Help!! I need to stop smoking...

Options
2

Replies

  • HighlandPony17
    HighlandPony17 Posts: 55 Member
    Options
    I smoked for 30 odd years and quit

    I quit through a 12 week quitting programme. I just choose a day to stop and used patches and inhalor, after four weeks I just stopped using the patches and carried on with the inhalour after six weeks that was it i was off the programme early i have never looked back once.

    Its the very best thing I have done in my life and it was the hardest thing to do. I now Own a herd of ponies for the money i used to smoke every week. I know every day I see the results of quitting wandering around in my paddocks if I had never started smoking I would now own the land they graze on!!!!!! thats how much money I have wasted in my life....

    Just think of every cigarette you smoke as an unneccesary EXTRA TAX to your government :(

    You really can do this for lots of reasons but the first reason has to be for you.... I have been smoke free almost 21/2 year now :)
  • mandy0688
    mandy0688 Posts: 335 Member
    Options
    My manager just stopped smoking using the patches. She says its hard to do and you have to STAY BUSY. but the downfall is you will be snacking ALOT. I want to quit but i need to be done moving and other stresses done in my life. Good luck
  • Aello11
    Aello11 Posts: 312 Member
    Options
    The best method? Cold turkey.

    What to expect?

    The bad first: tiredness, depression and maybe feeling a little dumb (you spike your serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine with every cig, so in that absence, your brain has to adjust and balance out--takes about 4-6 weeks for anybody), increased mucus and cough, sometimes panic attacks (adrenalin surges) if you're prone to them, cravings, and fear that I would cave in around friends who still smoked or from watching my favorite movies that featured really "cool" smokers (damn you, Phillip Morris and your embedded advertising!) (lol)

    The good: Skin looks so much better after a short period of time (supplement with a lot of Vitamin C to help repair), sense of smell comes back to the point that you'll be able to smell what comes out of your skin and it will gross you out after a while, lungs start to repair almost immediately, teeth get whiter, healthy food tastes better (but work out if you start to take in more than you need to avoid the weight gain--one mistake that led me here to MFP years later ;)), exercise feels incredible, insurance rates lower and more employment opportunities (many employers now screen and don't hire smokers).

    ***Note the potential pitfalls:***
    The brain is wonderfully designed to help talk you out of quitting at many stages, so here are some red flags that you're actually slipping back into smoking. These are the critical junctures that you'll need to overcome in order to stay a non-smoker:

    The brains says...
    -God, I'm so stressed out. I don't know if it was the right time to get started with my quitting. Maybe if I waited until I had less stress in my life, then it would go better. (Translation: I want to smoke. Nothing more, nothing less. It's just withdrawal. Say no.)
    -You know, I've gone almost a month and therefore have proven on some level that I can quit if I want to, but I just don't want to right now because it's my personal choice, and like I said, I can quit anytime I want to. (Translation: Slip ahead. Don't buy into your own B.S., because if you were out of the woods, you wouldn't even have that thought, trust me.)
    -This moment would be so perfect with a cigarette, and one or two can't hurt, right? Maybe you're on the beach, or staring over a mountain pass, or have had a few too many at the bar, or are in your car with the window down and the weather's perfect--doesn't matter. (Translation: Give it a name. You're experiencing withdrawal. You want to smoke. Nothing more, nothing less. Your mind's playing tricks on you. Just say no.)
    -I don't feel like I'm part of the crew (at work, with family, or with friends outside of work--basically, whoever you smoked with previously to quitting). Addictions seem like shared endeavors, but really they're singular occupations that seek like-minded company. Your friends, family, and coworkers will still love you (lol). What you may feel at first is the opposite: you may not be sure that you like their company as much as before. (Hint: It's only because you're not bombing yourself with a shot of feel-good chemicals while smoking--they're still the same great folks, and no, you're not drifting away from them. It's all an illusion designed for you to cave in and get your fix.) (Translation: Don't give in. Find new smoke-free activities that are fun for a while until you can safely handle the ones you're used to that included smoking. Maybe even make some new healthy smoke-free friends for workout classes, hiking, etc. to give you some perspective.)

