i quit smoking today

Sanebla Eaglestriker · Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2003 10:39 am Post subject:

I quit smoking 8 years ago--cold turkey. I won't say it was easy to do. The only advice I have is, try not to go out where there's alcohol involved because it's REALLY hard to drink and not smoke--at least it was for me Smile

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Sorgaine · Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2003 11:48 am Post subject:

I have an unopened bottle of Xyban sitting on my kitchen counter. It's been there for about 4 months now... I lack the courage to even start the process, so Kudos to you! You have gotten farther than I have already.
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Ggel · Member Joined: 28 Sep 2003 Posts: 123 Location: ct

stone, sorry to hear about your loss, heart goes out to you and your family.
so i managed to not smoke at all from about 1pm yesterday until 9am today i broke down and bought a pack of lights. i figure maybe i can just keep them for emergencies which probably isnt a good idea at all. i just woke up this morning ready to kill everybody if you know what i mean. well , ill just keep trying to do my best. no reason to get mad at myself, i'll just have to keep trying. rudee, i didnt even realize you were still quit. i remember we were talking about it a long time ago back when you were only letting yourself smoke one an hour. i'm not sure i was prepared for all this. im gonna keep trying though, even if i can cut down i guess it's still better than 2 packs a day. thanks for all your support and tips guys.

Zahasha · Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2003 12:42 pm Post subject:

My Prayers are with you and your family Stoneclaw

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I am allergic to smoke. Being the daughter of a chain smoker I was around second hand smoke growing up that caused respirtory illness's constantly. After about 40 years of smoking my Mother did finally quit. There things that helped her ... she had an acupunturist put a pin in her ear that staied there for months, she used hypno thereapy and had Orange juice everyday. She tried to quit for ten years and these three things helped alot in addition to strong support by those who love her.
Always have a support group to help you through this!!

Good Luck Ggel!!!!

Hugs
Zahashah
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"It is good to have an end to journey towards:
but it is the journey that matters in the end." ~Ursula K Le Guin

BonlainyT · Member Joined: 08 Jan 2003 Posts: 3942

Very truly sorry for your loss Stone, my thoughts are with you and your family. I lost my father a few years ago as well, it hurts so bad, but you will have all the wonderful memories to look back on and remember forever, he will never truly be gone.

Ken
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Xecutioner Smith(retired) Dread Lord of Walkers
Bonlainy Trueheart(retired) Lord Protector of Walkers

soto01 · Member Joined: 30 Jun 2003 Posts: 646

I smoked for about 5 years and just up and quit cold turkey. I honestly believe it's a mindset to get you through. There is a difference in saying you want to quit and knowing you should and actually convincing your brain that you do indeed really want to quit. If you can get to the point of truly mentally wanting to stop its all down hill from there. Until then don't bother torturing yourself.

As an example a co-worker of mine smoked for 30+ years and off and on tried to quit but always unsuccessfully. Boom one day he falls over with a heart attack and a triple bi-pass later he was very ready to quit. In fact he says after that he never had another nicotene craving to this day. The mind is such a powerfull thing even when combating the highly addictive chemicals in cigarettes. Good luck with your fight.

Stone, I am soooo sorry to hear of your loss. Please know I am thinking of you.

Tibb

Jakhamma · Member Joined: 13 Oct 2003 Posts: 290 Location: Nashua, NH

Sorry to hear about your Dad Stone.

I quit almost 10 years ago after many unsuccessful attempts.

There is a physical withdrawal that you go thru when you first quit cold turkey, but it is the mental that you need to prepare for.

This is what I did when I finally quit for good.

The night before I quit, I went to bed KNOWING I was having my last cigarette EVER. Didn't finish the pack off either. I put the remaining pack of cigarettes in plain sight in the kitchen knowing that I always had an easy way out. (I don't like taking the easy way and I ended up throwing the pack away about 4 months later.) The next day I woke up and told myself and told myself and told myself, I wasn't a smoker anymore. You have to get your mind right. If you think you are still a smoker, you will be. I put a box of toothpicks inside a sucrets can and put that where my cigarettes used to go. Anytime, I wanted a smoke or got the munchies because of no smokes, in went a toothpick. 3 years later I had to figure out how to get off toothpicks, but that was minor as compared to the cigarettes.

Also, just tell those that are close to you not to play mental olympics with you for the first few weeks while you are trying to quit. You will be looking for reasons to start again and getting angry at your loved ones or coworkers is one way of getting yourself so stressed out that you feel you have to start smoking again. The mind is smart and knows that you will do this, so you will tend to get yourself angry in an effort to stress out so you can hurry up and start smoking again.

Just know that it will be a rough ride for a few weeks. Keep telling yourself that you are no longer a smoker and the toothpicks worked for me. Don't find excuses in your life that you feel you have to start smoking again because of what you have turned into. It will pass. You and your loved ones will be grateful you did.

Jorlana · Member Joined: 24 Jul 2003 Posts: 820

I am so sorry for your loss Stone. Sad

Congrats on making the best decision of your life Ggel!!

I totally agree with what a few people have already said about quitting smoking. It is ALL about the mindset. You have to go into it knowing that you are now a non-smoker. You have to know that you are ready to quit, you have to be 100% sure.

I quit four years ago in September cold turkey, which is really the only way I could have quit. Using the patches, gum and the drugs just continues the cycle of addiction. I had tried both the patch and gum previous to my successful cold turkey attempt.

For me the hardest part was the habitual addiction. When I was driving I felt like I should have a cigarette in my hand. When I was on the computer I felt like I should have a cigarette in my hand. I don't know that I did anything consciously to get over that, but I had to keep reminding myself that I was in control no matter what my body was telling me.
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Rufuss · Member Joined: 17 Aug 2003 Posts: 237 Location: Oklahoma

I had a grandmother pass away from lung cancer. It will be 8 years on November 7th, 3 days before my b-day. I hated that year, i remember being excited for my 10th birthday for almost a month. I was counting down the days, then on November 7th. 1995, 6:02pm, my grandmother died. I cried and couldn't sleep for the next few days. She had been in the hospital for months, but i guess i never thought of the seriousness of it.

My dad smoked for 15 years. I guess after my grandmother died, it hit him (slowly) that he should consider quiting It's been about 2 1/2 years since he officially stopped smoking. He always tell us that it was me and my sister that helped him quit. My sister and I would always sneak around looking for packages of cigarettes and throwing them away. Also everytime he had a cigaratte in his hand or mouth, i would just snatch it away from him, wet it, and throw it in the trash. We wouldn't let him have the chance in the house, or when we were around him to smoke. I use to think we were a big pain to him, but i know it was all for the good.

Even with some of my friends (especially the ones under 18 and my close friends), i really get on them. My bestfriend and I, we are a really big pain to some our friends. We are big sticklers about people who smoke under aged. I sometimes get violent because some friends try to act like they know what they doing. First of all, it's just bad, and 2nd. It's against the freaking law to smoke under 18. My bestfriend, he sometimes just walks away, but it just irritates me when these kids around my age or younger and think they are just above the law. Some friendships have ended with disputes such as this, but i don't give a flying fu** because there some things i just can't take. I think smoking and alcohol should be banned, but just my 2 cents worth.

--Everyone should just learn to sit down and enjoy a nice cookie. Then again, again, again, again, again, again, again, until you run out. Then go out and buy another package of cookies and your good for another 5 or so minutes. /giggle--
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Cukie Oreolord
She who knows, knows only that is needed to be known.