Trying to quit smoking

[Agfan]

Yeah, because thats cheaper and healthier....

May not but cheaper but a hell of a lot healthier. Been proven. Pot is natural ciggerettes have about 800 chemicals in it. Forget what your teachers told you in high school.

 

[Flannigan]

May not but cheaper but a hell of a lot healthier. Been proven. Pot is natural ciggerettes have about 800 chemicals in it. Forget what your teachers told you in high school.

Typical stoner response...

 

[skiers33]

Shoeless, I'm in the medical field and I treat patients that have suffered the effects of smoking. Don't give up trying, hang in there, it truly is one of the hardest habits to break. There are a lot of options out there, many of which have been mentioned. Some other thoughts...hypnosis, electronic smokes, Wellbutrin (a med commonly used for depression but works for people trying to quit smioking), nicotine gum, nicotine patches. Most people who try to quit cold turkey end up failing. Try talking to your doctor about some of the options available. Good luck!

 

[tuscarora dave]

I wish I had never picked up the habit....

When I was 15 years old my Dad came in the house all pissed off and started in to whipping on me, I mean he slapped the sheet out of me. All the while I was pleading with him to tell me what I had done wrong. "What did I do?" "Whaaah" "What did I do Dad?" After he was done whooping my arse, he pulled out a pack of Marlboro Reds (he smoked Winstons) and asked me "HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN SMOKING BOY?!!!" I lied and said "Two weeks" He then told me to quit while I still could. I couldn't bring myself to tell him that I'd been smoking for 2 years at that point.

I haven't really tried to quit yet but lately I have been thinking about it and some of the other stuff that I had quit doing that were pretty darned tough to do. It had been suggested to me that my drinking hadn't really been the problem but rather the solution to some of the emotional troubles I had in my life. It was suggested that if I could figure out what those emotional troubles were and fix them that quitting (or staying quit rather) wouldn't be so tough. Well I have been able to do that with the drinking and stuff.

I have been thinking lately that perhaps the same techniques could apply to smoking. Is it perhaps a solution to some emotional baggage that I continue to hold on to in my life? Mind you that this is me just speculating and maybe over thinking this but none the less I have been thinking this lately. See I am the type of guy that wants to figure stuff out at the root cause of things.

I guess taking one day at a time could work, "I'm not going to smoke today, this 24 hours that is". Maybe even break that down as needed into hours or minutes, "I'm not going to smoke for 1 hour". Then after that hour goes by maybe then, make a decision to go another hour without smoking.

His only side effect was road rage.....

This may have not even been a side effect of the Chanix but rather some other force of anger being manifested now that the solution to the anger has been removed. (Remember I'm just thinking hypothetically here) So wherein lies the problem or the cause of the anger? Maybe I'm biting off more than I can chew, maybe it's just stress that is manifesting itself as anger.. If this is in fact the case, then how do I cut back the stress? Yoga perhaps? Maybe the gym as was suggested above..Sometimes I pray to relieve stress and fear, that's something that one could try in their quest to quit smoking. "Oh God, Please take away some of this stress and direct my thinking to more useful thoughts so that I won't have to buy a pack of cigarettes".

I think everyone is right, it's more mental than anything else. You have to WANT to quit.
Good luck!

Wanting to is definitely first and foremost but until some form of practical application is decided upon, I doubt that wanting alone will be enough.

I read the words "practical application" somewhere else and didn't really understand it until I defined the word practical.

Definition of PRACTICAL

1
a : of, relating to, or manifested in practice or action : not theoretical or ideal <a practical question> <for all practical purposes> b : being such in practice or effect : virtual <a practical failure>

2
: actively engaged in some course of action or occupation <a practical farmer>

3
: capable of being put to use or account : useful <he had a practical knowledge of French>

4
a : disposed to action as opposed to speculation or abstraction b (1) : qualified by practice or practical training <a good practical mechanic> (2) : designed to supplement theoretical training by experience

5
: concerned with voluntary action and ethical decisions <practical reason>

 

[davidg]

