Panic! (smoking topic)

chnkydnknmomma

Hey everyone...you have all been so great and I so appreciate it! Thank you thank you thank you....all the support means the world to me...I haven't really told anyone in my personal life that I am trying to quit, cause I feel like anytime I do, I sabotage myself.
I'm down to like 3 smokes a day, from a pack and a half....

here's my problem..

I haven't bought a pack of smokes since last weekend. I have 5 left in my pack...I KNOW I don't need to smoke, hell if I can go 6-8 hours without one, I can go more, right? Every time I think about having that last and final cigarette, I feel myself starting to panic. I'm feeling it right now as I type this....Any suggestions? I will not buy another pack, I refuse to....how do I fight this panic feeling?

catcrazy

don't ever smoke your last ever cigarette....personally I couldn't do it that way but I've known a few people that have done it that way. They're not smoking this minute, hour, day, week, month.......but they never had their last cigarette. It was such a big crutch to one friend that she still had her last cigarette about 6 years later before finally deciding it could be binned.

mircius

you just have to realize that its bad for you in every way.when you want to smoke just think about the 8 extra minutes you add to your life by not smoking one cigarette, those 4 extra hours that you smoked away from your life every day! I quit about 2 months ago. Thats what made me realize that i need to get healthy and now i'm 2 months clean and 20 lbs lighter. I'm so happy, first of all, because i just think it is disgusting. I don't even rembember how it was to smoke every freaking 5 minutes when i went out and worry that i don't have the money for todays pack and those damn moments when i prefered a pack of cigs instead of a good meal. And all those moments when i had to take a break, go in some nasty places just to smoke for 5 minutes...
just quit. those 5 cigs you have left? break them in half and throw them away, get rid of all tabacco you have and just don't buy new ones. Go, smoke your last cig and quit. you shouldnt have to panic because its your last, you should panic if it isnt!

and with the money saved, give it to your sons, they have girls to take out, you know..

markomark

Hi

There is a book by a guy called Allen Carr called Easyway. Look it up, I never thought I could quit but I have and I don't even crave.

Don't think of it as "giving up", that implies you are losing out some how. What are you "giving up"? Nothing. You are stopping feeding your addiction and gaining freedom from cigarettes. You are giving up nothing but bad health and a hole in the wallet. You are starting to be a non-smoker. So don't "give up", stop smoking and start gaining.

Wow, I sound like I did it! Oh yeah, I did!

You can do it.

jennywrens

Best of luck to you!!

I gave up when I found out I was pregnant in January 2007 so I had a very good reason to just quit cold turkey! Thank goodness!!

My advice, though, would be to think of it as more of a mental struggle than a physical need. I read somewhere (although don't quote me as it was a long time ago and might not be completely correct) that the physical craving for nicotine is gone pretty quickly after quitting (48hours I believe) .... after that its habit and mind games that make you "need" that cigarette again! This helped me - being stubborn as I am I knew I could beat my own mind in a willpower challenge!! )

mircius

the last cig thing depends from person to person. for me, i never wanted to quit, i did get to smoke less but not intentionally. if i hadnt smoked that last one i would probably obsess about it and always think about it. i remember it, i just said, yeah, today i'm quiting, went to a window smoked the last one. next morning i threw away that pack and never put another cigarette in my mouth

BettyBeth14

I've just quit myself. I was planning this big day when I woke up and jsut didnt smoke, so effectively the last one was on Sunday night. (the quitting was supposed to start Monday just gone).

However, last Wednesday, I went to the dentist and he adivsed my tooth need to come out, so take it out he did. Im sitting there after and he says so casually "no smoking for 3 days" I was just thinking, "3 days?!?! How am I gonna do that" (I usualy smoke around 20 a day)

So I had to do it cos I had this big gaping hole in my mouth adn coudlnt risk the infection. The cravings were bad, I cant deny that! Saturday came and I picked up my packet, cos I was thinking, well I said it was Monday so I can smoke today and tomorrow. Then I rememebered how bad the last 3 days had been, and thought if I smoke today and tomorrow, its gonna be even worse come Monday. So that was it. I said no more!!

