Quiting smoking

[Emma Alexandra 123368]

After many tries in the past years I have decided that this is it...this is the time I Really quit for good...Amelia's constant complaining of me going for a smoke and how much I was actually spending on them made me decide. So if anyone has any ideas to help me with this endeavor please advice.

Thanks,

Emma

[fortunateone 156618]

Get a jar to put the money you would spend on cigarettes into every time you would buy them. In 3 months, take a long hard look at how much that really is. I had a friend who took herself on a nice vacation every year, solely on the money she saved by not smoking.

 

 

Here are some things to think about, coming from a non smoker, mind you, but who has had to put up with smokers during sessions.

 

Smokers do not smell fresh and clean. Any non-smoker will tell you this. Male and females tend to over compensate with too much scent, and it oozes out of their skin, gets in their hair, and stubbornly sticks to their hands. It leeches life out of your face and skin, and smokers age faster than non smokers. It is really not sexy.

 

It gets into everything, even tho a smoker is convinced they have cleaned up (febreeze and sprays), in is actually in the bedding, curtains, rugs, and on the walls. The stink of it clings to your clothes, in your closet, and into your towels. It will always be an unpleasant odor for the non-smoker, altho a smoker won't mind, a non-smoker will always mind.

 

I don't follow all the laws closely, but I believe it is now illegal to smoke in public buildings, bars and restaurants, your car while driving, and recently in vancouver, all outdoor public areas like parks and the beach lol. So where can you go?

 

Oh, and it is bad for your health! :lol:

[gorich 220]

WOW, go for it Emma, I know you can do it!!!! Many people I know have broken the habit by using the patch, drinking lots of water and start an excercise program to keep busy.

 

You can do it Emma, we are all behind you!!!

[Andee 220524]

Good luck, Emma! I am not a smoker myself, but I have some friends who have tried unsuccesfully many times to quit.

 

The ones who were successful found champix worked for them. You might want to look into it. Like any "drug" it has posted side effects, but if you can tolerate it, would be well worth it, if it helps you quit smoking, which would be worse for you in the long run.

 

If you need to growl, you know where to come to let off steam!

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

I have never smoked, but I have grown up with, and lived around, a number of smokers. I have seen many attempts to quit, both successful and unsuccessful. From what I've read and watched over the decades, I think the key thing to understand about smoking is that nicotine saturates the brain's dopamine pathway acetylcholine receptors, and over time desensitizes them (or some such scientific gobbledegook -- I'm not an expert on brain chemistry). The dopamine pathway receptors supposedly have eight times greater attraction to a nicotine molecule than to the receptor's own natural neurotransmitter. The brain becomes essentially re-wired to function with nicotine.

 

The first step in quitting is purging the brain of nicotine. Each year, more successful ex-users quit cold turkey than by all other methods combined. No nicotine, just one step, one hour, at a time.

 

With nicotine's half-life (so to speak) of two hours, the brain will become 100% nicotine-free within 3 days of ending all intake. This purging complete, peak withdrawal is over, but true brain-healing is only beginning. The bad news: Physical re-wiring and repairing of the brain's receptors to operate naturally again (without nicotine) takes 3 to 6 weeks. The good news: every week gets easier for the quitter, as the physical healing continues.

 

Go Emma!! And don't be afraid to kick some ass to get yourself through the worst!

[Guest S**a*Q]

I struggle with smoking... but it's funny with me as it's a very social thing to do... If I sit with non-smokers, I don't crave that smoke as much, if at all. Whereas if I hang out with smokers, or they tell me when they're going outside, I all of a sudden have a craving for a cigarette.

 

I'm not saying to ditch all the smokers, but maybe ask them to not tell you when they're going outside... That helps me a lot...

 

Good luck!!! You can do it!

 

*Have someone to call when you wanna smoke that can talk you down... Sometimes it's just boredom that makes you want one, so if you talk to someone it may kill that urge*

[Katherine of Halifax 113932]

All the best to you Emma! I smoked until I was 21 years old and met a man that nagged me into quitting :)

 

The thing that helped me the most was becomming more active, I was very concerned I would gain weight so put in place a strict exercise program. Really, it was one of the best things I have ever done for myself.

