smoking
ironrat79
Posts: 273 Member
It's a fact, I can walk away from anything EXCEPT cigarettes. Anyone else with this problem or have a solution? Please share and support. Feel free to add me
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Replies
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I am having the same issue. Though the more I work out, the less I want to smoke.0
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It's my down time that gets me. As long as I'm active, I don't think twice.0
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I am having the same issue. Though the more I work out, the less I want to smoke.
This is how I felt a year and a half ago when my partner and I actually succeeded with quitting. I upped my cardio, I liked the high the adrenaline would give me and I wouldn't feel as much the need to 'relax' and have a smoke after a work out, and I practically drowned myself chugging water for weeks. Smoking on a stomach full of water made me nauseous. We also tried the patch (i broke out in hives) and the inhaler which tasted like insta death and not worth it but in the end we just quit cold turkey. Being a social chain smoker though I did find I had to remove certain friends/ family out of my life for a couple months since being around them made the temptation unbearable but now have no issues when they feel their need, I just choose not to be anywhere near it now as I can't stand the smell any more.
Good luck!0 -
I've been struggling to quit for the last month or so. It's getting easier to cut back as I work out more, but downtime is also when I get weak about it.
It works differently for everyone, but I've had success in cutting out the ones I think I 'need.' The cigarette before work, the cigarette when I'm stuck in traffic... every cigarette you don't smoke is a step closer to being healthier. I've cut back enough that tomorrow, I plan to wake up and not smoke at all. After 72 hours, I won't be chemically addicted, and will get my dopamine fix solely from exercise.0 -
I posted this somewhere else today, sorry for the length but it's just a few things I learned when after I quit a couple of years ago...
1 - Remember that you're addicted to nothing else but the nicotine. Everything else is just carbon monoxide and tar. There's nothing else in cigarettes that you're addicted to, not even the habit of taking a few minutes at a time in isolation to smoke. Nor is it the physical hand movements of putting that cigarette to your mouth and inhaling. It might seem like that is the case sometime, but trust me it's not. All that's happening is your brain is associating the good feeling it gets when you give it nicotine - and it's actively allowing you to make up more and more excuses to smoke.
2 - You have two different types of nicotine craving. The first is the continuous, weak craving that makes you want to always give the body more nicotine. These can be easily managed by willpower alone. The other craving - the occasional strong urge for nicotine that comes when your mood changes - is the one that's more tricky to overcome. It can still be controlled if your willpower is strong enough, but you should take precautions...
3 - Buy a nicotine substitute to use in emergencies, such as nicotine lozenges or a spray. You don't have to use it, but it's comforting to know that it's there just in case. Going cold turkey is admirable, but what are you going to do when the cravings become overwhelming and you have nothing to overcome them? It's better to have something that could give you a shot of nicotine in the short term than buying another pack of smokes in a fit of panic and finding that, a week down the line, you're back to normal smoking habits without noticing it. Lozenges and sprays are also designed to release nicotine at a safer and more controlled level compared to a cigarette, so becoming addicted and dependant on these is less likely than with cigarettes.
4 - Not all nicotine substitutes are the same. Don't bother with patches or gum as an emergency substitute. Patches and gum are generally designed to deliver a continuous amount of nicotine into your system, and that can result in further nicotine dependency. Only the lozenges and sprays are really designed for those occasional strong cravings.
5 - You've quit smoking, you aren't trying to quit. You already have quit. The next time someone offers you a cigarette, you can tell them that you don't smoke. Don't tell them that you're in the middle of quitting or that you used to smoke. All that matters is that you have quit smoking.
6 - Tell as many people as you can that you've quit smoking, and keep them updated on your progress. Never try and handle the cravings on your own without any support, because if you leave yourself alone with your own mind - that is making any excuse it can to get you to give it nicotine - then you're going to be fighting a losing battle.
