quitting smoking

[KarinGarage]

So james and I quit smoking on monday! so far so good, but i was just wondering if anyone had any hints or suggestions for staying smoke free.

anyone else recently quit?

[Blurry]

make sure you don't buy smokes - that won't help with quitting ;^)

Good luck Karin (and James). I stopped smoking (though I do still have the odd one) but it was my body literally couldn't handle it anymore - I was getting to the point where it was making me physically sick - luckily for me, it wasn't hard because of that.

[KarinGarage]

when does it start getting easier? when do the cravings subside? When will i stop wanting to strangle people?

[Hal Johnson]

It doesnt. They dont. Never.

But good luck to ya!

Just kidding - hang in there, and dont party and or socialize for about two weeks. That's the only thing that has ever worked for me. Oh, and if you can, dont do the whole, Ill just have one smoke at night; thats what ruined my last attempt.

[KarinGarage]

i haven't been partying, but i do work in a bar, so all night I get to watch people enjoying their smokes... makes it kinda hard, but i also get to observe how disgusting a habit it really is.

[Cully]

After a month things are easier!

Do it. Quitting smoking was the best thing I ever did!

[NewRider]

DON'T SMOKE! That's always been my downfall! Man, I love smoking. I'm sorry.. I'm not the best person to talk on this thread.

[Tricky]

there's a one and only way to quit smoking...it sounds very simple but works extremely well....here it is:

Don't have another smoke.

That's the ONLY thing that will work.

Edited April 10, 2008 by Guest

[Ol'Hickster]

Congrats! on deciding to quit!

[bouche]

and dont party and or socialize for about two weeks. That's the only thing that has ever worked for me. Oh, and if you can, dont do the whole, Ill just have one smoke at night; thats what ruined my last attempt.

perfect advice that worked for me only I extended it for a month. I continued to drink on the weekends but I used that time to have beers and socialize with people that don't smoke and basically they ended up being people that I didn't spend much time with to begin with, so it was nice on many levels.

after about 2 weeks, it wasn't hard....just a feeling once in a while to smoke, but it went away in a few minutes. those feelings go away over time, and even them feelings last shorter and shorter.

eventually....nothing.

[jayr]

I quit cold turkey 3 weeks ago (successfully might I add!!!)

This site is great ( http://www.whyquit.com ) tons of info and stories.

This guys story is what finally threw me over the edge (not for the faint of heart): http://www.whyquit.com/whyquit/BryanLeeCurtis.html

Keep up the good work!! 72 hours and your cravings start to subside.

Edited April 10, 2008 by Guest

[timouse]

jennifer and i quit 2 years ago this june.

check out this book: "the easy way to quit smoking" by allen carr.

the gist of allen carr's approach is this.

cigarettes are nasty, and nicotine is a drug.

if you smoke, you are an addict.

you can either choose to continue giving in to this addiction, or you can choose to fight it.

and the best one...

you are not giving something up, you are breaking free of an addiction. there will be cravings, but they are the final dying rasps of a dying monster.

do it!

[Evans]

I smoked for about 10 years and I am finally to the point where I don't even want one anymore. It was way harder than I thought but what finally made me do it was yoga. It sounds weird but I was taking a lot of yoga classes and doing all these deep breathing exercises and feeling much healthier, and smoking just seemed disgusting after a while.

[Kanada Kev]

Good one ya (and all the others) for deciding it's your time to quit. Keep it up. It's hard work, but the reward is priceless.

I was able to quit when I was 22. I'd had enough and it was making me feel sick, especially on nights out drinking. My girlfriend and I did it at the same time (finished a carton on a run of Dead shows and said that was it when they were finished). By doing it together we were able to support one another. You're lucky that now there are less people smoking, less places to smoke, and that many more people to support you if you need it.

Everyone is different. Once my body was clear of them I have never had cravings. There have been a couple of times i have partaken in a "fun" cigarette where somebody had rolled with tobacco. Fucking disgusting. Made me want to hurl.

Keep at it! You CAN do it. Good luck.

[Jaimoe]

Does your quitting include hippy lettuce? If not, you haven't quit smoking.

[SmoothedShredder]

3 hours, 3 days, 3 weeks, 3 months... all important milestones, each with their own unique hurdles to overcome.

Good luck.

I love weed... I'm quite content not having to quit... planing to smoke when I'm close to dying, so for now I'm only just cutting back.

[KarinGarage]

oh, by smoking, i meant cigarettes. I still enjoy the ganja, but not nearly as much as i used to. I cut back on that about a year ago, when james had to quit.

Thanks for the support everyone! I'm gonna look up that book, timouse, thanks! The "you're not giving something up" quote really hit home; I shouldn't feel like i lost an "old friend," rather that I am free from an unhealthy addiction.

also, congratulations, jayr!! Keep it up!

[Birdy]

Good work Karin & James! In the beginning quitting's a nightmare, but time heals all. Keep at'er!

[dieseldoug]

This year marks my 20th anniversary of being a smoker.

When I realized it I scared the shit out of myself.

I'm also going into my third week cold turkey. It's not so bad. Just think of the money you're saving.

I love smoking cigarettes but not enough to be responsible for my own death. Besides there's so many positive and healthy addictions out there. It's like Tricky said ' the only way to quit successfully is -- just don't have another smoke'

[Schwa.]

Look at other smokers behaviour. As someone who has never smoked these things are very obvious to me.

example:

sitting next to a guy on the plane on the way home from Germany. he asked me not to speak to him because he was meditating until he could have his first smoke getting off the plane. addict.

when you go to see a long movie and when its over and people are filtering out of the theater like they do and there is this one dickhead that goes flying up the aisle pushing people out of the way and then you see this dick outside sucking off his death stick. addict.

even last night. i went to get groceries and the woman in the checkout next to me was with her boyfriend/husband and she had an unlit smoke in her mouth and crabbing at the guy. she tried to leave out the door and he yells at her for money. she storms back to him, slams some on the little thing with the debit machine and then storms out. we then see her smoking and trying to load the groceries into the back of a car that had pulled up to the door (it was raining). this was incredibly stupid looking but she wouldn't wait 2 minutes to load the car and then smoke. addict.

watching people repeatedly get written up at work because they are sneaking outside to smoke when they're supposed to be working at their machines. would you put your job and family at risk just to feed the jones? addict.

watching losers go from person to person at a party begging for smokes when theirs run out. addict.

only a few examples of how i have observed smokers. not saying they're bad people, but they have no control over their actions. the cigarettes are telling them what to do.

[balogna pogna]

I've been almost 3 years since I quit & it is so worth it.

I feel better & now I have way more money for cocaine.

[Ol'Hickster]

I've been almost 3 years since I quit & it is so worth it.

I feel better & now I have way more money for cocaine.

Hahah there some modivation for yea

[timouse]

schwa. for minister of health!

[Schwa.]

I used to actually get grounded when i was a wee lad for going into my mother's purse and stealing her cigarettes and hiding them around the house. I had bad reactions to the smoke when i was young and my mom's addiction was so great she put it ahead of her kids wellbeing....she eventually quit.

[bouche]

when you go to see a long movie and when its over and people are filtering out of the theater like they do and there is this one dickhead that goes flying up the aisle pushing people out of the way and then you see this dick outside sucking off his death stick. addict.

How many times have you seen a friend leave in the middle of a movie for a smoke? That's a fine example.

As a smoker, if you observer your own behaviours honestly, you'll see how ridiculous the smoke controls your life. How many times have you as a smoker made your ride go out of their way so you could find an open gas station or corner store to get you a pack of smokes?