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Woohoo posted:I failed. Cannot stay off even for one lousy day Don't give up! Just think of it as a dry run for actually quitting.
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Jun 25, 2011 01:50
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Woohoo posted:I failed. Cannot stay off even for one lousy day Don't let a slip-up become a relapse, throw that pack away and start again!
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Jun 25, 2011 02:55
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I've been a sporadic smoker for over ten years. Some periods have lasted over a year, others a few months, with similar periods of abstinence in between. Just last week I quit after about four months of, for me, heavy smoking (peaked at about half pack a day). I haven't had so much as a craving since. I've never really understood the difficulty most people have with quitting; every time I've decided to put the habit down I've had no trouble doing so. Maybe I've never smoked enough or for long enough at a stretch to get "addicted." Maybe I'm only kidding myself since I go back to it, even if it's been months or years since my last cigarette. The only reason I bring any of this up is that anyone trying to quit should latch on to the fact that it is a decision to smoke, and it is a decision to quit. You're not helpless, nor a slave; if you truly decide to quit, then quit! You can do it!
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Jun 25, 2011 03:21
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Tomorrow makes 6 weeks without a cigarette. I smoked a pack a day for 11 years. I have tried quitting cold turkey, patch, and gum before, never with success beyond the 24 hours mark. I gave Chantix a try this go 'round, and holy. loving. poo poo. It was just so easy. I didn't really have any cravings for the nicotine at all. I still had the occasional "Man, that meal was great, along with that bottle of wine. A smoke would really just top this off right now" type moments, but nothing too bad at all. The only side effect that I experienced was increased frequency of dreams. None of them were nightmares, or even particularly powerful, but I usually only remember my dreams once or twice a month. On Chantix, it was pretty much every night. No other negatives at all. Highly, highly recommended. It cost me $120, which is not only a incredible investment in my health and saved money on smokes for years to come, but it was actually less than what I would have spent on smokes just for the duration of the treatment.
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Jun 25, 2011 04:12
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raggedphoto posted:Don't let a slip-up become a relapse, throw that pack away and start again! That works. I used to do that when I failed a few times quitting. It's certainly better than half-forcefully smoking the whole pack.
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Jun 25, 2011 13:39
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raggedphoto posted:Don't let a slip-up become a relapse, throw that pack away and start again! I threw away several packs of 19 cigarettes when I was starting out. It sort of helped, having to waste that $$ every time I messed up. Sunday is exactly 5 months since my last one. 
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Jun 25, 2011 15:20
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Doom Rooster posted:Tomorrow makes 6 weeks without a cigarette. Congratulations, mate, you've pretty much nailed it, I recon. Stay strong. When I quit I used Chantix (Champix here in the UK) as an aid. I kept up with it for a couple of weeks but it gave me insane mood swings. Having said that, it's hard to differentiate between drug induced mood swings and those from withdrawal. Either way, I kept up with the quitting and dropped the Chantix. It's been about a year now - I'd have to go back and check the timestamps on my posts in this thread to be precise. During my heavy craving times I found a couple of things in particular to be helpful. First of all, it was to be self aware and note a craving for what it was, then realising it would be gone in 5 mins. It's much easier to rough it out that way, because you know there's an end. Also, I found that doing exercise, specifically weight lifting was an excellent way to "fight back" against the cravings. You get a rush from the exercise, the psychological benefit of doing something healthy and rather more simply, a way of taking out my tension on something. To the guy that had a smoke within one day: I'd say the first step is to throw away all your smoking paraphernalia. Put you cigs in the bin, your matches & lighters, finally, wash up your ashtrays and throw them away or turn them into something else (peanut bowl or something). You can do this. You're not the first and you won't be the last. The tough part isn't actually that long.
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Jun 25, 2011 16:28
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I quit smoking in September of 2009. I smoked about 1.5 packs a day for about five years. It's weird how these things can creep back up on you - I'm studying for the bar right now, and I haven't wanted a cigarette so badly since the first week that I quit. That being said, I'm staying strong. Smoking sucks.
