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Just distract your self. Which sounds overly simplistic, but I think it really is important. When I think back to my unsuccessful quitting attempts, I can see how whenever smoking entered my mind I'd ruminate on it and let the passing thought grow into a debate as to whether I should just buy a pack, and you know how that goes. When I actually did manage to quit, I noticed that whenever I smelled smoke or though about smoking, I'd immediately start thinking about something else. For what it's worth, I'd just look far ahead of myself and focus on whatever I saw. fyo fucked around with this message at 03:41 on Jan 19, 2011 |
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Jan 18, 2011 18:05
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49 days in after a 4 year pack a day habit. I had a dream last night I smoked a cigarette. I woke up feeling terrible and extremely guilty. Still haven't had a single smoke yet. gently caress em, I'm done. It's pretty easy now but man that dream was weird as poo poo.
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Jan 18, 2011 18:11
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fyo posted:When I think back to my unsuccessful quitting attempts, I can see how whenever smoking entered my mind I'd ruminate on it and let the passing through grow into a debate as to whether I should just buy a pack, and you know how that goes. Heh, I know exactly what you are talking about. Previous attempts have had the same effect on me. I'd let it turn into a "pros"-"cons" thing and that never ended well. Thanks for your post, it's already helped me identify some things I let myself do that bring me closer to buying that new pack.
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Jan 18, 2011 18:12
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Elliptical Dick posted:yeah thanks. I posted that because that is what quitting smoking is all about. If you're fretting over being able to go to the grocery store, you're going to have real issues quitting successfully because tobacco is everywhere. The only way to deal with tobacco being everywhere is willpower, there is no trick. Stick it out for a week and it gets much easier, and the quit builds momentum the longer you stick with it. I smoked 2 packs a day for 13 years, had numerous failed attempts at quitting because I was always looking for the trick. I only successfully quit after realizing it all just comes down to you deciding not to smoke, and sticking to that decision. Now I'm 3.5 years smoke free, and it is awesome. It's also one of my proudest accomplishments because I didn't rely on anything outside of myself; I feel like I honestly defeated nicotine and I have no worries of ever relapsing.
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Jan 18, 2011 18:38
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XK posted:I posted that because that is what quitting smoking is all about. If you're fretting over being able to go to the grocery store, you're going to have real issues quitting successfully because tobacco is everywhere. The only way to deal with tobacco being everywhere is willpower, there is no trick. Stick it out for a week and it gets much easier, and the quit builds momentum the longer you stick with it. First of all, congratulations on quitting succesfully. Thanks for elucidating the thought process behind your earlier post, now I understand where you're coming from, when earlier you came off as just another sarky troll. Having failed at 3 earlier attempts to quit smoking I'd gotten to the point of understanding that you have to really want to quit to be able to. I've also found that the will to quit isn't a fixed thing, but rather something that varies, depending on your mood, conviction and sometimes the events of a particular day. I was looking for any advice at all that made maintaining my conviction and dedication to being a non-smoker just that little bit easier because I feel it could make the difference between a failed attempt and a succesful one. Willpower is essential of course, but maintaining it can be made easier by making the right choices in mindset and using effective thought-control. I am very eager to seek out tips because I want to quit and to do so Iam equipping myself with every possible tool available.
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Jan 18, 2011 18:52
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My experience has been that when I slip up and buy a pack, it's never been an impulsive thing (like I can walk past a cigarette counter or tobacconist without a problem). Maybe others have a different experience. It's when I'm bored and overthinking it that I always get to that internal debate about whether I should or shouldn't. If I've decided "gently caress it, I'll get some smokes" I'm then on autopilot all the way to the store. I even find myself telling myself that I've failed the quit before I've even bought the cigarettes. It's loving scary. Anyway, that was a few attempts ago and have since recognised that behaviour for what it is. I'm coming to the end of day 2 here and just trying to remember how good I felt last time I quit for a couple of months.
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Jan 18, 2011 19:06
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First Time Caller posted:49 days in after a 4 year pack a day habit. I'm 18 days in and I've had a bunch of those dreams. It really sucks. It has gotten easier. I've gone from thinking "I NEED A CIGARETTE" all day to thinking "A smoke would be nice right now" a few times a day. I've been to smoke filled bars a few times without any problems.