My moral of this very long post lol, is that effectively I didnt have that "last cigarette" cos when I went to the dentist I wasn't expecting to be told I couldnt smoke. Try not to think of that cigarette as the "last one" and you might find it easier to stop! I dont know ifd you have and iPhone, but theres an app that tells you how much you save and how long its been, plus has little motivating messages :-)

I hope my post has been helpful, and I know how hard it is for you! But with willpower you can do it!!! As my friend keeps reminding me....I dont want *kitten* lips in years to come from the "dragging" of a cig!!! x

hyper_stitch

Hmmmmm it really is a personal journey and you need to find your motivation. I quit last June after a life of smoking, I've quit before when pregnant. I think the suggestion of not having a 'last' cigarette is a good one. When I quit I was just so determined, my stubborness took over, I didn't talk about quitting, I didn't use any methods. I did however really focus on my overall health and started eating better, this is also the time I really got into cycling so guess I just found a diversion, my one smoking aid was nicorette fruit flavoured gum but I only used it briefly.

I will always be a smoker, I love smoking but I just can't smoke! I do allow myself a cigarette or two when I go out but I don't go out often :blushing:

BettyBeth14

Mircius - Did you say 20lbs lighter??? I've put 6lbs since quitting a week ago, I hope this means in time it will be easier to come off?!!?!? haha x

mircius

well after i quit smoking i also started dieting

BettyBeth14

Ahh right, ive given myself 3 weeks (the initial 21 days ti takes nicotine to leave your body) to eat what I want when I want to combat the cravings! I plan to start gently exercising next week then really watching what I eat on day 22 :-) Hoping it will make it easier for me to exercise now I wont have smoke filled lungs haha x

CarolMorris66

I found changing everything I did helped no end. Smoking is as much a habit as anything. First thing in the morning, take dog to garden have ciggy. OK, somebody else take dog to garden for me.... get in car, spark up.... so I changed to get in car, have an aniseed twist in mouth ready... popping into local shop for milk was an automatic, pick up ciggys while I am here... had to go to a different shop to buy milk where there weren't cigarettes staring at me... it was hard - it was the hardest thing I ever did and I still occasionally want one, but it's 4 years in June and I am determined to NEVER smoke again! Losing the weight I put on is hard, but easier in comparison!!

mircius

it's okay, do whatever it takes, better quit smoking and gain a few pounds than not quitting at all. i didnt start the diet right away. a few days ago i bought a ktichen scale and oh boy...big difference between what i thought i was eating back then. and i still lost 18 lbs before i bought it, so now its been even easier. and i don't exercise that much but i do walk at least 5 miles everyday. i dont even remember last time i took the bus

shadow3829

My dad has not smoked in 2 years, but still keeps a pack. He carried them with him for a long time after he quit, just liked having them. What ever works.

jacsen21

It has been eight months for me, I smoked for almost forty years. I still have the odd day where I will have a craving for a cigarette, Early on in my quit I would have little things to keep me busy and I would tell myself, "if you still want it really bad after your done, you can have it" I found doing something help pass the craving and when I was done my little chore, I didn't want it anymore. So I have kept that reasoning even now. If I get a craving I find something around the house that needs to be done and do it. Helps get through the bad time and makes for a squeaky clean house.

emariec78

I felt like this when I was trying to quit too. I pretty much always ended up going out and buying another pack because of it and having to start over each time! Personally, it took me a lot of tries, but what worked best for me with the panic part was to have that last cigarette close to bed time. That way I wouldn't be tempted to go out an buy a pack right away and was a starting a new day without cigarettes.

I've heard the don't smoke the last one trick too, I guess it depends on the person.