7 - According to NHS research, if you can quit before the age of 35 you're likely to live a full life. On average, every year after 35 that you smoke reduces your life expectancy by 3 months. I know that sometimes rational arguments regarding health risks, the cost of smoking, fitness etc are just words that go over a smoker's head, because rational arguments don't make much sense to someone who is doing something irrational such as smoking, but if there's one benefit that should be important to you it should be this; it's never too late to feel the health benefits by quitting smoking. 4 out of every 5 lung cancer deaths are attributed to smoking, and quitting today CAN reduce your own risk to the same as a non-smoker within just a few months. Quit today so that you can live longer tomorrow.
8 - Going to a party, or somewhere else where you know it's going to be difficult to control your cravings? Prepare for it, and think about how you're NOT going to smoke that night. Tell the people you are with to watch out for you, and spend as much time with the non smokers if you can. If not, bring that nicotine substitute with you, and whenever you have a craving you'll use that instead of smoking,
9 - Get an smartphone app that counts your progress, such as Smoke Free. All you do is input how much you used to smoke, how much a pack costs, and when you quit, and it shows by way of a ticker how much you've saved, how many cigarettes you've avoided, as well as comparing your blood pressure, oxygen levels, circulation, taste and smell, risk of heart attack etc to that of a non-smoker. It seems like such a simple thing, but being able to see, in black and white, your progress whenever you want can be a great help.
10 - Here's a few milestones that you can achieve when you quit....
[20 minutes] Your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal
[8 hours] Nicotine and carbon monoxide start to leave your body and oxygen levels return to normal.
[24 hours] Your lungs start to clear out mucus and other smoking debris.
[48 hours] Nicotine has been eliminated from your body and your sense of smell and taste both improve.
[2 - 12 weeks] Exercise becomes easier and your breathing improves.
[3 - 9 months] Any coughs, wheezing and breathing problems are reduced as your lungs repair.
[1 year] Your risk of coronary heart disease is now half that of a smoker.
And finally...
11 - That's how many extra days a year I have gained in the short term from just quitting. I used to smoke about 13 a day, outside and away from friends and family. I added it up; that's about 45 minutes of the day that I lost. 11 days of my year were wasted, but not anymore.
I'd say "Good Luck!" but that would be wrong. So, I'm going to say "Well Done!" Well done for now being a non smoker!
Sorry for the long post, but hopefully you skimmed over it and found something that might help you.0 -
Quiting sucks, and it sucks something fierce!
(My personal disclaimer at the end) I smoked for more than half my life by the time I finally quit (nearly 3 years ago). That was probably a big part of why it was so difficult, I simply couldn't remember a time where I didn't smoke.
I tried everything. Cold turkey..the military put me thru smoker sucession courses...Put myself thru them as well...running...weights for distraction...Aversion therapy...all the different antidepressants that they recommended in the 90's...I even tried hypnosis. I have a bit of an addictive personality.
Nothing worked because I didn't really want to quit. Not a "conscious" choice at times, but that is what I was convinced of. It took a large mixture of things to convince me that I "had" to push the issue and finally stop. A child in the house was a large part.
What actually helped me once that choice was made was Chantix. I had tried it twice before, but decided to try it a third time. The big thing it did for me every time was with the "down time" you mentioned. I smoked all the time, but especially when bored. Chantix works weirdly in that reguard. A lot of the desire to smoke when bored came from the slight feeling of anxiety that went along with the thought. If I sat there and said to myself " nah, I'm not gona smoke right now" I immediately started building a feeling of anxiety. Not a nervous anxiety particularly, more of the feeling you get when you are being denied something you want by "someone else". Only in this case I was that someone else. The Chantix removed that feeling of anxiety so I was then able to force myself to get used to doing something other than smoking without feeling like I was fighting anything. I just didn't "care" about smoking. I was albe to change my standard procedure and habbits if you will.
