Two days without a cigarette and I'm a train wreck.

[backtoblue]

I'm doing this cold turkey and I can't have any alcohol for the time being because that will make me want a smoke even worse.
Chewing gum, biting my nails, and being an uncharacteristic biatch to random strangers.
Help!!!
To those of you who have quit---When will the knot in my stomach go away???

[LeftinOH]

1. Try sticking a pretzel stick or pretzel rod in your mouth. You can't light it up,

but it's low in fat -and you can even shake off the "ashes" (crumbs). I quit smoking years ago, and I still do this.

[backtoblue]

2. That's not a bad idea

And I can still hold it between my fingers like a smoke.
Thanks!

[tk2kewl]

5. carrot sticks work too

:hi: Good luck! It's the best thing you can for yourself.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

3. It does get better

I quit a long-time, 2 pack a day habit cold turkey in June 2002.

I didn't have a "last cigarette." At some point after the cigarette that turned out to be my last, I just said "that's it."

My advice, based on my own experience, is don't substitute one habit for another (like chewing gum). What that does is hold the addiction in place (reach for a cigarette, reach for gum, you're reaching...you need to break the need to "reach").

At the time, I lived in an apartment building. What I'd do if the monkey started digging his claws into my back was to walk out the front door, down the stairs, and walk a lap around the complex (maybe 1/2 mile). It would clear my head, blow out a bit of stress, and I'd re-focus on the task at hand.

Can't answer the "when" question...it's different for everyone...but I can tell you that my doctor applauded the cold turkey approach and said that it's the only real way to quit. 9 years later, he's still right.

Hang in there. DU has your back...post here any time you need some encouragement.

:hi:

[backtoblue]

4. Thank you!

Congrats on your success!
Hopefully some of it will rub off on me!
;-)

[Shagbark Hickory]

6. Straws. Deep breaths. Water and Wrigley's.

And just a word of caution, don't chew too much gum with Sorbitol in it. It will give you explosive diarrhea and that will make you want to smoke. And don't do too much that makes you think for now. Just chill out on the sofa. Just as if you were trying to recover from being sick.

[Incitatus]

7. Mine peaked at about two weeks.

It really sucks and took me many attempts over several years. I have tried several products but in the end cold turkey was what did the job.

I always found something to stress and get pissed off about. The last time I tried focusing all of that anger on the cigarettes themselves instead of some issue that made me want to smoke to feel better. The cigarettes were the reason I was feeling that way. That seemed to help.



good luck

[Maraya1969]

8. It is just a feeling and a feeling can't hurt you.

[LiberalAndProud]

9. May you be successful.

Wishing you willpower, or whatever. Allow yourself to rage and cry.

Best of luck in this battle.

[backtoblue]

16. thank you

:hi:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. Get pissed off at the cigarette companies!

Those people want to kill you and take your money!

Hang in there...it does get better...

You're doing something really good for your health, and your budget.

Try putting the money you would have spent in a jar or someplace visible, and watch it add up...

And then do something nice for yourself!

Good luck!

:hi:

[Iggo]

11. About 3 weeks, and it's 90% gone.

Light exercise, like walking and riding a bike, helped me through the worst of it.

And let me tell you I did a LOT of walking and riding the bike.

My plan was: Want a cig? Walk around the block. Still want one? Do it again.

What you want to be careful about is overeating. I wasn't.

Good luck.

[MrsBrady]

12. my husband switched to sunflower seeds

it's been years since he's smoked, but he told me when he first quit
smoking that he would stop and get sunflower seeds and something to drink.


edit: good luck :hi:

[Gidney N Cloyd]

13. Went cold turkey in April 2002. The first 3 days are the tough ones.

It's the first three days when your body is actually detoxing and physically reacting to the lack of nicotine.

Right after that, some people get a kind of nice 'high' that comes and goes for a couple days.

For now, those who suggested you get up and move around are right. Try walking off the jitters.

My best recommendation is that in a few days, when you're clean and feeling cocky and thinking you could sneak a smoke safely, remember how crappy you feel right now and ask yourself if you ever want to go through it again.

[myrna minx]

14. I went cold turkey Jan 25 2009. I though I was going to lose my mind.

Remember to breathe. Purse your lips and breathe as if you're taking a drag. Your withdrawal pangs will subside in a minute, but that minute will seem like forever. Remember, that you'll have withdrawal symptoms whether you stop smoking or not, so just keep going! It takes time to overcome your triggers, but you can do it. I was the kind of smoker that would swim and smoke, so if I can do it so can you!!

On edit - whenever I thought I was going to give in, I took a walk around the block. It really helps.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

15. The worst is over in about a week or two

I still want a cigarette occasionally, but I don't think I could smoke just one, so I don't.

Also, I don't want to go through week one again, with the feeling of bugs crawling on my face, so I avoid that one cigarette.

It's been about 12 years.

Good luck.

If you dream that you smoked, don't beat yourself up for failing. It was only a dream.

:hi:

[Arkansas Granny]

17. The first few days are the hardest. Hang in there. I took up knitting again

because doing something with my hands seemed to help occupy my mind and keep me from automatically reaching for a ciggie. The hardest time for me was right after a meal. Taking a walk was good.

I had smoked for 40+ years and it took a week or so for the craving to lessen. I also did it cold turkey. It wasn't easy, but you'll be so proud of yourself when you get there. Good luck!

[Tikki]

18. Because they couldn't lie about the health issues anymore...the

Tobacco Industry started this theme that stopping
smoking was so difficult, nearly impossible.
Farthest from the truth..