 

It is a really difficult task but you can do it.

 

Love and light to you!!

[redmachine 1916]

Miss A has been a good influence................Very proud of you.

As a life long non smoker I can't give you much advice but I know you have the conviction it will take to beat this addiction..

[Victoria Banks 21899]

I really think smoking is mind over matter.

I heard once smoking is 90% psycological and 10% physical and I strongly agree.

 

I craved chocolate and lots of sweets the first 3 times I tried quitting. Do you crave sweets Emma? How long have you been a smoker? Are you a heavy smoker?

 

I smoked a pack a day for 7 years. I was heavily addicted to smoking. (I am disgusted with myself and can't believe how much I smoked!) I never used a patch, gum, or any of that crap. You don't need that crap. Cold turkey is the way to go!

 

Drink a lot of water, and chew gum occupy your mind to keep it off "I want to have a cigarette".

I smoked a lot out of boredom & people around me constantly smoking..

 

I don't like smoking anymore and I am no longer addicted to cigarettes.

I think I just out grew smoking and poisioning myself with a pack of cigarettes everyday. I just simply got tired of smoking. Plain and simple. It didn't do anything for me anymore. I have a cigarette or two now about once every 5 or 10 days or so if I'm drinking really heavily that night.

I felt disgusting. My nails were yellow, my teeth were yellow, my skin was yellow, my clothes and hair stank, I smelt awful and so did my place.

Now I hate when people smoke.. it stinks!

 

You will really start to feel good as your teeth get whiter, skin gets brighter, it feels good, food starts to taste amazing.

 

Good Luck to you! :grin:

Please post your progress.

[Boomer 33202]

I agree with Sin.

 

It's all about having a good reason and getting into the right state of mind, and then just having the determination to see it through. In my case it was a trip to the Grace Maternity in Halifax to pick up my son. On the way home I opened the car window and threw the pack onto the street. The lad is now 26 years old and I'm still smoke free.

 

So, at the end of the day, it's all about not taking that first one.

[NotchJohnson 214123]

From what I heard;

 

Some doctor will prescribe a drug called "wellbutrin" it was design to make people quit smoking and does not contain any nicotine. This drug was also used as an anti-depressant and it also brought women to have an orgasm when yanning, this is a fact.

In your case emma I know you don't need any drugs to make yourself orgasm.

 

I'm very happy to hear that you want to quit smoking, good for you.

[Guest ***nsut***jr]

Emma:

 

Sin and Boomer have pretty well nailed it right on.

Boredom, habits, situations all have something to do with it.

Smoke with a drink, smoke with a coffee, smoke with this and that.

As Sin said, mind over matter. I did all the usual stuff like throw out whole packs of cigarettes and cut down to 10 a day, whatever.

In the end it was cold turkey that did it. The trick I used was the "streak"

Make attainable goals and reward yourself for keeping the streak going.

Treat yourself for making the milestones.

Write it on the wall and count the days until you just forget about it.

I went from 1 pack a day and 4 on weekends to zero in 1995 and glad I did.

Like Nike says..."Just do it"

 

Cheering you on

 

J

[Mister T 45020]

Mind over matter... Well said. I'm struggling with it myself, but keeping my mind busy helps when i spend time inside (at a bar as its non smoker erywhere or friends as many people i know dont smoke) and it aint bad.

 

Keeping my fingers busy with a straw or chewing gum helps as well.

 

If you worry about about taking the patch or a pill and worry that the craving will be too strong for you the first few days, i was given two tricks by ex-smokers when the craving hit; chewing on a cinnamon stick or on a piece of lemon. Its all about tricking the brain into reconditioning, associating the need to smoke with something else (pavlovian conditioning). I've yet to try it though.

 

Good luck....