Dauntlessness

I have been smoke free for over 2 years now and know how hard it is. I was smoking 2 packs of full flavor/menthol a day. Trust me, it wasn't easy to quit but it is sooo worth it. Here are a few tips that helped me:

Okay, first thing: Don't panic.
The word panic says that you are sooo apprehensive about quitting which make me think you keep siking yourself out about it. Stop putting so much pressure on yourself Hun. Maybe when you find yourself obsessing about it, distract yourself by a calming activity such as a walk, a bath, a drink of water...even an ice cube in the hand works.(I know it sounds weird but it does)

Second: Some people need bite the bullet. I'm not saying it works for everyone, but dragging it out by 1 cigarette at a time didn't work for me. IMO it leads to suffering, guilt, apprehension and dragging yourself through the mud. Make a choice and stick with it. Get rid of the cigarettes. It is much easier to go through the physical withdrawals for 2 days then it is to do it for weeks. It will be hard but just knowing "I have made my choice" and "I have come this far, I don't want to give up now" will help

Third: Mindset: What really helped me is the saying to myself when a problem arose "I don't need a cigarette to fix how I am feeling because it is not going to change or resolve this problem". "The problem will still be there when I am done smoking". So many people get caught up in the idea that a cigarette helps them calm down enough to rationally fix a problem they are having. If anything, it makes it worse. It is a crutch and doesn't allow them to self sooth and if they spend the same amount of time that they would smoking thinking about how to fix it (after they get over the addiction mood swings )they will find that they came up with the same solution, if not a better one because they didn't have that "up and down" from the nicotine.

My fourth and final: Most states have programs that supply you with nicotine patches, gum or other products for free. I had to use the gum and the patches for the first 2 weeks and then patches for 2 months after that. Don't be afraid to get help. It really levels out your cravings.

Again, quitting smoking was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my life and I empathize greatly with your struggle. It is sooo worth giving them up though. I breath better, my clothes and house smells better, I have more energy, and I had 3 grandparents who died from lung/throat cancer. You can do this. It gets so much easier after the first few days. I am at a place where I cant even be around it anymore, not because of temptation but because I cant stand the smell. You can get there too! I am going to friend you and help you through this.

rileamoyer

I was a 3 pack a day chain smoker when I quit 35 years ago probably burned up as many as I smoked). Cold turkey, hard as hell. My motivation was when my first husband told me I would never quit, I was too weak. But I did it, won't ever go back. I thought the suggestion to keep that last cigarette as crutch might be a good one. Funny he still smoked when I quit so there were always some around. My weight gain was only temporary (though I chewed a lot of straws to nubbins too). Do what works for you, everyone is different. JUST DO IT you will never reqret it.

Hairotica

I stopped for 6 years with no help. i just decided to. Then I got divoreced and started again. I stopped a year later and stayed stopped for another 5 years, then I had personal problems and started again!! Ive now given up for the third time. I always stop easily but as soon as I have a trauma I start again

My point is that I never see myself as a non-smoker, just a smoker in remission. This is not to make you feel its hopeless more to recognise the triggers that cause you to start again.

My Mum always said that the occasional trauma will keep you slim and its true especially if you smoke as well. Good luck, stay happy and you'll stay stopped.

craft338

when i had my last 3 cigs i planned them out. drive to work, drive home, and my last one at midnight. it's only been 3 days since then, but i'm ok. i was nervous the few days before and was like "maybe i should start next month" but if you think like that, it'll never happen. i am definitely a "last cigarette" kind of person, just like i was a last supper kind of dieter, but it works for me. it's not gonna be easy, and you're gonna get weird thoughts in your head, but it's normal. you just gotta be tough and say "F U evil cigarettes!! stop messin with my head!!" be strong and make sure you have people to talk to cuz that definitely helps a lot GOOD LUCK!!!

chnkydnknmomma

Thank you all! I'm not gonna have a "last cigarette"...it will remain in the pack.