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Jan 18, 2011 19:12
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Elliptical Dick posted:Problem is that aside from that all the supermarkets have a cigarette desk anyway, so even if I avoid that tobacconist specifically I'll still be tempted in the supermarket. How do you suppress the urge to buy a pack when you are so close and it is so easy? Petition your local lawmakers to ban cigarette power walls
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Jan 18, 2011 19:14
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HighClassSwankyTime posted:Petition your local lawmakers to ban cigarette power walls I would do that if it had any immediate effect on my efforts to quit smoking like right loving now but I'm afraid it doesn't work like that.
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Jan 19, 2011 02:12
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Just take a deep breath and concentrate on how good it feels, and how lovely it would be to live on a respirator.
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Jan 19, 2011 02:16
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I need to quit. I've been smoking for 6 years, at a pack and a few a day now. The worst thing is that I just got this horrible throat infection and now that it cleared up, I started smoking again. My boyfriend also smokes that much and has for about 12 years. We're gross and we smoke inside, so even sitting on my couch is a trigger. I have to quit, cigarettes are just a terrible thing.
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Jan 19, 2011 02:22
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Found a foolproof way to quit if you like being hospitalized for a couple days. I'm 23 and hospitalized with breathing problems exacerbated by smoking. O^2 was 85-87 on arrival. I'm up to 95 on the second night here. I have a history of doctors telling me "Bronchitis! No, asthma! No, bronchitis," and started smoking for a stupid reason (4 year relationship ended in her cheating etc.) I've only smoked for less than a year and a half at a pack to pack and a half a day. I'm on an iv getting steroids pumped into me every 4 hours and getting breathing treatments just as frequently. Just don't fuckin smoke. I'm only 23 and going through the same poo poo my 70 year old grandfather is currently going through. For the same reasons.
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Jan 19, 2011 02:30
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I have to quit quit quit, or I will get cancer and it won't be a simple cyst like before that scares the gently caress out of me. This pack has to be the last, I'm going back to college to do the hard task of figuring out women (but any results are probably something I never want to publish, it's for consumer concerns). Women are gradually out numbering men, they're nuts, and they get even more nuts after they have children, and this is something I want to get involved in. This world would not be as hosed up as it is today if women dominated society, but it will always be somewhat hosed up.
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Jan 19, 2011 02:33
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I started smoking at 15, and eleven years later, after getting close to two packs a day, I quit. That was three years ago and it was both the hardest and the smartest thing I did. I'm a total pussy though, so any of you can do it if I could do it.
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Jan 19, 2011 02:36
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Okay, two hours so far. Nothing to report, just need some accountability, especially because I'm still on painkillers from being sick which usually make me smoke like crazy.
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Jan 19, 2011 04:56
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I was a 1/2 a pack a day girl for 20ish years. I love smoking. Everything about the act of smoking I like. I don't like the reduced lung capacity or the sinus headaches. I quit in October for the 4th or 5th time. The only difference from the last time was I looked at what I had done previously that had not worked and figured out a real, honest, for me reason to quit for now. It took a while for that to sink into my brain. Once I figured I had processed my reason enough I used the patch for a week, missed a day and quit the patch. I also don't believe for a second that this will be the last time I quit smoking which is actually taking the pressure off not smoking. Honestly this time is going much better than any other time as I do not wake up everyday wanting a cigarette and have to remind myself that I don't smoke anymore. I simply don't smoke today and I probably won't tomorrow. Though I must say I do not consider cigars smoking. It is a seperate activity unto itself since a cigar is a rare treat 2 to 3 times a year. I am impressed with everyone here doing what it takes for themselves as individuals to do what is right for them. You should be proud. Good work everybody!
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Jan 19, 2011 06:33
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Elliptical Dick posted:Just looking for some good tips to help me shift my mind from the temptation of buying smokes. When someone posts "it's called willpower" I get a bit testy because guess what, I'd got that loving far. If there are no tips but to stick it out, then I'll have to make do but I gotta wonder what I did or said to invite 3-word unconstructive replies. You aren't a heroin addict, you will go in stores with nicotine on sale every day for the rest of your life. It's really just a willpower thing cause there is no way to avoid it like most triggers.
