nasty

so im a smoker im 21 almost 22 and ive smoked since i was 13 Ive been at a pack a day for a long time. I smoke alot. I am now the only smoker at my job :( I work at a spa and i shouldnt smell like smoke at all, Ive tried quitting a few times the longest i went was 1 week. Ive tried toothpicks gum hard candy putting a refry in a pack and smelling it when i want one the patch the Ecigg also just about everyone i know smokes, the people i live with, my whole family, friends ect.......any other suggestions? also a big thing is my mood swings when i quit and eating of course any way to curb or avoid thoes? any advice would be helpful i really want to quit!!!!! really bad!
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Replies

  • Trilby16
    Trilby16 Posts: 707 Member
    I quit at 24, when I was already up to 3 packs a day (starting when I was 13, like you). Forget the patches. WIth the patch or the nicotine gum, you stayed hooked on nicotine. Throw away all your cigs and lighters and wash out your ashtrays and quit. Start enjoying the taste of food again and the smells of flowers and babies' heads and whatever smells good to you. Revel in taking deep breaths of clean air. Look at smokers and think bad thought about them. Whatever you do, DON'T tell yourself you'd do anythign for a cig, etc. Don't play the poor me game. Just stop smoking and know that in 3 days the nicotine is out of your system and then you only have the habits, not the addicition, to overcome. Chew regular gum. Learn how to knit to keep your hands busy. Drink lots of water. You can do it, I promise, and will feel much better and very proud of yourself!
  • bblen2004
    bblen2004 Posts: 16 Member
    My brother and other brothers wife both died from lung cancer due to smoking. God rest their souls. I still miss them.
  • Boolietta
    Boolietta Posts: 12 Member
    I quit 6 years ago next month after about 12 years of 1-2 packs a day. To be honest, it was horrific - I felt like S*~t for a week. I found chewing gum, sugar free lollypops and a lot of water helped a bit, but basically I just had to suffer through feeling tense, lack of sleep, sweats (urgh), headaches & random stomach cramp until it went away. But. . now I feel GREAT! I don't cough or wheeze, I don't stink, I don't throw good money away every day & I'm no longer worrying about long term health problems. I have never fallen off the wagon & I will never smoke again. It was totally worth it. So, basically, it sucks *kitten*, but if you're ready to do it & you really want it, you can do. Will power will get you though. Good luck!!

    (PS I didn't get fat from not smoking!)
  • MightyDomo
    MightyDomo Posts: 1,265 Member
    Tone it down day to day... some people can't just 'quit' they need a way down that feels easy on them and I think that fits you.

    Try to have a goal of fewer each day and slowly over time get down to 2-3 a day and then you will have more success cutting it right out. Not going to say the mood swings and weight gain won't be there when you do so, nor will it even be easy to slowly cut down but it might be easier for you doing it slowly and stick better when you quit in the end.
  • hereisgone125
    hereisgone125 Posts: 79 Member
    I was in the same situation. If you tried a disposable E-Cigg they don't work for any smoker's I know, I had to purchase a rechargeable/refillable one. I haven't smoked since switching to a better e-cigg.
  • misscristie
    misscristie Posts: 643 Member
    Pop vitamin B like candy during the day (to the point where you urine is glowing like a neon sign). Take a calcium supplement at night (to help you come down off all the vitamin B). Cut off straws and keep them in your pocket to "inhale" off of. After about a week, you'll be good. Just do NOT buy a pack after that.
  • Tw1zzler
    Tw1zzler Posts: 583
    You have to really want to do it for you, not for anyone else. I couldn't quit until I was 100% committed and 100% confident that I would do it. I read Stop Smoking Stay Skinny and it really helped me.

    Good luck!
  • oamber0
    oamber0 Posts: 53
    I have an aunt who is in her 50's, been smoking since middle school, and she is doing great!!! What is she doing? Acupuncture!!! there's something new to try.
  • usmcmp
    usmcmp Posts: 21,219 Member
    I quit at 24, when I was already up to 3 packs a day (starting when I was 13, like you). Forget the patches. WIth the patch or the nicotine gum, you stayed hooked on nicotine. Throw away all your cigs and lighters and wash out your ashtrays and quit. Start enjoying the taste of food again and the smells of flowers and babies' heads and whatever smells good to you. Revel in taking deep breaths of clean air. Look at smokers and think bad thought about them. Whatever you do, DON'T tell yourself you'd do anythign for a cig, etc. Don't play the poor me game. Just stop smoking and know that in 3 days the nicotine is out of your system and then you only have the habits, not the addicition, to overcome. Chew regular gum. Learn how to knit to keep your hands busy. Drink lots of water. You can do it, I promise, and will feel much better and very proud of yourself!