I started smoking again after the first 2 tries due to that lack of desire to stay quit. When I finished the Chantix both of those times, whatever it had been that drove me to want to quit was no longer relevant. So it was like "meh, who cares, I'm gonna go get a pack". Forcing myself to remember how bad I always felt, and focusing on my success while on the pills and thinking of my daughter were the reasons I was strong enough to "stay on the wagon" that third time.
" I haven't smoked in 3 months, why start again after that success"
" I haven't smoked in 3 months, why start again after that success"
" I haven't smoked in 3 months, why start again after that success"
Mantra:)
**DISCLAIMER**
The first 2 times I tried Chantix I didn't have any odd side effects. I just simple lacked the anxiety that went with trying to quit. The third time it messed with my head a bit. A bit depressed, lethargy, strange dreams and just a general sense that something wasn't normal. I even sat down with my wife and talked about what it was doing to me and asked here to keep an eye out for me. It didn't end up being a problem, but I wanted her aware in case I started to get too far a-field. She would have the "button" that would force me to stop. I was conscious the whole time of the odd moods and was able to attribute it all to the correct cause. As odd as this all sounds it was still better than smoking, and it all went away when I finished with the pills.
3 Years later? Every now and then I stil feel the pull of the cigarettes. Not sure that feeling ever goes away totally. What you do develope is the ability to dismiss those thoughts easier and faster than you are capable of when you first stop smoking. It mostly comes during times of high stress. Just passing thoughts of "boy, I could sure use a cigarette right now." You have to develope the immediate mental response of "NO".
But you know what? It was worth it to quit. It's been 3 years...and I can run 7 miles without stopping...and it was so difficult to finally quit that there is no f-ing way I'd go back on it all now.0 -
Quit smoking maybe two weeks ago.. I took up the ecig.. its helps but when I drink i tend to smoke cigs.
So have not quit completely. but slow and steady for me.0 -
This is what helped me finally quit for good after 25 years of smoking.Quit smoking maybe two weeks ago.. I took up the ecig.. its helps but when I drink i tend to smoke cigs.
So have not quit completely. but slow and steady for me.0 -
I was in your position a year ago. Do I quit smoking or keep smoking?? When I started my journey I figured working out I could still smoke. Until I was so out of breath after being on the eliptical and treadmill that in June of 2013 I decided to quit. I used an e cigarette for about a month and eventually didn't need it. It has been the best thing I could have done for myself. I recenty started running and I can't imagine doing that with burning lungs. Good luck! You will make the right decision!!0
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Yeah totally this. It's the only thing I can't stop.It's a fact, I can walk away from anything EXCEPT cigarettes. Anyone else with this problem or have a solution? Please share and support. Feel free to add me0 -
I have the same problem. I can work 10-14 hour shifts and not smoke. As soon as I am out of the kitchen I light up. I am down to 5 cigs a day. I have tried the ECigs. They do help some. Next month I will go down to 4 cigs. Eventually it will get down to no cigs. At least that is the plan. Good Luck in your journey to quit smoking
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Cloney that is an awesome post. You ROCK!! 0
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This is how I felt at one point in time. I finally quit 3 years ago. You CAN do it, you just aren't ready yet. Set your mind to it, you can do it. Try to look into your future and realize what smoking is doing to you. 30 years from now, you will be kicking yourself in the butt for not quiting now. Good luck, you can do it!!0
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I quit cold turkey when it started to affect my health (7 years ago). I smoked about a half a pack a day and I made that last pack a looong time. But once it was done, I told myself I simply wasn't going to buy anymore and I didn't. Actually found that quitting smoking turned out to be easier that losing weight - don't need the butts to survive but still need food. My doc once told me he would rather have me be fat than smoke, its that bad for the body.
It was just a mental thing -- your profile says you like working out and you look great. When you started you must have had to push yourself to get to the gym, it's kind of the same thing. You have to push yourself not to buy and you won't if you give yourself no choice. Get past that first 7 days and you'll do ok. Try to spend time in places where you know you can't smoke - the gym, the mall, the library.