[Cara Silver 32412]

whoa, whoa, whoa. All I said was, 'please please please quit smoking for the good of your children and your lungs and the world and the future of our society, and also because cigarettes are gross, hideous, unhealthy, unattractive, and environmentally unfriendly, and also because you'll look, feel, appear, smell, live better, and also because you're too cool, especially for menthol cigarettes, and because you're wasting your money, sexiness, and golden years.'

 

That's ALL I remember saying. And I said it with love :) And incredulity at the sheer ridiculousness of maintaining such a vile habit. But mostly love :rolleyes:

 

 

 

After many tries in the past years I have decided that this is it...this is the time I Really quit for good...Amelia's constant complaining of me going for a smoke and how much I was actually spending on them made me decide. So if anyone has any ideas to help me with this endeavor please advice.

Thanks,

Emma

[renegade 11027]

Hi emma i,m three years this thanksgiving - i tried many times and too many so called distractions so what worked for me was cold turkey but i got in my truck by myself and started driving drove from manitoba to philadelphia non stop - addiction was broke when i got there 40 hours later i then never cheated and it worked -good luck

[roamingguy 300292]

whoa, whoa, whoa. All I said was, 'please please please quit smoking for the good of your children and your lungs and the world and the future of our society, and also because cigarettes are gross, hideous, unhealthy, unattractive, and environmentally unfriendly, and also because you'll look, feel, appear, smell, live better, and also because you're too cool, especially for menthol cigarettes, and because you're wasting your money, sexiness, and golden years.'

 

That's ALL I remember saying. And I said it with love :) And incredulity at the sheer ridiculousness of maintaining such a vile habit. But mostly love :rolleyes:

 

 

Amelia I'm glad you didn't complain at all, nor nag for that matter LOL

And Emma, good for you...takes alot of will power committment and determination to quit smoking. I'd offer suggestions but I don't smoke

Good luck

RG

[bucken 1479]

Good luck Emma. I know you'll feel much better once you've gotten through the tough part. Don't give up.

[rickoshadows 937]

How to quit smoking (or what worked for me),

 

Change your routine, instead of coffee during your break, have a cup of tea. If you always have a smoke and coffee, you associate coffee with a smoke. Don't worry, it is not forever.

 

Change your booze when you go out, wine instead of beer. Eventually you will be able to enjoy a beer again, but for me that was the longest.

 

Accept, that on occasion, you will slip and have a cigarette in a moment of weakness (out drinking with friends). Simply throw away the rest of the pack in the morning and continue to quit. Too many people, after a lapse declare themselves a failure, and carry on smoking after a moment of weakness.

 

In a couple of weeks, the cilia in you lungs will start to loosen up the tar and you will hack up black shit. This is a good thing. This will be the time when you will feel the worst about your decision to quit. This will last a few days to a few weeks, but it slowly gets better.

 

At this time, the rewards of stopping will start to become noticeable. Food will start to smell and taste a little better. And if you thought you liked eating pussy before, but I digress.

 

For the next year or so, you will always feel a little craving when you others smoking, although the smell of it will get less and less pleasant. Pretty soon you will become one of those vehemenent anti-smoking Nazis (mostly because you will actually feel a little ashamed and embarrased of your previous thoughtlessness towards non-smoker when you were still slave to the habit)

 

In the end, it is all worth it, you feel better, food tastes and smells better and your skin will look better as well. Oh, did I mention that women will smell and taste better too.

 

Oh yeah, you will save lots of money.

[Guest W***ledi*Time]

... instead of coffee during your break, have a cup of tea ...

 

This reminds me: supposedly nicotine suppresses the effect of caffeine. Therefore, the "potency" of caffeine increases for you when you quit smoking; you might find yourself getting jittery if you don't reduce your caffeine intake, too. Just a possibility to watch for.

[Royalfun 55449]

Good decision, Emma.

 

I quit smoking 10 years ago, and at the beginning, each time I was tempted to smoke , I told myself that I remain a smoker that chooses, for now, not to smoke.