    I've never smoked, but I used to drink a 12 pack of Pepsi every day. I tried cutting back and it didn't work. Quitting cold turkey like this person states was the only thing that worked. It sucked and I hated life for a few days. I know it isn't exactly the same. Good luck!
  • PatrickSwayzesGhost
    PatrickSwayzesGhost Posts: 300 Member
    ...
  • Denise1224
    Denise1224 Posts: 150 Member
    I'm 43 I quit at 39 after starting at 13 like you .. I was almost 2 packs per day and over 20 years. I had to WANT to quit and by want I mean really want it. For me I was trying to lose weight at the time and in order for me to increase my cardio I needed to be able to breathe. No brainer right? Well that's what it took ... I told myself either I was going to keep smoking and be fat or I would quit smoking so I could breathe well enough to work out and lose weight... I lost the weight got divorced and regained it all back now that I'm remarried and happy (I got complacant and lazy about the gym to nurtue the new love I found but that's a whole other story)... the point is until you really want to quit for you and not for who you work with or what others think it won't happen... or at least that was my experience.. I tried to quit several times for someone else who told me I should but couldn't really do it until it was for me. Good luck to you though!
  • jojojo909090
    jojojo909090 Posts: 205 Member
    My husband used the Allen Carr book, Easy Way to Stop Smoking, very successfully. He was a long time (30+ years) pack a day smoker.

    He's been 'clean' for over 2 years and apart from a couple of days of irritability at the beginning has never looked back or wanted to start again. It was a life changer!
  • sailinjen
    sailinjen Posts: 103 Member
    I lost my father, and 2 brothers to lung cancer caused by smoking. You tube Dr oz when he had charlie sheen on. He showed him 2 lungs, it was awful!!!!! one was from a non smoker and the other died of lung disease!!! Whoa!!!!! youre so young you can repair the damage done. Good Luck!!!!
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
    I've never smoked so perhaps I shouldn't say anything, but my partner started when she was 12 also. On the day she turned 30 she said "I quit". She did too, cold turkey. The first few days she was moody and 'foggy'. After the first week, she didn't really crave the nicotine as much as the physical habit, especially when drinking alcohol or coffee. But she stuck it out, and has been smoke free for 4 years. The last time she attempted to smoke, she said it made her feel "dirty" and she didn't like it.

    When I started to complain about needing to lose weight, someone said something to me that I think applies to smokers too: "When you are truly ready to do something about it, you will". Are you ready?
  • allisonlane61
    allisonlane61 Posts: 187 Member
    I was in the same situation. If you tried a disposable E-Cigg they don't work for any smoker's I know, I had to purchase a rechargeable/refillable one. I haven't smoked since switching to a better e-cigg.

    I second this. One of my best girlfriends was a pack a day smoker her entire adult life. She now smokes the refillable e-cigs (she calls it vaping). She has a couple different ones, and there are all different flavors (they smell very good). She's in NYS, and they're not cigarettes so she smokes them when we're out places.