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Jun 25, 2011 16:41
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I still have my last pack of cigarettes in a cupboard. For me, it was easier to quit having them around because I was choosing to not smoke when I actually could have. I was rejecting what was there, if that makes any sense. Still have them 14 months later. I did backslide once during this time, and had two cigs. But it being the 3/11 earthquakes here in Tokyo, I was under a tremendous amount of stress. Anyhow, I'm really against smoking now, just being around it disgusts me. Sure, I am incredibly self-righteous but thats helped me thoroughly reject cigarettes.
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Jun 25, 2011 17:15
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Rolo posted:I threw away several packs of 19 cigarettes when I was starting out. It sort of helped, having to waste that $$ every time I messed up. congratulations man thats great! If the gas station still sold single smokes I dont think i could ever fully quit for that reason. throwing away 7 bucks for 1 smoke that makes me feel like poo poo is a good kick in the rear end for my slip up.
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Jun 25, 2011 19:37
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Ok, I'll give a good try. Being utterly broke helps. I have not had a cigarette in like 20 hours now. Been smoking for about nine years. So far I'm just nail bitey.
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Jun 25, 2011 20:09
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Holy poo poo, I can run more than a few hundred feet before breathing heavy! I'm still a fat neckbeard goon, but I'll start on that soon enough. At least I know I can run now.
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Jun 26, 2011 01:59
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Coming up on 90 days of continued sobriety from alcohol and the various drugs that I used to use on a daily basis. For health reasons I've chosen to quit my pack a day cigarette habit as of 3 days ago and so far I think that I'm doing pretty well. Also decided to kick the caffeine habit, I've been drinking up to a pot of coffee or 2-3 energy drinks a day for the past couple of years. I'm going on 3 days for that as well and my headaches finally went away this evening. I was smoking up to a pack and a half per day for the last six years so wish me luck please!
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Jun 26, 2011 02:18
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Failed on second try. This time, didn't even notice. 2,5 hours without much craving but drank coffee, read newspaper and lit up. Half cigarette later noticed that I'm smoking...! drat. Going again! As for the book, got to about one third of it and realised that it's boring and doesn't help at all. Or if any, I gotta get back the money I stupidly spent. Now cutting back on smoking would do it... hmm
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Jun 26, 2011 03:46
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This is my seventh month smoke free, after smoking for five years. Do the cravings ever loving stop? It's all I can think of at some points, just lighting up a damned cigarette. I try and think of something else, and I can't. I just want a cigarette. What can I do to get my mind off of it? It's so tempting. I tell myself, "Just one pack of Camels. Just one, then I'll quit again." I know it's bullshit, but it's an awfully appealing idea right now.
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Jun 26, 2011 04:01
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I just got through the first smoke-free 72 hours of my past 12 years. What is up 
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Jun 26, 2011 06:59
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Woohoo posted:Failed on second try. This time, didn't even notice. 2,5 hours without much craving but drank coffee, read newspaper and lit up. Half cigarette later noticed that I'm smoking...! drat. You have associated coffee with cigarettes. Every time you drink coffee, your brain connects it to cigs and you light it up. This can and should be broken, drink coffee and wade through the cravings.
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Jun 26, 2011 12:15
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robayon posted:So far I'm just nail bitey. Get yourself some 'project' foods. Anything that keeps your hands and mouth busy for longer than the intense cravings. Like pomegranates, pistachios, etc. Godspeed, goon Sir!
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Jun 26, 2011 12:19
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I quit! Three weeks and no cigarette, gently caress you lung cancer! I didn't want to post that I was trying so I wouldn't jinx it, but I can safely say I don't want a cigarette anymore. The down side is I can smell the accumulated musk of years of smoking in my apartment. I gotta get some of those fancy smelling sticks or something.
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Jun 26, 2011 12:28
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Luminous Cow posted:This is my seventh month smoke free, after smoking for five years. Do the cravings ever loving stop? It's all I can think of at some points, just lighting up a damned cigarette. I try and think of something else, and I can't. I just want a cigarette. What can I do to get my mind off of it? It's so tempting. I tell myself, "Just one pack of Camels. Just one, then I'll quit again." I know it's bullshit, but it's an awfully appealing idea right now. Yeah, gradually it goes away. Once the acute, "oh god need a smoke" phase leaves, it'll eventually leave your mind altogether over time. I think you're probably still getting lots of cravings because you haven't got used to being a non smoker yet.