Several of my friends had success with Chantix (?spelling) but one had some issues with severe mood swings and also ended up on an anti-depressant but there is a history of depression in her family.
As the child of two parents who died from lung cancer, I am daily thankful I quit.0 -
Use an online support forum - I used quitnet.com
8 years last month - here is what I posted on that forum:
The first 3 months totally sucked. The first year was not a picnic. Each year it get easier. Gained weight - too bad, quitting was more important. Got stressed out - too bad, quitting was more important. 4 years in, ended up in hospital with atypical pneumonia - no fun but can only imagine if I had not already quit.
Life does not get magically easier because you quit BUT there is a good chance it will get worse if you don't. It gets to a point where you can hardly remember what it was like.
To all you in the early stages, do not give up. It will get easier. Your life will be better just because you don't smoke.
I am a hard *kitten* - cold turkey and no cheating (but that is me) - if I have one cigarette, I will have a pack.0 -
Got to agree with the e-cig comments personally (I know that getting completely nicotine free would be even better and congratulations to the people above who have quit completely )
I smoked 20-25 a day for about 20 years and after many failed quit attempts, the ecig is the one thing that has worked for me. Plus I don't feel like I've quit in terms of missing cigarettes, the ecig is pretty close to the real thing. The transition to ecigs felt more like switching brands than previous attempts to stop smoking.
Anyway - I hope you manage to quit completely, but if not, then try some damage control and give the ecig a go. (Don't bother with the ones that look like actual cigarettes the batteries are useless - google vamo v2 or ego - they're much better).
Hope this helps and good luck 0 -
It's a fact, I can walk away from anything EXCEPT cigarettes. Anyone else with this problem or have a solution? Please share and support. Feel free to add me
The first time I quit I was 4 years younger than you. I quite 6 times before the last time using some crutch or another (Patch Gum....) that really just dragged out the addiction
Last summer just after hitting 53 and watching a close friend with his quitting I said screw it, quit cold turkey, drank a ton of water (every time i wanted a smoke i drank a glass of water) the first 3 days were the worst (the actual physical addiction withdrawal period) the next 2 weeks were nasty but we kept challenging one another. We're both stubborn and neither wants to be the one to cave before the other. at this point 8 months on I only rarely have a craving (and that never goes away AFAIK, my dad quit in 1976 and still gets them) . Judging by the profile pic you are capable of the commitment maybe you just need a challenge partner who's just getting started as well
the big thing is every time you feel a craving do something else (water short walk, 25 pushups it really doesn't matter just do something for the few minutes it takes for the urge to pass
I don't know how much you smoke or prices in Ohio but I smoked about a 20 pack a day at $8 a pack (the cheapest in toronto at the time - it's now $9.75 due to a big tax hike) So pick an item you really want and look at how long it will take to pay for it with what you save, just put the money away and don't tough it and reward yourself for success (Originally i planned on a new camera $3000 but being forced into a new car by a fool who hit me and wrote off the old one meant the money went there instead - half my car payment is being covered by that saving. and I'm still planning on rewarding myself with a Bespoke suit once I'm finished the weight-loss goal
Good luck
Edit - I should point out that I smoked for most of 40 years yep I started at 13 - and at points smoked a lot ie 2-3 packs of unfiltered galouise0 -
I posted this somewhere else today, sorry for the length but it's just a few things I learned when after I quit a couple of years ago...
1 - Remember that you're addicted to nothing else but the nicotine. Everything else is just carbon monoxide and tar. There's nothing else in cigarettes that you're addicted to, not even the habit of taking a few minutes at a time in isolation to smoke. Nor is it the physical hand movements of putting that cigarette to your mouth and inhaling. It might seem like that is the case sometime, but trust me it's not. All that's happening is your brain is associating the good feeling it gets when you give it nicotine - and it's actively allowing you to make up more and more excuses to smoke.
