMOKE! - I DON'T SMOKE!

[Bluebear]

2. Nicotine replacement

I used lozenges. Gum, patch work too. Go to sleep with no cigarettes left in the house and go to your "crutch" in the morning. I could not do it cold turkey.

[jillan]

7. tried the gum

Would chew it for awhile, and then spit it out, and go have the real thing.:banghead:

[rawtribe]

3. I quit cold turkey

20 years ago. It wasn't easy but it worked.

[central scrutinizer]

73. me, too

my 20th anniversary is coming up in February. The stars must have been in alignment because it really wasn't that hard for me despite the fact that Mrs. Scrutinizer was and still is a smoker so I was constantly around cigarettes. I have even passed the obnoxious self-righteous ex-smoker phase and never give her any grief for continuing.

[Kazak]

75. Five years ago...cold turkey.

After many tries...it really takes persistence. Products never worked for me. Period.

[raccoon]

129. Same here.

My boyfriend and I quit together. That really helped.

Good luck to you.

[jillan]

4. I need help too.

I'm 49 and my biggest problem is that I enjoy it.

My mom died from lung cancer, like Peter .... bam, her life was over.
I promised her I would quit. How's that for living with guilt?

Help!!!!

[Bluebear]

9. "I enjoy it"

I thought I did too. What helped me was a line from a book, I think by Allen Carr, what you are enjoying is the relief you are getting from not-NOT smoking. Is a cigarette entertaining? Is a cigarette interesting? No, but it beats the jones you are trying to get relief from. I still look at someone smoking in a movie or something and say "boy that looks good"...but I know the "relexation" is just the drug going into their system.

Forget about feeling guilty, your mom knew how tough this evil drug is. Do it for yourself, not for a promise you made. :hug:

[Virginian]

122. I thought I enjoyed it, too, but I didn't like stale ashtrays.

One of the methods I tried said to get a coffee can and dump your ashtrays in it. Add a little water to make sure there is no live fire. Every time you want a cig, sniff the coffee can.

Another method was to wear a rubber band on your wrist and snap it when you have the urge for a cig. It didn't do much for my urges, but my cat enjoyed snapping the rubber band by grabbing it in her teeth and letting it go.

Another trick was to chew on a cinnamon stick instead of smoking. I still like chewing on cinnamon sticks.

[blm]

86. Think how much of YOUR money gets donated to Bush and the GOP.

That should end it right there.

[babylonsister]

5. DU has a Smoking Cessation Group!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=326

[lonestarnot]

118. Hey thanks babylonsister... going to give it another go soon.

[jojo54]

6. check out this thread. some helpful hints there.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x4283820

[johncoby2]

8. I did a mental on it

I became allegic to it. Then I just said no mas. No Mas.

I just stopped cold turkey. 12 years ago. And damn proud of it too!

Now if I can get rid of drinking beer.....

[tuvor]

11. Nicotine gum, and screw the schedule.

Well, that's what worked for me, anyway.

I quit two weeks sooner than if I'd followed the plan, and I even smoked a cigarette or two along the way.

Hypnotism worked for a friend, and acupuncture worked for another.

There are a lot of alternatives these days. You'll find something that works for you, but you will have to want to quit regardless.

Good luck!

[gratuitous]

12. I quit, but I don't recommend the method

I interviewed about 240 people in various stages of illness from smoking: History, brand, medical diagnosis, etc. for the firm I worked for to prepare for a lawsuit that never came off. I'd guess over a third of them are dead now.

But try anything anyone suggests. Carrot sticks, patches, gums, whatever. If one thing doesn't seem to work for you, try something else. One guy I talked to had been an alcohol and drug counselor. He said that he'd been able to quit drinking and quit cocaine, but nicotine was just the worst, and he couldn't put down the cigarettes.

This is a major league addiction, and don't beat yourself up if you don't quit just like that. It's tough, it's insidious, and it's so damn easy to get a fix.

Good luck, and don't give up, don't get discouraged. Just think of the money you're not giving to those fucking tobacco companies.

[Bluebear]

13. "It's tough, it's insidious, and it's so damn easy to get a fix."

Bravo.

[etherealtruth]

80. I was a Hospice nurse for years ...

... the smoking related deaths didn't phase me ... after 24 years of smoking, with feeble attempts at quitting (used gum, patch, hypnotism ...) finally I slowly (progressively) cut down, then went on Wellbutrin (the extended release ----this is important).

I was able to quit about a year and a half ago ... lately, I have been thinking that I was happier more focused and relaxed as a smoker and have been considering smoking again.

Mr. Jennings death has made me reconsider that asinine idea!

[applegrove]

14. Quitnet is good. You get addicted to the site. Imagine - 1000 quitting at

one time!

[nmliberal]

105. I quit 8 months ago...Quitnet was one of my helpers

I attended a group, took Welbutrin, used the patch then the gum, (still do, sometimes), lollipops (TootsieRolls Pops), lots of mental rehearsing (where I would imagine myself seeing someone smoking and 'say' to myself, "Poor them...they are still a slave to that nasty tobacco habit and I'm free" or simply imagine being a non-smoker in situations where I'd previously smoked.)
I'm 54, smoked since I was 14, at least a pack and a half for most of that time...
Now, I honestly DO feel sorry for smokers and feel so good being a non-smoker.

[Cleita]

15. I can only tell you what worked for me.

Number one, and any ex-smoker will tell you this, you really have to want to. Now I quit before there was any help like nicotine patches. I did cold turkey sort of. I promised myself I would smoke every Sunday all I wanted to, but never during the week. No matter how bad the cravings got, I could always look forward to Sunday. Then I stopped smoking on Sunday after awhile with no problem.

When I realized I could get past one Sunday, then I promised myself I could still smoke the next Sunday as long as I didn't smoke the rest of the week. Eventually, I passed several Sundays with no need to smoke and haven't smoked since then.

Just a word though. This wasn't the first time I tried. I had a life time of trying and relapsing. Once, I gave it up for good I realized I could never, ever smoke again, no matter what.

[guajira]

88. I Quit - But I really didn't want to!!

If I had waited until I really wanted to quit, I would still be smoking and wouldn't have the 10+ years of being happily cigarette free!

[Cleita]

93. Good for you. It's better to quit because it's bad

for your health and your bank account. In my case though it wouldn't have been enough. I had to tell myself that I wanted to quit over and over again. Finally, the desire to quit overcame my cravings. Thankfully.

[BeTheChange]

16. I did hypnosis

This is week six... my parents were smokers, had my first cigarette when I was 12, started smoking when I was 15, so basically, Ive had nicotine in my system for 27 years, my whole life.


I cannot say enough about hypnosis. I did two sessions, after the first one, I never smoked another butt and the price is about as much as a 1 month supply.

[seabeyond]

18. i was thinking about doing hypnosis

my husband opened a pamphlet today and starting reading an ad without a clue i had decided i would use hypnosis to try and stop. so, it did good for you. i like your story.

[BeTheChange]

21. Good luck!

Definately do the one on one session. I wouldnt go those group things. Nobody seems to have any luck with those.

[seabeyond]

22. thank you. no interest in group

one on one

[TheDebbieDee]

24. I quit smoking using hypnosis, too........it's the painless

way to quit. Good luck!

[bobbieinok]

17. my mom's story (she died 3-31-05 at 92)

she was fascinated by the possibility of space travel and followed every launch, long after most people stopped watching

in July 1969 there was the first man on the moon with 24/7 coverage from lift off to back on the ground

mom watched the whole thing and knitted a baby blanket for her first grandson, my son, with the date of the walk (he was born in June 1969)

and while she watched she decided to quit smoking (she'd started in her 20s before WWII when it was cool to smoke, especially for women)

she said the astronauts were very self-disciplined and trained hard for the mission.....and she decided she could do that too......she quit cold (she was 56 then)

[zalinda]

19. I smoked for 20 years and have been off of them

for almost as long. What did it for me was I got really sick, I have no idea what it was, I was too poor to go to the doctor. I could hardly get out of bed, and I could taste the tar and nicotine that was in my lungs. It tasted like an old ashtray. I had a decision to make, I could either smoke a cigarette or breathe. I choose breathing. I could have started smoking again, but I noticed when I wanted a cigarette the most and tried to avoid those situations. When I was on the phone, I would pick up a pen and start doodling, because that was one of my cigarette times. I also stopped going to bars, because I always smoked in bars.