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Jan 19, 2011 08:07
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Two weeks, and I'm proud of myself. I recently started drinking again, in small quantities, and eagle rare just isn't the same without a parliament in my left hand 
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Jan 19, 2011 10:28
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Every doc and nurse I've talked to has said steer clear of alcohol while quitting. Glad I very rarely drink. It just makes it way too hard not to want one.
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Jan 19, 2011 12:01
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10 days in, on patches, feeling fine. Although I've never had a problem stopping smoking, its the staying stopped that does me in. Longest I've done is 13 months. Then one bad day + stressed + drunk + out with smoking friends = gently caress!
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Jan 19, 2011 14:22
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FirstThing posted:Every doc and nurse I've talked to has said steer clear of alcohol while quitting. Glad I very rarely drink. It just makes it way too hard not to want one. The problem with that is that if you're a regular drinker and you decide to stop drinking for a few weeks or months while you quit, you could be four months off smokes and go out for a few drinks for the first time since you quit. It's then that the drunken logic of "Well, I've done so well, I can treat myself to one or two tonight..." kicks in. I quit a few days before Paddy's Day last year, but I went out drinking anyway. I wanted to get it out of the way. I made sure that the more drunk I got, the more stubborn I'd get about not smoking. If you're quitting cold turkey on willpower alone, I'd recommend this. You'll know right away that you can drink without smoking and get used to getting rid of smoking from that aspect of your social life too. Also, to Elliptical Dick. If you think seeing tobacco for sale is bad while quitting, try having to sell it people when you've quit. It is just a matter of willpower. No tobacco means no tobacco, no matter what.
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Jan 19, 2011 14:28
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I'm sitting right at the beginning of 5 months quit now, and I normally don't even think about it. Unfortunately, I've walked right into the worst part of quitting: food tastes awesome, and I've become a lard-rear end. As in pushing 260lbs. I was 220 before, and while not a pretty pretty ballerina, I still looked pretty nice (I'm a guy). All my limbs looked the way limbs are supposed to look and my belly wasn't a gut, just a belly. Unfortunately, winter and taste buds conspired against me and I'm doing the "fat guy jogging at 2 AM hoping no one notices the earthquakes" thing. To all the other "I quit" goons: WHEN DOES THE AIR COME BACK? I wasn't this short winded when I smoked, though I do recover much faster.
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Jan 19, 2011 14:35
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Steve Higginson posted:Also, to Elliptical Dick. If you think seeing tobacco for sale is bad while quitting, try having to sell it people when you've quit. It is just a matter of willpower. No tobacco means no tobacco, no matter what. I think the annoyance at seeing it was just a function of how bad the physical cravings were at the time tbh. It looks like I've beaten those because I went to the shops today without it even crossing my mind to buy a pack. Last night was the best test I have had so far, getting drunk with some friends one of which is still a smoker. I did have to keep reminding myself that I wasn't smoking but it worked and I didn't yield.
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Jan 19, 2011 15:12
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Day 20: Fags 0 Booze 0 Everything is rosy at the moment - however I have a big night out planned on Friday where I will be drinking, this will be a real test of my mettle.
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Jan 19, 2011 15:16
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Steve Higginson posted:The problem with that is that if you're a regular drinker and you decide to stop drinking for a few weeks or months while you quit, you could be four months off smokes and go out for a few drinks for the first time since you quit. It's then that the drunken logic of "Well, I've done so well, I can treat myself to one or two tonight..." kicks in. I guess it's different for different people. I didn't drink for four months after I quit and didn't go out with friends to bars either. When I finally did have something to drink and get back to the bar scene, I was unphazed by smokers. Oddly enough, I had to do the same thing with videogames. I used to smoke like a chimney when I was playing a good game, so no videogames for months when I quit.
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Jan 19, 2011 22:43
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For some reason, the depression, insomnia, and hunger are really bad this time. It's the strangest feeling in the world to realize I'm depressed (and rather short tempered), and it will go away, but god life sucks  The insomnia is getting bad as well. I'm tired as poo poo but can't go to sleep, and when I do sleep I do not wake up for anything. My fiancee leaving in the morning, my alarm clock, nothing wakes me up. The hunger is bad, but I'm trying to counteract that by eating salads. The Italian dressing isn't too good for me, but it's better than coating it in Ranch, which for some reason, I've lost my taste for.
