Quit Smoking Suggestions Needed

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  • GiddyupTim
    GiddyupTim Posts: 2,819 Member
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    I started smoking when I was 13 years old. They say that the younger you are when you start the less likely you are to quit.
    I tried everything, and I have always been very active, which should have given me adequate motivation. I played soccer. I jogged miles and miles. I played tennis. But I couldn't quit.
    Finally, I tried Chantix. I had a hard time getting my insurance to approve it. I had to take a class and get a special note from my doctor to the insurance company. I suspect the insurance company was skeptical of the drug because it is expensive and nothing is that successful for smokers. In the clinical trials of Chantix, about 5 percent of the people who took a placebo were not smoking a year after the trial started, and about 14 percent of those who took Chantix were not smoking.
    But, I'll tell you, it worked for me when nothing else did. And I had tried HARD and tried for MANY YEARS.
  • maryross1968
    maryross1968 Posts: 1 Member
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    change the things you always did when you smoked. instead of smoking two cigarettes in the am before work, i now put away dishes , pick up a little and read for five minutes. i also havent sat on the back porch or grilled on the grill for a while because i always smoked doing those things. when you crave a smoke, do something else for ten minutes, the feeling will go away, really. you will feel worse for a while, coughing and such but keep going. you will be so proud of yourself and feel great. be careful dont substitute it for food. walk or do yardwork instead. good luck!
  • usernamekelly1
    usernamekelly1 Posts: 1,941 Member
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    read this book before you quit

    http://www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Book-Quitting-Allen-Carr/dp/0140289003

    the amount of people that have successfully quit after reading is amazing (myself, OH, SIL, SIL girlfirend etc etc)

    hits & tips that helped me

    I went cold Turkey, OH used them little mints, my advice is look for help and do the best for yourself - what works for one doesn't work for another - what I'm saying here is if the first thing doesn't work try the next and keep going until you find the thing that works... I quit, quitting many times as I kept trying the patches and like the saying states insanity is trying the same thing over and over again and expecting different results ... I released for me, nicotine replacements were not the right thing for me and found cold turkey worked (longest time being a non smoker so far 18 months and counting)

    Were possible don't take any cards / money with you ie school runs etc too easy to nip in and buy some - cravings normally don't last too long each time so if you have no way of buying them when out and have to go home for the cash, then the craving will pass in time for will-power to kick in - saved me on multiple occasions :)

    Breaking the habit - this for me was the hardest - and the one I knew would effect me the most was after eating a meal - the habit use to be eat, make a pot of tea and enjoy the cig. Baring in mind I had got to the point of not enjoying smoking but the cravings for the cig after food was very high. So what I did was before I ate I filled the sink to do the dishes, then I'd eat and as soon as I finished I'd put my hands in the water until the need for a cig passed (crazy yes, but it worked) I broke the habit associated with smoking,

    And on that note I will say that it is the best thing that I've ever done and I did have an NSV a few weeks back in A&E (cycling accident) the nurse checking my lungs said they were in great condition and really found it hard to believe I smoked for nearly 20 years so I also recommend plenty of exercise!!!!
  • 1258936
    1258936 Posts: 115 Member
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    I smoked for ten years, used Chantix to quit smoking. Honestly, I don't know what I would have done with out the Chantix, it truly took the craving away. It did make me feel a bit nauseated, but hell, a little nausea to quit for life? Heck ya.
    I had found lumps in my breast the year before and was very on edge about having cancer. The thought that I could be giving myself other forms of cancer AND paying out the @ss for it? Couldn't deal with it. Had to quit. took me two rounds with Chantix, it's hard to quit, but always remember the easiest thing to do it nothing at all. I don't have to worry about how much money I have, how many cigs I have left, where I'll be able to go to smoke, who will go with me, wether or not the gas station with the good prices is on the way, ect. Life is easier without cigs.
    You can do it. Just decided it and do it.
  • lisalou23
    lisalou23 Posts: 11 Member
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    I quit 11 years ago. I used the gum and also peppermint altoids. I was a person that didn't smoke with gum or just after brushing my teeth so the peppermint altoids were a cheap alternative to the nicotine gum. Of course I ate so many of those that I now have no desire for an altoid - lol. Every now and then I want a cigarette but I just remember it's not worth it. One will lead to one pack which leads to "I'll quit tomorrow." Best of luck to you!
  • MistyAnneK
    MistyAnneK Posts: 68 Member
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    When I finally quit I was at 3 packs a day and had smoked for 20+ years. I had been trying to quit for 5 of those years. I tried everything. Gum, patches, lozenges, hypnotherapy, acupuncture, brushing my teeth, exercise, Popsicle... EVERYTHING.... nothing worked.