That's the best advice I can give you, because I still on very rare occasions want a cigarette, but the feeling passes, just a fast as it came. Good luck. Oh, it also helps if you have your young child say yuck, every time you light up. LOL

zalinda

[misanthrope]

20. It was easy...

...Just contract emphysema and have your lung function drop to below 15% at the ripe age of 38. After that, it's a piece of cake.

[Sgent]

72. Nahh...

Both my grandmothers smoked on the day of their deaht -- one with emphazema/pneumonia and the other with lung cancer.

Not that easy.

[proud patriot]

23. The gum worked for me

been 8 months for me ...but to get me pissed off enough to
want to quit was printing up the tobacco companies political
contributions ,,, It turned out I gave the republicans more
money through smoking than I had ever contributed to Democrats
or other good causes ...

[Virginian]

25. Don't ever tell anyone you are quitting.

If anyone asks, tell them you have cut back. Don't tell them you have cut back to one or two a year.
If you end up having a cigerette, it is allowed under your strict quota and does not mean you have failed.

All the times I tried to quit, I found the people who "policed" my relapses caused me to be defiant and want to smoke even more. I think it has been nearly ten years since my last cig, but I have not quit, I have just cut back. I am still a smoker, I have been for the past thirty years. I don't care for one right now, thank you.

I also bought a white couch and wouldn't smoke in the same room with it. Then I got a new car and wouldn't smoke in it. I guess I made up the rules as I went along and didn't let someone else tell me what I had to do.

[Yellow_Dog]

103. Wrong

Tell everyone, wear a sign, brag about it, that will be additional incentive to not embarrass yourself by starting again.

[Virginian]

116. How WRONG can it be if it worked for me?

People hassling me made me nervous and made me want one even worse.
The idea is to do it yourself. When you tell people you have quit, you put them in the parental role of "correcting" you if you slip up. Sometimes the stress of an event like 9/11 or even just a really bad day at the office can cause someone to want the comfort of tobacco. They don't need to compound the stress by having someone criticize them for a temporary relapse. The temporary relapse will be permanent if it is labeled as a failure in the quitting effort.

By telling yourself that you are allowed the cigarette reduces that pressure.

It is a quitting game you have to work out for yourself. The annual quota may be one pack the first year and ten cigarettes the second... It has to be a reasonable and workable quitting game. My quota was ten for the first year and three for every year after. I think I may have had three the first year and one the second and none after that. But I can have one if I want to. I just don't want one. Cigarettes don't fit into my life anymore.

You sound like someone who never smoked and never went through the problems of quitting. If you did smoke, how did you quit? This method worked for me after twenty plus years of at least a pack a day and after several other failed attempts to quit.

[ClassicDem]

26. I used the patch

and it worked great. Some people complain about wearing it at night but I actually liked it because my dreams were so amazing while wearing it, very vivid.

[Yellow_Dog]

104. substitute drug delivery method?

And you still had to go through nicotine withdrawal when you quit using the patch (you did quit using the substitute addiction didn't you)

I have a friend that hasn't smoked in 4 years or so, and he is constantly chomping on nicotine gum:shrug:

[Maru Kitteh]

27. I used the gum and a whole boatload of Tic-Tacs

I was never without my tic-tacs. I think it's really important to replace it with something hand-to-mouth.

I had the best breath in the entire tri-city area. B-)

[BlueIris]

28. Drugs. They're not for everyone, but if you're not opposed,

you might consider it. There are several long and short-term meds recommended to help with smoking cessation.

[fujiyama]

29. Just remember

each time you are paying for those cigarettes, you are basically giving money you need not give to republicans (because tobacco companies are such huge repuke contributors - well over 80% of all donations are to repuke).

Just think to yourself, "I'm helping repukes keep house and senate control".

Guilt might work :) Good luck!

[sagesnow]

30. It took me three tries before I was successful.

The final time I did this:
1. Take as much time off of work as possible if you are around other smokers. Don't go to bars or anywhere that triggers the urge to smoke.

2. Work out as much as possible and go to the sauna to get the nicotine poison out of your system. After it is out, when you try to smoke again, you will feel dizzy and sick.

3. Add up all the money you will save and go on a cruise or somewhere great after you have quit for six months.

GOOD LUCK!

[Horse with no Name]

31. I've never smoked

But my dad was a 3 ppd smoker from the age of 16 and died at the age of 45. My mom has smoked since she was 17. She is now 59.
She attempted to quit last year--was using the patches.
Prior to the patches, she only smoked 3-4 cigs/day.
However, the doc (not understanding that she wasn't a heavy smoker), suggested she try the patch system. To start with the higher dose nicotine and gradually work downward.
However, the higher dose patch had more nicotine in it that she normally smoked, and it made her crave smoking more after a couple of weeks. She was unable to quit.
She now smokes about 1 ppd.:(
Be careful if you decide on the patches to research how much you presently smoke and measure that with the nicotine in the patches for a starting point.
Good luck to you! Remember, this is the first day of the rest of your life!

[Beam Me Up]

32. The desire for a cigarette will dissipate whether you have one or not.

Do not repress he desire. Allow yourself to feel the desire but do not act upon it. If you persist, soon you will become distracted and begin doing something else. Time will go by and then you'll realize you never did have that cigarette. You'd forgotten all about it. This cycle will continue for some time but fortunately the desire comes less frequently. I've been smoke free for 3 years now and I almost gave in to having "just one" while on vacation. Other people I was with were smoking. However, I persisted in not having a smoke. I'm glad I did. The smell of the smoke on the other people was disgusting.

[funky_b0ss]

33. this is true in my experience...

I quit cold turkey four years ago, after several abortive attempts. One thing that helped me succeed was that I gradually was able to convince myself that smoking couldn't fit into the life I wanted to lead (active, non-smelly, healthy, etc). Another was to convince myself that smoking isn't really all that enjoyable...to really analyze the experience of smoking objectively. That was the strategic part of quitting for me. The tactical part was what Beam said, the realization that cravings pass, and that a momentary craving gone unsatisfied is not the end of the world.

Good luck to anyone quitting smoking!

Cheers

[gassed]

34. Ok..this worked for me...

however, no one else that I have spoken to about quiting smoking seem interested in this "tip".

Instead of doing the gum or other cessation helpers I decided that, instead of trying to escape my discomfort, I was going to make a friend of the withdrawal symptoms by allowing myself to really experience the anxiety and panic that comes with nicotine withdrawal. When I stopped trying to escape the discomfort of withdrawal, and instead allowed myself to really experience the physical and psychological effects brought on by quitting smoking...it didn't seem very overwhelming anymore, and I was calmed by a sense that I could succeed at going cold turkey.

[Gabi Hayes]

45. very zen....ever read the Dog Soldiers, by Robert Stone

your experience is very similar to the way he describes what happens to the protag at the end

excellent, disturbing book

made into an OK movie w/Nick Nolte...."Who'll Stop the Rain?"

[Twenty3]

35. The urge will pass whether you smoke or not

like Beam Me Up said.

Also, it's so very true that every "failed" attempt is practice for the next, so don't sweat it! Me, I get better at it every time. It actually gets easier, and it's less scary because I've done it before, so I know what to expect. One of these times (maybe this time!) I won't ever smoke again.

Still can't bring myself to say say "I Quit Smoking." What I can say is I haven't smoked a cig in 3 months, 4 weeks, 2 days, 23 and a half hours (but who's counting)

BEST OF SUCCESS TO YOU!!!

[jmatthan]

36. I did it 23 years ago

Since I was a teenager (now I am 60+) I smoked the strongest roasted cigarettes. 23 years ago I was drinking half a bottle of rum, a couple of bottles of lager beer, consuming about 10 cups of coffee and smoking 80 a day.