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Jan 20, 2011 07:16
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I quit probably like two weeks ago. Notice some minor chest pains, they aren't persistent but I'll notice them occasionally throughout the day. Wouldn't even call them pains, just like a noticeable feeling. Does this mean my lungs are healing? Blood vessells expanding back to normal size, resulting in that sensation?
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Jan 22, 2011 19:38
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Former half-pack a day smoker for 4 years, on and off for a few years before that. Allen Carr's Easy Way worked extremely well for me. I didn't actually have a particular desire to quit or cut down when I started reading the book, but wasn't strongly opposed to the idea either. A friend recommended it highly (with the disclaimer it was kind of a drag to read), so I figured I'd try it out for kicks. Contrary to what she told me, it turned out to be a pretty engaging read. It's been 4-5 months since reading Easy Way. I've never deprived myself of the desire to smoke since then. I've occasionally bummed smokes when hanging out with my smoker friends and have lit up 15-20 cigarettes in that time. Of about half of those, I realized I wasn't enjoying it mid-cigarette and threw them out. I continue to light up if I really want to, but I honestly find myself simply not wanting them, even if people are smoking next to me.
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Jan 23, 2011 07:56
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It's my first day after smoking a pack a day again for a half year. I was clean for 5 years before. Cold Turkey sucks....
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Jan 23, 2011 14:56
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If I give up smoking then I lose my edge. I'd be one of those people you see on Everybody Loves Raymond, horrible, edge-less freaks.
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Jan 23, 2011 19:34
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It's been 23 days for me and I'm still being an rear end in a top hat to lots of people. Oh well. Other than that I'm doing fine.
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Jan 23, 2011 22:49
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I think I'm finally in the clear (for the most part) again. About a week in from completely quitting (No smoking whatsoever), I had one really REALLY horrible craving where I literally almost talked myself into it. The woman was mad at me for some reason or another, I was cranky, I couldn't sleep, and she said something that pissed me off. The convenience store only being a few hundred feet from the house didn't help. I was telling myself that if I bought a pack, and smoked a few, calmed down, everything would be fine. I didn't and holy poo poo was it hard to not walk over and get a pack. I've never had a craving for something that badly. This isn't the first time I quit (as per this thread alone  ), but this one was especially bad for some awful reason. The next "Challenge" is going to be going to my fiancee's parent's house in a few weeks. Having problems with not buying a pack? Try being cooped up in a room with two smokers, then sleeping in the room. That was what started me last time, but I made some other really bad mistakes with it as well (like buying a carton for a friend, then smoking half of it).
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Jan 23, 2011 23:47
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Out of the hospital and 7 days clean. Don't want another cig ever again. Year and a half of pack and a half a day behind me. Feels awesome. Cold turkey with a bit of IV loving to help it.
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Jan 24, 2011 00:33
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It's tough to not dip, too. Dipping gives you even more nicotine than smoking, and since you can pretty much dip anywhere and even do it without being noticed (if you gut it), it gets tough. I find breaking up the routine and cutting down helps the biggest. Cold turkey is tough, but going from say 3 cans a week to half a can a week is a major improvement. For me I have to not have it at home and try to not do it at all at work (where I mostly do it).
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Jan 24, 2011 00:56
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Elliptical Dick posted:Problem is that aside from that all the supermarkets have a cigarette desk anyway, so even if I avoid that tobacconist specifically I'll still be tempted in the supermarket. How do you suppress the urge to buy a pack when you are so close and it is so easy? Make it a point to spend the money you would have spent on smokes, on something else. Right then and there. Like "oh, I'm saving five bucks by not buying smokes... hmm, I think I'll get this instead". The first few times I remembered I was a non-smoker and didn't have to buy smokes, I felt pretty goddamn good about it. It's been over two months since I quit cold turkey and I feel loving great. I haven't had a single relapse and I don't even want to. gently caress SMOKING. I don't know why I ever even started.
