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Going on two weeks and two days without a smoke now. I cheated the system however. I was scheduled to have surgery on a Tuesday, so that Sunday I went all in. Drank all afternoon, smoked around a pack and a half and that Monday was hungover so I craved neither. After the surgery I was on some serious pain medicine for 5 days. I think that helped me ignore the initial physical withdrawal, now its just psychological. I've done well but still get a craving now and then, it literally is all I think about for what feels like an eternity (but really is 5 minutes or something) Ill use lunch yesterday as an example. I had a giant bowl of pad Thai and two beers. Feeling stuffed my brain went to "ok time to smoke" mode, ignored it but it was all I thought about. Now it seems its allergy season or I am missing something. The first week I was congestion free, could breathe better, smell and taste everything. Even noticed just how bad my car smelled. I haven't been coughing near as much as I thought I would, does this happen eventually or what ? I feel alot better though, every time I get the urge, I just tell myself its for the better. That even though I could go buy a pack right now, doesn't mean I need to.
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Jun 18, 2013 14:07
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Today is day number three without a smoke. The physical withdrawls have been noticeable, but i can do this. If i can make it to tomorrow, i know the physical addiciton will be gone, and it all mind over matter from there. I have noticed a rappid increase in energy levels during the day, so ive been forcing myself to eat fast food as a sort of self medicating sedative. Wish me luck!
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Jun 19, 2013 18:10
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After I posted yesterday, I was feeling quite twitchy, and got as far as the counter in a newsagent's - yes, I was going to buy some, lying to myself that I wouldn't smoke the whole packet, "just have them around if I really needed one". The guy in front of me was buying cigarettes. This brought me back to my senses. He was going to buy a lighter as well so now feeling really positive I said that he could have my lighter for free, just take it. He responded by offering me two cigarettes. Since my main way of staying off them has been "I don't want to smoke a whole packet", and also because I am hardwired to like free stuff, I took them, and later smoked them. On the plus side, that's 8 I didn't smoke, because now at the counter with nothing to do, I just bought a pack of gum. Also, it turns out that it was strawberry gum, and I realised something. Cigarettes go really well with mint - hell, that's why they make menthols. They also go quite well with energy drink. They really do not go with strawberry, or tropical fruits (I recently saw tropical flavour energy drink, and bought it out of curiosity) So now I will be buying fruit gum, and tropical flavour energy drink, because they go with each other really well, and cigarettes don't go with them at all. Whereas when I chew mint gum, or drink standard-flavour energy drink, my tastebuds start tingling for a smoke. Every cloud, eh? Anyway, back down to one-and-a-half days smoke free.
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Jun 19, 2013 18:55
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simplefish posted:
Good on you for not buying a pack! I like the idea of eating/drinking things that dont go with cigs, might have to try that when the cravings get bad. edit: edited to not sound like a twat jhorphear fucked around with this message at 22:36 on Jun 19, 2013 |
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Jun 19, 2013 22:27
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Spicy food, at least for me, is a good deterrent for smokes. Even at a pack a day, when I ate some hot wings, I'd give it 15-30 minutes to calm down before I smoked, otherwise I'd just be adding another type of burning sensation into the mix.
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Jun 20, 2013 09:05
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Day 4. Still havnt had a cig yet. My diet has gone completely out the window though, i will probly end up putting on 5-10 pounds, but i can worry about that after i hit the 2 week mark.
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Jun 20, 2013 19:09
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Switched to American Spirit. Feels like a lot less poo poo is there I when smoke. No weird chemical crap is a good thing. Got down to a pack a month. Gum and toothpicks are okay. Might switch to e-cigs in the future. Hope I can kick it. Anxiety is a bitch and got me addicted in the first place.
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Jun 20, 2013 21:10
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Glasgow Kiss posted:Switched to American Spirit. Feels like a lot less poo poo is there I when smoke. No weird chemical crap is a good thing. Got down to a pack a month. Gum and toothpicks are okay. Might switch to e-cigs in the future. Hope I can kick it. Anxiety is a bitch and got me addicted in the first place. A pack a month?! I can't imagine the physical withdrawals are even noticeable. Also American Spirits have a lot more nicotine in them so while the break from chemicals is nice remember you're double dosing.
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Jun 20, 2013 22:05
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Yeah, I'm kinda proud I was able to go that low. I went from a pack a day three years ago to just that. Withdrawal is mostly minimal to nonexistent but it's mainly habit that's keeping me (barely) smoking. When I get antsy I like to have something to keep me occupied. Zero would be ideal.
