If I could quit smoking

[SOAPPRO]

I would save @216.50 per month. Thats take home I have to make about $350.00 per month before tax's to pay for the Stupid addiction. I have tried to quit many times but can never seem to get through the fist 1/2 day before the physiclal and mental anguish get to me. I will read any and all advice you can give me, so I can break this stinking habit. Advice from smokers, nonsmokers, and exsmokers are all welcome.

Thanks

Soappro

[tinapbeana]

well, addressing the physical/mental aspect will make quitting much easier. speak with your doctor and/or research a stop smoking aid is my first recommendation. if that's not an option or you'd rather not go that route, here are some other tips.

you need to detox, to try and get some of the chemicals already in your system out. drink lots of water, green tea might also help, some studies show it has detoxification effects. don't alter other aspects of your current diet (i.e. current intake of caffeine, sugar, salt, etc), as the withdrawal from each will only compound your feelings of discomfort. get plenty of sleept.

find an acceptable crutch for the first few days or weeks. sugar free gum, chewing on pens, something that will help occupy the finger/oral busyness of smoking.

there are studies that show most nicotine cravings go away after about 5-10 minutes, so think of something you could do during that 5-10 minutes when you have a craving. a brisk walk is sometimes a good idea, or even 5-10 minutes of meditation and measured breathing. (breath in a count to 4, breath out a count to 4, that sort of thing). the measured breathing could actually be really important, becuase chances are good you breath at a measured rate when you're smoking and you don't even realize it.

i've had friends who've had really good experiences with 'gearing down' or rationing their smoking. makes quitting feel less final and seems to take the edge off the cravings somehow. take whatever amount you're smoking now, and cut down 10% per week. by the end, allow yourself maybe 1 smoke a day. since there's always the feeling that it's 'OK' to smoke if you really 'need' to, you might not feel as frantic or panicked as you might when quitting cold turkey.

set up a reward system for yourself. since you're here, savings are obviously of interest. calculate how much each smoke costs you, and save up however much you're not spending on each and every cigarette every day. decide if you want to use that amount to splurge on yourself every week, or save it for a big ticket item, donate it to charity, or put it towards debt. it's a lot easier to say no to one 15 cent cigarette every time you want one than it is to say no to a lifetime of smoking.

[JoyJoy]

I know the frustration that you feel. I have been smoke-free now over 3 years (December 23, 2003). What made me really want to quit, besides health reasons was:

(1) My sister passed away from lung cancer in 2001 from cigarette smoking. I watched her lug around an oxygen tank. I watched her wither away to skin and bones and the discoloration in her face and body was so sad to see. She had developed a terrible cough too. Besides emphysema also, she had Lupus.

(2) My father-in-law died from lung cancer too. He was indeed a change smoker. He begged us to stop smoking. My husband still smokes and has voiced a want to quit but hasn't taken the steps. Says he wants to "cut down".

I went cold turkey. I had developed two bouts of the flu in November and December, 2003 and smoking took my breath away literally. I made a concerted effort, through prayer, not to ever pick up a cigarette again and I haven't to this date.

Be prayerful and realize that you are more in control over your life than a cigarette! I wish you well because I DO KNOW what the addiction is like.

[JoyJoy]

Tina's message is so good! Very informative. I agree that water is so important! Drinking water and brushing your teeth after each meal is very helpful to combat that cigarette craving. Get up from the table after eating is a must too.

[Broken Arrow]

I don't smoke, but I understand it's a very difficult thing to do.

I'm glad that you are addressing the issue though. I wish you the best.

[PrincessPerky]

COngrats on the quitting! you can totally do it.

I quit oh..um..a long time ago, long enough I quit keeping track.

I had a HUGE help, I moved no more memories of having a smoke here and there.

you prolly don't want to pack up and move 9 hours away, but you can avoid the old smoke spots for a time, and I totally ditto the substitute habit preferably cheap and non caloric...

while you are quitting, drink lots of water, a well hydrated body is a healthier one, and the healthier you are the easier it will be to fight the mental issues of quitting.

[tinapbeana]

Originally Posted by Broken Arrow

I don't smoke, but I understand it's a very difficult thing to do.

well, smoking's the easy part, it's the quitting that's hard!

[Broken Arrow]

Originally Posted by tinapbeana

well, smoking's the easy part, it's the quitting that's hard!

Ahahahah, funny.

[lgslgs]

The first 3 days are the toughest. I finally quit for good when I was home sick, unable to even get to the corner store, and ran out of smokes. By the time I could get up and move around enough to go buy a pack I was past the cravings.

From there on out it's just a matter of not smoking out of habit - which is much easier than getting past the physical part.

If I were you, I'd take some vacation days and schedule 3 - 5 days at home, get rid of the smokes, and enlist family to hide car keys and all money. Also give yourself permission to just hang out and be on vacation. Don't leave the house.

By the end of day 3 you should be far enough past it to handle normal situations.

