I didn't know where to post this,

BlueLadyBug22
BlueLadyBug22 Posts: 156 Member
in Motivation and Support
I am really contemplating quitting smoking, it's affecting my breathing and my ability to exercise vigorously without coughing up a lung and I would like to be able to run one day.

My question is how do you start? It's really hard for me, my husband smokes and almost all my friends do. When I have tried to quit in the past I always end up giving in and smoking again. I know it's nasty, I know it's killing me, it stinks etc. I think my biggest hurdle now is though, even though I want to quit, I don't know if I will ever want to quit BAD enough. When I think about quitting, it actually scares me and I actually really like to smoke. I smoke about a pack a day. I smoke to wake up in the morning, after I eat, when I'm on the phone, when I'm upset,before I clean the house, before I exercise and after... all the time. How do I change my thinking about this? I know I'll have to change my thoughts about it before I will actually do it. How do you quit when a part of you wants to, but then when you actually think about doing it all you want is another cigarette?
«1

Replies

  • NoahandPresleysMom
    NoahandPresleysMom Posts: 763 Member
    i threw my ciggs in the trash and said no more. I was done.
  • newmooon56
    newmooon56 Posts: 347 Member
    I assume thats your baby in your profile pic? Do you really need more motivation than that? Do you want your children to stink, waste their money and basically look stupid in public every time they will need to find some secluded section of the world to smoke in? Its becoming harder every day and not cheaper. At this time in history we know how deadly smoking is- I simply dont get how anyone can with good conscious light up, say they enjoy it and keep doing something so deadly and stupid. 2nd hand is harmful to innocents around you given no choice.

    Please find resources in your community. Our local hospital has stop smoking classes, patches, and support. So does the health dept. I dont know where you are - but seek help in any form you can get it- focus on all the good that will come of quitting and get to work focusing your mind more than anything.

    Its a horrible addiction and will take will power and support to kick- I truly wish you all the luck in the world.
  • BlueLadyBug22
    BlueLadyBug22 Posts: 156 Member
    I have tried that, but now my husband still has a pack :P I know that's an excuse. I really just need to change my way of thinking. I really need to quit smoking. Has anyone tried the nicotine patches?
  • LisaY76
    LisaY76 Posts: 76 Member
    Wow...This is a tough one. I am kind of in the same boat as you. I know exactly how you're feeling right now. I want to quit but then there is also a part of me that wants to smoke. I don't have any other vices other than smoking. I don't drink or do drugs and I'm not a sex addict. I don't really have anything else to help me with stress. I get really stressed and scared when I think about quitting.