    She also has an application that tells her how many cigarettes she did NOT smoke since she's been smoking her e-cigs. She swears by them.
  • whitneyps7
    whitneyps7 Posts: 409 Member
    thanks guys. im definatly going to give it another shot. i want to be able to go for runs and do more cardio. i wish i never started
  • keepitcroosh
    keepitcroosh Posts: 301 Member
    Im 22 and ive also been smoking since i was 13. I find myself with these smoking routines. I used to smoke alot, and i cut down to one before work, one at lunch, one after work, and ever since i stopped smoking in my house ( we have a puppy now!), sometimes i wont even have one after that. Maybe try to stop smoking one of your routine times. I found it slightly easier when i was working. Too much to think about (with the exception of a ****ty customer that makes me want a smoke really bad, then i would go have one ). But yeah, slowly get rid of one routine time that youa l ways smoke at. Ive been doing this for several months, and ill probably try to do it again to get rid of one more for now when im ready. I find smokers just need something in their hands. So alot of people do resort to food. Maybe have fresh fruit, veggies, etc avail and other easy access food. Always have a water bottle on you. It gives you something to do, as soon as its empty, fill it up. Your body will thank you!
  • Ramberta
    Ramberta Posts: 1,312 Member
    The hardest days of me quitting pot (I smoked every day multiple times a day except for an off day every week or so when I ran out and had to wait to get more) were the first few. The first week, really. It's as much of a psychological, habitual addiction as it is dependence on the substance (nicotine in your case, THC in mine. I'm not trying to say the two are equal, but the characteristics of the dependency are similar).

    Yes, you will have mood swings, yes, you will want to eat more and have cravings. But the good thing about it is that they won't last forever. My brother quit smoking cold turkey (after smoking like, two packs a day for more than two years) and I think that's the better way to do it rather than using gum or a patch. That would be like me going from bongs to brownies. Not really helping with the bigger picture.

    Make a plan for yourself-- pick a week to quit for good where nothing huge is happening in your life. No trips, no 12-hour workday, no stressful things you're dreading. Prepare yourself mentally as best you can, and brainstorm about ways to "occupy" yourself when you get cravings, such as chewing regular gum, working out, being around non-smoker friends or co-workers, picking up a book to read or movies to watch, etc. You say you work at a spa? Perhaps it's time to treat yourself to a massage or two during this chosen week. The key is to let enough time pass where the withdrawal symptoms stop, and from that point on the cravings are purely mental. They'll be there for a long time probably, but it's a lot easier to dismiss a thought of "oh, I wish I could have a cigarette" than being shaky and irritable while thinking it.

    Also during this week, be sure to google lots of nasty pictures of how smoking affects your lungs, throat, and other internal bits. I guarantee that'll be a turn-off for you! And good luck. :)
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    my mother in law just died. she had emphysema from smoking, but she didnt actually get diagnosed with it until 10 years after she had quit.. she had lung reduction surgery 4 years ago and they removed the top 1/3 of each lung. from that day on she was hooked to an oxygen machine 24/7. its no way to live, and a month ago her lungs just stopped working.
    i dont really have suggestions for you to quit, as ive never smoked. ive only seen the harm it does to families. my mom has smoked for 35 years and gets chronic pneumonia and bronchitis, and major issues with asthma. she has switched to a refillable e-cigg and swears by it (went from 2 packs a day to 2 ciggs + the ecig), but i still worry about her ending up on the road my mother in law did.
    no one should die at 58 from something that can be prevented.
  • suemar74
    suemar74 Posts: 447 Member
    This seems to be what worked for me. I quit over three years ago, and I also thought I had tried everything...before I tried this.

    I downloaded a hypnosis mp3 to help quit smoking. I think it helped me get in the right frame of mind to quit. I listened to that for a few weeks, got revved up to quit.

    I started paying attention to how nasty each cigarette tasted, and made me feel, and made me smell, instead of mindlessly inhaling and exhaling. I noticed how I was coughing up crap from my lungs that wasn't supposed to be there. I noticed how I didn't really enjoy the cigarettes....they were more something I thought I had to have.

    Then I borrowed "The Easy Way to Quit Smoking" by Alan Carr from our local library. I smoked while I read it. I finished it in a weekend. I then I quit smoking.

    I didn't suffer the "heebie-jeebies" that usually went with past quit attempts. I felt good. Really good. I told myself if I could make it three days, I would never smoke again.

    I made it three days. October 30th was three years.

    You can do it.
  • Barbellerella
    Barbellerella Posts: 1,838 Member
    I know quite a few people that used the electronic one to quit and it really helped. Best of luck to you sweetie =)
  • now_or_never13
    now_or_never13 Posts: 1,575 Member
    Any option to quit will only work if you want it bad enough. Personally I don't believe it's a matter of one method working or not... any method will work if you want to quit bad enough. If, deep down you really don't want to quit no method will work for you.