4 years at a pack + a day for me. Horrible decision. I've moved to the bigger of two evils and I do dip a few times a day.(heard somewhere a can of dip is equal to a carton of cigs in nicotine content) When I started I thought it would help with me not having headaches or the nicotine cravings. I also thought since I believed dip was nasty that it would be easy to quit. just rolled over a year of (almost) smoke free life this month and I still dip. I guess the plus is that it is cheaper and doesn't stink which were my two main goals as health is not a huge concern for me; so long as my appearance is decent. (ignorant young guy, but we all die somehow)

It takes a lot of motivation. It takes 28 days to break a habit and the first three are the worst when quitting cigarettes. I had a teacher who said his dad smoked for 15 years and has been quit for over 25 and still craves them!

Flannigan, I see your post often and you seem like a very inelegant and respectable guy. Do not blow off the stoners response of 800 chemicals in cigarettes. It's closer to 700 (698 in most IIRC) and include the base ingredients of arsenic and asbestos. While I do not condone the use of weed around me I had to write 700 word paper on cigarettes and mine was closer to 1100 when finished. I was amazed how much I did learn from even 30 minutes of research. Pot is defiantly not a good alternative, it has to be way better for you than cigarettes.


OP, best of luck to you. Get your friends who smoke motivated to quit with you. Stay active! A support system is the best method. Humans thrive off of positive reinforcement.

 

[Favorite Planet]

My friend's girlfriend had her tonsils removed and was forced to stop for two weeks while her throat healed. She turned it into a forced opportunity to quit.

Do you still have tonsils? =]

 

[bimmerchuck]

I've been wanting to get on this bandwagon for quite some time. I've used the patch but soon found myself with 2 patches on and smoking away. I have an electronic cig and now it just sits in the center console. i hate to admit to it, but I smoke more than 2 packs a day. I can fly through a carton in less than a week, it's pretty sad and very expensive. The first time I tried to quit I made it about 8 hours. I personally believe that most of it is mental. I'm going to look into this Chantix! One of the many things that bothers me about my habit is the inside of my car. I always try to keep my car clean and it is very irritating to look down and see cigarette ashes on the center console.

On a side note, I drank for many years too. Didn't learn my lesson until after my 2nd DUI. I totalled my car with this one. Sounds a little petty but the car was pretty much all I had. Living with my parents and very little income. Anyway, the major eye opener was the wreck. I walked away intact. But the thought today that still haunts me is the fact that I passed a road construction crew that were working that night before I crashed...so things definately could have been far worse! I am an avid pool player (not gambler) and shot on many local teams and still do. I have never had another drink since, yet I still go to the bars to play. If I stay out late and have to get up early, I may be tired but atleast I'm not either hung over or still drunk! I still have a good time when I'm out. Some people say that quitting something requires staying away from the places and people, but that is not entirely true in my mind. Quitting smoking for has been a harder battle.

Sorry for the long drawn out post...I want to end by simply stating 'Good Luck', and I hope you make it through!!! Hopefully soon I will be able to say that I made it through!

(Now, the smarta$$ side of me would like to say that every time someone quits smoking, the price of cigarettes goes up. So until I am able to quit myself, I would like to say thank you for the inflation. :joking

 

[Agfan]

Typical stoner response...

typical "know it all" response...

actually i dont smoke or drink at all. i just did a huge project on marijuana and cigarettes in college and found out a lot of scary facts on cigarette use compared to pot.i could go into a really long reasoning to why one is proven to be better for you then the other or we could just get back to topic? :xyxthumbs:

point is im glad people are trying to quit. it is a horrible addiction and not easy to kick.good luck to all who is trying.

 

[redline]

i quit 12 years ago . you got have the want to quit.i would carry a pencil in hand. and chew gum. i quit cold turkey. the first 2 weeks were tough but how i tested myself was . i put a cigarette on a cigarette pack on the bar so i could see it . after a month i threw the pack away.but i still believe you have to really really want to quit.just wanted a healthier life .

