Need Advice!!!! People who quit something and succeeded

smithsusan961

I quit smoking 30+ years ago. I used the patch and it took A LOT of effort. It was hard but WELL worth it. I smoked 2 pack a day and because I did not sleep well I was smoking at night. Smoking was harder to quit than sugar, coffee, McD's, and 20 other bad foods.

You hold the power to never smoke again. Never think "I can have just a puff" It does not work and you will have to fight again to gain your freedom.

I wish you the best.

BarbaraBeasley

The doctor had prescribed medication to help my mother successfully quit smoking after smoking for over 20 years. I wish I knew the name of the medicine but I am sure your doctor can assist with the right medicine if that is something you are interested in (there are several). The medicine somehow made her not crave/want the cigs anymore.

Before she was prescribed the medicine, she took up occasional vaping when cravings got bad. It somewhat helped. I know vaping has its own issues, but it is better than picking up cigarettes during the weak moments. I AM NOT SAYING YOU SHOULD GIVE IN and vape, but it helped her. You can buy different vaping thingy's with different nicotine levels to wean off nicotine. I am not familiar with vaping, I just remember her talking about it. So, you will need to do your own research.

kraft024

I quit smoking cigarettes by letting myself smoke marijuana instead, as often or as much as I wanted to smoke. Worked like a charm

ginnirad

I have accepted the fact that I'm not able to enjoy sweets in moderation. Others may enjoy a slice of cake once a week, or two cookies every day. Not me. Once I eat something sweet, I just crave more. I'm living with a sugar addition. I've lost 26 lbs. by enjoying bacon and eggs, full fat salad dressing, and real butter on my vegetables, while having no sugary food at all. Once or twice a week I'll have a small potato or a sandwich on bread. No rice or pasta. I do enjoy a small portion of Carb Smart "ice cream" most days, topped with sugar free, full fat, aerosol whipped cream and chopped walnuts. I've talked with my doctor about this, and consulted a cardiologist too. Since my arteries are clear; no plaque, a sugar free diet with satisfying amounts of dietary fat is better for me. The benefit is greater for me than the risk. Not for everyone.

Megan_smartiepants1970

I smoked for many many years ... I ended up in the hospital with the flu that turned into pneumonia for 10 days back in 2019 ... I have not had a cigarette since ...You can do this ... May I suggest the book called https://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/0615482155.. It helped me tremendously .... Good luck

Alchy22

I was a hard core smoker. Started at 14 years old. Smoked average 1.5 pack a day.

The key for me was to really be convinced that it will not change anything to my state of mind and that is not a pleasure at all.

"It will not make my life better".
We all know that (duh), but when it is not enough for stopping, it is to don't start again....

So one day I put some patches on and stopped.
For 4 days it was a bit hard but not really.
Then 3 weeks after I was barely thinking about it because I knew "it will not make my life better".

Stopped the patches after 2 month.
Few craving of 20 seconds here and there. Love to have friends smoking around me haha. Still do

10 month later, I never think about it (truly amazing to me, I was really smoking a lot).

Down side? +12 kilos. But I knew it, so that's fine.
That's also why I am on Fitness Pal hehe
And in 2 month I should be back in shape!

Oh and : I know that if I take one puff one day, Ill smoke again. That also I am convinced.
Since then I had quite difficult time and stress (and lots of parties) and I hold it Because "it will..."

Pumibel

I quit smoking 20 years ago as a birthday present to myself. I had been telling myself for ten years that I would quit by the time I was 30, and even though I had quit for extended periods before, during my basic training and pregnancy, I started again afterwards. I was actually successful when my goal date came around. Maybe setting that goal had partially psyched me for the final split. I used patches at first, but after I kept forgetting to apply them, I just went "cold turkey" and saved the money.

Here is something I think is very important to know: Don't expect to feel better right away. The first months are rather rough because on top of the cravings, your body begins to expel the toxins that have been building up the whole time that you were smoking (it was 11 years worth for me at the time). I felt run down and congested for 4-6 months, and I was in very good shape at the time since I was on active duty and worked out most days of the week. To help repair my system, I started to work out even harder, drink more water, and take vitamin supplements. I still gained some weight (15-20 lbs), but once I didn't have cravings for nicotine, I was able to lose the weight by focusing more on my diet. That first year was challenging, but the actual cravings went away fairly quickly.

After going through all of that, there was no way I would go back to smoking. I can't stand smelling it now, and I have no desire to have a puff.

