Thread: Anybody quit smoking?

Originally Posted by MisLed

I smoked in college and my mom came to visit me and i pulled one out, lit up ....and she pulled out hers and did the same.

I rolled down the window and threw mine out. Didn't smoke again.

I smoked then too. Then a girl that I really liked said that she wouldn't go out with me unless I quit, so I tossed my last pack in the trash. Over 30 years later we're still together...

Originally Posted by satv365

Share your thoughts and story.

I am quitting cigs lately and keep relapsing. Any tips or encouragement would be good at this point. Just bought a pack this morning, smoked two of em and threw the rest of the pack out. Sort of annoying that I keep doing (*)(*)(*)(*) like that.

I quit smoking in 2006 and it was rough. First off you have to go into it knowing that it is going to be a week or two of differing levels of hell. Don't fool yourself, you will just quit when it gets rough if you do. Go into it knowing it is going to suck BAD!!! Be resolute no matter what! Go big or go home! People who "try" to quit are fooling themselves and setting themselves up for failure. There is no "try", just do it!

How I did it was bought some of that nicotine gum, it was a step down program and way too expensive, so I just bought a package of the gum and used it. I think I was allowed one piece of gum every two hours. So I would chew the gum, then keep it between my cheek and teeth for 2 hours till I could take the next one. First few days were rough. I kept myself busy any way I could as to divert my mind as much as I could. After a week it was a bit easier, 2 weeks in I was no longer using the gum and well on my way to kicking the habit. For months I would crave a smoke after eating or when I first got up, but in time even that has passed.

Just do it! Or keep on torturing yourself by "trying".

I'm off them for about ten years now, and did it cold turkey. I was a heavy smoker, so I had over a month of very bad withdrawal- night sweats, nightmares, severe irritability, headaches, etc.

There is only one key to success and that is integrity. No one can make you do anything, but it is your choice to stand by your commitment. What worked for my psychologically, was to swear to myself that I would never buy another cigarette. That gave me permission to bum a smoke if I wanted, but I work alone and none of my friends smoke, so there was little to no chance I would get a cig off anyone. But, I gave myself that out anyway to play with my own head.

It's real simple, you make yourself a promise and you abide by your decision, otherwise you are a failure with no one to blame but you. It's not easy, so (*)(*)(*)(*)ing what. Don't be a (*)(*)(*)(*)(*), just quit; you are killing yourself.

recently my uncle was shifted to an aged care center and i must say that those who are smoking then it might become very tough for them to immediately leave this habit but they can slowly slowly leave this unfair habit...
even now he smokes in the apartments wash room....
in the early stages he used to smoke 5 cigarettes daily now he only smokes 1..

I quit with Nicorette 15 years ago started smoking again, I am currently quitting with E Cigs. They work!

Originally Posted by satv365

Share your thoughts and story.

I am quitting cigs lately and keep relapsing. Any tips or encouragement would be good at this point. Just bought a pack this morning, smoked two of em and threw the rest of the pack out. Sort of annoying that I keep doing (*)(*)(*)(*) like that.

I quit Jan 1st, 2009 at 5pm.

All I can say is that it gets easier and easier wtih time. The first 3 months are the worst.

Going to the gym helped alot. Its seems couter productive to workout then go lite up.

I quite November 2010 after 33 years of being a moderate smoker (about 15 a day).

The only thing that worked for me was the E-Cig. The first one looked like a cig and was helpful in helping me cut down to about six a day then I switched to the Totally Wicked Tornado (the original version, none of the later ones seem to work for me) with extra strength nicotine fluid (you really don't want to smoke after that!) gradually working down in strength until I quit for good.

I really didn't want to quit but I was getting bad bronchitis and chest pains and knew I just couldn't smoke any more, even if I wanted too.

I had some medical issues with high blood pressure which my acupuncturist told me was the stress of missing all the "other" chemicals in cigarette smoke but I found CoQ10 QH really helpful there and now my BP is back to normal levels. I'm glad I quit but I still love the smell of cigarette smoke. I just tell myself it's something I can never do again.

I'll tell you all what I miss. I miss sitting on my porch and drinking my coffee, taking blunt hits and having a Marlboro Red. I guess it's funny how we psychologically add smoking to our routines.

Originally Posted by satv365

Share your thoughts and story.

I am quitting cigs lately and keep relapsing. Any tips or encouragement would be good at this point. Just bought a pack this morning, smoked two of em and threw the rest of the pack out. Sort of annoying that I keep doing (*)(*)(*)(*) like that.

Twice! I quit in 1999, managed 3 years, and started again in 2002. Then quit again in 2005 for good.

Addiction has interesting effects on the brain. You will tell yourself all sorts of stories why now is not a good time, why you can just have one and then quit, or smoke maybe just today and then stop again tomorrow. It takes an awareness of the tricks your mind will play on you in order to not give in. It also takes two or three days to get over the very worst of it. That's not a good time to hang around with other smokers. It'll take a few more weeks to get over the cravings. Then, for a while, you'll miss smoking. Seriously, don't trust anything you tell yourself during those early days. Your mind wants to go back to a safe point, to keep you safe, and keeping you safe meant smoking. Intellectually you know that smoking will likely eventually kill you, but the mind doesn't look at things long term, it looks at what is comfortable is what is safe and will keep taking you back to those cigarettes. Don't let it.


It doesn't hurt to have something handy to deal with the oral fixation. Something to twirl in the fingers or whatever.

There are a number of new nicotine options which can help get over the oral fixation before the nicotene addiction. Those never really worked for me. The two times I quit I went cold turkey. I really liked smoking, but decided it wasn't worth paying the government for it. I had restarted while living in Eastern Europe where a pack of good cigarettes was rarely more than $1. Then my fiance asked me to quit before the wedding (the second time I quit), so I did.

Originally Posted by rstones199

I quit Jan 1st, 2009 at 5pm.

All I can say is that it gets easier and easier wtih time. The first 3 months are the worst.

Going to the gym helped alot. Its seems couter productive to workout then go lite up.

For me, that was one of my favorite things. I'd hit the gym, then light up, then get on the motorcycle for my 50 mile commute home (the gym was in the office building.) When I quit, I quit going to the gym for a long time.