    Why?

    Because, even though I was on a quest to quit smoking, even though I knew the health factors and the expense, even though I watched my Grandmother die of Emphysema, I WAS NOT READY.

    Then one day I woke up and was done. I gave the rest of my cigs to my mother...who lived with me... and never picked them up again.

    Out of everything I did to assist me in stopping smoking, none of it worked. I kept saying I wanted to quit...but I didn't, not really. When I was finally ready to quit, I did.

    I wish you luck on your journey.
  • meer__kat
    meer__kat Posts: 16 Member
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    I quit using the gum... the hardest part was definitely just some habits - like every time I got in my car I would smoke, so for a while once I quit I was still reaching over to the passenger seat, looking for my pack whenever I got into the car. Once you break those situational habits it's so much easier. And opening/chewing the gum gave me something to do with my hands/mouth, so that worked well for me.

    I tried twice after my mentor died of lung cancer. The first time it didn't stick, and the second time I did. I don't know why - I didn't feel much more "ready" the second time or anything. But now I look at people smoking and I honestly can't believe that I used to just sit on my couch, sucking them down... crazy!
  • MadtownMadisonian
    MadtownMadisonian Posts: 66 Member
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    I started as a teen, quit a number of times, but quit for good in my early 50s about 4 years ago.

    I did it cold turkey - cutting down only made it harder because each cigarette simply restores the nicotine dependence that makes you crave the next one.

    In the first week, I never spent the evenings alone - I would hang with friends so I wasn't sitting in front of the TV or the computer wanting a cigarette

    I spent a lot of time on-line on quit sites, reading about quitting to distract myself

    I listened to "quit smoking" hypnosis and motivational tapes at night before going to sleep

    When I felt a craving while driving or walking, I would take 10 deep breaths and then, literally, sing songs until the craving passed

    But more important than any of these things was the attitudinal change - rather than thinking of myself as deprived, I thought of myself as liberated. Rather than think "oh my I want a cigarette" I would think "dang it, I'm a nonsmoker and I resent these cravings that interfere with my enjoyment of being a nonsmoker"

    Good luck! It's really really worth it!
  • jomorie
    jomorie Posts: 24 Member
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    I stopped on Jan 6th 2012, used patches for a week but they gave me nightmares. Also used the nicorette inhalator which I am still using to this day (1 cartridge a day) ....... although I am smoke free I am not nicotine free.
  • ahighromance
    ahighromance Posts: 4
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    I quit smoking more than a year and a half ago. I tried the patches. I couldn't do the gum or lozenges since it made my stomach burn. I tried chantix. It definitely didn't work. My doctor finally put me on wellbutrin and even though I suffered through some major headaches and had some weight gain afterwards, I am thankful for it. I never thought I'd quit. I'm an anxious person and the smoking helped to ease that. The wellbutrin treated my emotional needs while I taught myself how to get out of the habit of reaching for a cig. :) Best wishes ! I have all the faith in the world in you.
  • psimms71
    psimms71 Posts: 11 Member
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    I used patches to quit. The first week I work both a setp 1 and a step 3 to get over the hump. I then stayed at each level for about twice as long as the plan called for. I figured patches were better than smoking and the longer term made it stick for me....