I really enjoyed all of these. (Never been drunk in my life.)

I also used to have an absolutely fabulous memory.

One day, I walked into my office and I could not remember where I had put a piece of paper.

I realised that my memory was being affected.

I stopped all three, alcohol, coffee and cigarettes on the SAME DAY and have not touched them since. I knew the use of one was related to another.

For the first few months I stayed on pure water. (No chewing gum, etc.)

After I was comfortable with the situation, I started on weak tea. I now drink a few cups of normal tea a day, but have no desire for any of the others.

The only thing that matters in stopping any of the three is the realisation that if you do not you will lose something much more valuable.

No problem 23 years onward, except for a larger waistline (not quite obese) and more money in my bank account!! I can walk two hours a day and keep my pulse rate at over 140 without any problem. I feel physically as if I am still in my late thirties.! My grandson thinks, when I kick the football with him, I am his age - 8!! (Mentally, I must be.)

Jacob Matthan
http://jmatthan.blogspot.com
Oulu, Finland

[AllyCat]

37. If at first you don't succeed, try, try again!

It often takes numerous attempts at quitting before it really happens. Just keep trying and don't get discouraged! Seek some medical help or a support group.

[Kazak]

79. Totally...

Persistence pays.

[saracat]

38. I quit over two years ago and I find taking deep breaths whenever I wanted

to smoke worked as a substitute. Breathe in deep as though you are inahaling! It worked for me almost as well as smoking! That was what convinced me I didn't need to smoke! I needed deep breaths. Much cheaper too!

[Mabus]

39. My dad, the former Marine DI's cure

was brutal when he caught us smoking as kids. The idea is nothing more than aversion therapy. He claimed this is the cure they used on recruits when he was a Drill Instructor on Parris Island.

They would wake the smokers an hour earlier than the others, take them in the bathroom and have them line up. The smokers would each be given a carton of smokes and large glasses of water. The smokers were to chainsmoke one pack of cigarettes. One the second pack, they were to light a cigarette & suck in all the smoke they could hold in their lungs, chug the glass of water and then exhale. Take another deep puff and hold it, drink a glass of water and then exhale. Repeat this until the dry heaves set in. Ideally you do this in an enclosed area. For us it was the small bathroom off the kitchen which was just large enough for a sink and a toilet.

[girl gone mad]

40. I went cold turkey.

I had to avoid friends who smoked for a few days so I wouldn't be tempted. Of course, I was pregnant at the time, so that was a major motivating factor.

[NightOwwl]

41. Here's how I quit 10 years ago...

History: I was a pack and 1/2 a day smoker from age 20 to 35.

I decided to cut down to 2 cigarettes a day. One was my "all-day cig." Starting in the morning, I would take a few puffs on that one, put it out, wait until the next craving, then take a couple more puffs. I did this all day long. The other was my "wine cig." I loved drinking a glass of wine at night and would allow myself 1 full cigarette with my wine. I also left a full ashtray of old butts in my car ashtray that I used for "emergency" purposes. Knowing I had these old butts kept me from going to the store and buying a fresh pack when my cravings were overpowering. Sounds gross, I know, but maybe that's why it worked. Really...a couple puffs on those stale butts could take the edge off just as efficiently as a whole cigarette. I did this for about 2 months then decided to quit completely. By then, I had practically no physical addiction left so it was somewhat easier to cut them out of my life.

Don't put yourself down if you can't quit cold turkey. Don't give up if you don't succeed the first time around. If it takes 100 tries or more, so be it. Honest to god...if I can do it, you can too. Good luck!

[Swamp Rat]

42. Just stop.

It worked for me for 15 years, then I started again for only one Summer (divorced then moved to Spain - bad combo, if you want to NOT smoke. :D )

Also, go to the gym, run, swim, etc regularly. You will not want to smoke anymore. ;)

[Conservativesux]

43. Cold turkey and lots of caffeine !! Find a safer habit to take up.

[Mairead]

44. I'm another who cold-turkey'd

About 35 years ago, at age 30, after having smoked 12-14 years.

I was able to do it by remembering that I was trying to save myself from lung cancer. I'd conjure up all sorts of aversive imagery about what desperately struggling to breathe would be like--imagine being strangled or drowning for months--and it was effective enough.

I briefly (2-3 weeks) relapsed a year or so later, but was able to drop it again with much less misery than the first time since the grip of the physical addiction was weaker by then.

The most important insight I can offer is that it takes an astonishingly long time to completely extinguish the sudden 'God I could just do with a smoke right now' nicotine fits. I was still occasionally getting one eight-nine years later. So be prepared.

[KitchenWitch]

46. I got hypnotized

But I was really ready to quit...it has been over 15 years.

Make sure to replace the sugar (yes sugar) in cigarettes with long acting sugars (I ate a lot of peanut butter sandwiches on whole wheat toast). Also drink a lot of water.

[rndmprsn]

47. i got the flu...was bedridden for three days...

afterwhich i got up lit up and put it out...yuck!, last time i smoked was over 6 years ago.

i know its a cliche by now, but it was the best thing i ever did.

[bananas]

49. that's how I did it

plus lots of beer
when I had an urge to smoke, I'd drink a beer

[Lannes]

48. I quit about 20 years ago

No real treatment.I didnt like how I felt when I wasnt smoking so I stopped.I was one of the lucky ones.

[Speed8098]

50. Put them down and don't look back

I was a smoker for 37 years.

5 months smoke free.

I still crave one once in awhile, but not so much that I'll smoke again.

[mopaul]

52. exactly, just stop

[KayLaw]

51. I cut down then out

Cold Turkey was too awful so I decided to cut back to ten a day. I counted them out the night before and made the ten last all day. I stayed at that level for more than a month until I felt totally comfortable then tried Cold Turkey again--it was still too tough, but I decided to try a countdown. I smoked ten that day, nine the next, and so on. On that last day, I made that last last cigarette last all day, but that was it. I wasn't totally comfortable, but within a couple of weeks, I was!

[Taxloss]

53. I haven't had a cigarette in seven months.

After trying cold turkey, gum, patches, everything, with no success for YEARS, I quit using the Allen Carr method after a friend recommended it. It worked an absolute treat - you go to a one-day session/seminar thing and work through the reasons you and others smoke. These reasons are then deconstructed. You leave - and believe me, I would consider this to sound absurd if I had not done it myself - with no desire to smoke. No need for replacements.

It's not aversion therapy, it doesn't work like that, and is not, by and large, hypnosis, although it end with a small amount of relaxation hypnosis no deeper than those "calm" tapes you can get. My session in the UK lasted six hours and cost £195, which is about $350, but I would expect it to be a LOT cheaper in the US since everything is. (I saved more than £200 in six weeks; after seven months it's paid for itself several times over.)

Sounds wacky, I know, but it worked for me, apparently works in more than 90% of cases, and is guaranteed (to an extent).

[ohio_liberal]

54. Here's what I did

I picked a day, and I quit. I smoked my last pack the night before, all of them. I chainsmoked 20 cigarettes. I got the nicotene gum and I bought DumDum lollipops in big bags. The gum was nasty as hell so I stuck with the lollipops. Every time I wanted a cigarette (it was during the times that I wasn't physically doing something), I got up, stuck a lollipop in my mouth, and went and did something physical, like lugging laundry around, vacuuming, that sort of thing.

The first three days were hell, but I started feeling better within a day. I never realized before that smoking gave me a feeling of lethargy. I noticed a significant difference in my breathing in less than a week. Let me say it again. The first three days were hell. My kids were the best. Every time I got antsy one of the older two boys would tell me I was doing great, don't give up now. Every time I went somewhere the kids would call ahead of me and tell people not to give me a cigarette. lol

So I did it. I smoked from the time I was 14 until 37. And then I quit. You can do it too.

[ET Awful]

55. Zyban is what finally worked for me. And it worked flawlessly.

It's not for everyone, but I quit over 3 years ago and haven't wanted one since.