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Jun 20, 2013 22:35
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Glasgow Kiss posted:Switched to American Spirit. Feels like a lot less poo poo is there I when smoke. No weird chemical crap is a good thing. Got down to a pack a month. Gum and toothpicks are okay. Might switch to e-cigs in the future. Hope I can kick it. Anxiety is a bitch and got me addicted in the first place. I was smoking American Spirits when I switched to ecigs. I'm convinced that the "no additives" thing they do made it that much easier. I ordered an EGO-T kit with the idea that I could wean off the smokes over time. The kit arrived on Wednesday evening, and I got one of the batteries charged (they were mostly-charged when they arrived) and started puffing away on the EGO for the rest of the evening. I took it (and my smokes) with me to work the next day. It was mid-afternoon when I realised, with some surprise, that I hadn't had a cigarette all day. So, yeah, I quit smoking overnight, accidentally. That was 2 years ago, today. I've had exactly one cigarette since then, and that was only to prove to myself how bad cigarettes actually taste. I'd encourage you to play with ecigs if you're inclined. They can be very very helpful. Good luck!
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Jun 22, 2013 16:49
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I'm now at two months with an e-cig after 7 years of 30-50 cigarettes a day. I feel amazing, I didn't realize how much I missed breathing. I highly encourage anyone struggling with quitting to take up an e-cigarette instead. If you live in a state that demonizes smoking indoors, e-cigs are a complete godsend. I can even smoke in bed now!
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Jun 22, 2013 19:00
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I just quit smoking last night. First time I've ever tried quitting, actually. And, doing it in a high stress situation! Woo! Thank you for this thread, goons. I've got hope now. Unfortunately, all the the eCig recommendations make sense and yet here I am unable to afford one. This will be rough as I am a 9 year smoke and coming off of about a half to a full pack a day habit. I'm already preparing for a relapse and planning it's defeat. Sophonax fucked around with this message at 19:26 on Jun 22, 2013 |
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Jun 22, 2013 19:16
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Sophonax posted:I just quit smoking last night. First time I've ever tried quitting, actually. And, doing it in a high stress situation! Woo! Stick it out for a few days, it gets easier. Remember nicotine is the cause not the cure!
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Jun 22, 2013 20:09
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Bro Nerd Alpha posted:Going on two weeks and two days without a smoke now. I cheated the system however. I was scheduled to have surgery on a Tuesday, so that Sunday I went all in. Drank all afternoon, smoked around a pack and a half and that Monday was hungover so I craved neither. Uhh good job on trying to quit and all, but who goes into a surgery with the mindset of getting hosed up the day or two beforehand? I would kind of want my body to be rested and strong, you know... Jesus.
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Jun 23, 2013 02:46
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Finished Easy Way Novemeber 14, 2012. Haven't smoked a single cigarette since then!
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Jun 23, 2013 03:19
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Ok time to quit again. Day 2. I feel better about this attempt becaus I have recently felt the positive effects of not smoking and also I am hell wary of my brain re: that it is conniving. Last time I quit I got sucked in by the whole "well i've quit for like 3 months, I can definitely have a cigarette now..." Turns out you can't, or at least I can't. It was also party season so I drank a lot. This time will stick. I am absolutely tired of smoking and I don't really have the money to be spending on a habit that kills you.