2 - You have two different types of nicotine craving. The first is the continuous, weak craving that makes you want to always give the body more nicotine. These can be easily managed by willpower alone. The other craving - the occasional strong urge for nicotine that comes when your mood changes - is the one that's more tricky to overcome. It can still be controlled if your willpower is strong enough, but you should take precautions...
3 - Buy a nicotine substitute to use in emergencies, such as nicotine lozenges or a spray. You don't have to use it, but it's comforting to know that it's there just in case. Going cold turkey is admirable, but what are you going to do when the cravings become overwhelming and you have nothing to overcome them? It's better to have something that could give you a shot of nicotine in the short term than buying another pack of smokes in a fit of panic and finding that, a week down the line, you're back to normal smoking habits without noticing it. Lozenges and sprays are also designed to release nicotine at a safer and more controlled level compared to a cigarette, so becoming addicted and dependant on these is less likely than with cigarettes.
4 - Not all nicotine substitutes are the same. Don't bother with patches or gum as an emergency substitute. Patches and gum are generally designed to deliver a continuous amount of nicotine into your system, and that can result in further nicotine dependency. Only the lozenges and sprays are really designed for those occasional strong cravings.
5 - You've quit smoking, you aren't trying to quit. You already have quit. The next time someone offers you a cigarette, you can tell them that you don't smoke. Don't tell them that you're in the middle of quitting or that you used to smoke. All that matters is that you have quit smoking.
6 - Tell as many people as you can that you've quit smoking, and keep them updated on your progress. Never try and handle the cravings on your own without any support, because if you leave yourself alone with your own mind - that is making any excuse it can to get you to give it nicotine - then you're going to be fighting a losing battle.
7 - According to NHS research, if you can quit before the age of 35 you're likely to live a full life. On average, every year after 35 that you smoke reduces your life expectancy by 3 months. I know that sometimes rational arguments regarding health risks, the cost of smoking, fitness etc are just words that go over a smoker's head, because rational arguments don't make much sense to someone who is doing something irrational such as smoking, but if there's one benefit that should be important to you it should be this; it's never too late to feel the health benefits by quitting smoking. 4 out of every 5 lung cancer deaths are attributed to smoking, and quitting today CAN reduce your own risk to the same as a non-smoker within just a few months. Quit today so that you can live longer tomorrow.
8 - Going to a party, or somewhere else where you know it's going to be difficult to control your cravings? Prepare for it, and think about how you're NOT going to smoke that night. Tell the people you are with to watch out for you, and spend as much time with the non smokers if you can. If not, bring that nicotine substitute with you, and whenever you have a craving you'll use that instead of smoking,
9 - Get an smartphone app that counts your progress, such as Smoke Free. All you do is input how much you used to smoke, how much a pack costs, and when you quit, and it shows by way of a ticker how much you've saved, how many cigarettes you've avoided, as well as comparing your blood pressure, oxygen levels, circulation, taste and smell, risk of heart attack etc to that of a non-smoker. It seems like such a simple thing, but being able to see, in black and white, your progress whenever you want can be a great help.
10 - Here's a few milestones that you can achieve when you quit....
[20 minutes] Your heart rate and blood pressure return to normal
[8 hours] Nicotine and carbon monoxide start to leave your body and oxygen levels return to normal.
[24 hours] Your lungs start to clear out mucus and other smoking debris.
[48 hours] Nicotine has been eliminated from your body and your sense of smell and taste both improve.
[2 - 12 weeks] Exercise becomes easier and your breathing improves.
[3 - 9 months] Any coughs, wheezing and breathing problems are reduced as your lungs repair.
[1 year] Your risk of coronary heart disease is now half that of a smoker.
And finally...
11 - That's how many extra days a year I have gained in the short term from just quitting. I used to smoke about 13 a day, outside and away from friends and family. I added it up; that's about 45 minutes of the day that I lost. 11 days of my year were wasted, but not anymore.