[Vinca]

56. I think you have to be in the right frame of mind for anything to work.

My husband and I both quit cold turkey a long time ago. It seemed to be easier for him because he immediately thought of himself as a nonsmoking person, not as a person trying to quit. That's probably a good thing to do . . . change the way you think of yourself. Clean all smoking apparatus out of the house and car. Take the money you would spend on cigs and get a reward for yourself. After you stay away from them for a week or so you'll become aware of how badly smokers and their habitat smell and that helps keep you away from them. Make a point to break your habits. If you always have a smoke after eating, get in the car and go for a drive or go for a walk . . . anything different. Any addiction is difficult to overcome, but it can be done. One last thing. When I quit I worked for a doctor and he arranged for me to see an autopsy of an elderly man who died of lung cancer. It wasn't horrible because I was interested in anatomy and wanted to see one, but the man's lungs were an eye opener. They were black and almost like stone from a lifetime of smoking. I'm not recommending viewing dead people, but remember a healthy lung is rosy pink and if you quit, slowly but surely, your lungs will recover from the abuse and be pink again.

[msrbly]

57. Visit the oncology wing of a hospital

My father was diagnosed with lung cancer 5 years ago. Seeing his body tormented by chemotherapy and radiation and his immense guilt about putting his family through the torture too would be enough to give anyone nightmares. My father and my family were very blessed - he survived. If you asked him today about smoking he would say he could pick up a cigarette again in a heartbeat and start up smoking again. He knows it's difficult but quiting is not a choice - it's absolutely necessary.

[Festivito]

58. Good luck. Please do stop. nt.

[davepc]

59. i quit cold turkey 3 years ago after a 5 year pack a day habbit.

So I guess my only advice is: dont smoke

[jimshoes]

60. 18 months

now. I quit cold turkey. Actually the first 3 days were the easiest as I was in the hospital with pneumonia. After that, I ate Wurthers candies by the bagful for two months. Then just got away from those too. Nothing like a big spot on your x-ray to scare you into quitting. That's what did it for me. Now there is just some scar tissue but fine otherwise.

[JohnnyBoots]

61. Normally I don't smoke , but after a few beers I am

dying for one and my will power is a little diminished. Any advice on that front?

[Star]

62. Psych yourself out

I quit 8 years ago after smoking for 35 years. I set a date about one month in advance. Then, every time I had a cigarette, I'd tell myself that I didn't really like it, that it didn't feel good to smoke, that smoking smelled awful, that it tasted bad, that I was killing myself so some rich Tobacco Exec could live in his big, fancy house. etc., etc. By the time my quit-smoking date came around, I was more than ready to quit. I never craved a cigarette after that.

[a kennedy]

63. Quit 5-2-05, 98 days smoke free, 1967 cigs not smoked, $490.00 saved.

http://www.stopsmokingcenter.net/support/default.aspx This website really helped me and others quit smoking. I still think of cigarettes at times when I used to smoke, but I know I can never have a cigarette. N.O.P.E. (Not One Puff Ever) Good luck and here's to your health. :toast:

[bunkerbuster1]

64. Money makes zee vorld go 'round

Focus on the finances; it worked for me.

I was a "chipper" who fell into the habit as an adult. When my smoker-girlfriend moved in with me, I went from being the annoying guy who bums a smoke from you at a bar, to buying my own pack and smoking in my car on my daily commute to work. So I guess my addiction was still in its formative stage.

Anyway, I knew that both of us would need to quit together, it'd never work otherwise. But how? One day, she mentioned a holiday trip that was going to be a little pricey for us to swing; I said, "y'know, if we weren't blowing $(however)/week on this filthy habit, we could take that trip in a few months."

With that, we set a date to go cold turkey, and more or less stuck to it. (She's fallen off the wagon after a few drinks in a bar, but she never smokes in any other circumstances.)

[Dawgs]

65. Just quit one day...

The first few weeks are hard, but not impossible.

I haven't had a cigarette in 5 years.

[maxrandb]

66. Make a Private List of Reasons You Want to Stop

and share it with NO ONE.

Make an honest list. Some of the reasons you honestly come up with might be rather selfish and you may not want to share them with even your closest friends and family, such as:

1. I want to fuck like a "jackrabbit" into my 70's
2. I want to be able to climb a flight of stairs without losing my breath.
3. I want to pick up young college chicks and be able to screw my brains out.
4. I want to see my children grow up.
5. I want to be able to take my grandchildren to the beach and keep up with them.
6. I will use the money I save to buy that sports car I always wanted.

etc.

See what I mean about not sharing them??

Look at your list often. Also, I chewed on stick cinnamon. You can get this rather cheep in your grocery store spice aisle. I would use the stick cinnamon like a cigarette. It worked better for me than lollipops or gum, and a stick will last a long time.

[CantGetFooledAgain]

67. I posted this on another thread...

Make a promise to someone else that you will quit. Make it absolute. Use nicotine gum or some other method to help you over the cravings.

Do it cold turkey: decide in advance when your last cigarette EVER is going to be. Make it a memorable time (New Year's, birthday, or the like).

Then just do it. Ride out the cravings. Don't leave yourself open to the possibility of having even one more cigarette, ever, in your entire life.

The most important thing is to make it an absolute, serious, public committment to someone else. Maybe even more than one person, e.g., your spouse, parents, and children. Set up "check-ins" with them where you will be held to account for your success (or lack of) in quitting. Allow yourself even one cigarette and you will be smoking forever. Don't forget that.

Don't disappoint that person (people). You can do it. And you will be so proud of yourself.

Good luck.

[Walt Starr]

68. I quite smoking cirgarettes a little over six years ago

I stopped.

That's how I quit. I simply stopped.

No patch. No gum. No nothing.

I just stopped.

The first 72 hours was complete hell. I thought I was going to die. The next 72 hours weren't a lot better, the edge had just come off.

The month after that was bad. I kept having withdrawal and kept craving cigarettes.

The next six months were difficult, but I got through them.

To this day, I still find myself desiring the hand to mouth motion. some sort of oral fixation remains, even after six years.

I had started smoking at the age of twelve. I smoked for over twenty-five years. At my highest usage, I smoked two and a half packs each day.

[demnan]

69. I found that scaling down gradually worked best for me

First I went to the lightest cigs I could get at the time. Then I cut my daily dose in half every two weeks. By the end of two months I had 4 tasteless stale cigarettes in the pack which I threw away.

I chewed gum (the regular kind, this was before the nicotine gums) and I took up knitting to keep my fingers busy.

[wicket]

70. My bf went cold turkey

Good luck with this- it's never easy. :hug:

[Dorian Gray]

71. )

I quit 5 months ago. I had kept putting it off, making a "final smoking date" for myself each time. Then, one day, my husband got strep throat. I found that I didn't smoke at home (and since I work from home, I was here a lot) out of sympathy for him. I had one a day for three days in a row. I thought to myself, "If I can have only ONE cigarette a day, then I can have none." So, I bought some nicorette gum and just did it.

I didn't think about it long term. I just took it one day at a time. Now, I am five months gone, and it really helps. I only stayed on the Nicorette for a week and a half, and now I sometimes take it if I have an overwhelming desire for a cigarette. (Which means I have to carry it with me when I go to a bar. Or if I go to Atlantic City or Vegas!)

Also, think about how much money you save each day! Here, in NYC, packs run abou $7.50 each. So, if you buy a pack a day, that's $75.00 in ten days! It's crazy money! That made the decision a lot easier for me!

[cmd]

74. With the greatest love and compassion

I have to tell you this. You stink! You walk into a room and I can smell you as soon as you walk through the door. You can't cover it up with perfume or aftershave. You can shower all you want, but if you don't put on completely new clothes, you are still going to stink. Do you want to know how bad you smell? Take the contents of an ashtray and rub it on your forearm. You should get some idea of how you smell to non-smokers. Now do something about it! Quit that smelly expensive habit. Use that money to buy replacements for those shoes, belts, hats , etc. that harbor the stench of smoke. You will live longer, have more money and smell good. Best of luck to you.

[randr]

76. Just imagine all the fat republicans getting

rich on your purchase of tobacco.

[quisp]

77. I did it with Wellbutrin...

but you have to stick with the program and one course (4 weeks worth) might not do it. I was on it for 8 weeks.