    The truth is, if you have truly quit you will have ZERO desire to have one, and that's how you know you were successful. Admittedly, it took me several years of not smoking at all to iron out all of the environmental and emotional associations I had with smoking (you know, the with coffee, alcohol, and soda thing, with friends, with strangers, after food, in place of food, in car, in nature, in city, while working, last cigarette before I go to bed, etc. Every person has their own ritual with it). It's been 7.5 years smoke-free for me, with the exception of three individual incidents where I broke down; all of which I regretted either immediately or within 24 hours. Long story made short, there will be unexpected situations that arise after Year 1 (not MONTH 1--lol--that's simply not quitting), but you'll regret each one for the most part.

    A good friend of mine from long ago upon me happily telling her that I had gone a whole month without smoking and that I was finally free, blah, blah, blah said to me, while laughing I might add, "A month is nothing. Talk to me in a year. Until then, I don't want to hear about it. You think you've done the hardest part because it's mostly physical that you've overcome until now, but the real hard work starts now in convincing your mind." At first, I didn't know how I felt about what she was telling me, but after a year, I looked back, and you know, she was totally right.

    So to sum up: Cold turkey. Don't believe your own B.S. Stay the course. You can do it!

    [edit: Sorry for the novel--didn't realize how long it was until I submitted ;)]

    She nailed it.

    yup this is a great summation .... I am 11 years smoke free... I did use the patch for 2 weeks to help with the jitters, but after that just kept my hands and mind busy.
  • HelenDootson
    HelenDootson Posts: 443 Member
    Options
    I had my last one last Saturday night, Sunday I went for a run as a non smoker and I have not looked back - I have nibbled on grapes, which has helped but have not gone over calories all week - Good Luck
  • hkry3250
    hkry3250 Posts: 140
    Options
    I quit cold turkey, a month ago. Physiologicaly speaking, it's the best way to go and has the least amount of people who relapse. Consider this, even one puff from a cigarette is addictive and it's 10x as addictive in a former smoker. Using a patch, gum, etc. continually puts nicotine into your system, so even though the nicotine decreases, it's still going to your brain and the nicotine receptors are still functioning, therefore your body craves nicotine longer and longer. If you quit cold turkey, you instantly stop any nicotine coming in, therefore the nicotine receptors start dieing out right away. In 24 hours there's no more receptors, and in 3 days, there's no more nicotine in your body period. Less time if you drink more water and exercise to sweat out the nicotine quicker. Most people don't know this, but the "withdraw headaches," don't come from lack of nicotine, but rather from lack of sugar entering your bloodstream, since each puff off of a cigarette tells your body to release fat and sugar into your blood, and this excess fat builds up over time, and that's what causes most heart attacks in smokers. As for irritability, again, try exercise or meditation. The worst fear among smokers is thinking they won't be able to cope with the stress without having a cigarette. Contrary to what most people think, nicotine is a stimulant, not a relaxant, and so smoking actually makes stress worse.
  • hkry3250
    hkry3250 Posts: 140
    Options
    One final note, if you consume caffeine, QUIT. Quit the caffeine for the first three days you quit smoking, and there's a very good reason why. Nicotine and caffeine are both addictive drugs, and both feed the pleasure center of your brain, they also both stimulate endorphins and well, they basically both do the same thing. Quitting both at the same time, allows your body to basically go on a hunger strinke, and after three days, both drugs will be completely wiped from your body. On the fourth day, add the caffeine, coffee, pills, whatever you want. The caffeine starts feeding those pleasure receptors, and your body starts releasing those endorphins again, and your brain registers that a "feel good" chemical has entered back into your body, and only you know that it's caffeine and not nicotine.
  • 1258936
    1258936 Posts: 115 Member
    Options
    I smoked for 10 years and quit dec 2 2007. I used chantix. twice. Talk to you doc, see if it's right for you. If you have insurance you're good to go b/c chantix is expensive. This first round I decided I didn't need the pills anymore cause i felt good enough so I stopped taking them too soon and had "just one cig" and all went downhill from there. Month later I made an apt and confessed to my doc that I had started smoking again and wanted to try another round of chantix, doc agreeded. This time I just stopped smoking when I felt ready. I started being annoyed at stopping everything I was doing to go find my smokes and a lighter, go outside and smoke. Also it started tasting really bad. LIke the way your felt about it when you were a kid. Nasty. I started smoking halfies and found I only wanted about 1/2 a smoke a day. Then one day I didn't really even enjoy the halfie and I never bought another pack again. I waited until a month after the last smoke to stop taking the chantix.
    I have never smoked a cig, not even a puff since dec 2, 2007.
    I don't have to worry about how many cigarettes I have left.
    I don't have to worry about if the good gas station is on the way so I can buy more.
    I don't have to hunt for lighters.
    I don't have to stand outside in the cold winter and shiver.
    I don't have to worry about where I can smoke and when I can go get one again.
    I don't have to find money everyday to buy them.
    I don't smell bad. Not my clothes, not my hair, not my car.
    I don't get dirty looks from passerby's
    I don't miss it anymore.
  • vickilm1976
    vickilm1976 Posts: 141 Member
    Options
    I quit for good just over a year ago. I read The Easy Way to Stop Smoking by Alan Carr. It worked great for me and everyone else I know that read it. Changed my life. I don't think it works if you aren't ready to quit, but if you are, it will work for you. I looked into the pills, but after reading about the horrible side-effects I decided there was no way I would risk my mental health (what little I have of it LOL) to help me quit smoking.
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
    Options
    I quit cold turkey in 98. Just tossed them out with the lighter and that was the end of it. I had been smoking for 15 years before that.
  • Kenzietea2
    Kenzietea2 Posts: 1,132 Member
    Options
    I've smoked a cigarette in my life, but I've never been a smoker.
    My friend has quit successfully for a year now, he swears by the e-cigarette and the gum. He told me it was more than just the nicotine addiction but the actually lighting and smoking of a cigarette that was addicting. That is wear the e-cig came in and really helped.
  • MadtownMadisonian
    MadtownMadisonian Posts: 66 Member
    Options
    get the book by allen carr - seriously - it changes your mind set. instead of feeling annoyed because you must deprive yourself of the cig you want, you switch to feeling liberated as a nonsmoker and annoyed that the cravings are interfering with your good feeling. it makes a world of difference. worked for my guy, and then for me.