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Jan 24, 2011 08:30
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Frank Fencepost posted:Like "oh, I'm saving five bucks by not buying smokes... hmm, I think I'll get this instead". I've been smoke-free since April 4th, doing it cold-turkey same as you. My variant on the above was to just count out the money I'd be saving in a day, week, month etc when I was walking by the store. It made it abit easier to fight that "I should make sure I have a pack for tonight..." routine. I wish I could say it doesn't tempt me anymore, though - I still get the cravings every time I get stressed out. Maybe by the one year mark!
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Jan 24, 2011 08:58
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Day two. Still going strong, but the craving, the cold sweat and the nervousness are increasing. Help
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Jan 24, 2011 09:59
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Two weeks now without a single puff. Half a pack a day on and off for about...poo poo, 5 years now. Cold turkey. I got a ride home from work tonight with two people smoking in the car, I didn't even feel the slightest urge. Just stop rationalizing the habit and see it for what it is. It's not relaxing, it doesn't decrease stress. If anything, it increases stress as any difficult situation thrown your way is amplified by nicotine withdrawal. And the perceived relaxation and enjoyment is simply the symptoms of withdrawal being relieved from another fix. One thing that helped me a bit, might have read it in this thread, whenever a craving popped up and you start rationalizing maybe bumming one, is to dismiss the thought as "junkie thinking". The word has such a negative connotation, and it really is true. The problem is we begin to psychologically associate getting the nicotine fix with relaxation. For the longest time I was so afraid to give it up, because I thought I NEEDED it on my breaks at work. Once the above truly sunk in though, I realized it was bullshit and the only reason I needed it was because I kept loving putting it in my body. Now I feel that I can't ever willingly put nicotine in my body again as it's a vicious loving cycle of dumb.
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Jan 25, 2011 08:37
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I've smoked for probably the last 15 years (29 now), and for the last 5 or so it's been 1-1.5 packs a day. Over the last little while it's increasingly become something I'm not happy with. The health risk is always on my mind (luckily, I'm in excellent shape and a recent physical came back with very good results...but the long term fear of cancer or a stroke is getting to me), the financial drain is crippling, and I'm blatantly aware that I stink like an ashtray. I'm done as of tonight. I've read the Allan Carr book (great way to change your perception of nicotine addiction and smoking), but never fully quit after having done so. The reason being that I'm the type of person he claims has the hardest time quitting - the type that doesn't really have any major withdrawal symptoms. I might get a tiny bit agitated or hungry for a second or two, but quitting for a week or two has never been a problem for me...leading me to always think that I can just do so again when more convenient, the next day after a party, whatever. Why I make that decision when I'm not actually craving a smoke? God knows. Recently, I've been telling myself I'd quit every single day, dousing a pack with water at the end of the night, and inevitably cave in and buy cigarettes at some point the next day...again, without any major withdrawal symptoms. Recently, the excuse has been that I need to read the book again before actually taking the plunge. I'm not doing it, I'm just stopping. I'm just wondering if anyone has any suggestions for exercise routines to fast-track endurance/stamina/cardio. I currently run roughly 8-10 km as many days a week as I can, so it's not horrible, but I think I'd get killed if I had to take a full on sprint.
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Jan 25, 2011 09:50
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Over a year ago I bought the Allen Carr book, read the first chapter, and dismissed his method. I didn't like his writing style and found it irritating. For the past 4 days I've been pushing myself to finally read it. It took 100 pages before I stopped finding it irritating and found myself nodding. I only have a few more chapters to go, but at work today I noticed a few things. Smokes taste awful. I don't realize I'm smoking them. And as soon as it's extinguished, I find myself immediately thinking about the next one. It doesn't relieve boredom, doesn't calm me down (like what darkenigma posted.) I want to finish the book tonight and then quit. My attempts/failures in the past were mainly because I still thought of smokes positively. Because I didn't really want to quit but should because of x/y/z. But all today I've been thinking about my life as a nonsmoker and all the things I could do. The biggest reason why I thought I liked smoking was the act of inhaling-that deep breath, slow burn of the lungs, and exhaling. But really meditation will do that and much more. The only thing I feel like I'll miss is very specific. There's still nothing like sitting outside on a warm night and seeing the glow of a slow burning cigarette, hearing the sizzling burn.
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Jan 25, 2011 23:16
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