But I just enjoyed my 4 year anniversary of being smoke free (after smoking 25!)

Put your mind to it and give it up. You CAN do it.

[Dora]

78. Self-Forgiveness

If you trip and have a smoke - then forgive yourself.

Caving to the craving and having one cigarette will never justify giving up quitting. Having one cigarette in a bar one night does not mean you have to go to the convenience store the next morning in order to buy a pack.

I bummed other people's cigarettes for six months after I quit smoking - then one day I lit up a smoke and it tasted like poop wrapped in paper. That did it for me.

Hang in there. Start setting aside the money that you would spend on cigarettes. Watch it add up.

[GoldenOldie]

85. Cold Turkey after being diagnosed with Larnygeal Cancer.

Spouse and I made a pact to quit smoking after 20-some years. He was successful and after 3-years I lit up one with some friends and I was hooked (if you are sucessful the first time, don't ever think that you can just have it one more time because it is like being an alcholic, one becomes a pack) again.

I was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx the vocal cords and my cancer treatment was unsucessful and I have had my vocal cords removed.. I now breath through an opening (stoma),in my neck and speak with a prothetis valve.

Since my surgery, 18 years ago, I have been speaking to young people and adult smoking groups on what I have learned about the tobacco industry and the poisonous chemicals which are contained in each cigarette you smoke.....I also show the audience my surgery and tell them what I have lost all due to smoking.

A previous poster mentioned the horrid smells of a smoker and the reason that tobacco users stink is because of the chemicals within the tobacco such as arsenic, formaldehye, ammonia, and numerous other foul smelling chemicals. They have discovered that this is the reason why second hand smoke......those that inhale the surrounding smoke from the actual smoker....has caused serious ailments to those that do not. Think of all the parents who hold their children or children in an enclosed environment such as a car and their parents are both smoking.

Do whatever it takes for you to quit, you and you alone must take control. I wish you success and a long life.

[PurityOfEssence]

81. Look yourself in the mirror and promise you'll NEVER have another again

Never, ever.

It's been twenty years for me, and although I did drink a lot of espresso in the first few days (caffeine is similar to nicotine) I didn't rely on anything else.

Do the things you used to do while smoking, just don't smoke.

You might want to stay away from smokers a bit, but you'll find the smell pretty revolting soon, if you don't already.

FYI: I smoked 2 packs of Camel Straights, Lucky Strikes or Viceroy filters a day and had tried to quit 3 times before. Mercifully, I was pretty young at the time, but had still been smoking for 10 years.

You don't need them. It's not like an eating disorder; one can live without smoking.

When you want one, take a nice breath of fresh air. If you start going nuts, IT'S JUST NOT AN OPTION. Ever.

We live in a society where we're suckered into thinking that there should be an easy way for everything. There isn't.

In a few months, you'll hardly think about it much. This is especially true if you were a heavy smoker.

Good luck; you'll get lots of support from people.

[Toucano]

82. Believe in yourself. Tobacco isn't stronger than you.

She's a tough bitch, but you can take her.

[guajira]

83. Greatest Help for Me -- DEEP BREATHING - LOTS OF OXYGEN

When I felt the urge to smoke, I relaxed and took deep breaths. In a few seconds, the urge subsided or went away.

Also tried to stay away from smokers as much as possible.

[youthere]

84. 1. Read EVERYTHING you can about quitting....

A good website is whyquit.com. It will increase your resolve and keep you busy NOT smoking.

2. ICE WATER-and lots of it. It will help you fight cravings and it will flush the Nicotene out of your system.

3. DEEP BREATHS- A typical "nic-fit" only lasts 2-3 minutes. It seems like hours when you go through it, but it really is only a couple of minutes.Battle the cravings one at a time..it's only a couple of minutes-you can do that, right?

4. SHOWER OFTEN-Again, it helps with the cravings, and as your body gets rid of the nicotene it will seep out through the pores in your skin..you'll smell it.

5. REFRAME YOUR THINKING-Instead of saying to yourself "I CAN'T have a cigarette" Remind yourself "I don't HAVE to smoke today." One enslaves you-the other EMPOWERS you.

6. ONE DAY AT A TIME-Don't worry about quitting forever...that's WAY too much pressure. You only have to get through TODAY. If you can't get through today, then just get through the next hour. If you can't get through the next hour, then just get through the next 10 minutes, then the next ten minutes, and the next...see my point?

7. TAKE IT EASY- At least for the first three days.This is an addiction...every bit as serious as alcohol, heroine, or meth-but most folks don't treat it that way (hence the high failure rate for quitting smoking)The physical withdrawal can be just as bad but thankfully it's shortlived (2-3 days). This is serious business. Let the laundry and the dishes go.
Ask a neighbor/friend/family member to walk the dog, or cook you a meal. You are detoxing and it is hard work. All your energy needs to be spent on breaking this addiction. Take sick days from work if you need to.

I wish you only the best. I'm not a smoker. I watched my father and my stepfather die from smoking related disease. Slow painful deaths. And currently my mother is battling lung cancer, so this has become sort of a crusade of mine. If you (OR ANYONE TRYING TO QUIT) need support PM me. I won't preach, I promise. I know what a horrible addiction this is, and how scary it is taking that first step- but I believe that you can do it. Stay strong.
youthere.

[4_TN_TITANS]

87. I need to quit too....

and these filters that I've started using might be what pushes me to do it. It's beyond gross what these things accumulate - in plain view, from just a handfull of cigarettes. They've done wonders for my cough, but if the filter gets too full and you get some of that tar on your tongue - mega-yuck!

Check out this tar jar for a little inspiration.....

http://www.mytarless.com/whytarless.htm

[Siena]

89. I quit smoking...

and the one and only thing that works is really, really WANTING to quit. Make a list of all the reasons you want to quit and whenever you feel weak, pop a piece of nicorette gum and read the list over and over again. I'm a firm fan of the gum - not chewing it religiously or anything. Just having a piece when you are about to rip your hair out and break down and go out and buy a cig. Good luck!

[Hobarticus]

90. I quit by buying a pack, having one smoke, and throwing the pack away

It fed my craving, but it also drove home how much it actually cost me.

When I got tired of paying several bucks for a single smoke, it made it a lot easier.

[TWiley]

91. This is how I quit.

I bought a carton,and quit when it was gone; I did not pick a day.

When the carton was gone, I went exclusively to the nicotine inhaler. After 2 months, I was tapered off to the point where I was leaving the inhaler in the car. I did not carry it anymore.

No matter how I felt, I did not blame it on a lack of cigarettes. I just accepted the way I felt as just being the way it was that day, and for no apparent reason.

[Zorra]

92. Yep. Tell yourself you are not going to smoke anymore, and then don't

ever smoke again. The essential part of quitting is...not smoking.

Just use your will. Be strong.

Worked for me.

[emcguffie]

94. nicotine patches.

Hypnosis also helps. But nicotine patches are a necessity, if you are really addicted, as I was.

Took me a long time, but it's been 8 or 9 years now since I smoked.

I had to quit twice, too. But this time there's no way I'm going back.

[peacebaby3]

95. I went cold turkey but if that had not worked for me, watching my sister

die from lung cancer at the age of 45 probably would have. It was a really horrible death. I know many others are as well, but on a personal level for me watching her suffer for months was almost unbearable. I can't even imagine how horrible it was for her.

She died a little less than a year ago and she had quit somking (for good, no cheating) over 5 years before she was diagnosed. I quit about a year after she did (6 yrs. ago this Dec 31st/Jan.1st.)

I actually did it very ceremoniously at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, but only told the 2 good friends I was with and didn't make a big deal out of it. I just made sure I had one left at midnight, lit it up, and told them it was my last cigarette. I have very cool friends (both non-smokers) and they said, good for you and it was never mentioned again and I never smoked again. I didn't tell anybody else, but eventually they started seeing I was no longer smoking and would ask and I would tell them that I may have quit - LOL- for a while until I felt sure I had actually got the monkey off my back.