 

So each time, I smell the smoke of tobacco ( actually any smoke), even today, I keep telling to myself that I am still a smoker that chooses not to smoke. And this works for me. And, since then, I have never took another puff.

 

Hope you will find your way.

[omehgosh 736]

Good for you Emma! You can do it!

 

I've been smoke-free for three years now. After many attempts at quitting, I was finally successful. It's not easy, but once you've actually made up your mind to do it, it's doable. You can totally do it if you want to! * the crowd chants "Emm-a, Emm-a, Emm-a..." *

 

WIT mentions the brain re-wiring itself for the addicition - absolutely, your brain has been "customized" for smoking. There are many ideas on how long it takes for someone to get over the nicotine addiction, but I think Superlift's take on being a "smoker that chooses not to smoke" is very accurate.

 

I don't believe that your brain heals itself in a matter of weeks or months. I believe the changes to your brain are permanent (or at least, very, very, very long-lasting).

 

My urges are less and less, and for the most part a lot easier to cope with than when I first quit, but I still get very strong cravings. I don't believe these cravings will ever completely go away. I think I still have to take one day at a time, and be consciously aware that I can NEVER, EVER have even a single drag from a cigarette (no more cigars either... oh man, they smell so good sometimes!!!)

 

I don't believe that I will never be a non-smoker again - I will only be an ex-smoker and I need to remain vigilant.

 

First, I would recommend that you quit smoking because YOU WANT to quit smoking, and for no other reason... When I quit smoking I didn't throw away all of the cigarettes in my house - I did not smoke because I chose not to smoke, not because I couldn't. The decision to quit was all my own, with no onus on any external elements.

 

That being said - I did avoid things that I might associate with the habit... I stopped drinking coffee for a while. WIT is right about nicotine helping to metabolize caffeine - I used to be able to drink coffee right before bed and fall asleep - not anymore! Too much caffeine causes me a lot of anxiety now. It's common to experience a lot of anxiety when you quit smoking (for a year or more even!), the anxiety can increase the urge to smoke too... maybe cutting back on caffeine altogether for a little while would be helpful for you.

 

I stopped hanging out with people who smoked (only for a couple of months). Smelling the smoke (I'm assuming getting a bit of nicotine as well!) really made me crave. Even seeing people smoking on television was difficult - change the channel right away if it bothers you. Wash all of your clothes (especially if you smoked in your house or apartment!), eliminate the cigarette smell as much as you can.

 

Don't make it harder on yourself while you're trying to quit. You're still quiting because you want to, but be fair to yourself and remember that quitting is hard, you don't have to torture yourself - your smoker friends will understand if you take a little break from them (most of them probably want to quit too).

 

There are a ton of little habits that go along with smoking - try to figure out what they are and change them when they cause a craving. I always smoked when I drove - chain-smoked almost - so I stocked up on gum and chewed it like crazy when I was driving (I still do!).

 

I carried bags full of Scottish mints with me everywhere - whenever I had a craving I'd pop one of those little suckers. Don't worry about gaining weight, you can lose it after you quit - concentrate on quitting smoking. It's a lot easier to give up Scottish mints than cigarettes, trust me.

 

Mint flavour, brushing your teeth a lot - I can't explain it, but it helps, really.

 

Take everything one little step at a time... At first, you'll get cravings every ten minutes, then every twenty... every few hours, every five hours... eventually it will be days, then weeks (I'm into months now)...

 

All you have to do is get between those cravings. When you get a craving do something, get up run around, yell, sing, go for a walk - whatever you need to do to forget about the cigarette. When it's gone you'll have complete peace of mind for a while... it may only last for an hour at first, but it will keep getting longer every day.

 

Don't ever, even hold a cigarette, don't take a drag, don't pick any up for a friend on your way over to their place. You're not avoiding cigarettes because you have to, you are choosing not to needlessly tempt yourself - again, don't make it harder on yourself.