Lynda

[simpleyme]

I started smoking when i was 12 and quit when i was 22 so i smoked one pack a day for ten years
I quit when my second son was a newborn i did not want to get smoke in his little lungs(yes I smoked while pregnant with 2 of my 3 children,the guilt will rack me forever) and my older son was starting to question why mama would smoke if it was a bad thing to do and he should not do it
so i quit for my kids and that helped so having the right motivation helps

I quit smoking Jan 1 1994 i have now been a non smoker longer than i was a smoker;-)

how i quit ,on DEC 31 I smoked every last one of my cigarettes almost a full pack in less than like 12 hours i
felt so sick ,but i knew i would never be allowed to smoke another again then i just never bought anymore and slowly but surly forgot about them,from time to time i would accidental find myself putting a pencil up to my mouth like a cigarette LOL

good luck it can be done !

[disneysteve]

Speak with your doctor about trying Chantix, the newest prescription med to help quit smoking. It is different than the others. It works by blocking the nicotine receptors in your brain, so that when you smoke, you get no high or thrill from it. As a result, you lose your taste for them. Quit rates are in the 30-40% range.

[ren]

I had good success with the patch, but what I think was even more useful was choosing to start when I was totally broken out of my routine (visiting a friend for a week). Since I wasn't working, I didn't have my normal cues to smoke other than meals.

It helped that the friend in question is a rabid non-smoker.

[I'm going to win]

Having a few set backs in the recent past I restarted a very bad habit over the summer chewing tabbaco? like I said spelling and me not good. Well I went to the DR. he said the patch, sure I say and of I went, 2 hour later I have three on and I'm higher than the space shuttle. My employees think I've been out smoking hand rolled stuff. So back to the DR. only 2 block away but had to be driven, He writes a prescrition for an anti depresent that has shown good reviews for stop doing bad things to yourself. Sorry can't remember the name as to it has worked. Maybe google it or see your
DR. trust me if I can Mr A personality can you can GO GET EM. Now one to next bad habit, not sure what it is oh yah debit.

[scfr]

My husband quit successfully about 10 years ago using Nicorette (the gum).
When we got married, I said smoking was the one thing I would change about him if I could.

Which means now he's perfect.

oh wait, there's the business of the dirty socks on the floor ...

[PRICEPLUS]

It is hard to quit. I had to quit due to immediate health concerns. It is doable!

[Bookie]

Originally Posted by PRICEPLUS

It is hard to quit. I had to quit due to immediate health concerns. It is doable!

“Quitting smoking is easy. I’ve done it hundreds of times.” Mark Twayne

The trick isn't the quitting; it's the staying quit.

.

[Ima saver]

I started smoking at age 12 and quit when I was about 47. I fell asleep with a cigarette in my hand and it fell on the rug. There was no fire, but that scared me. I guit cold turkey. Everytime I wanted one, I ate or drank something. I did gain a few pounds!

[PRICEPLUS]

Well Bookie I am still in the quit column!

[thekid]

Originally Posted by Bookie

“Quitting smoking is easy. I’ve done it hundreds of times.” Mark Twayne

The trick isn't the quitting; it's the staying quit. .

He speaks the truth! Everytime that I quit, I gradually reduced the number of cigarettes I have per day. The goal was to get it down to a max 5 and maintain that or less for a number of weeks. Then, the step from 2,3 or 4 cigarettes per day to 0 was relatively easy.

I've gotten pretty good with quitting over time, it's the staying quit that I have trouble with. I seem to have strongly associated cigarettes as a stress management tool. Everytime I've quit, after a few months, some (or multiple) huge monster files come in and I'm back smoking....til things quiet down and I'm back to quitting. ....I know, I know, I need to get a stress ball instead :-)

[vishenda]

A good New Year's resolution that will be!

Don't let another year go up in smoke. Smoking even a few cigarettes a day can hurt your health. If you try to smoke fewer cigarettes, but do not stop completely, soon you’ll be smoking the same amount again. Smoking "low-tar, low-nicotine" cigarettes usually does little good, either. Because nicotine is so addictive, if you switch to lower-nicotine brands you’ll likely just puff harder, longer, and more often on each cigarette. The only safe choice is to quit completely. Really wanting to quit smoking is very important to how much success you will have in quitting. Smokers who live after a heart attack are the most likely to quit for good—they're very motivated. Find a reason for quitting before you have no choice.
Know that it will take effort to quit smoking. Nicotine is habit forming. Half of the battle in quitting is knowing you need to quit. This knowledge will help you be more able to deal with the symptoms of withdrawal that can occur, such as bad moods and really wanting to smoke. There are many ways smokers quit, including using nicotine replacement products (gum and patches), but there is no easy way. Nearly all smokers have some feelings of nicotine withdrawal when they try to quit. Give yourself a month to get over these feelings. Take quitting one day at a time, even one minute at a time—whatever you need to succeed.

Half of all adult smokers have quit, so you can— too.
Godbless