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Jun 26, 2011 13:49
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Keisari posted:Will the collapsed part of your lung heal in time? It will probably heal itself in a week or so but will then almost certainly happen again. Quitting smoking will of course reduce the risk and severity of it should it happen again.
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Jun 26, 2011 13:55
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I'm working on my fourth round of quitting. I've tried the patch before but that caused a lot of pain wherever I would put it. Chantix just made me throw up a lot and the gum has had mixed results. Now I'm working with an e-cigarette to see if this works. Has anyone had mixed results with chantix and the patches before?
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Jun 26, 2011 18:32
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CrapFish posted:I'm working on my fourth round of quitting. I've tried the patch before but that caused a lot of pain wherever I would put it. Chantix just made me throw up a lot and the gum has had mixed results. Now I'm working with an e-cigarette to see if this works. Has anyone had mixed results with chantix and the patches before? The first time I tried to quit(I lasted about 5 days) I tried the patch, it curbed the nicotine cravings, but I still needed something to occupy my hands. The act of smoking was more of an addiction for me than the nicotine. This time I found that if I keep drinking a lot of liquid through out the day I can curb that habit too. When I got the need for a smoke I took a sip of coffee. The down side is I'm going through about a pot of coffee a day, but it's better than smoking.
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Jun 26, 2011 20:37
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The caffeine rush from too much coffee can be a problem. If you get nervous and jittery and give yourself a hard time sleeping when the withdraw is already an issue you might run in to trouble. Some other potential oral fixations I used as substitutes instead were cinnamon tooth picks, chew sticks, and Rooibos tea. Gum and candy can work just as well, but I went for stuff I had never tried before to try and convince my brain there was real change going on.
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Jun 26, 2011 20:50
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I'm tired of letting a bunch of leaves rolled into a paper tube have total control over me, let's get this over with. I don't care about cravings, I'm more concerned about the mood changes. I have a date with a beautiful girl next week and I hope I don't turn into an angry ball of anxiety  edit: gently caress it, I don't care if it reads like a sales pitch, I just bought the Allen Carr book. At $8 it was less than a pack+lighter anyways edit2: I read the entire book yesterday evening, wanting to hate every word because that man cannot write, but... 24 hours out and I think it might have actually worked. Most of his points are incredibly salient in spite of his silly sales-pitch prose, and now I reallllly don't want to smoke anymore. Weird. fisty delicious fucked around with this message at 00:10 on Jun 29, 2011 |
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Jun 27, 2011 22:37
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I quit smoking after I met my fiancé. Five years smoking half a pack each day to cold turkey. It wasn't easy but I did it. I blame the military for getting me hooked in the first place, but you have no idea how quickly a shift passes on night guard when you're a smoker.
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Jun 27, 2011 22:43
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CrapFish posted:I'm working on my fourth round of quitting. I've tried the patch before but that caused a lot of pain wherever I would put it. Chantix just made me throw up a lot and the gum has had mixed results. Now I'm working with an e-cigarette to see if this works. Has anyone had mixed results with chantix and the patches before? Patches gave me nicotine poisoning even at small doses and even though I was a pack-a-day smoker so I guess my skin is spongy and weird. I have not tried chantix yet but I bet it would make me hork like crazy
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Jun 29, 2011 08:14
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On day 11 now with only one slip up! Feeling a lot better when I hike and run now, its amazing how much difference only 11 days makes. I am hacking up poo poo in the morning, disgusting but I feel like I am cleaning out my throat. Keep it up everyone, you know deep down that a smoke free life is better!
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Jun 29, 2011 19:54
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Passed the 72-hour mark yesterday with flying colors and had my first guilty-smoke dream last night... I believe I've really quit this time, and it is awesome. Three days without even considering buying a pack, that's kind of a big deal to me. Two years at a pack a day, four years smoking altogether, for reference.
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Jul 1, 2011 19:08
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Good job goons! I passed the 2 month mark myself. Not a single cig! I feel great, it's easy to breathe and poo poo. This thread helps me to keep motivated. Anybody reading this thread who's considered quitting but couldn't have been arsed in the past - now is a great opportunity to join us! 