    I have quit in the past and what worked for me was the nicotine patch. I quit for over 2 years until my ex handed me a cigarette and said, lets go outside. Without even thinking I would get addicted again with one cigarette, I went outside with him to smoke. I have also quit with the book by Allen Carr, "Easy Way To Quit Smoking". My problem is that I start smoking again when I get stressed and then I can't use the same method to quit again. I am in a Smoking Cessation Support group and they have all said that I have to figure out what my triggers are for wanting to smoke and then find something else to get me through those triggers instead of lighting up. Most people chose eating. Which scares me because I've worked really hard to lose weight and I don't want to put it back on. I know I seem like I have a lot of excuses and I wish I had the answers for you. I guess what I'm trying to say is that nobody can tell you how to stop smoking. You kind of have to figure it out on your own and do what works for you. I'm still trying to figure it out and I've been trying to quit for over 20 years. Good luck to you.
  • LauriePar
    LauriePar Posts: 253 Member
    My husband quit years ago on the patch. He has not smoked since. Also, my sister, my mom, and father-in-law all were successful with the patch and never started again. Good luck to you!
  • jbloomfj
    jbloomfj Posts: 122 Member
    Quitting smoking is mostly mental. I have quit for 5 yrs now after having smoked for over 40 years and i have tried every method. What did work for me was laser therapy. It costs about the amount of a months cigerettes. My son used it 2 years ago and still still nicotine free. I helps kill the urge, but you still need to do something with your hands besidde eat. This is part of the reasons I am on this site :)
  • Smurfette1987
    Smurfette1987 Posts: 110 Member
    I think the method really depends on the person. For me gum and lozenges worked better as I was actually doing something (it also stops you from eating) Maybe try switching to e-cigs for the habit part. But you're right the mental attitude is the main thing. You have to WANT to quit, not just want to want to quit... if that makes sense. Nhs website has great resources and can tell you day by day what positive changes are happening in your body, that helps keep you going. It isn't easy, but it is so worth it, and it gets easier after day 3... you can't say that about weight loss. Also don't let the "I gained x amount when I quit" thing bother you, you can burn sooooo many more calories when your lungs are healthy enough to do more exercise, any weight gain is temporary. You can do it, the more help you can get the easier it is, but you CAN do it.
  • Frieden2013
    Frieden2013 Posts: 3 Member
    I quit 6 months ago on the 28th and used a non nicotine ecig.
    I would still be smoking without it I'm sure and it was the best decision I ever made.
    Also I joined Quitnet which is an online quit smoking support site and that has helped.
    You can do it!
  • dkp4469
    dkp4469 Posts: 19
    I also used to smoke. I also used to like it. I found out that it really upset my son years ago that I smoked. So he had a habit I wasnt real keen on and he picked smoking, we did a pinky swear, I quit cold turkey in the middle of the day end of story. After 24 hours I do believe its just mind over matter anyway. Brush your teeth before you smoke and wash your hands. then tell yourself how gross your breath and hands, hair etc smell after you smoke. Do you have kids, do you smoke in the house. Has anyone that doesnt smoke ever honestly told you how bad their clothing etc smelled? If you start telling your self how much you dislike it, you will believe it. Find a stress ball for your hands so they have something to do. As soon as you quit go to the dentist get your teeth cleaned and shined up. take a before picture. Its all do-able if you want it bad enough. . After a month of not smoking go get a manicure see if they can remove the yellow on your fingers. what a treat!!. A pack of smokes is what over six dollars today, put your six bucks a day in a jar, see what you have saved in a month. that should be motivation enough. then start walking. notice the difference in how good it feels to walk and not have to suck wind .... because your lungs are beginning to heal.... just my opinion my ideas
  • busybee507
    busybee507 Posts: 37
    I've never tried the patch, I had a reaction to the adhesive on the BC patch so I never even bothered with it for smoking cessation. I'm still smoking and I hate it. I never used to care, I used to say that I enjoyed it, that I didn't want to quit. Then I came to terms with reality and faced the fact that I am SCARED of what quitting smoking means. What will I do instead? Everything you read says to find "something" "anything" else to do, but what I want to know is.... WHAT is something, WHAT is anything? Those of us who are struggling with this beast need some real world examples! Not vague answers that lead us no-where.... The anxiety caused by even thinking about quitting makes me want to light one up!

    ---sorry for the vent!
  • juliedozier
    juliedozier Posts: 184 Member
    I quit three times before I was successful but it is SO worth it. It's an expensive dirty habit and horrible for you ... but you know that. Replace that addiction with a healthy one ... run to the end of the drive way and back every time you have the urge to smoke. It's not easy and not fun but you can do it!
  • Coastie7098
    Coastie7098 Posts: 2 Member
    I smoked for 43 years and come this December 31st, I will be smoke free for two years. I quit cold-turkey. What made me do it? I rekindled a passion of mine by resuming karate classes. After 2 1/2 months of "coughing up a lung" and being out of breath just by doing our pre-workout exercises I knew it was time. Maybe that's the answer for you. Find a weekly exercise that has plenty of laborious breathing attached to it and maybe that in-it-self will be the ticket to becoming smoke-free. Whatever the answer is, I hope you find it and start really enjoying life smoke-free! Good luck!
  • waronmyfat
    waronmyfat Posts: 322 Member
    1st Step is wanting to Quit so good on your for taking that step.. 2nd step is go and see your doctor about quitting he/she can help you plus there are quit helplines :) Goodluck
  • BlueLadyBug22
    BlueLadyBug22 Posts: 156 Member
    Thanks everyone, I really am going to consider the patch or something. We have a hotline here and I will give them a call and see what options I have for my area. Thanks for the advice!
  • SLRamirez2012
    SLRamirez2012 Posts: 297
    I am really contemplating quitting smoking, it's affecting my breathing and my ability to exercise vigorously without coughing up a lung and I would like to be able to run one day.