    allen carr"s easy way to quit smoking

    available from amazon
  • rubberbiscuit
    rubberbiscuit Posts: 128
    Options
    I quit in February of 2001, after smoking for 23 years. I first cut back until I was only smoking around 5 cigarettes a day, then I went cold turkey. It took all my willpower, but I was really determined to finally quit. The thing that motivated me was that I had recently met a woman, and had spent quite a bit of time with her, who was only around 65 years old. She smoked like a chimney, and was on oxygen and an atomizer. In the middle of a conversation with you she would have to interupt to have a coughing fit, which lasted for what seemed like several minutes. I saw my future in her if I didn't stop.
  • Just_One_Me
    Just_One_Me Posts: 66 Member
    Options
    I smoked for 14 years . Quit cold turkley after my last pregnancy. Its been a year and a half. Best advice - GIVE IT ALL YOU GOT, TRY WORKING OUT IF YOU GET THE URGE , BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY .... JUST DO IT ! Its hard , but with time of course, it gets easier. The urge is still there for me sometimes, but i just dont buy em anyomore. quit buying them also. dont even buy singles. YOU CAN DO IT ! good luck ! =) Oh a funny joke my friend told me was when i asked him how he did it , he told me : You get two balls, but they have to be from a BULL...... What o_O , then you eat them , once you eat them they will activate the two balls God already has given you. LOL but im a woman... Ya well, God gave you two eggs didn't he. My goodness , I was like ok just grow some balls, huh, and YES bottom line is just STOP , you CAN do it !
  • Just_One_Me
    Just_One_Me Posts: 66 Member
    Options
    Oh make sure you dont replace it with food either, I think I did ! =) taaaa taaaaa !
  • nonstopper
    nonstopper Posts: 1,108 Member
    Options
    stress ball :)
  • donnantx
    donnantx Posts: 76
    Options
    3 years NIC free this month! I have never felt better..you can do it. If you have medical insurance...most of them have a wellness line and you can sign up for a health coach. My health coach called me every week at a designated time and she also sent me the Nicotine Patches (name brand) for FREE...It really helped..I also stayed away from drinking alcoholic beverages and went to the bars only until I started craving...then I would leave. My husband still smoked at the time. I thought it would be hard...but looking back...wasnt hard at all....I was just determined! GOOD LUCK!!
  • Anamdalta
    Anamdalta Posts: 56
    Options
    Hi everyone! I really need and want to quit smoking. However, if you have ever been addicted to cigs then you know how hard it is to quit. I am looking for tips and advice on how to quit. If you ever smoked, how did you quit?