    Good Luck!

    That plus a lot of encouragement from loved ones! :wink:
  • sandhillsmom
    sandhillsmom Posts: 319 Member
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    I smoked upward of 2 or more packs a day since I was 16/17. I'm now 54 soon to be 55. July 24th I started Chantix and I have been smoke free since. Over the years I have tried everything from cold turkey to patches to gum. One month on Chantix and I stopped smoking. My insurance has a co-pay of $40 and it was $40 well spent for me. Yes, I had the weird funky dreams and dry mouth issues. But it was worth it. My Dr was very supportive and said if I made it the first month with no slips or massive cravings I didn't need to do more time on the drug!
  • ktweld
    ktweld Posts: 28 Member
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    I smoked from age 15 to age 42 and have now been quit 8 years. I went cold turkey. I used a support group similar to MFP called quitnet. It told me how much life I had added each day quit and how my lungs had changed. The 1st month - I air smoked. I just used the motions and took very deep slow breaths - inhale, exhale -invisible cigarette. After that, I just would tell myself - wait out the craving, if you really want it in 10 minutes you can have it but eventually, I didn't want it. I celebrated successess like going to a bar and having a cocktail without smoking, watching a football game without smoking, etc. I used the cigarette money to treat myself to gifts. It took months, but I finally reached a point where I did not want a cigarette at all. Now - I am a hater! I hate the smell of my hair and clothes when I go somewhere that allows smoking. My contacts burn when in a smoke filled room. It now turns me off so bad that I'm almost a ***** about it - ok, maybe not almost .............but it truly turns me off. It is all about really wanting to quit. I am using that approach now to my weight loss. It took me getting very, very large to face the truth but I plan to succeed at this that same way.
  • diligentjosh
    diligentjosh Posts: 274
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    I am a quitter as of last tuesday (with exception to one cig at a party with beer and jager on Saturday-was a habitual temporary relapse). I waited until I KNEW for a FACT that I will not have a good reason to smoke "because I need it." I am discovering something. I am in a groove where I do not have very much stress in my life, so I decided enough was enough. I find myself NOT EVEN WANTING TO SMOKE LEISURELY, which tells me a lot! I feel a lot different than the other times I tried.
    Yes, i still cuss and scream at the computer when it takes too long to load, or when my hands decide not to cooperate when typing (although in moderation when around other people). And yes, I still have an urge at some points. It is getting easier and easier, but it is already 10 times easier because I do not have stress.

    I think that is the key. You need to be at a place in your life where you are not stressed out. If you do have negative stress, the deck is stacked against you, as it was to me. Reason being, you need to have time to give yourself an alternative, and let your body decide you don't want to smoke.

    I quit cold turkey, with exception to the first non-smoking day where I had 4 pieces of gum, but after that, nothing except extra food. I am working on that though. Check out my diary over the past few days. I have been eating pretty weird. (like eating a whole box of cereal dry, in one sitting)

    We can do it. I know we can.
  • diligentjosh
    diligentjosh Posts: 274
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    BTW, on my last night of smoking, my beloved Cowboys got pummeled by da Bears, and I gave 10 cigs plus a lighter to an older guy asking for a cig at the bus stop. My previous quit record was 30 days. I am looking to beat that by a longshot.

    I am already running longer runs, and breathing easier. It is quite rewarding, and I do not stink! I am loving it!
  • That_Girl
    That_Girl Posts: 1,324 Member
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    I quit 25 days ago! :D Yay!

    I now use that money for a monthly pedicure.

