Smoking

whosieno1

OK here goes the painful honesty: I LOVE CIGARETTES. ... but they KILL YOU. YOU WILL DIE. (sorry, i know that's frightening)

I have smoked for 12 years. When I say I smoked, I wasn't a "casual" smoker or a "social" smoker.. no, I was a full-blown SMOKER. I don't remember smoking less than 2 full packs a day, ever. Most recently, I was probably closer to 3, honestly. I have always known smoking is an awful, nasty, and extremely unhealthy thing to do to your body, but as I said, I love cigarettes. I have always known I SHOULD quit...but I didn't WANT to quit.

In 2007 I used Chantix to quit smoking. I did it exactly like the instructions say, smoke for a week, then pick a day in the second week and just quit. It worked. Like magic...plus some wildly vivid dreams. I was quit for probably several months, and then a stressful event caused me to start up again.... only I smoked even more then. A note on Chantix: it absolutely works, period.

In 2009 I started graduate school, which can single-handedly be THE most stressful thing one can do to him or herself. The entire time, I found myself literally chain smoking. I smoked more and more and more and more. I couldn't get enough. I found myself actually addicted to the ACT of smoking rather than the nicotine itself. Even if the nicotine made me feel sick, I had the desire to keep on puffing away. I graduated, and still kept smoking and smoking.

I started to really take things serious about my smoking problem. I realized that cigarettes were the single most important thing in my life and they were killing my body, my family, my future, and my checking account. Every single moment of my day the only thing I could think of was when I would get my next cigarette. I decided I WANTED TO QUIT. I already knew I SHOULD quit, but I decided I WANTED to....now I just had to figure out HOW to. That is probably 90% of the battle right there. You have to decide that you actually WANT to quit, realize what it means for your life to change from quitting, and commit to it, 100% no turning back, absolutely not a single excuse NO MATTER WHAT. Then, you have to actually do it.

Here's how I did it.. (and I know, theres a ton of controversy about using multiple nicotine supplements together...but I did some research, and took some risks that you may not want to do, or might not be the best idea)...
Pick a day, and smoke away up until that day. (I just woke up one day and decided, today is the day!).. it was December 16, 2012.
I used the patch, the nicotine candy, and the electronic cigarette.
For the first week, I used the patch every single morning when I got up I put one on. I also used the nicotine candy when I had a crazy craving that wouldn't STOP. Then, on Christmas day the patch made me awfully sick, nauseaous, like morning sickness type illness. I immediately ripped it off, and haven't put one on since. I started using the candy more often then. I ate the candies every few hours for several days, then lowered it to just a few per day. My actual withdrawal cravings disappeared during the first few weeks, then I was just having craving for the act of smoking.
So, I used the electronic cigarette for times when I felt like I needed a cigarette in my hand/mouth. That's it.

Here are some other helpful tips that you may already know if you've quit before.
The first 48 hours are probably going to feel like the slowest, most excruciating hours of your life. Just remember, it's ALL in your head. Literally tell yourself that. and when you want a smoke, go do something else and refuse to allow yourself to smoke.
After the first 48, your battle is won, don't turn back now, you will have come SOOO far!
During the first week or so, I ate cinnamon candy like it was going out of style. I probably had cinnamon candy in my mouth every waking moment unless I had nicotine candy in my mouth. My mouth got so sore for a few days, but I just kept up with the cinnamon candy, it totally fixes everything. (I used Red Hots).
Try googling some of the stop smoking websites. They also have phone numbers you can call for support too.
Whatever you do, DON'T let temptation get the best of you...tell yourself that you're not ever going to smoke ever again.
To stay quit....try to remember every single day all the reasons why you quit and why you want to stay quit.

Most importantly...remember that every time you want to smoke and don't...you've won the battle. Every non-smoked cigarette is another notch in your smoke-free tally chart. Good luck, I hope my info might have helped you.

PeriwinklePineapple

I quit almost four months ago. Cold turkey. Had just gotten over bronchitis. I live with two other smokers, and there was a third staying here at the time. I think it just came down to, no matter how much i didn't want to, i knew i had to. And I made the decision that no matter what, I just wasn't going to smoke. So while the cravings were there, I just chose to deal with them instead of giving in. I think like anything else including weight loss, you just have to decide how bad you want it. I did develop a mild gum addiction though ;-)

chilling123

I quit 2 years ago using an electronic cigarette. Google "Volcano ecig". That is a good brand with high quality products and excellent customer service.

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/

good info there.

pixiestyx2

July 1st will be 2 years for me! All I know is that you have to make up your mind to quit. You can be well if I have "just one" today or right now. One will definitely lead to more. There is a lot of uncomfortable feelings that go along with it, but you just have to stick through it, and those feelings will pass. A craving can last up to 5 minutes, but just find something else to do to keep your mind busy. ((It makes it a little easier)). I take it one day at a time, or even break it down to a minute at a time. But I really just think about them now. I really have no urges, but I do think about them from time to time and I have to come back to reality and say to myself "no way." Just keep trying to quit. And these little quits will begin to show you some of the uncomfortableness you may have to go through,. I hope this helped and good Luck.

TheVimFuego

Quit over two years ago cold turkey after reading the Allan Carr Easy Way book, that was after 20 years of smoking.

Haven't looked back, everyone should read it.

Cait_Sidhe

I quit smoking July 28 2011. I smoked for 26 years and I quit using a cheap electronic cigarette I'd gotten at 7eleven. I quit using the E-cigarette Sept 2011 I think. It was the hardest and most important thing I've ever done. I watched my mother who was a non smoker die horribly of lung cancer, and I didn't quit. I didn't think I could. Turns out, I was wrong. If I can, anyone can. And I do live with a smoker.

JosieRawr

Thanks again everyone! I joined quit net and moved my quit date up a week. I quit when I woke up this morning and haven't had a cigarette! I have been puffing on my ecig which is questionable in the least, but it's better than the alternative and I've been successful with it before. I'm going to look into that book, It's came up from a couple of different sources. I'm also going to try the gum for the big cravings since i still have some from last time.. Thanks everyone! It's always easier with "backup" My fiance is a non smoker so he just doesn't get it, he just knows "oh no here comes the nicotine deprived monster" lol. Going to make this time the LAST time though!

Loftearmen

I quit smoking after having tried multiple times and multiple different ways. I swapped from cigarettes to chewing tobacco because I hated chewing the tobacco so I would only do it when I was really craving some nicotine. One day I ran out of chew and I just didn't buy anymore. It was strange because it was so easy to quit that way. In the past, quitting cigarettes was really hard for me and I failed. Now I can't stand the smell of cigarettes and have no interest in smoking ever again. Not smoking is absolutely liberating.

JosieRawr

I'm at about 2.5 days! It's always hardest to first make it past the first 24hrs for me. I'm thoroughly ignoring that sabatoging Bi*** in the back of my head that says "one more wouldn't be bad" or " you can smoke socially" etc and in acknowledging the presence of that weakness and pushing through it, the urge has moved more to the back of my head and the will to not give into it is more in the front awareness. I'm utilizing the quitnet.com website and Quitnow app for my phone, I'm going to order that book still, I was trying to see if I could get it locally first. I'm also using a ecig for now and have about 1 piece of nicotine gum a day at night when my smoking usually increases..(I use to smoke 2-3 cig a day n still finish off the night at ~1/2 a pack average)