Smoking is not like breathing...IT IS A HABIT.
Like any habit...it needs to be broken or the habit will
continue until you can no longer physically be able to
accomplish it or you die or you just get sick and frickin'
tired of the filthy habit.

Answer to your question" Three weeks or so. Work your motivation daily, hourly if needed.

I was strongly motivated to quit because I was sad to run out side and shut
the door behind on my sweet little 1 year old grandson. He looked so lost on
why I had to go outside without him. I felt so stupid and guilty for doing that.

I quit over 7 years ago and he will never remember me smoking.


Tikki

[valerief]

25. OMG, that's what I tell people!!! It's not really, really hard to quit unless you BELIEVE IT.

I didn't believe it. I just had to avoid smokers to make it work. I moved out of Cigaretteville.

But you're right. The brainwashing that it's SO HARD TO QUIT is harder for some people to kick than the actual smoking habit itself!

[OriginalGeek]

19. I quit on April 20th, 2003

after having been as much as a 3 pack a day smoker.

It was just too expensive and I was tired of being a slave to the thing. CONSTANTLY worrying about my next smoke - will I be in a place where I can get away? Will it be raining? lol...and worst of all is I pretty much ran out of breath reaching for the TV remote.

So I got REALLY lucky and my company decided they wanted to help smokers quit and the put their money where their mouths were and subsidized Nicotine patches for us so that they didn't cost any more than a carton of cigs. I figured I'll probably never get a better deal than that so i started buying cartons of patches and just a pack of cigs. I smoked with the patch on but found I had an easy time of not smoking anywhere near as much. I quickly got down to one a day and then one day I woke up and realized I hadn't had a cigarette the day before. I kept using the patch for a few more weeks and one day I was getting ready for bed and realized I had forgotten to put on my patch. That was it. I quit.

For many years I didn't get anywhere near smokers but now it barely registers and it doesn't bother me to be around them.

HOWEVER, in the last year or two I have had 4 or 5 cigars and I intend to have a couple or so every year as I feel like it. IF that kills me then so be it.

I'm not worried about picking up the whole habit again though as my cigar experiments have been a success and my wife would kill me before the cigs did.

[zanana1]

20. Can you get the patch?

They really take the edge off. I wouldn't have made it through without them.

[Auggie]

21. Throw a tantrum aimed at Tobacco Companies

Worked for me. Seriously.

[applegrove]

22. I quit three years ago. I've never regretted it an only rarely have mild craves. It is wonderful.

Try the "quitnet.com" ..... imagine a discussion forum with thousands of current quitters like you!

[valerief]

23. Tomorrow you'll be fine. Keep your mind busy. Stay active.

This is the best thing you can do for yourself. You'll be thanking yourself (yeah, kinda schizy, I know) in the future. Be careful not to slip at the three-week point. Avoid smokers. Learn to hate cigarettes. HATE. Like they're tools of the fascists.

I always think the best way to end an old habit is to start a new one (or new hobby). And remember how sweet you'll be smelling. Actually, in time, you'll find your sense of smell will improve so much you'll think you can smell like a bloodhound. Bad side of this is you'll notice how unbelievably horrible lots of colognes smell.

It's been over a decade for me. No regrets. No slip-ups. I can even drink without craving a cigarette, but I rarely drink now, so it doesn't matter.

[WCGreen]

24. It gets better.....

[ellisonz]

26. Use the patch.

I'm smoke free 45 days.

It really does help.

[kwassa]

27. Quitting is the best thing you will ever do for yourself

and one of the hardest things, but worth the pain.

It took me multiple tries to quit, but I finally did, and it has been 27 years without smoking or cravings.

[hibbing]

28. my two cents

Hi,
I was dumb enough to actually start smoking as an adult. Started just with friends who smoked and I would bum them from them. I quit about 6 years ago, everyone has different approaches. What I did was slowly eliminate one of my smoking times, after dinner for example. I slowly reduced and then one day had my last one walking home from my bus stop and said screw it, I'm done.

Even after this time, the smoke after work was always my favorite and I would get that craving every once in awhile for years after I quit. I have not had that the last few years even after the most stressful day at work.

Not every method works for everyone as you can tell from this thread. But slowly weening myself down to like two a day eventually worked for me.

Good luck, and peace

[astral]

29. I had a very hard time quitting too, but it was in 2000, and I did it.

I was struggling with stopping / starting / fretting over it for about six years before somehow it stuck. Yep, don't ever let your mind trick you into thinking "just one cigarette" will be okay, it isn't. Dirnk lots of fresh water, get lots of fresh air and walks (or whatever way you like to be active), and give yourself a big BREAK over it being hard, be nice to yourself because it is the most important thing you can do for yourself.

For some of us it's harder than others, and it DOES get better, but for me, the day never came when I didn't ONCE IN A WHILE think a cigarette would be nice, and sometimes it actually smells good to me when I am around someone else who is smoking, but only right at that moment they're lighting up. (The way things go, that doesn't even happen that often anymore as there's not too many legal places to even relax and have a smoke anymore!)

Hang in there, you've got what it takes, and yes you will feel SO much better when you realize you are no longer ENSLAVED by the craving.

[MerryBlooms]

30. 3 months for me - patch/lozenge. You can do it!!!

I tried the patch, but the nightmares left me sleep deprived. I switched to the lozenges and they work just as well for me, sans nightmares.

Hang in there!

[rurallib]

31. Deep breathes when a craving hit helped me to success

about ten of the deepest breathes you can manage - made my cravings go away.

[Deep13]

32. Another day.

I understand nicotine detox takes about three days.