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Jun 23, 2013 05:08
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I'm Perhaps a penguin (Perhaps I'm a penguin?), and I've smoked my last stoge. Ever. It's best to preface this with a history of tobacco in the penguin family as far back as I know. Both of my grandfathers smoked. My mom's father stopped after having four children, and having more than one lovable kid knock the cherry off of his cigarette and into his chest hair. His service in the second world war left him with a fear of being burned alive, which no doubt made it all the easier to quit. He lived a long life, and lost his battle with alzheimers disease in his mid eighties. My dad's dad was never in the picture much, so I can't say how long he had smoked before he passed on. Both of my parents smoke, and all of my aunts and uncles do or did at one point in their lives. I have two brothers, one who smokes and also married a smoker, the other a Christian fundamentalist who lives a very sober life. I was about 18 or 19 when I got into the habit of smoking cigars, spliffs, and flavored cigarettes in some small quantity on the daily. I figured I could enjoy tobacco, as long as I didn't develop an addiction, right? As long as it didn't compromise my cycling, weightlifting and rock climbing, right? Never mind the fact I smoke every day, however. My dad was diagnosed with lung cancer when I was 19. He died on my 20th birthday. He was 57. Caring for him and his passing made me feel very stressed, and my awkward-at-best relationship with my now deceased abusive father didn't help. So I smoke another cigarette. I feel stressed and ASHAMED that I'm even lighting it. My uncle died eight months later after losing his fight with bladder cancer. He was 62. I think. It was no doubt that smoking in his late teens through his mid thirties at the youngest was a large contributing factor. I admired him a great deal, and learned a great deal from him. He was one of few people I had a lot of respect for. This was also after losing my grandmother, who had a peaceful passing after a life many others and herself considered to be very full, exciting, and long. It was her time, which was about three months after my dad's time, but she was a wonderful woman nonetheless, and sad to see her go. My mother was feeling the burden of dealing with an estate, consoling two crazy brothers, the death of her brother, mother, and husband and her own diagnosis of breast cancer. I'm 21 now. She's now a three time cancer survivor, and a hell of a nice lady. Still smoking, though. This all made me want to smoke much more badly, and made me feel even more like a dumass each time I lit a cigarette. My brother, a wonderful, kind, and smart man probably feels the same when he smokes. Above all else this made me realize how powerful a nicotine addiction can be. Even when you watch the people you care about most die a death they could have easily prevented by not smoking, quitting seems like a scary thing. Not just for me, but for my brother, my mom, an uncle on her side, and my aunt and uncle on the other. I smoked for about two more years after my dad died. God, can't you just leave the penguin family alone? The day I quit was the day I realized that smoking had completely compromised my training as a cyclist, a climber, and as a lifter. I felt weak and like I was just starting to rot from the inside out. I was at the gym, barely able to finish a bench set with a weight that months prior I could have easily handled. My joints hurt. I came home early achy and sore, smoked a couple of Marlboro southern cuts, and started to think about what I really valued. I thought about what I really had to lose if I quit smoking. Cigarette after sex is always nice. Shame all that time away from the gym kinda makes people not want to have sex with me. Cigarette after a big meal is always good. I'll miss that one. Or that one in the morning with a book and my coffee on the shitter. Or whenever I get bored. gently caress. What will I miss if I keep smoking? If I keep smoking I can say goodbye to getting into the velodrome and keeping up with the pack. I'll probably never want to do real outdoor climbing, either. Or achieve my goal of a 405lb bench press before I die. Or buy the poo poo I want because a pack a day habit adds up. I'll wake up in the morning feeling sick every day. And go to bed knowing I'm killing myself. In a moment of the greatest frustration with myself I have ever had, I dropped my cigarette into an empty coke can, scrunched my pack into an unrecognizable ball of paper and poison, and hucked it in the trash. I realized that there's nothing scary about quitting smoking. What the gently caress is so scary about having control for once in my goddamn life?! What the gently caress is so scary about being able to die at peace, feeling fulfilled? I smoked that cigarette about five days ago and haven't had one since. Going to the gym is actually fun now. I leveled up from a v1 to a v3 in a matter of days. It takes miles to get me to break a sweat on my bike. I'm not killing myself anymore. My bad habits are no longer my masters. I feel like the strongest and most confident man in the world because I know I can be of the few who says goodbye to cigarettes for life. loving took me long enough, right?
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Jun 25, 2013 09:36
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Today is day 49 for me. I feel like I've really quit for good this time. This is the longest stretch I've gone without a cigarette since before I smoked, 8 and a half years ago. I was a ~half a pack of spirits a day smoker too. I figure I've saved ~$150 by this point. Whoever said it earlier, it's true. You can really tell the difference in your bank account. One thing that's really helped me quit is having exercise goals. I've run about 25 miles this month, which isn't really all that much compared to some people, but I feel like it's a pretty big achievement for me. Also, fitocracy has been a pretty big motivator for me. Feel like having a smoke? gently caress that, do some exercises and level up instead! If you don't know what fitocracy is, check out this thread: http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3522331
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Jun 25, 2013 12:53
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Hello goons. I've been around SA for a while and have peeked in this thread a few times, but I'd like to start on my smoke free journey. So far it's been two days with no smokes and I feel ok! Edit: When I feel like I want a cigarette, I've been doing breathing exercises instead. It's helped a lot so far.
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Jun 25, 2013 14:02
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Days: :78 Hours: 02:54 Cigarettes not smoked: 1562 (79 packs) Savings: £585.91  Keep going goons, it just keeps getting better and better
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Jun 25, 2013 14:56
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Made it a year 
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Jun 26, 2013 00:53
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Just The Facts posted:Made it a year WHOO! That's awesome. Many congrats! I'm on 11 weeks, 4 days. $459 saved. It gets easier every day!