You have to make up your own mind to do it. It doesn't matter how many ppl. tell you to quit or tell you stories about their loved ones, it has to be your decision. It's hard. Even after 4 years and watching my sister die, there are still days when I get stressed that I would love to have a cigarette!It's something I have to work at everyday, but it is worth the work to me.

I don't really get into the telling ppl. to quit because it will kill you speech because when I used to smoke, it sort of irritated me to hear that over and over again because I knew it was bad for me and ppl. telling me didn't change my desire to smoke. I also fully admit that I was stupid for feeling that way, but that doesn't change the fact that it was the way I felt.

But, I do want to say this. When my sister was diagnosed, the Drs. believe she may have had the lung tumor for 3-5 yrs. They said if she had gotten a chest x-ray at some point during those years, it probably would have been caught earlier and would have been operable. With it being inoperable, the chance of survival is 1%. During a normal physical, you do not get a chest x-ray. You usually have to either request it or the Dr. would need to order it because of something he believes needs to be checked out. Anyone, particularly someone that currently smokes or has ever smoked, should get a chest x-ray once a year. Unfortunately, insurance will usually not cover the cost because they consider it unnecessary unless the Dr. orders it for medical treatment. You know the insurance companies don't give a damn about preventive care! It's a very important lesson I learned during this whole tragedy with my sister.

If you are trying to quit, good luck to you.

[seabeyond]

121. i am sorry for your loss with your sister

i am glad you quit. must be scary for you now though. what did your sister feel to make her go to the doctor. i got a chest xray, thought i was having a heart attack. surely they would have seen it then if they were looking at the heart. thinking i will see if i can get that xray from hospital and have a doctor look at it. just looking for information, if you are comfortable talking about it

[peacebaby3]

132. I'm thrilled that you ask. Thanks for the condolences.

My sister just had some chest pains one night and went to the emergency room. She had never even been in the hospital before this. She had one cavity in her entire life. One of the healthiest people I've ever known which in the end I think was a curse for her because she never really went to the Dr.

I would definitely recommend getting them to look at it again. I'm certainly no expert, but what could it hurt? Ask them directly about the lungs and if they could see a tumor if there was any growth.

My sister's tumor had gotten bad enough by the time they found it that that the x-ray tech basically diagnosed her, even though it was officially told to her that she "had a tumor" and probably "cancer" by the ER physician. She was referred the next day to an oncologist, who confirmed the diagnosis. After a PET scan, they found it had spread to the shin bones in her legs. Then a couple of months later (an error on their part caused this delay) they did an MRI and found it in the brain as well. By the time she passed away 10 months later, she had had 9 brain tumors which they tried to treat with radiation (From what I understand, chemo has no effect on the brain). The cancer had also spread to her arm/elbow, neck, shoulder, and ankles in the bone. The radiation had killed most of the bone marrow so she could no longer get any chemo treatments because it would have killed her so there was no way to stop the spread of the cancer and the radiation was slowly killing her as well. They finally stopped all treatment and she went into the hospital that week. They were not going to let her come home, but I begged them to and we got hospice (you can not use hospice until the person is no longer receiving any treatment) in and a morphine pump because the pain had gotten so terrible over the last few months. She lived one week after we got her back home. She passed away on Friday, August 27th of last year. (She was born on a Friday) The cancer had ravaged her body and her kidneys ceased to function. The last couple of days, she was not really there and she had conversations in languages that we could not understand. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy.

Sorry for the long reply, but double check that X-ray. It certainly can't hurt. It's probably not anything to worry about, but better to be on the safe side.

Edit: typo

[Kota]

96. I am on starting my fourth week on the patch. I still fight the

urge. I keep a cigarette on my deck and go out and take a puff. It lasts me all evening, during the day has not been a problem. Weekends I have tried lighting and relighting one and that helps.

[VOX]

97. If you drink socially, refrain. Nothing says "smoke" like a drink in hand.

I quit cold turkey about twenty years ago. I also radically lowered my alcohol consumption at the same time, as I found that I smoked like the Chicago Fire whenever I had just a sip of booze.

Hang in there -- it can be done. I have seen some serious smokers get off the chain. :thumbsup:

[YOY]

98. Try having a kid

That's why my wife and I are quitting.

[mirrera]

99. 3rd or 4th year quit now...long answer/long struggle

I think it will be 3 in January, but I have honestly lost track of it. I don't want anyone to think I was one of "those smokers"... you know, those people we hate that could take it or leave it? NO! I was destined to smoke through a stoma... I loved it!

I knew it was not a good thing to do, but I kept waiting for the magic "when you are ready " to happen. You know,
"How did you quit?"
"I don't know I was just ready to quit so I did..."

It wasn't happening.

I would quit and then steal butts off the street. Quit then lie.Quit then go to a gas station and bum a smoke...real casual like. Buy a pack then throw them out, then pick them back out of the trash. Wet them..then dry them in the toaster oven.

I liked to smoke! I smoked Camel straights or rolled my own...
SO for what it is worth this is how I quit:

I read some AA sayings and a few resonated with me. I REMEMBER them like this (they may not be exact)

1) "No one ever died from fat driving."

I always worry about my weight. I am not fat, but I am always 8 pounds more then I want to be. The only thing that changes is "where I want to be".

I had to give my self permission to be fat if that is what it would take...(I gained 4 pounds which I finally lost 2 months ago putting me back to being 8 pounds more then I want to be)

2) "If I don't take the first sip I don't have to worry about getting drunk."

I was always negotiating with myself. I would try to cut down and be down to like 3 a day. Some days it didn't work... by noon I would be up to 4 and the whole plan would be screwed. If I was at a party I might do a pack and then struggle for the next week to get back down to 10, then 5, etc. A constant cycle of inner hate, inner justification, blah blah blah blah. So much mental time was taken up with my smoking.

I decided that all I really needed to concentrate on was not doing this one behavior...cigerette to lip. (the first sip) If I didn't do that behavior, I could finally stop all the brain chatter.

That was no LITTLE behavior I was thinking...but in truth I really wasn't sure how big or little the behavior was, so I did what you were SUPPOSED to do according to all those self help books.

They always tell you to keep a diary of your cigarette use for a few days or a week. I always loved the "for a week" part because I would get this tremendous sense of relief...I can still smoke! I have permission, I am WORKING on something here...hello?

I never really wrote it down, I sort of...kept track..you know?

This time I did it...I don't know why. If I smoked I wrote it down. It was really more about when I took drags at this point because I had definitely cut down, and I don't care what anyone tells you...it helps. The less you smoke, the less triggers you have to deal with. Period. As an example of cutting down, I had stopped smoking in the house the day my first child was born...he's 17. I never smoked in people's houses...EVER. I was more of a go out on the porch or the back step or behind the car at baseball, light up, drag 3 or 4 drags, clip it and do it again later type of smoker.

What I discovered when I wrote it down...Oh wait...I kept it simple. I only wrote down when I smoked, what my activity was, and how long I smoked for. I DIDN'T write down "how I felt". I already knew how I "felt". I "felt" like having a smoke! And I definitely did not "feel" like writing a friggin diary. As a smoker I couldn't trust my "feelings" anyway. How we "feel" changes dramatically when the nicotine level drops. Another good reason for steadily and consistently cutting down in preparation for the big quit.

So what I discovered was this: I was starting and stopping EVERY activity with a short 60 second smoke break. EVERY activity. Before I start...smoke. Time to finish...smoke.

So now I knew the "BIG" behavior I had to give up. This 60 second punctuation to every thing I did in my life. I would have to learn a new and better SEGUE WAY.

I had a segue way problem!

I was afraid it was going to be really bad...

Really bad?

That is when I had my big epiphany. I think I may have read something, but the epiphany had to do with vanity and Chemo and losing my hair. I have really cool hair and with always being 8 pounds over weight, I NEED to keep the curls. So I started to think forget the cancer worry... if the smoking itself were the terminal disease (it can be), I imagined a somber faced doctor telling me I was facing Chemo Therapy, terrible pain and probable death because of my "smoking disease". Then I imagined the doctor all of a sudden offering an alternative protocol: I could save myself from pain and losing my hair if I did one thing...Give up this 60 second behavior that I was doing through out my day. I could feel the relief and joy of having this one chance be so achievable. Giving up the behavior! But still I asked my inner fake somber doctor,

"Will it hurt???"