I did quit several years ago, I had bronchitis, and I couldn't even take a breath, the pain was so horrible, there was no way I could have smoked. After 3 days when I felt better, I almost had a cigarette, then thought to myself "I haven't smoked in 3 days, why start now?" I remember it was tough, but I got through...
I had quit for 2 yrs, then went through a bad time and was hangin out with my smokin friends.."just gimme a drag"...well that was all it took....

I hate the way I smell, I hate the way my house and car smell, most of my friends are non-smokers, and honestly I'm embarassed that I smoke...It's in my head...the need for the cigarette, the panic, I can talk myself out of it, and I'm going to! I'm gonna come up with an idea, maybe a mantra or something to soothe my way through it.

Again, you are all so awesome, thank you!!!

rileamoyer

Thank you all! I'm not gonna have a "last cigarette"...it will remain in the pack.

I did quit several years ago, I had bronchitis, and I couldn't even take a breath, the pain was so horrible, there was no way I could have smoked. After 3 days when I felt better, I almost had a cigarette, then thought to myself "I haven't smoked in 3 days, why start now?" I remember it was tough, but I got through...
I had quit for 2 yrs, then went through a bad time and was hangin out with my smokin friends.."just gimme a drag"...well that was all it took....

I hate the way I smell, I hate the way my house and car smell, most of my friends are non-smokers, and honestly I'm embarassed that I smoke...It's in my head...the need for the cigarette, the panic, I can talk myself out of it, and I'm going to! I'm gonna come up with an idea, maybe a mantra or something to soothe my way through it.

Again, you are all so awesome, thank you!!!

Two years ago at the Sturgis Rally I took a couple puffs off of a flavored cigar (in order to win a t-shirt). The next day I really felt the urge for a smoke. AFTER 30 + YEARS!!!! The addiction never goes completely away. PS I gave away the da** shirt. LoL

lynnmarie60

Try to focus on why you want to quit more than just quitting. For example, I quit this past December after 16 years smoking and I keep thinking of the reasons why EVERY TIME I want one, which is every day, like my uncle has lung cancer and I visit or talk to him once a week so I think about him being a smoker for 30 days and only 52 years old and what he is going through because of it. I think of living a long, healthy life for my kids and someday, grand-children and how my uncle won't be able to have more time with his family (he's in stage 3 now).
The first month was the hardest for me, I gained about a pound a week but once I got on a weight loss program and starting exercising regularly, I feel great and I love it.
Just focus on WHY you want to quit and stick to it. Whenever you are stressed out, exercise for those 10 minutes instead of smoke and you will feel much better. If you start to put food in your mouth to cover the fixtation then choose healthy snacks (fruit helped me) instead.
Good luck!

Terri73

I'm giving up next week with help from the doctor that way im accountable to someone each week

Terri73

I'm giving up next week with help from the doctor that way im accountable to someone each week

bugnbeansmom

I quite about 4 weeks ago. I have accepted that I will more than likely smoke at least one more in my lifetime. I have really started chewing a ton of gum and since I was an after meal smoker, I drink a ton of green tea and decaf coffee! I have also told myself no smoking in the car or when my kids are home so that is 75% of my day. makes it easier. When and if I have another, oh well. If you put the stress on that last cig, it will not live up to the hype. Don't think about your last one. Just let it happen!

MissAnjy

You've got to find that motivation. Find what drives you forward. I quit smoking when I found out I was pregnant in April of 2008. I had a focus (my child) so It felt a lot easier than I thought it would. I ended up having twins, btw. After their birth, I struggled with depression due to their diagnosis of Cystic Fibrosis. I fell back into smoking alongside my husband. I wouldn't smoke often, or regularly, but when I drank, or out at social events etc. I wokeup one day and knocked myself upside the head. My kids have a fatal lung disease, and I smoke? NO WAY was that going to happen. I quit cold turkey (didn't even smoke while drinking or at social events) and I've completely gone without. I don't have the desire anymore AT ALL. Infact, I HATE the smell. My motivation is my children, most definitely. I would NEVER put them in harms way & smoking? That's putting them in harms way. Find something that is more important to you or in your life than smoking is. Realize what smoking does to affect that person or that thing. Is it your children? Maybe they don't have a lung disease like my own, however, your life will be shortened by smoking, your children need you here, etc. Find something that really matters to you, realize what smoking takes away from that, and let that fuel you.