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Jun 26, 2013 02:56
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Just The Facts posted:Made it a year Congrats! That's awesome!
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Jun 26, 2013 11:26
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Just The Facts posted:Made it a year You are my hero! Blammo checking in, day two. Anxious, but I keep telling myself that I'm only quitting for the next hour. Then the next, and the next. Working so far!
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Jun 29, 2013 00:07
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I've been smoking for the past ten years but for some reason never really considered myself a smoker  Well whatever I'm 26 now so time to stop that poo poo before I'm trapped for life. Going on 5 days now, hopefully I can stick with it this time.
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Jul 2, 2013 12:39
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I went to the doctors office back in early May for a couple different issues. While I was there, I had brought up that I want to try to quit smoking, but wasn't really sure how to go about it, along with the fact that I didn't think my insurance covered a couple different medications that I had been looking at. We talked a bit about different things, but nothing that really stuck with me, other than smoking is unhealthy and the sooner you quit, the better. I ended up quitting cold turkey 4 days later. Fast forward to last Thursday. I had a follow up appointment for the other issues I was seeing him for. Prior to speaking with the doctor, a nurse did a small health questionnaire thing along with taking my vitals. She had said something like, "Oh, I see you're a smoker, how much do you smoke a day" and I told her I hadn't had a cigarette for 51 days. She seemed happy and wrote that in and did some other things and left. Then another lady came in, they were doing a health survey and asked me some more questions about exercise, diet, that kind of stuff, and I had told her I quit smoking. She also seemed pretty happy/excited about that. A few minutes later, the doctor came in, and the lady said to him, "Dr. I have some good news!" The doctor said, "I already heard!" and he looked at me and was pumping is fists, "You quit! Way to go!" and gave me high fives and fists bumps and stuff like I was running out of the tunnel onto the field at a football game or something. It was kind of hilarious, but also pretty cool. edit: also, my resting pulse rate at the first doctors appointment was 96 bpm. My resting pulse rate last Thursday was 60. My body is already thanking me.
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Jul 2, 2013 12:58
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Made a decision to quit after I went swimming yesterday, i used to be able to hold my breath for a good 3 minutes. Now i can barely pull 10 seconds. I have not smoked all day and it is currently 4:30 pm here; i am already getting cravings and I feel a bit tense; supplementing with food.
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Jul 2, 2013 14:35
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Three and a half months clean here. I've cheated here and there with a friend's e-cig at parties and such, but that's it. Most days smoking doesn't even cross my mind. Reading other people talk about their relapses here and their explanations for why they started back up again remind me of all the mental gymnastics I'd run myself through to rationalize going back to it. Ignore that poo poo, goons.
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Jul 2, 2013 16:46
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I hit my one year anniversary yesterday. I can literally climb mountains now and not feel like death. It's awesome. I used to dread flying because it would usually mean 8+ hours without a smoke. I'd get the worst headaches from it. Now, it doesn't faze me one bit and I can enjoy a few airport beers without that NEED for a smoke with my beer. Oddly, I still chew two pieces of nicotine gum each day. One at noon and one at 7pm. I never have an urge for a smoke or even think about it anymore even if I'm hanging with smokers; but drat if I don't love my gum breaks each day.
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Jul 2, 2013 17:53
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Borderview posted:I hit my one year anniversary yesterday. I can literally climb mountains now and not feel like death. It's awesome. Congrats man! in 50 weeks i hope to be where you are. I just completed week 2 of no smoking and my g/f just finished week 1. Heres to our health!
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Jul 2, 2013 19:44
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It was 6 months, and with my wife trying to wind down to 2 or less a day she asked me to keep the pack with me. After a stressful day I ended up having half of one. I immediately regretted it and felt sick in my stomach. Back on the wagon. I've gone too far to go back now! e: 7 months
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Jul 5, 2013 13:33
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I had fallen off the wagon since the last time I posted here, but I am back on and this Sunday will be my third week cigarette free. I have to repeat the advice of all the other goons here: please work out! It makes an unimaginable difference. The previous few times I tried to quit, every time my brain threw a tantrum I would crawl miserably to a gas station to buy one "last" pack. I felt totally out of control. Even aside from just the physical benefits, going to the gym regularly has given me a sense of control over my own life. It's now utterly bizarre to me to think back on ever "needing" a cigarette. Good luck goons!