"No, but it can be a little uncomfortable because you might feel bored, restless, hungry, sad, angry, and even...anxious."

So I had to prepare myself to feel whatever way I felt, but the deal would be that I would not have permission to do that cigarette to lip behaviour...period. No matter how I felt.

Get that? The behavior was not an option. not on the table...not a choice..no way.

All of a sudden my mind had a release. If it was not an option I didn't have to negotiate with my self. I just had to be willing to do what ever else I needed to do...temporarily.

As long as I continue to not do the behavior, my smoking disease will be in remission. Cancer? Hey anyone can get it. Not smoking helps the odds.

Did it hurt?

It was uncomfortable, but NOT painful.

I used some help. I had read somewhere that people who take a class, plus use Welbutrin, plus use the patch have a way higher success rate then those who don't. I had to ask my self if I was willing to give my self the best chance at being successful. If not, then why bother. I had to remember that success was me not being a smoker. Success was not necessarily about being happy. I had to be willing to live my life unhappy for a while, and have faith that happiness would return.

Delaying happiness is tough.

I signed up for the class—my second time taking one...I could have taught it my self but that is not the point—so that I would have an audience. I like to preform well in front of others so I knew it would make quitting at least POSSIBLE. I had done cold turkey with a class before but, at this point in my life I was unable to go even one day cold turkey by myself. I tried.

I got a prescription for Welbutrin, and bought a low dose patch, because I was smoking only about 7 cigarettes a day...but they were the GOOD ones. I had tried the patch before and it was too good. It made me not desire a cigarette and I felt unhappy because I enjoyed cigarettes. I was not ready to feel unhappy. I had no resolve to really give up the habit. This time I was really treating myself like a patient. Follow this, this, and this step. Worry about your feelings next year. Worry about your body next year.

The class gave me the strength to set a date...the Welbutrin allowed me to leave my car running in a parking lot full of teenagers while I went shopping for 20 minutes...I stopped taking it... the patch kept me on track without the crazies.

I set my quit day, and the night before, I did everything I could think of to enjoy my last smokes. I called my best friend from High School. We had a drink together on the phone and while we gabbed and gabbed I smoked and smoked. Many cigarettes. I then threw out the rest. I don't even think I wet them or anything. Either I was going to be true to my resolve or I was not. What I had realized is that If I have committed to not doing the behavior, I should be able to be around cigarettes. I might be mad or sad, or I might leave, but I won't do the behavior.

I woke early in the morning and put on the patch. The patch makes you feel like you do at the end of a smoking day when you have all that resolve to quit. You're thinking rationally and even feel a little euphoric with the relief that you have finally come to your senses. Without the patch you are craving nicotine, and just like a crack addict, your better thoughts are gone. You can deal with breaking the physical habit easier if your mind is straight. Once you have a handel on the fact that you really are done with smoking, you can deal with the withdrawal. I had minimal withdrawal because my patch was the lowest dose. Someone who smokes more would start higher and gradually move down.

I lived life at a "5" for the next 3 days. I wasn't in misery but things were strange. I asked my oldest Son,

"How do you finish a meal?"

I had no shut off. I was so used to just declaring to myself "meal over" and then capping off the desire for more food with a smoke.

He looked at me funny and said,
"Uh...you get up and do something else...?"

Big help.

For the next week I would peel and slap the patch, but It was the resolve to eliminate the behavior as an alternative to Chemo because the disease IS the smoking. That is the thought that really did it for me. In my mind I had been given a death sentence, and then a way out. I felt relief.

I even had a party for my husband's birthday, the day I quit , and at the last minute I realized one of the guys smoked Camel straights. It wasn't that hard, because the patch makes you feel like you have already had a cigarette. I had no trouble one week later stopping the patch. I knew I could put it back on again if I needed to, but by that time I was firm and did not want to start over.

If I got one of those BAD thoughts that used to de-rail me like,
"Everyone is gone you could smoke, no one will know...",
I handled it differently this time. Instead of moving to the next logical BAD thought of,
"how will I get a cigarette?"
my counter thought became,
"No, no you can't smoke because that would be doing the behavior. You are not allowed to do that behavior. You can do or feel anything else, but that behavior is not an option. Who cares if everyone is gone...you are still here and you are in charge of this whole messy thing!"
Sometimes I would throw in a few bad words.
It worked for me.

I have to say I am very lucky that NONE of my close friends or family smoke. NONE...except a cousin who shall remain anonymous...

I now enjoy a Martini, but did not drink the first year. I just did not enjoy a drink with out a smoke. Now I do.

I love coffee, but the first year I did not enjoy it as much as I do now.

I am living my life at a solid "9", but realize my "9" is like my weight. It is relative. My "9" is someone else's "10".

I read a great quote:

"Pity the poor addict for whom fresh air and clean water is not enough."

That is me.

One last thing that saved me. Essential oils. One of the things I hated was the smell of smoke on me. I would use all these great natural products and smell so good in the morning. By the end of the day had lost my sense of smell. The day I quit, I reveled in the realization that I could smell nice things all day. I would put a little grapefruit oil on my temples if I felt stressed. I experimented with various fragrances and it was the most energizing. I am now into a mixture of orange, vanilla and a SLIGHT drop of patchouli mixed in almond oil. I really feel like it helps me to celebrate the smoke free me.

Oh... how I gained the weight...

The car was a huge trigger for me (if I was alone!) because it was the only place I would allow myself a whole cigarette. I allowed myself, instead, to buy a cappuccino and a goodie anytime I wanted. That was the fat driving reference.

Also I bleached my teeth knowing that they would not be stained again.

Vanity really did it for me as a REASON to quit. The whole health thing I was always trying to counter with pithy statements like,
"Health?"
"The stress of you telling me to quit will kill me quicker!"
Or the always good ,
"Look at George Burns!"

Vanity...I smell better. My skin gets rosey...ROSEY!
I no longer have to worry about being the relative that "smells funny and has all those wrinkles"

I am trying to think of anything else...

nope, that's about it.

That is how I quit.



http://NoBullshiRt.com

[Monkey see Monkey Do]

100. Buy "Allen Carr's easy way to stop smoking"

It worked for me

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0140277633/102-4280746-3156116?v=glance

[Yellow_Dog]

106. Easy?

I really doubt it, I know nothing about the method, but I can guarantee that it is NOT easy.

Does it give you the tools to quit? Maybe it does, but the reality is, the individual, the person, is the ONLY one that can quit and take back control of at least this aspect of their life.

Buying a book that can give you the tools does make more sense than just buying a different nicotine delivery method (gum, patches, inhalers).

[Ms. Clio]

109. Uh, I only paid for a "different delivery method" for 5 months

Since then I have saved thousands and thousands of dollars.

That makes perfect sense to me.

[Twenty3]

125. Different delivery method

I don't know about anyone else, but I'll happily stay on the patch or gum the rest of my life, if that's what it takes. Of course it's a crutch. But it's a crutch without carbon monoxide, tar, etc., and it's also sugar-free, sodium-free and fat-free. And it doesn't stink, and it doesn't start fires or burn holes in things, and it doesn't do "second-hand" damage to anyone else. And it doesn't limit where I can go, and who'll hang out with me and who won't, and it doesn't get me nasty looks and comments behind my back that I can hear perfectly well, thank you. AND! it costs a small fraction of what smoking cost, especially if I use eBay.

I just never thought I'd see the day when I didn't have a cigarette sticking out of my face. I'm content!

[Yellow_Dog]

128. And I am free of even a crutch

Because I bucked up and just quit

I don't need my 'fix' from any source any longer, I can go anywhere I want and not worry that my supply of expensive 'crutches' will last.

True it is better than smoking, but nicotine is the easy addiction to break. The tough part of quiting is to quit the 'habit' of smoking, the when and where you always smoked. Your body will get over nicotine in a week or less, it takes much longer rid your mind of the 'habit' which is very much like the habit of playing with your hair or biting your finger nails, just a habit.