    You are bigger than the addiction. TAKE CONTROL. The first few days SUCK *kitten* as the nicotine is leaving your system ...but after the first week, I never felt better. Holy crap. I LOVE IT! I'M FREE!!
  • That_Girl
    That_Girl Posts: 1,324 Member
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    When I finally quit I was at 3 packs a day and had smoked for 20+ years. I had been trying to quit for 5 of those years. I tried everything. Gum, patches, lozenges, hypnotherapy, acupuncture, brushing my teeth, exercise, Popsicle... EVERYTHING.... nothing worked.

    Why?

    Because, even though I was on a quest to quit smoking, even though I knew the health factors and the expense, even though I watched my Grandmother die of Emphysema, I WAS NOT READY.

    Then one day I woke up and was done. I gave the rest of my cigs to my mother...who lived with me... and never picked them up again.

    Out of everything I did to assist me in stopping smoking, none of it worked. I kept saying I wanted to quit...but I didn't, not really. When I was finally ready to quit, I did.

    I wish you luck on your journey.

    Totally. You have to want to be done. I didn't quit for years because I wasn't ready.

    I am ready now. Especially when I look into my children's eyes. Hell if I'ma die some horrible death and leave them before my time.
  • hww1
    hww1 Posts: 8 Member
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    I was a pack a day smoker while working in a non-smoking environment--so I really smoked in my free time. It took about 3 serious tries for me to quit. Using nicotine gum worked best for me. I used a lot of it for 3 years before I switched to regular gum. I am now nicotine-free as well as a non-smoker. I still have cravings sometimes, but remind myself that it would take almost nothing for me to be back at a pack a day, so I do not act on the cravings.

    Driving new routes so you do not stop at stores or gas stations where you have bought cigarettes helps, also. I would sometimes say to myself "Drive by this store, if you still want a cigarette when you go by the next store, stop there" Usually, the craving was gone by then. Like all addictions, one day at a time. Good luck.
  • manabearnz
    manabearnz Posts: 8
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    For me, I just one day made the absolute decision I didn't want to do that anymore. That day I washed all my clothes, cleaned out my car, got rid of all the ash trays, smoke butts, and chucked them out. I cleaned out my house from top to bottom, cleaned everything...

    then ran out and got patches... LOL

    You need a hand, pays to know what your triggers are, mine were, coffee, alcoholic, after meals... So I cut out the alcohol and coffee... and stayed inside after I ate a meal.... I had a couple of slip ups... but I never went back to it full on. I allowed myself hiccups... which will happen. There was a few months where I smoked when I drank... but when I got home, I would shower all the smoke smell out of me. brush teeth and start a new...

    Great for you to... its not easy quitting... but it is so worth it

    Jay
  • diligentjosh
    diligentjosh Posts: 274
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    I've never been a smoker, but I learned about the effects of it in my Psychology classes. Addiction can be both a physiological need (your body craving the tobacco) and a psychological need (a mental thing). Some smokers find the most difficult thing to do when breaking the habit is to find something to do when they aren't smoking. If you're used to putting a cigarette in your mouth when you're stressed, what are you going to do now when you get stressed, and you're not smoking anymore? If you're somebody who took a smoke break every couple of hours during work, you need to find something to do with that time instead. If you don't fill that time slot that you normally spent smoking, or you don't find a replacement for smoking as your stress-reliever, you should immediately work on that. That's one of the top reasons smokers fall off the wagon and start smoking again.
    I hope this helps you, and I commend you for quitting! I've seen from family that it's difficult, but it's so worth it.

    I agree, MFP lady. It is worth it. The benefits to quitting vs the benefits of not quitting are about 30:1. One I look forward to is that men who do not smoke end up with way hotter chicks later on down the road. But you are right, and I am glad you understand. It is a drug and it is an addiction that is a step underneath heroin in terms of grip. I live in CA, so my cigs were costing me about $5.00 a pack, and those are the cheapies. The Starbucks brand runs about $6-8 per pack.

    I started when I was 13, and am 26 now. I am way too young to be killin myself, and I want to skydive someday ( I know, that's technically a contradiction)!

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