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Jul 5, 2013 18:39
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I haven't really posted in here, but im trying to quit. Granted, I'm only a 5-8 cigs a day smoker but I've been smoking for ~17 years. So I got an ecig and it ha sheen a godsend. Lest night was my first time drinking heavily with one and I was really worried I'd have a smoke but the ecig really did the job. I'm still not 48 hours cigarette free because I've broken down a few times in the last week. But I'm down to about 1 a day if any.
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Jul 7, 2013 19:42
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Hey all, figured I'd pop in here. I smoked for about 4 and a half years. Never super heavy, unless drunk. At the worst, i got up to 3-4 packs a month, occasionally 5. Still not good for me by any means. As of June 24th, I hit 6 months without after stopping cold turkey. Hopefully I won't turn back, and good luck to all of you!
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Jul 7, 2013 20:31
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I will have a week without smoking and dipping tomorrow, I decided to go cold turkey and the last week has been miserable. But I'm starting to feel better. Just hope the chest pain goes away.
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Jul 13, 2013 06:21
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SMOKERS, yes you, this is your periodical reminder to read the Alan Carr book and completely, autosuggestively buy into the things he is saying. It's hard and it feels like complete bullshit first, but not only is it true, it also works (for a lot of people)! It also makes quitting and staying away from the nic that much less painful. Try it out if you haven't.
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Jul 13, 2013 08:46
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I quit cold turkey 23 days ago. I had come down with a cough and it hurt to smoke, so I was like, 'gently caress this. I'm going to finish my pack and that's that.' Not a single smoke since. I had tried ecigs back in March, and it helped for a while, but I lost mine and started buying packs again in May. I'm finally getting over the rage... even after the first 3 days I was extremely irritable and couldn't really find the part of me that loves to laugh and joke around. Now it's finally coming back to me. If you're in the 3 day to 3 week period, just hang in there, I promise it gets easier, and your personality really will go back to normal eventually, just hang in there and stay strong  edit; The e-cig route is OK... it's definitely better than smoking actual cigarettes, but I realized it wasn't that much better when I forgot my e-cig at home before work and had a crisis deciding whether to turn around and get it, and be late, or buy a pack of smokes on the way to work. It was worse than just forgetting cigs at home, because I bought a pack after not doing it for over a month,. The panic made me realize that just because I was saving money and didn't smell bad didn't mean all was well - the feeling of not having the addiction now is amazing. e2; Also saw a couple other people doing this - 23 days, 460 cigarettes not smoked, $161 not spent on cigarettes. Seven bucks a pack was a lot. Dramatika fucked around with this message at 18:31 on Jul 13, 2013 |
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Jul 13, 2013 18:09
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Good news: Over 4 months without a smoke. Bad news: Pretty sure I technically qualify as an alcoholic at this point. I've traded one dark master for another. 
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Jul 13, 2013 18:16
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That DICK! posted:Good news: Over 4 months without a smoke. That is quite common when quitting substances. You will reach out for another substance to easy the pain of withdrawals. Yours just happened to be alcohol. Now all you need to do is taper yourself down from drinking and you'll be 100% clean! Good luck with it man. I've tried quitting smoking so many times. I started smoking when I was 14. I've quit about five times (3 months, 7 months, 1 year, 9 months, and 8 months) but always end up having a smoke and it completely resets the cycle. I guess it's a good thing that I take longer breaks as it gives my lungs a prolonged time to heal themselves from the death I've been putting upon them. My last attempt was a month ago. I quit for a whole month then lost my job and the first thing I did to ease the anger and pain was have a cigarette. I've been smoking since. I need to seriously quit for good. I just need to find a way to properly do it. I've found tapering does not work for me, I have to go 100% cold turkey or there's no point in even trying. Maybe sometime in the near future I will flush all of my cigarettes down the toilet for extra motivation to quit. I have a disposable electronic cigarette that I used last time I tried to quit and it worked wonders. It has no Nicotine in is as I live in Canada (Nicotine containing electronic cigarettes are illegal here) so using it to ease the physical symptoms of inhaling really helped. I should make a plan to quit again very soon. The thing is, I'm not a chain smoker like most people I know. I have maybe 5-10 cigarettes a day. But still, even one cigarette a day is bad for you. Sorry for the long rant, I just hate thinking about how I can't quit this god drat habit.
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Jul 16, 2013 07:00
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| # ? Apr 27, 2024 17:00 |
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I had my last roll-up this morning, threw away my tobacco, and asked my GF to clean up any trace of ash or anything while I'm out at work. Now it's just me, at work, with 8 2mg nicotine tablets. I've warned all my work mates, and everyone's being really supportive. God-damnit, I want a cigarette 
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Jul 16, 2013 09:44
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