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Jul 2, 2011 08:55
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Game Overman posted:Today was a week smoke free, the longest I've gone without smoking for 12 years. I was stupid, bought a pack and had two, then threw the rest away. gently caress you cigarettes, I'm the boss of you! Aaand TIME! So, a few hiccups along the way - I relapsed hard while vacationing and had over half a pack, then I was waiting at a gas station for a flight to arrive and in idleness I bought another one and smoked two before I tossed it. For the record, 12 year smoker, 10+ a day. Feeling fairly confident!
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Jul 2, 2011 09:25
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I went drinking for the first time since I quilt last night. I just woke up and my mouth feels all gross and smokey after I had half a pack. I feel like a big dummy  . Well, back on the wagon.
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Jul 2, 2011 12:20
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raggedphoto posted:Keep it up everyone, you know deep down that a smoke free life is better! Is it? I'm three weeks into this and with the amount of bullshit I've had to deal with this week I'm wondering if being smoke free is such a great idea. Sure I won't die of cancer but I drat well might suffer a stress related aneurysm.
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Jul 2, 2011 17:48
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Blue Square posted:Is it? I'm three weeks into this and with the amount of bullshit I've had to deal with this week I'm wondering if being smoke free is such a great idea. Sure I won't die of cancer but I drat well might suffer a stress related aneurysm. Keep going. Find another release for stress. poo poo ain't easy by any means, and I still want a cigarette when I get stressed. Finding another outlet is the key to staying quit.
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Jul 2, 2011 18:20
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I had a relapse, a long relapse, and just quit again a few days ago. Going strong now. This thread reminded me of all those good feelings of quitting; a nice pick-me-up indeed.
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Jul 2, 2011 18:22
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I want to throw bricks at traffic I relapsed back to a pack every two days (better than the pack a day streak i had going for 2 years, i attribute not being able to smoke in my room). I'm off until Tuesday so i'm going to give quitting or drastically cutting back another go. My physical addiction prevents me from quitting, my emotional/economical situation pushes me to smoke more. I have a job now, and albeit a lovely one, its incredibly easy and low stress, except for this pretentious spiritual yuppy hipster who works there, im going to snap and swing on him. My car still doesn't work, so i feel about as independent as a 15 year old. Hell i don't even have a bike. At least the bus will take me to the gym, sort of. Having to spend 45 minutes getting 5 miles up the road and back gets a bit enraging in itself. I'm going to flush some of this addiction out over the long weekend. I have an e-cigarette if i really do start to snap, although it keeps me addicted to nicotine just as much if not more because i'll chief this thing constantly sometimes. Tapering is my only option, and its been somewhat productive. However i still want to bodyslam an 8 year old. I havent been angry for 26 years, and now withdrawals are making me into a loving demon of hatred.
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Jul 2, 2011 19:18
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I think I stopped somewhere in February, but definitely in March when I started my new job, it's now July and I've been smoke free since then. I think I just like posting in this thread when I feel like it, it's nice to actually put it down somewhere.
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Jul 3, 2011 01:20
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Helmet Jap posted:9 months and counting. you guys can do it if I can. I have the weakest will. 1 year 3 months and counting. not a single puff. I was an rear end in a top hat enough to smoke while my father in law was going through chemo+radiation. I was an rear end in a top hat enough to smoke while my wife was the sole supporter you guys/girls can do it if I can. GOGOGOGO
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Jul 3, 2011 01:54
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Blue Square posted:Is it? I'm three weeks into this and with the amount of bullshit I've had to deal with this week I'm wondering if being smoke free is such a great idea. Sure I won't die of cancer but I drat well might suffer a stress related aneurysm. find an outlet, stay positive about quitting by thinking of the benefits of not smoking and stay strong. edit: I must really need a smoke since i am not making any sense today. raggedphoto fucked around with this message at 20:10 on Jul 3, 2011 |
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Jul 3, 2011 18:32
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Blue Square posted:Is it? I'm three weeks into this and with the amount of bullshit I've had to deal with this week I'm wondering if being smoke free is such a great idea. Sure I won't die of cancer but I drat well might suffer a stress related aneurysm.
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Jul 4, 2011 02:13
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