    I smoked on and off for about 20 years. Sometimes quite heavily, sometimes not. I got to the point that you are at - I was determined that I wanted to quit. And, so I just stopped. At that time, I was probably only smoking 3-4 a day, but I was really psychologically attached to them :)

    I am fortunate that none of my friends smoke, which makes it much, much easier. But, I didn't want to use patches and gum, because I do better when I just stop doing things -- weaning off just leads to "okay, well, today I won't knock off another cig from the tally"... at least for me.

    I drank a LOT of water. I ate a LOT of raw veggies, and chewed a LOT of regular gum. I had to find other things to do that replaced all the activities that went along with smoking -- I smoked outside exclusively, so I stopped sitting on my porch to drink coffee in the morning; I made sure I told people that I was quitting.

    It was awful, I won't lie. There were moments where I thought I'd lose my mind if I didn't go and buy a pack of smokes. One night, I was on my way out the door to go to the store. I had totally given up. And, I swear, I got 5 feet down the front walk, and it was like something grabbed the back of my jacket, and stopped me in my tracks. I went inside, drank a big glass of water.... and that was it. Never had another unmanageable nic fit again.

    For a long time, I avoided alcohol, because it was guaranteed to cause a huge nic fit, especially if I was out somewhere where people were smoking. Now, a few years later, it doesn't bug me. And, now, if I have the urge to smoke, it's really abstract, and totally non-urgent, easy to ignore.

    If you can get through the first 3 weeks, you're golden. But, you have to decide, and just do it. It's like any other lifestyle change. People balk at giving up chips, or chocolate, or soda... you just have to say, "enough," and stop.

    Good luck. It isn't easy, but you will feel a million times better even after a month of not smoking.
  • hughtwalker
    hughtwalker Posts: 2,213 Member
    Options
    I gave up 16 years ago.

    1. don't wait until you smoked the last one - always 'know' that you could have one, just don't want to.
    2. I sucked nicotine tablets for a couple of weeks
    3. I chewed licorice root (the woody stuff, not sticks of licorice - that would just be messy)
    4. I had a strong motivation - I was doing it as a part of my 20th anniversary presents (my wife had never smoked)
  • GreyEyes21
    GreyEyes21 Posts: 241 Member
    Options
    I dont know if you believe in hypnosis but I do. There are doctors that can put you into light hypnosis for quitting smoking for 1 hour and you no longer feel the urge to smoke. It changes the way you think. Maybe give that a try? 1 out of 4 people cant be hyptnotized though.
  • iWILLbeFit062012
    iWILLbeFit062012 Posts: 97 Member
    Options
    I quit almost 5 months ago by just cutting back until I got to the point where I just didn't feel like going to the store to buy the cigs. Took about 2 weeks. Used an e-cig to take the place of real cigs for a bit and chew lots of nicotine gum. Still use the gum but haven't used the e-cig in a while. What made things easiest for me is that I jumped head first into my fitness and new eating routine at the same time I quit. So I basically gave up one bad habit for a few very good ones.

    What I've noticed these past few months is that it is so good to breath and not wheeze, cough, clear my throat, etc. Simple head colds don't automatically result in bronchitis anymore. Matter of fact, I haven't gotten anything but a runny nose since I quit. Stairs used to leave me winded, but now I run up and down stairs for my cardio workout.

    Good luck to you and you can do it if you set your mind to it. You have to ask yourself why you want to quit and then be willing to take action. If at first you don't succeed, pick yourself up and try again - eventually it will stick!

    ETA: It helps to have a bottle of water nearby at all times. If you feel like smoking, pick up the water and chug away!

Categories