    My question is how do you start? It's really hard for me, my husband smokes and almost all my friends do. When I have tried to quit in the past I always end up giving in and smoking again. I know it's nasty, I know it's killing me, it stinks etc. I think my biggest hurdle now is though, even though I want to quit, I don't know if I will ever want to quit BAD enough. When I think about quitting, it actually scares me and I actually really like to smoke. I smoke about a pack a day. I smoke to wake up in the morning, after I eat, when I'm on the phone, when I'm upset,before I clean the house, before I exercise and after... all the time. How do I change my thinking about this? I know I'll have to change my thoughts about it before I will actually do it. How do you quit when a part of you wants to, but then when you actually think about doing it all you want is another cigarette?

    Is that your little one in your picture? That should be all the inspiration you need. Do it for her.. that should make you want it bad enough.. do it so you can see her kids and her kids kids.. do it so she doesn't inhale any of the residue or second hand smoke. THere you go
  • phoenixgirl81
    phoenixgirl81 Posts: 309 Member
    I understand the need to change your thinking about smoking before it is successful. I quit the day I got diagnosed with cancer...I know...it took the C word before I really decided to stop. When I went through the hard stuff through my treatment, I seriously thought about taking it up again because I thought "oh well, what's the use stopping when the damage has already been done?"...what seriously helped me was this...

    Because I knew how bad smoking was, and because I knew it was disgusting and was literally killing me, I wrote down all the reasons I hated myself enough to want to deliberately harm myself by lighting up another cancer stick...

    I wrote down that I was depressed, that I didn't think I deserved health and happiness, that I was fat, that I was angry at myself for letting myself get sick (ok, so there's no definite link between smoking and cervical cancer, but I still thought that it was my fault), and all of those things that I hated/didn't like/was angry at myself for...and I worked on each and every one of those things. I worked on the depression by finding someone to talk to, I worked on the fat by changing my eating habits, I worked on my anger, I worked on my boredom, I admitted my fear, I worked on my insecurities... and every time I thought about a cigarette, I forced myself to acknowledge that the reason I was thinking about it was because I didn't like myself or I was at a loss as to what to do.

    Edited to add: I am now 15 months cancer-free and nearly 2 years smoke-free.
  • Heather_Rider
    Heather_Rider Posts: 1,159 Member
    99% of successful quiters will tell you to JUST STOP. Those are the ones who have stopped and never went back. Its just about the only way to do it. No crutch, no going back.. knowing you did it ON YOUR OWN. Its quite powerful knowing you tackled that on your own.. for me, it gave me the boost to know i could tackle my weight.. and im doing that too! No setbacks, no weight gains.. im kicking this crap in the *kitten* because now, I KNOW I CAN!

    Just do it ;)
  • limesublime
    limesublime Posts: 118 Member
    Oh man, I SO sympathize. Quitnet has been useful for me in the past, but I believe that I personally need about a dozen simultaneous strategies. Quitnet + quitting buddy + friend to call + lozenges + exercise.... etc...
  • Graceious1
    Graceious1 Posts: 716 Member
    Being pregnant was a big motivator for me. I smoked my last cigarette the day before I found out and never went back. I didn't want to kiss my baby with *kitten* breath. That was almost 8 years ago. I think you need to either find an alternative or your own motivation as to why you stop.
  • nancycaregiver
    nancycaregiver Posts: 812 Member
    My husband threw a pack away 30 years ago and never picked up another one. The thing is...no one else smoked so he did not have temptation laying around the house or smell someone else's cigarettes. I would think that would make it much more difficult! But I agree with the one who mentioned your baby. You do know that smoking causes asthma in children or makes it worse in children who already have it. Children of smokers are also smaller and are usually behind their peers academically. It would be great if you and your husband could both quit but you can't do that for him. You have to take care of you and the baby.

Categories