Posted on 01/09/2006 5:26:22 AM PST by wolfcreek
After nearly 30 years of cigerette addiction, it's time to quit. Please, provide useful tips and testimonials. PS: Wife is a part-time smoker also!
be especially careful of being tempted in settings where people commonly smoke: bars, concerts, etc. You have to give it up completely. This desire has to trump your desire to smoke.
It should be helpful that we live near the 'Smokeless People's Republic of Austin'!
Welbutrin or Zyban. They take the edge off the withdrawal symptoms and stop the cravings plus no wild mood swings. Cold turkey or weaning off never worked for me plus the mood swings make everyone around you want to put a gun to your head.
Be prepared however, that no matter what method you use, you still have to want to quit more than cigarettes.
Furthermore, for a while afterward (about 1-3 years), be prepared for your health to take a temporary downward swing. Lots of coughing (especially the first year), cold and flu like symptoms (prominent at first 1-12 months) then taper off, gastrointestinal problems and other minor body changes (don't ask me why, I presume due to chemical and hormonal changes in the body due to nicotine addiction withdrawal).
In any case I smoked for 15 years and tried every method imaginable, about 9-10 times in total, and all failed except wellbutrin. I've been smoke free now (except for the occasional cigar) for over three years. My health is improving and the issues I talked about are fading. It's been a prolonged struggle but well worth it.
I quit over six years ago after smoking for close to 25 years. Hypnosis, the patch and that filter/cigarette holder contraption did not produce the desired result because my thinking was all wrong. I was counting on those things to do it for me. When I finally grasped the idea that I had to be the one to quit, that I had to be the active component in the process, I was able to shake the habit in a few weeks. I did use the Nicorette gum to help me past the withdrawal intensity of the first week or so, but I used it sparingly. You can quit if you want to badly enough.
Don't drink coffee or alcohol for awhile. You know how much those drinks make a smoker want to light up!
My old boss used to tell me, "Anyone can quit smoking, it takes a man to face cancer!" You guessed it; he died of lung cancer several years ago. (He was a 5-pack a day Pall Mall smoker). Best of Luck. The gum helped me...so far.
I smoked about 15 a day for 12 years until 6 months ago. For me it was a combination of motivations that did it. First and foremost I plan on being around for my 3 young kids as long as I can, secondly its just too much off a pain in the butt these days. You can hardly smoke anywhere now, people give you crap and the packs here cost $5.
I was at a gathering with family and friends and I just felt so stupid sneaking off to have a smoke, that was it for me. I made an announcement to my wife, handed over my cash and cards and started the nicotine gum. I dont smoke inside my home so I went the extreme step of not leaving the house for the first 48 hours. The main point is to say to yourself "I'm not going to buy another pack" and mean it. I used to be at the 7-11 all the time now I never go in, as a bonus I buy less snickers and pepsi now.
I gotta say I feel so much better about myself, instead of having smokers guilt I feel proud of beating a demon. The gum helped I'd say but I didnt do the 90 day cycle, I pretty much forgot to take it after a couple weeks but it got me thru the first couple rough spots. Good luck and stay the course. Do it for yourself, that'll make you more commited than if you feel you're doing to please somebody else.
Yeah, a stroke followed by 10 years of bitter recriminations, left-hand wringing and dementia is so much better for the family.
You must be fun to be around too.
Ignore the I-need-a-crutch crowd and take my advice.
Indeed I am. Ask anyone in the DC chapter. Or better yet, come here and freep with us sometime.
"My wife wants me to quit smoking"
Do YOU want to quit smoking???
Speaking of coffee and alcohol, I quit those the same day I quit smoking. Haven't had a sip ever since.
I had a soda-based caffeine addiction that I quit over a year ago. Before that I was buying caffeinated mints and other sources of caffeine. Cold turkey was the only way to do it. I did try the "cutting down" thing with the Mountain Dew and such, but it did not work. When I went cold turkey, it worked. I haven't had a caffeinated drink or candy in over a year after drinking caffeinated beverages my entire life.
I recommend the gum
Four years later she hasn't relapsed. Trust me when I say this is a woman who loved smoking and who I never thought would quit. I can't explain why she did but she did have some health issues that perhaps she felt were coming on, I don't know.
Good luck to you.
Do not use a shallow grave. The dogs can sniff corpses up to about 5 feet deep. Lye gets rid of a lot of problem evidence as well. Make sure to visit a shrink for a while and act crazy so that -- should you get caught -- you might get out with "Guilty By Reason Of Insanity".
My husband wants to quit too and he did for about 6 months using the patch, which worked pretty well.
My biggest suggestion, is to make sure you are quitting because YOU are ready and because YOU are making the choice for yourself. Quitting for someone else, will not work in the long run (most of the time).
BUT, if you want to quit, the best way to do it is to just do it.
Cold turkey.
One good incentive is to think of something frivolous that you and your wife want, and then put the money you would spend on cigarettes into a jar or a savings account just for that item.
If you bought a carton every five days, then every fifth day put 30.00 (or however much you were spending), into that savings account.
You will be amazed at how soon you will be able to reward yourself with the thing you want.
Gives you something concrete to work toward, and at the end you will be free of your addiction AND get something really cool for quitting.
great words of motivation and commitment
I just stopped. Didn't finish the pack, didn't try to "cut back", just put the pack down and never opened it again. It was rough for a few weeks, but it got better. I also did this at the same time I was trying to lose weight, so I had motivation to stop smoking. Instead of reaching for a cigarette, I got on my bike. I've since lost nearly 60 pounds and am in the best shape of my life.
About the coffee/alcohol thing: I actualy made it a point to have a couple of beers each night for the first few nights without cigarettes. I really wanted to smoke, but I had to show myself that a beer is fine on its own.
Anyway, good luck! It's just a stupid stick of shredded leaves, you can beat it!
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