Topic : Trying to Quit Smoking?

 This is not an easy process.  I am still looking for the miracle drug that does it all on its own.  Unfortunately I know better it is going to take a lot of work on my part.  I have tried everything and my favorite is the patch because it takes the edge off the physical craving.  The longest I have quit was 2 years and currently I smoke.  I have to actually tell myself awful things to make it more of  a motivator.  I joke that if I had a clear chest and could see the damage I was doing to myself I would surely quit.  I am litteraly slowly killing myself and I tell myself that my children would be so upset with me if I died.  There are so many other things out there that we have no control over developing such as other types of cancers, ect.  We do have control over this.  I know that when I have quit before I can smell it on others so therefor I must stink!  Yuck!  I take pride in my appreance and yet don't mind smelling like an ashtray?  It has been claimed that nicotine is as addictive as some very hard drugs such as Heroin.  I believe that.  What I also know is that the withdrawls from nicotine are no where near the harder drugs.  We do not have the violent physical reaction that comes from withdrawing from the other drugs.  In a sense we have it easy comparitively speaking.  I have yet to take the plunge into my smoke free day but have come close with only 2 to 3.  As the days turn into weeks you definitely think of it less.  At first that's all you can think about and then there are days where you are proud of yourself that you haven't thought about it for a couple of hours at a time.  It definitely feels like you are taking away a security blanket or a big part of your life.  But it is a very bad part.  Unfortunately we do not see it that way because we love it soooo much.  At times death isn't even a motivating factor, but it sure as hell should be.  Throat cancer as well would be an awful thing especially if you had to have a part of your jaw removed.  I love my family dearly that should be motivating enough.

 Bay218, MomG & michelle m I have another idea (thanks to bay218's above post). He says he takes pride in his appearance, but doesn't mind smelling like an ashtray. Drink a can of your favorite soda. Once it is empty, use the can as an ashtray for the rest of the day. The next day, BEFORE you have that first cigarette, take a big whiff from your ashtray. Let's see if that doesn't do something.

Trying2

Hi I have tried to quit several yimes before ( didnt last more than a couple of days).

I googled it on the net and found some tips but its all the same ggrrr.

If anyone has done it and never started again please tell me how

I have decided the smoke i am smoking now will be my last..... hopefully, im just going to take it one day at a time.....

hardest part is my partner smokes but when we tried to quit together we drive each other nuts and end up smoking again so im not telling him im quitting im just going to do it.

And hopefully that wil make it easier, im scared though, im not sure i can do this but i know i have to for my own health and to be a better role model for my kids.

I hear you !!!! Nicotine is one heck of a drug. Been on that one for 34 years before it got the best of me !!!!! I enjoyed smoking, there is no other thing to say about, other than it will win and you will not if you continue. There are things out there and it might take a many tries, but don't give up, all you have is you !!!!!  After that, is what you give to others.

Here's what worked for me, and I want to say I'm one the hardest type of people to quit something, especially if I enjoy it !!! And smoking was my "best friend", or so I thought. I got on this prescription called Wellbrutrin, you take it for about 2 weeks before you plan to quit. Then you have a quit date in mind, the Wellbrutrin takes the edge off. Buy some patches, nicotine gum, or inhaler, something to take you off gradually. I used the Wellbrutin and the nicotine inhaler, to get a hit when needed, after about a month I did not need any of that again. But I kept the inhaler with me for about a year just in case I thought I really, really needed it.  And come post on this board, it so helps to have other smokers that have quit to help you keep you motivated. Alot of the posts from the past have some really good suggestions in them.  They also have "Chantix" , a prescription, it helps to take the desire away, and you are smoking for a while, while taking it. That helped my husband, and he was a dipper for 35 years !!!!! These ways are so much easier than the "cold turkey" way. Which I have tried so many times but was unsuccessful. Hope this helps, I'll come back here to see if you need more support.

 

Linda

Three years, two months, two weeks, five days, 19 hours, 18 minutes and 29 seconds. 35304 cigarettes not smoked, saving $6,831.35. Life saved: 17 weeks, 3 days, 14 hours, 0 minutes.

I am a 23 year old law student and smoker of 10 years. I like the heavy Marlboro Reds, yes the cowboy killers, up to a pack a day. I have recently wanted to quit very badly. My problem is that I LOVE SMOKING. I like the taste, the smell, and just plain doing it. I have tried Cold Turkey. I do not have the self dicipline. I tried the Patch, which worked for a couple of weeks just because my body was not used to having Nicotine poured into at a high rate. The the mental addiction came back. I relized I was buying the Patch and cigarettes just the same after several weeks. I am on a new method now- Chantix.

 

I am on the fourth week of Chantix. I have yet to have a smoke free day. I smoke 1 or 2 every night. When I drink, I want to smoke more.

Pros so far:

Quitting (or letting up a lot) has not been an anxious struggle. I don't think about smoking until about 8pm. Self dicipline is not a problem.

Cons:

I feel like crap. The medicine makes me sick as dog (nausea) if I don't not only eat, but eat something hearty. A batch of strawberries or a bowl of cereal is not enough. So for breakfast, that leave fast food biscuits, which is not helping my weight.

So I'm eating my million calorie biscuits every moring with my pill (for the short term, not smoking is more important that weight). That solves the nausea, but I am tired and depressed all day.

The depression is not overwhelmingly so bad I can't deal with it. But I am so tired. I want to nap at work, when I get home from work, and sleeo 16 hours a night. UGH!

 

My doctor recommeds taking Chantix until I quit plus 2 more months.

 

If I can get thru the months of symtoms and quit, I'll never smoke again....

 

Or will I?