 

Reward yourself at milestones... take the money you've not been spending on cigarettes and treat yourself to something when you get through a certain amount of time. Take what you've saved when you get through a week and buy yourself something nice with it - you deserve it! Set the next reward at 2 weeks, then a month - whatever you want. You're working hard, and making it a week without a cigarette is awesome - pat yourself on the back, you really do deserve it.

 

Finally, if you do slip up, don't stress yourself about it. Move on - just don't do it again. Don't give up if you cave in once, one weak moment doesn't mean defeat! Again, you can do it!

 

Okay, well, that's one helluva a long-winded post huh? Okay, I'll shut up now.

 

Good luck Emma! I really wish you the best. Quitting smoking was very hard for me, but I am so happy I did - I can't express to you how nice it is not to be chained to that pack of cigarettes... No more standing outside in -30 for my fix!

[Cara Silver 32412]

Here are some really great milestones from everybody's favourite nosy Auntie, Ann Landers.

 

 

 

"According to the American Cancer Society, as soon as you snuff out that last cigarette, your body will begin a series of physiological changes.

 

 

Within 20 minutes: Blood pressure, body temperature and pulse rate will drop to normal.

 

 

Within eight hours: Smoker's breath disappears. Carbon monoxide level in blood drops, and oxygen level rises to normal.

 

 

Within 24 hours: Chance of heart attack decreases.

 

 

Within 48 hours: Nerve endings start to regroup. Ability to taste and smell improves.

 

 

Within three days: Breathing is easier.

 

 

Within two to three months: Circulation improves. Walking becomes easier. Lung capacity increases up to 30 percent.

 

 

Within one to nine months: Sinus congestion and shortness of breath decrease. Cilia that sweep debris from your lungs grow back. Energy increases.

 

 

Within one year: Excess risk of coronary heart disease is half that of a person who smokes.

 

 

Within two years: Heart attack risk drops to near normal.

 

 

Within five years: Lung cancer death rate for an average former pack-a-day smoker decreases by almost half. Stroke risk is reduced. Risk of mouth, throat and esophageal cancer is half that of a smoker.

 

 

Within 10 years: Lung cancer death rate is similar to that of a person who does not smoke. The pre-cancerous cells are replaced.

 

 

Within 15 years: Risk of coronary heart disease is the same as a person who has never smoked."

 

 

 

So there Emma: All it takes is 20 minutes for your body to be on the road to recovery!! 20 minutes for your body to start healing from inhaling toxic, burning poison. Stop burning your lungs! You can do it!

[Amanda Bella 421]

I dont know if this it is useful but i enjoy smoking pot sometimes particularly if i think that i am with a great lover,

for pot it is aphrodisiac to me.

 

But it creates an addiction, and to beat the desire to smoke more pot

i work out more often and i lift weights and do lots of cardio.

 

It makes me fell stronger and happier and

then the desire to smoke pot just goes

away! hahahahaha!

[mrgreen760 37785]

I dont know if this it is useful but i enjoy smoking pot sometimes particularly if i think that i am with a great lover,

for pot it is aphrodisiac to me.

 

Tobacco is one thing...but who said anything about quitting smoking pot?? :)

Let's not get too carried away here...lol

 

Personally I can take it ot leave it.....I'm just better when I take it ;)

 

Peace

MG

[Amanda Bella 421]

I dont know if this it is useful but i enjoy smoking pot sometimes particularly if i think that i am with a great lover,

for pot it is aphrodisiac to me.

 

Tobacco is one thing...but who said anything about quitting smoking pot?? :)

Let's not get too carried away here...lol

 

Personally I can take it ot leave it.....I'm just better when I take it ;)

 

Peace

MG

 

MRGreen

You are absiolutely right, it fells way better to take it!

You made me laugh, i love your sense of humour

yeah i love smoking some pot and then

watch a comedy show and it is such nice way to just relax

and for sex pot it is sooooooooo aphrodisiac mmmmmm!

The problem is the next day i fell lethergic unless i lift some weights

and bounce off in the stairs master to get my ass harder

and my mind clear!