Topic : Trying to Quit Smoking?

Hi everyone,    I am new to the message boards. Not sure I will be around alot though.  So here is what I have experienced in quiting.......    

I quite due to I wanted to but I also was having surgery and after 2 c-sections I knew what coughing would be like. I have tried it ALL!!!   What worked for me was the nicotine inhaler. I heard about it on t.v. and knew it would work. For me, it wasn't something in my hand to fiddle with or to suck or chew on, not even an unlit cig. It was the inhaleing I needed. It worked    8 months later I started up again because my friends smoked and they started dragging me to the bar because I wouldn't go anywhere or with them anyway. That did it! I was sooooo happy and felt so good for the first time in my life, that I could remember and now, well I can't seem to get back to the inhaler and I want to. The drawback for me, maybe not you, was that the inhaler caused me a soar throat for awhile. I don't want to go back through that part again. I'm sick enough as it is!!!!!!  Let me know if you or anyone out there tries this. It was the need to inhale! 

Like with many other things in life that a person has challenges with & tries to over come or better themselves in different ways......quitting smoking is only one of those goals & challenges to accomplish for me. I'm not new to Dr. Phil's message boards, but new to this one in particular; as I am getting ready to take this journey........ 

Previously in the past I have quit smoking on two other occasions for a long period of time; once years ago & the other time was about a year ago & countless times which I gave into just one or two days after. Both of the long periods were for about 6 to 8 months long. During both of those times once I got a hold of quitting & got through the initial withdrawals & such..... I enjoyed "everything" about life!! And I loved myself better as a person! I felt healthier. I even had an attitude about others who smoked & wanted my distance from the smoke itself. Not to mention that I "always" had money!!! So I know that when quitting, after about a good month I will be feeling much better & I will no longer struggle with the urge to smoke. And usually getting through the first few days is the hardest for me. For me, it is those first few days that is my biggest challenge & not talking myself into going to buy more & thinking that I "need" them!!! My best aid to quitting smoking is the patch; without that I am more on edge as far as stress is concerned & I have found that I am more successful with them when I try quitting.  

I have set myself many goals at the begining of the year, as many people do. Smoking is one of those goals & I have made a few attempts to quitting, but yet to be successful. Funny, my biggest goal was to buy a home this year & it was the one I thought I would surely not accomplish due to credit....but I have! lol.....so now I guess I need to start working on other things. Both my husband & I are quitting together. We were suppose to quit today but I gave in within minutes after waking up this morning & went to the store. Now we are plannign to quit again tomorrow. My husband & I have done this a zillion times. We talk each other into buying cigarettes or give into each other when craving one.  

Hi Bamamon47 

I also went to all the stop smoking classes, and where they expensive $300.00 for a week, and I did it twice. But none of the things I did to quit, was I successful, I will say the steps I took were, I prescribed to wellbrutrin, took that for 2 weeks before my quit date. My quit date March 30, I feel the one that will stick with me. I also brought an inhaler, for rough times, I keep it with me, I guess you can say like a security blanket. I know the inhaler has nicotine in it and I am very fearful of returning to smoking. I was a person that truly didn't want to give it up, but when you are told you have "Lung Cancer", that puts it in a different perspective!!! I was truly blessed, they removed the left upper lobe, and I have been clear since, it will be 2 years in October. But you know when your hearts not into it, it won't work. Three months after my surgery, I went back to smoking, a cousin came over (actually the first person that smoked in front of me since the surgery) and I picked those  things up, like it was no  problem for me. Then I preceded to beat myself up daily for smoking again. But it finally hit again when I joined this board. It was totally the support of  people trying to accomplish what you are striving for. And it's working for me.  Post often, we are here for all who want to quit, and for those that are fighting with it daily. 

Linda 

Five months, two weeks, four days, 51 minutes and 52 seconds. 4080 cigarettes not smoked, saving $775.63. Life saved: 2 weeks, 4 hours, 0 minutes.
 

I connected so much to your message. Thank you. If you want to email me directly please feel free to do so. Im a kchampion_2000@yahoo.com 

Your message was inspirational because it made me feel like my struggles are shared by many.  

I wish you much success. 

As I was walking yesterday evening,how I felt burden free the  chains are really there, although you don't see them.  

 My husband dips snuff, claims "he can quit anytime", (has dipped for 32 years), when he has ran out of snuff, there is a mad dash to the store. I say" I thought you said you could quit anytime"? "I can, I'm just not ready yet".  

I know for myself I have made a million in one excuses. But not anymore, now that I'm into my 5 th month smoke-free, I do not take anything to do with smoking for granted, as so I won't slip back into those chains. I might have the chains that were around my lungs off, but the imprint of a cigarette on my mind does not leave. So I keep my guard up, as to things that might trigger a weak moment. 

When you have fought with smoking for so long, and broke free. You are only one puff away from being chained again. There are so many things out there to help a person get over the "hump" in quitting smoking, that we have to STAMP in our minds, we are just one puff from being chained again. If anyone has a moment to read a few reasons to quit, the site is  www.whyquit.com , it helped me. 

Hoping everyone has a good week, we have so much to be thankful for.... 

Linda 

Five months, two weeks, five days, 11 hours, 50 minutes and 57 seconds. 4139 cigarettes not smoked, saving $782.24. Life saved: 2 weeks, 8 hours, 55 minutes.