Topic : Trying to Quit Smoking?

Hi Everyone,Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year. And a Great whatever holiday anyone might be celebrateing. Hope everyone is doing well with being smokefree. Gina 4 months 11 hours 32 mins.

I have tried quitting four times in the past two years to no avail.  I even spoke with the Pulmonary specialist and explained to him that it seemed so much easier to give up the drinking and the drugging than it is to quit smoking.  He agreed and just told me to keep trying.  I do not have a problem with my lungs so to speak.  I have cold nodules and we have to keep an eye on them for the next two years to make sure there are no changes in size or quantity.  If there are no changes after two years then I can just forget about them.  They are basically benign...basically?  Hmmmm  Anyway, I suffer with bronchitis at least twice a year, my eustachian tube is always blocking up on me even when I do not have a cold or sinus infection, or bronchitis, but I know that if I could only quit these things would get better.  I am going to try accupuncture through the same office where I receive my Reiki treatments and see if that works, if that doesn't work, I will have to seek out something else.  I have had friends get hypnosis, yet they had to continue with the hypnosis every now and again to keep it working. 

So often now when I am smoking a cigarette I realize how much I am not enjoying it but am having just the hardest time. 

I do not know what else to do.  I joked about it one day to my SO and said, they have rehabs for alcohol and drugs, why not have a rehab for smokers who want to quit?  I wish they did.  I know that if I could get past one month I would be okay, but I can't even make it past two or three days. 

I will check this message board more frequently to see if I can discover how so many others have quit successfully.  I need help 

Elizabeth 

Hey Elizabeth; 

I can relate to all that you are saying....been there done all that.  All of us here have been there.  The idea is that you keep on trying.  Each day that you are smoke free is very good news for your lungs.  You can not quit for anyone else but yourself.  Pick a quit date and prepare your mind for it.  I quit many times before I succeeded.  This addiction is like any other, you have to do this one day at a time and sometimes one second at a time.  You need to ask your doctor about Wellbutrin, those will help a lot.  You need to keep very busy, knitting, cleaning house, exercising, walking, cross word puzzles,.....anything at all that has nothing to do with smoking for you.  You have to stop doing activities that you associate with smoking.    You need to replace smoking with something other than eating.  BUT if you must eat then do it and you can deal with the extra pounds later after you get off the cigarettes.  From now on your home must be smoke free so that everyone who now smokes in your house with have to take it outside....NO exceptions.  You need to post here often every time I wanted to light up, I would post here instead.  For me, the first three days were not too great but after that I was really feeling good about getting the upper hand on it.  There will be worse days that others so be prepared.  You can also get a meter at   http://www.silkquit.org/sqmmiv/meter.aspx  It is free and a BIG help.   So I hope that all this helps a bit.  Remember not too many people quit smoking on their first try so keep on and good luck.......this time is THE time for you.  The New Year and all, I feel you will be lucky this time around.    Aggie  Ten months, three days, 17 hours, 54 minutes and 4 seconds. 7668 cigarettes not smoked, saving $3,063.62. Life saved: 3 weeks, 5 days, 15 hours, 0 minutes.

  

Hi all! 

  

Still hanging in and smoke free.  Hope everyone has a great holiday season and all the very best in 2006.  

  

Aggie Ten months, three days, 17 hours, 59 minutes and 4 seconds. 7668 cigarettes not smoked, saving $3,063.66. Life saved: 3 weeks, 5 days, 15 hours, 0 minutes.
 

One of the greatest gifts you can give to yourself, "is to quit smoking". This I believe is one of the hardest things you'll have to do. Usually some of the hardest things that we have to struggle for, gives us the greatest joy for a long time. Good luck on your quest to be "smoke free".  

May the New Year ring in to all "Good Health and Happiness". 

 

 

Linda 

Eight months, three weeks, one day, 12 hours, 33 minutes and 16 seconds. 6420 cigarettes not smoked, saving $1,213.48. Life saved: 3 weeks, 1 day, 7 hours, 0 minutes.
 

Hello to everyone....some of you may remember me......Shelly. Anyway, Merry Christmas to everyone. I hope the new year brings only the best to us all. 

  

I am 3 1/2 days into my new quit. I am edgy as all get out. I am taking Zyban which is something I didn't do last time. Zyban is like Wellbutrin I think. Maybe the Canadian Version. 