    While the patch, gum or lozenge will work it can prolong quitting as you will prolong the nictotine being in your system. Personally I believe the best way is cold turkey if you want it bad enough. Nicotine will be gone from your system within three days and after that it is mainly the habit that makes you want a smoke.

    If you want to quit bad enough throw out all your smokes, lighters, matches, ash trays, etc. Clean out your home, car, etc. Than you just have to work on resisting the urge. Stay away from people who smoke if you have to... don't drink if that causes you to want to smoke... don't drink coffee if that makes you want to smoke. Have lots of cut up veggies available for when you want to eat. A lot of times the urge to smoke is the same as hunger. Eat enough protein to try and keep you feeling full for longer. When you have the urge to have a smoke go for a walk, clean the dishes, knit, paint, exercise, clean the bathroom, play a game on the computer, etc... find ways to occupy yourself until the cravings passes.

    Should you quit, don't allow yourself to have just one smoke...it usually leads to another and another. If you quit you have to push through regardless of how hard it can be. It gets better each day. If you want it bad enough you will quit and not pick it back up.

    A friend of mine quit in an odd way. She bought a pack of cigarettes one night and chain smoked them. She didn't brush her teeth and went to bed when she was done. The taste in her mouth, the cough she had was enough to stop her from smoking again. It wasn't easy as she still had cravings for a while but she just kept remembering the cough and the taste in her mouth which stopped her from smoking again. It is a weird way to quit but it worked for her.
  • Cathy7794
    Cathy7794 Posts: 223 Member
    Chantix. Best thing to ever happen to me.
  • My husband and I both use E-cig brand e-go we bought them from vapedojo.com and our liquids from mstsbakery.com.We love them and a plus they keep us from snacking on junk food because there are so many flavors to choose from and nicotine levels. I get 0 nicotine level and my husband uses the 18.
  • rob1976
    rob1976 Posts: 1,328 Member
    When I was ready to quit, I stopped buying them and used the ecig for 4 months. I stepped down my nicotine level everytime I order cartridges until I was using 0 nicotine cartridges. One day my ecig went through the laundry and wouldn't charge anymore. I never bought another one.

    I've had 1 cigarette in the 3 years since I quit. It was a Marlboro Ultra Light and I got nic poisoning from it. My temp shot up, my heart started racing, I got cold sweats, and I threw up Taco Bell nachos all over the bathr oom floor. It's safe to say that my smoking days are over.

    ^^^ Be careful with Chantix. I've known too many people on Chantix that wanted to start smoking gun barrels instead of cigarettes...
  • jennmore52
    jennmore52 Posts: 13 Member
    I quit 6 years ago after smoking heavy for 40 years. I found the support at quitnet.com to help a lot, it's rather like mfp. I tried patches, cold turkey, gum and prescriptions and none worked. I finally got the lozenges and they got me though the first couple of weeks. Good luck, life is so much better without the cigs.
  • shellym616
    shellym616 Posts: 24 Member
    Have you looked at Blu Cigs?
    They are electronic cigarettes that have nicotine and water vapor.
    They have NO odor, but give you the nicotine that you want. There is no tar and no toxic chemicals.

    My fiance just recently started using them. You can get them at Walgreens or online.

    Good luck!
  • rishonb
    rishonb Posts: 232
    not a smoker but honestly if you know something will eventually kill you Isn't that enough motivation to stop..i would rather die from something unpreventable than something you definitely can prevent. however iam speaking from the outside in and know nothing about any addictions, so my advice is good luck hope u can overcome this..
  • kittpitt
    kittpitt Posts: 35 Member
    I smoked for over 30 years .I finally quit ,I felt so relieved after my first year anniversary came up ,I finally felt free .Do whatever you have to to quit the feeling is wonderful. I waited so long that now I have asthma but it could be a lot worse,I could be dead.I also am surrounded by smokers so that does make things harder but not impossible.Hopefully you will be an inspiration to them !The best of luck to you and never give up you will eventually quit.:bigsmile:
  • ChapinaGrande
    ChapinaGrande Posts: 289 Member
    My ex quit easily with some prescription from the doctor. Maybe wellbutrin? I think someone mentioned chantix... your dr will know. My ex was a schmuck, but this method should also work for non-schmucks such as yourself.