 

[cmichael258]

I smoked for 28 years and was at 2 packs/day when I quit. The trick for me was:
1. A sincere desire to quit
2. I smoked the last cigarette in the pack just before going to bed. The next morning,
I congratulated myself for going 8 hours without a cigarette and set a goal to go
another 8 hours. That 8 hours turned in to a week, then a month, then a year and
now it's been 21 years.
3. I told myself that, after a couple of weeks, the nicotine would be out of my system
and from then on the cravings would be psychological. I told myself that if I was not
really committed to quitting, I would find some excuse to pick up a cigarette. There
were many temptations during that 1st month, but I just told myself not for fall for
those psych games. I guess it worked.

Good luck to you!

 

[bimmerchuck]

I smoked for 28 years and was at 2 packs/day when I quit. The trick for me was:
1. A sincere desire to quit
2. I smoked the last cigarette in the pack just before going to bed. The next morning,
I congratulated myself for going 8 hours without a cigarette and set a goal to go
another 8 hours. That 8 hours turned in to a week, then a month, then a year and
now it's been 21 years.
3. I told myself that, after a couple of weeks, the nicotine would be out of my system
and from then on the cravings would be psychological. I told myself that if I was not
really committed to quitting, I would find some excuse to pick up a cigarette. There
were many temptations during that 1st month, but I just told myself not for fall for
those psych games. I guess it worked.

Good luck to you!

It has gotten to the point for me that I'll wake up in the middle of the night usually 2 or 3 times and have one. But you are correct in saying that after a nights sleep, you haven't smoked for that period of time.

 

[davidg]

Another key thing I found important is to keep the car windows rolled all the way up on a trip. I would crack it just a little and it did nothing but make me think that I could be ashing from the window or getting the smoke out. Really made me want a cig. Might not be the same for you, but you will be surprised at how many little things trigger a response in your brain telling you to smoke.

 

[shoeless89]

They say the only thing tougher to quit is crack. Good luck!

I've already quit that

I never had the issue with needing something in my mouth, but I did have a lot of issues when I went to a bar. I remember going to a bar for the first time after I quit and physically reaching for my smokes and a lighter....then I realized why I didn't have any...lol

i won't lie, I do miss the social aspect of smoking, be it a smoke break at work with buddies, or at a bar, but I DO NOT miss the terrible heath side effects. Still glad to be smoke free.

I shouldn't have that problem cause I don't drink. I'm allergic to alcohol, every time I drink I break out in handcuffs no matter what I do lol

Smoke pot instead.

Yup allergic to that too lol

Yeah, because thats cheaper and healthier....

Its not cheaper when you smoke a quarter bag of 50/hun like I did every day lol

My friend's girlfriend had her tonsils removed and was forced to stop for two weeks while her throat healed. She turned it into a forced opportunity to quit.

Do you still have tonsils? =]

Yes I do have tonsils

Another key thing I found important is to keep the car windows rolled all the way up on a trip. I would crack it just a little and it did nothing but make me think that I could be ashing from the window or getting the smoke out. Really made me want a cig. Might not be the same for you, but you will be surprised at how many little things trigger a response in your brain telling you to smoke.

To be honest one of the main reasons I wanted to quite was detailing. I would spend hours detailing my car interior and out. And I would tell myself "I'm not going to smoke in my car this time" and that would last for a day or 2 but I'm often in my car for hours at a time and eventually I just cave in. The first one's not bad but fast forward like 2 or 3 days and the car is covered in ashes inside and out. Very aggravating when your a detailer lol and I hate getting in my car and it smelling like smoke. Its the worst in the summer when the sun is baking it all day.

Thanks for all the motivation guys!

 

[Blackthorn One]

My Father smoked 2 1/2 packs a day for many years, and then he went on the SmokEnders program. He went to meetings where they would discuss smoking and the psychological triggers and gave tools that people could use to stop smoking. After being on the program, he stopped completely and never went back. No patches, no drugs, or any chemical aids. I give their program my highest recommendation.
It seems like they have a home study course now, too.

Welcome to SmokEnders

 

[Shawn T.]

My dad smoked for 37 years before he quit.....but the damage was done.