  

I really picked a bad time to quit as my husband said. I am starting to think I should just give up my quit until the holidays are over and then start again. ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH so torn 

  

I'll let you know how it turns out. If anyone has a thought on my dilemma....please let me know. 

  

Shelly 

So nice to see you back here again!!  Hang tough Shelly and do what is best for you.  Yes the holidays is not the best time to quit but then again, is there a "good" time to quit smoking!  Welcome back!!    Aggie Ten months, four days, 13 hours, 49 minutes and 55 seconds. 7689 cigarettes not smoked, saving $3,071.91. Life saved: 3 weeks, 5 days, 16 hours, 45 minutes.

I just passed my 50th birthday and though I had always promised myself that I'd quit well before that time, I find myself still puffing my good health and my life away. I have cried myself to sleep worried sick about what cigarettes may have already done to me.  You see, I really want to be around long enough to see my grandchildren born.  I really and truly love this life and the people who are in it with me.  I've always been extremely fit, youthful and healthy and  have never had ANY OTHER bad, unhealthy habit but smoking.   Of course, I've tried to quit - Many times over the years, in fact.  Each time I do, I experience terribly painful symptoms, the worst of which is depression.  I have suffered all my life with bouts of depressive illness and have been on various antidepressant medications.  I'm scared to death of them though, because of the nightmarish side effects I experienced while on them.  So of course, I wouldn't even consider trying Zyban or any other of its type to help me quit.  I cannot use the patch because no matter how light a dosage I use,  it tends to absorb too much, too rapidly through my skin  which has  landed me in the emergency with what the medical staff claimed were severe and dangerous complications from  nicotine overdose.  The gum doesn't work for me either.  I realize that I am addicted to cigarettes.  I also understand and accept the fact that recovery from addiction can be a long, difficult and complicated process.  I am still trying to quit and am determined to succeed.  Right now, I'm simply cutting down on the amount I smoke, as well as smoking the lightest,  most tasteless brand I can find.  I'm also  making myself wait longer before that next  cigarette.  I smoked a pack a day for over 25 years.  I am now smoking 5 cigs a day [but sometimes I'll slip and smoke up to ten if it's been a really bad day].  I'm expecting to keep this up, smoking less and less until I find that I can go without a cigarette for an entire day.  Perhaps forever!  Also, I've noticed that my depression has begun to level off since I cut back.  But OH MY GOD...I still need alot of help!  It's the old  'brain chemistry' that must be dealt with, I tell ya - and I  suspect that it isn't so much the nicotine that I'm addicted to - But rather its whatever unholy chemistry, specially designed  by cigarette manufacturers to make their product more addictive. My intuitive sense tells me that whatever their "factor X"  is, ...THAT'S  what's hijacked my brain.  This is also why I suspect that nicotine replacement doesn't work so well.  

You need to ask your doctor about "Welbutrin" and you need to get on those.  You need to keep yourself VERY busy.....your hand, your mind....you need to keep occupied.  I knitted and some cleaned house.  I know that some people did their Spring cleaning when they quit smoking.  Did not matter what time of the year they were in either.  If you smoke even only a few cigs a day, the smell gets into everything in your home....curtains, cloths in closets and so on.  You should be doing some sort of physical activity everyday....no matter how little.  I started taking small walks and where I live, there is about 2 feet of snow on the ground right now.  Get out there and take deep breaths and get our mind off of things for a while.  If you can stop smoking for an entire day, you can do this.  Be careful not to replace smoking with food but if you do, then you can deal with the food issue later.  You should be posting on here very often....as often as you get cravings to smoke.  After the first 3 days, the craving get less and less.  I am sure that others here will give you more ideas.  This is very do-able and it can be done.  Keep us posted on you progress and please we all care here because we have been there.    PS. do you have your quit silk meter yet?  Very good tool to have!   Aggie Ten months, one week, three days, 13 hours, 59 minutes and 41 seconds. 7839 cigarettes not smoked, saving $3,131.91. Life saved: 3 weeks, 6 days, 5 hours, 15 minutes.

Hi everyone. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and everyone has a Happy Healthy Prosperous  Smoke Free New Year.  Gina 4 months 1 week 3 days 15 hours 4 minutes.