Edit: I should also tell you that I still have dreams that I have had a smoke and wake up ashamed of myself until I realize it was just a dream. It's very weird, but maybe others have had the same thing.

Cant_think_of_a_username

I quit drinking alcohol after eating and drinking myself into a gout attack. It wasn't easy, as home brewing craft beer was my main hobby at that time and I had to get rid of all my gear and have a rethink. For a couple of years I'd get the occasional craving where I really fancied and ice cold brew on a hot day etc but over time that faded to the point I never give it a second thought now.

It was a bit difficult for a while when others around were doing the old "just have one, it won't do any harm" routine - but I had the memory of the pain of a gout flare up in my mind as a deterrent.

ramsey941

I didn't quit smoking, but I did quit eating cookies, candy, cake, ice cream, anything like that. When I began I wanted to give that all up in part as a form of solidarity with my husband who was quitting smoking, but unfortunately he reverted, but I've still continued. As of tomorrow, It will be 5 years since I have had any sugary sweets. I was completely addicted to sweets and sugar and went through similar detoxing experiences that my husband had experienced quitting smoking. But the hardest part was the cravings. Out of nowhere I would get these cravings that my mind would nearly obsess over. I couldn't stop thinking about it, wanting something sweet, and I would get more and more agitated by continuing to tell myself no and not being able to stop thinking about it. I found out, if I said what I was thinking out loud, something like, "I really want some ice cream, chocolate with reese cups" and going on to describe exactly what I wanted, somehow just saying it literally outloud helped to "exorcise" the craving out of my train of thought and I was able to finally move on. I'm 5 years in and I still have tough days.

cjdavis0627

I quit smoking around 14 years ago. I'm not gonna lie, it was hard. Even now, I still think "what if I just had one?" then I have to remind myself how hard it was when I quit. It has to become a choice not to smoke. I used patches for a couple of weeks, but didn't like the way those made me feel. Best wishes to you!

kristenm214

I quit smoking in March 2015.

I had been trying to quit for a while, but always failed. In March of 2015 I lived across from a 7-11 and saw the same guy at the counter everyday. One day he asked who the cigarettes were for. When I said me, he told me I smoked too much. It took a stranger to point it out. And he didn't say it in a shaming manor, but I definitely felt shame.

What helped me to stay quit was also quitting coffee. For me cigarettes and coffee went hand in hand and I couldn't have one without the other. So I gave up both. I also would brush my teeth as soon as I woke up. I needed something to replace what I did as soon as I got up.

Hope this helps! Good luck!

JodiSW

I quit smoking almost two years ago after smoking a pack a day for about 20 years. I'd tried to quit cold turkey a few times and it didn't work. This time I used a multifaceted approach and it was much easier.

• Medication: Varenicline. Health insurance covered it completely, so free.
• iCanQuit app. Free app from University of Washington, research based.
• becomeanex.org. Forum of people in various quit stages.

I also changed my thinking. I can never smoke again, even a drag of someone else, unless I want to end up back where I started. When I think, "I want a cigarette" I follow that up with "No, what you want is to never smoke again. What's happening is that you're craving a cigarette - and having a cigarette isn't the solution to that problem. It's actually the CAUSE of the problem."

That's how I stopped and have stayed stopped - so far, so good! Good luck. You can do it. Lots of people have.

tandycorbin

I quit smoking in 2013. I started at 15 in 1982. I can't say I really planned on quitting. I ran out of cigarettes one day and wasn't able to get more until over 24 hours. I kept having the mindset that I already had one day under my belt and if I really wanted one I could have one tomorrow. I found an app for my phone called Quit Now! It kept track of how many days it had been, how much money I was saving and what health benefits I was getting as the days ticked up. I'll tell you I looked at that app 50 times a day and asked myself if it was worth going back to zero. I found that using a cinnamon stick was useful in over coming the hand to mouth habit. The first 6 months was really the hardest. I had terrible nightmares for a couple months (but maybe that was just me, because I never heard anyone else have that issue). I really felt like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs for quite a while, but I kept checking that app. I'm a fairly competitive person and I just could not tolerate the idea of going back to zero.
I also needed something for my hands to do when the urge came up, so I checked out a knitting video on youtube and made the world's worst scarf. I would just knit a couple rows until the urge passed. I think they call that urge surfing. It might not be knitting for you, think about origami, a hand puzzle- like a Rubik's cube or a brain teaser puzzle, get some rope and learn some knots, if you like fabric you can learn to make yoyo's, or heck, get a real yoyo and learn a few tricks. Just find something that you can keep with you so that when the urge happens you can refocus your brain on this other activity.
It's been 3670 days since I ran out of cigarettes. I've save over $14k. I would have to say it was one of the hardest things I ever did and without a doubt one of the best things I ever did too!
Good luck!