He battled emphysema for about 10 years before developing small cell lung cancer.

Unfortunately, my dad lived in Arizona as him and my mom had been divorced for about 12 years.

He died 2 years ago in Arizona. I was too dumb, young and angry (at his leaving me) to go and see him before his death. Both of my sisters went to see him. He said, "All I wish is for Shawn to be here. I love all of you but he's my son. He's my son. My son."

He died a slow, painful death. Chemo absolutely demolished him. One of his favorite things to do was make appetizers and watch football/NASCAR/baseball but with the chemo, he couldn't keep any of the food down. There were some days where he couldn't move and could hardly breathe.

This is my story of cigarettes. If you care about people around you, quit, and live a happy and healthy life.

 

[BWG707]

I smoked for 30+yrs. and last Feb. 1 I stopped and started vapeing, using a GLV5volt. Haven't had a ciggie sense and I know I never will. Using the Ecig has become more of a toy than an addiction, I forget about it alot of times. I feel i could very easily stop using it any time I want. Right now I still like it, I like trying the different Eliquids, it keeps me entertained a little.

 

[arack]

May not but cheaper but a hell of a lot healthier. Been proven. Pot is natural ciggerettes have about 800 chemicals in it. Forget what your teachers told you in high school.

You are dead wrong. Pot is nothing but an excuse for lazy people to push for drug legalization. If it is so good for you, why don't you give it to a kid?

 

[FUNX650]

In all honesty: Good Luck...And I mean that sincerely!

-Tobacco, in one form or another (yes, and, contrary to popular belief, smoking a cigar is still smoking) has been a part of my life for over 54 years...From the days of growing-up on a tobacco farm---sneaking a chew, up in the tobacco barn loft---'til now.
-It's not that hard to quit...I've done it many, many times. Harder than hell to quit permanently, once and for all, though.

-As the saying goes: If I'd aknown I was going to live this long I woulda taken better care of myself...

-It's an expensive habit/life-style...But...
I see it now for you my good sir: Quit, and a brand new pair of shoes is in your future.




Bob

 

[Vegas Transplant]

I've tried to no avail numerous times to quit smoking. On Dec 17th I smoked my last analog.

I now vape on the Ego-T. My daily nicotine level is much lower that with analog cigarettes. It's not a cure all, but I feel that I'm heading in the right direction.
Is The Electronic Cigarette Healthy? Is It The Future of Smoking?

I smoked for 30+yrs. and last Feb. 1 I stopped and started vapeing, using a GLV5volt. Haven't had a ciggie sense and I know I never will. Using the Ecig has become more of a toy than an addiction, I forget about it alot of times. I feel i could very easily stop using it any time I want. Right now I still like it, I like trying the different Eliquids, it keeps me entertained a little.

^^^^
Also a 30 + yr smoker. This is the reason that I chose the Ego-T (almost chose the silver bullet) - Using carts and attys. After weeks of research it finally dawned on me that the big box mod would probably lead me into long term vaping - thus lessening my desire to be free of it all.


Btw - ejuices - nic or non nic?

 

[Agfan]

You are dead wrong. Pot is nothing but an excuse for lazy people to push for drug legalization. If it is so good for you, why don't you give it to a kid?

haha. again read back a couple pages bud. i never once said pot is good for anyone. just said its a hell of a lot healthier then cigarettes. its been proven. Did an extensive research paper in college about the two.THC is the only chemical in most pot.(not laced or synthetic) there are over 800 chemicals in cigarettes. look up the chemicals sometime.its scary that they legally sell these things!Hopefully in the near future they make them illegal. I hope to god i never have to go through this but i so much rather catch my kid smoking weed then cigarettes or drinking alcohol for health and safety reasons.

Also i would never give that to a child so dont go there. thats just ridiculous to say. Funny part is, a lot of parents shove soda down kids throats, yet it is one of the leading causes of cancer, diabetes and upper GI problems. Not to mention in the top 5 most addictive things on earth. so it just goes to show that just because something is "legal" it doesnt make it healthy. but hey thats the world we live in.