So now you have successfully defeated the difficult hurdle but wimp out at the easy addiction.

[Bluebear]

113. An EXCELLENT book. nt

[Ms. Clio]

101. The nicotine inhaler and Welbutrin for approximately 5 months

Cig-free for 6 1/2 years now.

on edit: The Welbutrin was a cheaper alternative to Zyban.

[Name removed]

102. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Ms. Clio]

108. Please remember your own advice next time you have surgery

Anesthesia is for LOSERS! Pain-killers are for punk-ass BABIES! Think of the money you can save on your hospital bill!!!

Are you a man or a MOUSE? You can KICK that pain's ASS--just grit your teeth, bite on a bullet, and bear down it, big boy!

[alfredo]

107. Cold Turkey. Caught a bad cold, so I figured that I'm feeling

miserable, might as well quit now. It seemed to mask the with-drawl symptoms.

If you fail, keep trying.


think of all those farm yard animals that have relieved themselves on the tobacco. Birds like to perch in the rafters of tobacco barns. Mice attract coyotes and owls. Coyotes are territorial, they will mark their territory. the bales of tobacco sitting on pallets on the floor seem to be perfect for such things. Of course the farmers dogs will remark the area when the Coyotes leave. Coyote Skat is a big problem in some farms.

[kittykitty]

110. READ for motivation: what happens to the body when you quit

http://www.avonhypnotherapy.co.uk/smokersbody.htm

This tell you what happens hour by hour and day by day as you quit.

My dad, who started smoking at age 9, quit cold turkey at age 67 when the doctor told him he was beginning to get emphysyma.

He kept an open pack of Camels on the desk so he could resist temptation.

[one_true_leroy]

111. play the guitar....

when i quit smoking, i was learning to play guitar. instead of walking outside for a cigarette, i'd stick around and practice. the most important thing was that i had my hands busy and full, and my mind was distracted from the craving. i'd occaisionally need a boost, so i'd 'dip' (i know, yuck, but desperation...). i quit in the winter, so these were much more viable alternatives to standing outside in the cold to smoke (which is another point... make yourself stop smoking indoors, even in bars). and i got to be a much better guitar player (try fingerpickin'! it really helps calm the cravings)

GOOD LUCK!!!

[Scout]

114. before you actually quit

start saving ashes and butts in a glass jar with a secure lid.

Put water in it, enough to make it soupy; put the lid on tight and shake it up a couple of times a day until you quit. Add more "slop" to it if you want it.

Keep the lid on tight and shake it once in a while once you reach your quit day. Store it someplace where it will NOT be likely to get broken.

When you just have to have a cigarette, go get the jar, shake it up, open it up, get close to it and smell it real good. Imagine that slop is what your lungs look like. That smell is your breath and your clothes, your hair, your house.

If you haven't puked yet, think really, really hard about your desire for a cigarette. Strengthen your resolve not to smoke! You are a smart, rational, thinking human being who will not be ruled by base cravings! Smell the jar again. Remember that smell. Close the jar tight and put it away in case there is a next time.

Think about being free of cigarettes ... you don't need to spend precious $, you don't need to always have a lighter, you'll feel better, you'll live longer, you'll set a better example for your kids, etc. Visualize a positive outcome, you are smoke-free!

Repeat as necessary.

[Eloriel]

115. An herbal cessation program that worked miraculously for me

I quit on Dec. 10 and only had about SIX (count 'em, SIX) actual nicotine cravings since then. They have a money back guarantee, so it's risk free. I would say that you need to really be committed to quitting, tho, else NO program will work for you. After all this time I still now and then "reach for" a cigarette -- when frustrated, mad, etc. -- but it passes very quickly and isn't that strong to start with. Even the actual nicotine cravings weren't THAT strong and passed quickly.

I couldn't recommend it more highly. It also helps remove some of the toxins, which I would think would help prevent the cancer. I am thinking about buying some more of the 3rd phase of the program, the "Maintenance" to do some more detoxing. I smoked for a long, long time.

Independence Smoking Cessation
http://viable-herbal.com/blends.htm

[lonestarnot]

117. Yes, KO said get cancer, then you'll have cancer and have to quit at the

same time....or you could just quit now and not have cancer from cigarettes, but from something else. Shit, I dunno...I'm also a smoker and tried to quit tonight until I sat down and started reading!

[Baconfoot]

119. Cold Turkey and a COMMITMENT to never smoke a single cig. again. Ever. NT

[BlueStateBlue]

120. I did cold turkey for 3 days, then the gum for about 2 weeks until I

overdid it the first time I drank. Then I went back to cold turkey, and the rest is history. Just passed my 7 year anniversary...

[Oerdin]

123. Cold turkey here.

I only smoked for around six months though while I was living over seas so it was relatively easy to quit once I returned home.

[duhneece]

124. Let the meaning, tune & the words of "I"m Free" by the Who go through you

Let the realization that you'll be free, no longer a slave, bring you delight...reframe the notion that you'll be depriving yourself into that sense of being free...I would picture myself flying free.
Think of the very worst case of flu you had & accept that your first 3-6 weeks may mirror that kind of being sick.
Walk, walk & then walk some more. Good exercise & the rhythmic motion helps with the emotional sense of loss.

[BikeWriter]

126. I quit buying them thirty + years ago. I just stayed busy, and...

refused to buy anymore for myself.

[mrdmk]

127. It is easy to quit smoking, I have quit a thousand times

Sorry, had to say it. I quit cold turkey one time early in my life around the age of 23 for over 6 years then my life got real screwed-up and started again. The next time I quit was when I was very sick with pneumonia. That was at the age of 43 or so. I have been smoke free for approx. 2 years. Yeah, Yeah! Once a drug addict always a drug addict and staying off is not easy. One just needs to keep in mind it does not look cool to smoke, life does continue after you do quit smoking and that part about money going to the Republicans is a sure deterrent. It is a matter of mind over will and what is important to you.

[w8liftinglady]

130. I used the patch

actually,when I first tried,i had to use 2 patches.The only time it really was tough was when I was driving ... dallas traffic will drive anyone to smoke,drink,etc.I smoked 2 packs a day for almost 15 years.

[CWebster]

131. Took me half the years I smoked to quit.

Finally the day came where I could get that distance between being a smoker and not. Took years to reach that day. Start now and never look back.

[laureloak]

133. Long post on how I quit, almost effortlessly, with the patch.

All the work is in the planning.

1)First, I had to accept that "will power" doesn't matter but determination does. To build up my determination, I read everything I could get my hands on about the consequences of smoking and techniques to quit. I got a new legal pad and and made notes. I made lists of why I wanted to quit, what I liked about smoking, how much money I spent on smoking, etc. For a week or so I wrote down everything I could find or think of about my smoking habit and ideas for breaking it.

2)Next, I planned out my first day as a non-smoker in great detail. I gave much thought to what would encourage me and what would weaken my resolve. I'd tried to quit many times and I know what my thoughts would be so I wrote down the self-talk to use during weak times. I decided to spend the first day changing around the furniture in both my office and home. That would keep me moving, busy and it would help me to have a fresh start.

3)I purchased 24-hour nicotine patches-the strongest there is. I recommend the 24-hour patch because you take the old one off and slap the new one on without a window for possible cheating. I called the manufacturer and asked for stop smoking recommendations and got some good advice.

4)I set the date to quit. My plan was to smoke all the cigarettes I had the night before so I would be sick of the smoke. I made sure all cigarettes & butts were out of the house and car.

5) I got up on the chosen day, slapped on a patch, and went about rearranging furniture and cleaning. I was amazed that it worked so easily. Each day that I went without a cigarette compounded my resolve to quit. I was on the strong dosage for 1 week, the next strength for 2 weeks, and the lowest dosage for 1 week before I got off the patches entirely. Each time I went to a weaker patch I would get mild cravings but I never let myself toy with the idea of smoking another cigarette. For cravings, use the 3 D's - Distract, Drink water, Divert your attention.

6) The very important final step: I began to think of myself as a non-smoker.