I'd say "Good Luck!" but that would be wrong. So, I'm going to say "Well Done!" Well done for now being a non smoker!
Sorry for the long post, but hopefully you skimmed over it and found something that might help you.
great post you said it perfectly (and i'd say i followed 90% of this when I quit (aside from the spray lozenge - this time it was just cold turkey - but without the support network it never would have worked0 -
Wow...thanks everyone for the wealth of information and support! I do own an e-cig with plenty of liquid nicotine, but find myself puffing til my lungs hurt. I will try the water trick and see if that helps. I quit drinking so I don't have to worry about that aspect. As an addiction specialist, I'm well aware of the triggers and cravings....I'll just have to have some strong will power to overcome. I will keep all posted through my blog.0
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+1 on the ecig tip.
I quit the real ones and used the ecig to taper off my nicotine addiction over the course of seven or eight weeks. Worked a treat but i've only been (100%) nicotine free for ten weeks now so fingers crossed I stay that way.
Pro tip - While you are quitting, do not watch any Boardwalk Empire, Mad Men or any Hollywood film from the 40s, 50s or 60s.0 -
just smoke weed0
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You have to want it bad enough. There is no trick or scheme. Just willpower. You either have it or you don't.0
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I started smoking when I was 13. I was up to two packs a day by 17 years of age. I quit in my late 20s after my physician told me that I wouldn't make it to 35 if I kept smoking. I am 57 now and still crave a cigarette now and then, especially when stressed. Unfortunately, these last few months have been extremely stressful and I am this close to buying a pack of cigarettes. Rather than caving in to the actual cigarette, I picked up an ecig. I figure that way I won't buy a pack, smoke it, and buy another. I don't go to bars where smoking is allowed, either, because that is when I smoked the most.
I quit cold turkey - basically walked out of the physician's office and threw out all my cigarette cartons and packs. I believe that was the best way for me. That is the key - it was the best way for me. Another person may need to use a different method.
If at first you fail, try, try again. It is worth it.0 -
Im two years smoke free after 23 years of a pack or a pack + a day. Quit the cold turkey variety. I still want one every now and again, but I know its not worth that first step down the slippery slope....
The one piece of advice I can offer you is that you need to BE READY TO QUIT. In your own mind - for YOU. I tried to quit a few times in the years leading up to my quitting - tried HARD, tried REALLY HARD...but I wasn't ready. I said the same things you say right now - kinda like this - "I wanted to stop drinking - no prob. Stop smoking pot? No Prob! All the other stupid drugs I messed around with at one point or another? NO PROB. But Smoking, smoking has got me....its the one thing I cant leave alone..."
NEWS FLASH: YOU CAN! Its scary, I know - VERY FLUCKING SCARY. But YOU CAN - you left all the other stuff on the table...now just leave the smokes up there too! AND WANT IT! Eat, Exercise, drink, WHATEVER - just don't go back...Go ahead, gain ten pounds!! You can lose it easy! But DONT GO BACK.
2 or 3 days in you will be FREE, and I gotta tell you, there IS NO BETTER FEELING than realizing you just kicked "The ONE THING YOU CANT LEAVE ALONE" Right in its *kitten*!
WANT IT. DO IT. NEVER GO BACK!0 -
A good quality E-Cig and good quality liquid works wonders. I tried everything to quit and that has been the only thing that worked for me. I would NOT recommend trying the Chantix; I did twice and the side effects (and stopping the Chantix) suck out loud. But, with the E-liquid, you can wean yourself off of nicotine slowly but surely.
I WAS a 25 year smoker and chain-smoked for about 20 of those years.. I am happy to say that I have not had a regular cigarette in 18 months, have weaned myself down to the lowest nicotine level available. My next step is zero nicotine and have no plan to smoking EVER again.
Good luck!0
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