llkilgore

Hey everyone...you have all been so great and I so appreciate it! Thank you thank you thank you....all the support means the world to me...I haven't really told anyone in my personal life that I am trying to quit, cause I haven't bought a pack of smokes since last weekend. I have 5 left in my pack...I KNOW I don't need to smoke, hell if I can go 6-8 hours without one, I can go more, right? Every time I think about having that last and final cigarette, I feel myself starting to panic. I'm feeling it right now as I type this....Any suggestions? I will not buy another pack, I refuse to....how do I fight this panic feeling?

You panic because you've subconsciously conditioned yourself to believe it is somehow important to keep a supply of cigarettes on hand. And if it's important, then letting yourself run out is dangerous, even irresponsible. Irresponsible? IRRESPONSIBLE???

At least that was the understanding that I was able to come to - the insight that gave me the strength to quit a pack a day habit of nearly 40 years standing. Just dragging that completely absurd notion out into an area of my mind that can actually THINK went a long way toward neutralizing it, but just to be on the safe side, I went out the next morning and bought a box of nicotine patches. Then every time I thought about buying cigarettes, I tell myself "No, you don't need to do that . If the cravings get really bad you can always use one of your patches." I never did actually use any of the patches, and wasn't even seriously tempted after the first few days. But even now - it's been nearly 2 and a half years - I still feel more secure knowing they're readily available if and when I need them.

SeasideOasis

Hey everyone...you have all been so great and I so appreciate it! Thank you thank you thank you....all the support means the world to me...I haven't really told anyone in my personal life that I am trying to quit, cause I feel like anytime I do, I sabotage myself.
I'm down to like 3 smokes a day, from a pack and a half....

here's my problem..

I haven't bought a pack of smokes since last weekend. I have 5 left in my pack...I KNOW I don't need to smoke, hell if I can go 6-8 hours without one, I can go more, right? Every time I think about having that last and final cigarette, I feel myself starting to panic. I'm feeling it right now as I type this....Any suggestions? I will not buy another pack, I refuse to....how do I fight this panic feeling?

I quit pretty cold turkey. Just said enough was enough.

However, what did the trick was that I was drinking, thought Id have 'just one' for the first time since I had stopped several months earlier. Well, 1 turned into 2, which turned into 3, which turns into an entire pack of menthol cigarettes in like...two hours. Oh yes, menthol. I didnt get sick from the alcohol, I made myself sick from the menthol cigarettes. I have not touched one sense and cant even think of it without gagging.

Myslissa

I used Chantix. I had odd dreams and such but nothing dramatic. I have been quit for 10 months. I hate the smell of it now... Everytime I smell it on someone I think, I used to smell like that. It is amazing how bad it smells after you quit. I wish you luck. Oh and I kept a half a pack on my dresser for about 3 months after I quit....not sure why. I guess it was the just having them there thing.

Marcus_E

Wow, I'm glad someone asked this question - I was just thinking about it.. I've tried to stop numerous times - never really been successful, always seems to be the same - get bored, buy smokes and just carry on.. I read the Allen Carr book and almost finished it, then realised I'd be stopping - kinda defeated the whole point..

All I can say is you will only really be an ex-smoker if you chose to be.. Don't see it as quitting or stopping, just becoming something new.. A philosophy I am currently using in my lifestyle change journey - first analyse food, make changes, then focus on other aspects such as becoming an ex-smoker and a fitter healthier person..

This is certainly one area which has annoyed me for years. I never wanted to be a smoker, but 20years later, I realise it has been the bain of my life.. I believe you can do this and judging by your comments, your mind is almost there in terms of wanting this, good luck - don't see it as quitting (quitting insinuates failure), see it as beginning a new life as an ex-smoker..