How to put down that last cigarette!

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  • TheVimFuego
    TheVimFuego Posts: 2,412 Member
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    My husband is in the last stage of Emphysema. It is horrible watching someone litteraly suffocate to a slow death. He is still smoking. I wish I knew the answer. Good luck.:flowerforyou:

    I watched my Dad go the same way, from fit to dead in 6 months, I am sincerely sorry you are going through it.

    The perverse thing is, I started smoking after I witnessed it ... strange decisions we all make sometimes ...

    We watched his Father die the same way and I took care of his mother who died from lung cancer.

    It is incredible what we do to ourselves ... I mean, I understand why I thought I needed to do it at the time and I would defend my position like most smokers would but looking back it was madness ... I didn't even stop due to health concerns, I just hated being addicted to something, being a slave ...

    (edit) I have just realised my avatar is smoking a pipe ... Ah the irony :)
  • fsmalley
    fsmalley Posts: 62 Member
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    Can you perhaps smoke a ton so it becomes repulsive? That always seems to work with some types of alcohol? Just a thought from an ignorant non smoker. :)

    An we could call this the "Tequila" cessation method??
  • PaveGurl
    PaveGurl Posts: 244 Member
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    The only thing that worked for me was deciding that this was ONE thing in my crazy mixed-up life over which I have control - one day, I just got REALLY annoyed that I was the pawn of this major company, and its product was keeping me a slave!

    i started really thinking about "why do i want this cigarette? What will it add to this situation? Is there another option I can engage to get through this moment?"

    And it full-on sucked out loud for about two weeks. In the end, though, it's a drug, and I was tired of being an addict. I was tired of structuring my social life around where I could smoke. When I think now about having a cigarette, I remember how hard and painful it was to quit and how patient my partner was - and I don't want to put him through that again - so I don't give in.

    (I was a pack-and-a-half a day smoker for 23 years. I quite 14 Jan 2010 and haven't regretted it for a moment.)
  • aspry1957
    aspry1957 Posts: 1
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    LAST TIME I SMOKED CIGARETTES WERE 65 CENTS A PACK!!
    ARE YOU READY?????????
    First, spend a week watching people smoke, save a weeks worth of cigarette ashes in a jar, brush your teeth often, put the cigarettes in 1 place and the lighter in another to have to go two locations to have your cigarette. Make yourself as aware of your habit. THEN,
    Go buy 1 pack of YOUR BRAND of cigarettes.
    Buy 1 jar of any large capsule product you can re-open and refill. Like gelatin capsules for your nails.
    Or explain what you are doing to a sympathetic pharmacist.
    Empty capsules. If full.
    Open your cigarettes on a tray break open the cigarettes so you can get to the tabacco. Carefully cram both ends of tabacco in each capsule till over flowing. Use the eraser end of a pencil to push the tabacco deeper into the capsule. (If you can't get a pencil eraser into the capsule, the capsule is too small). Now with both ends over-flowing with tobacco, carefully combine them to close the capsule. There are air pockets between the tobacco pieces and when you combine them hold 1 end still and slightly turn twist the other end like your rolling it between your fingers. The two over-flowing ends will combine because of air pockets between the tobacco. Trim off any loose pieces of tobacco after you combine them sticking out of the capsule.
    Make up at least 20 capsules or use the entire tobacco out of the pack you bought. When I quit I got up a 7 needed a cigarette by 7:05 swollowed 1 capsule by 7:10. The craving was history. Now your not going to do this for more then a week. It took 4 days for me. I took 9 the 1rst day 5 the 2nd day & 4 the 3rd & 4th day. Use them ONLY when you are ready to light up. Push yourself until you can't stand it time wise between capsules.
    This is a crutch to get you off the tobacco and wean it out of your system.
    It was unbelievable how well this worked.
    Bad for you? Yes if you do this more then 7 days. ( I wouldn't do it for anyone who has stomach problems like an ulcer). But unlike the patches, gums, and other products that the nicotine level is too high or not high enough, this is dead on because it comes from the level in your cigarettes. But the long term effects of smoking are far worse then doing this for 1 week.
    This will get the nicotine out of your system. You then need to address the psychological addiction of having something between your fingers and your mental addiction tithe cigarettes.
    Every time I thought of going back to smoking, I remembered doing this and didn't want to do it again so I NEVER PICKED THE CIGARETTS BACK UP!!!!
    I quit in the 80's!!!
    I know it sounds crazy but it seriously worked for me!
    Best of Luck!!
    Amy S.
  • Nancy_AZ60
    Nancy_AZ60 Posts: 99 Member
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    Maybe you could Volunteer with a Respiratory therapists or at a hospital in that department. This would be a good visual turn off towards Cigarettes, My mom has COPD.. it is not pretty and quite frightening when she has her spells when she cannot breath.
  • Discoveri
    Discoveri Posts: 435 Member
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    I have been planning to quit smoking this friday (tomorrow) but this thread convinced me to get serious about it. I just went to CVS and picked up their lozenges so I am completely prepared for tomorrow. Thanks for all of the ideas. I am a pack a day smoker and have been smoking for over 11 years. I need to have the willpower to quit for good this time.
  • Esther50
    Esther50 Posts: 252
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    My life insurance coat me $100 more (the premium) a month. That was enough to make me quit. Just stop, you don't love it. You love yourself.
  • PaveGurl
    PaveGurl Posts: 244 Member
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    A pretty stunning infographic is on Yahoo today:

    http://finance.yahoo.com/photos/health-and-economic-consequences-of-smoking-slideshow/-photo-1340891145.html

    I did NOT know some of those stats. YOWZA.
  • iLoveMyPitbull1225
    iLoveMyPitbull1225 Posts: 1,690 Member
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    It sucks but cold turkey is literally the best way to do it, period. I've quit a hundred times too. I am sticking to it this time because I hate the way it smells, tastes, feels, everything about it. Not to mention its so damned expensive.


    The commercials on tv really scare me with the tips from former smokers. YUCK.
  • Pedal_Pusher
    Pedal_Pusher Posts: 1,166 Member
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    Never took a puff of anything, I'm no help here. Keep on keepin' on..........
  • wildflow30
    wildflow30 Posts: 27
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    I did it with Chantix but I stayed on the beginning dose. It was only when I upped the dose the 2nd week that the nightmares and mania started. So I just went back down (actually thinking I was going to stop) and stayed there with no problems. I also liked the Stay Quit program that came with the Chantix.

    On the other side of 4 months now, I gained 20 lbs. Thus here I am.

    If I had to do it differently, I would have used toothpicks instead of hard candy and banana chips.

    I still have days when I say I would rather smoke than be this fat. (I have never been over 200 lbs before) But I think its just the habit trying to find its way into my head again.

    Good Luck. Its been the hardest thing I have ever done. Including give birth 3 times and gone through a heart wrenching divorce.