Jthanmyfitnesspal

@springlering62 has great advice above. Start thinking about your habit. Write in a journal: why do you smoke? How does it feel?

Let me add that a common method for changing habits is to create a contract with yourself: Start as above by coming up with the reasons you like the habit. When and why do you smoke and what does it do for you? How does it make you feel good?

Now, what are the reasons you want to stop? Be as specific as possible. What things about smoking do you not like?

Write up a document with your reasons for quitting. Pick a date. Sign the contract. When you feel weak, go back to your journal. Review your reasons for quitting. How are you feeling about them now? Has anything changed? (Usually not.)

BTW: If it isn't obvious, this works even better in conjunction with 1-1 weekly therapy, if you can swing it financially.

Astropia

Two packs a day for 20 years. Tried quitting hundreds of times with about 10 quits of a month or longer.

Finally realized I was really good at quitting and decided to put my efforts there. Every night, no matter what, I put my "last" packet of cigarettes under a faucet, scrunched them up and dropped them in the trash.

For a while, the next day I would panic and buy another pack. But over time the panics started to diminish. Then I was able to explore what being smoke free really felt like and — in the absence of the little panic attacks — realized it didn't feel too bad.

Ultimately the day came when I stopped completely. That was June 6, 2004.

Mouse_Potato

I was a pack a day smoker for 17-18 years. I quit using Chantix, but I also took a few steps before I started it.

First, I started breaking my triggers. Like, I stopped smoking in my car. I was allowed to have a cigarette when I got to work, but not until then. So, my car quit being a trigger. I quit smoking after meals. Made myself wait half an hour. Same goal.

I read up on the benefits timeline for quitting smoking. "After x number of days/weeks this happens." That helped keep me motivated. I tried reading up on all the bad stuff smoking does to the body, but that just stressed me out and made me want to smoke more. Scared straight doesn't work for all of us.

Finally, I reminded myself that smoking actually does nothing for me. It just scratches an itch that was artificially created in the first place. It took about 6-8 months for the last cravings to go away.

It will be fifteen years in May since I had my last cigarette.

Corina1143

A friend, so I don't know the whole story, and his wife both smoked. They both tried and failed several times to quit. Then one day they decided to quit together. They took Chantix. They both succeeded. He said the Chantix helped a whole lot, but the wholehearted support helped more. Is there a smokers anonymous?

cmurphy0805

I quit a pack a day habit twelve years ago. I had an upper respiratory infection and when the doctor gave me a breathing test, she told me I was only a couple of points away from emphysema. I lost my job and took a lower paying job, then didn't feel like I could justify the expense. I asked my dr for a prescription for Chantix. On Chantix, you're supposed to quit after a week. I quit except for two at night which I continued for a couple more weeks. Then I wanted to quit taking Chantix but I knew if I didn't give up those last two, all the time and effort was wasted. The poster who said you can't ever have another cigarette is right. Unfortunately, addicts can't use their substance in moderation and ALL smokers eventually become addicts. For probably a year after I quit, I would still want one at odd moments (usually when I saw someone else smoking) and had to tell myself, "No. That monkey is off your back and you're never letting him back on!"

xbowhunter

I quit my daily alcohol habit cold turkey.

I had enough of feeling lousy every day and that motivated me big time.

I will still have a drink if it's a special occasion but am noticing I don't enjoy drinking at all anymore.

Jthanmyfitnesspal

I forgot to mention that I did quit smoking at one time. I should say that I started smoking at about 16y and quit at about 19y. This was all decades ago in the 70s, when a lot of 16ys smoked. I recall that it was hard! It helped that I moved from a group of friends that smoked to a group that didn't, so I stuck out as a smoker. I decided to quit at the beginning of the summer and I remember struggling with it for some time. Again, I thought it over, made a plan, picked a date, and then did it! I recall that I did a lot of cycling that summer, and got into much better shape. So quitting smoking had an immediate payoff. And I have never regretted that choice!

I've also been doing months-long alcohol-free periods regularly in the past many years. Getting psyched up to do one is similar: You think it over, write your reasons down (if it helps), pick a date, and go!