Quit smoking (encouragement thread)!

[missbettie]

I think I may hurt someone if i don't smoke right this instant.

[RubyDuby]

you can do it missb!

[whalespace]

When I gave up smoking my one or two daily fags [a british faggot being a bundle of sticks ] , I didn't gain weight... but I did have only 8 quid a week to live on [year of 1993]... not that I couldn't roll myself a few dog ends from the ash trays or the bin **HaHa get out of the bin you wasted mental weakling etc..**

Smoking can get pretty nasty.
Do bad things to cigarettes, don't be afraid to use some very basic aversion psychology.
I used to have some photographs from a pathology lab... I might look them out.

[missbettie]

me and the boy shared one yesterday...didn't do to much for me. which is good. i think i'll end up being okay.

[ecovegan]

Hi everyone! I am on 2 weeks and 4 days! I have been doing really good (haven't had one drag) but today is really hard for some reason I want a smoke really bad I saw a lady smoking when I was walking my dogs this morning...and it hit me really hard! I haven't been able to stop thinking about it I know the moment will pass...but when?!

[ecovegan]

It's crazy, I know, to think that smoking almost becomes apart of who you are! Does anyone else feel this way? And I am fighting so hard to eliminate that part of my life. It's almost like a battle between my inner self's The new and improved self saying "You can do it! You can kick that nasty habit...you are becoming a healthier you!" And the old self saying "Why change?! You enjoyed it so much! It's been apart of you for 10 years!"......ITS MADDENING

[ecovegan]

My apologies to all for my crazy banter the other day! Was having a really hard day! Everyone is doing such a great job!! Keep up the good work

[LaceytheCrazy]

Wow, I'm so glad to have found this thread...just stumbled across it and ironically today was my quit day! A lot of great advice in here!
..Although I started a fast today as well, so there's this bizarre thing going on where I actually have no urge to smoke because all I can think about is food. It's actually strangely helpful.

[tcorsonk]

If you needed more reasons and encouragement to quit smoking, have you heard about these studies on third hand smoking?

It's pretty crazy (and supposedly controversial) that the chemicals from smoking linger on clothing, in houses, and on other materials and can cause damage days, weeks, and months later
http://healthandwellnessnewsnow.blog...expensive.html

[thegoob]

This is kind of just a bump for this thread.

For anybody that just recently quit smoking, it does get easier. I quit smoking ~6 months ago after having smoked very heavily for close to 10+ years. While I was in college I'd smoke as much as 5 packs a day. I'd keep my cigarettes next to my alarm clock so I could get to them while turning it off.

Anyway, It sucked horribly at first. I even busted a telephone because I couldn't get through to check my voicemail. It was just bad. I'm normally a calm person, but I was easily agitated for the first few days. On the fourth day, I didn't "need" to smoke so much, but I still wanted too. I wanted to very much for another month and felt that I needed too sometimes, but it would go away.

The second month is better. It still isn't good, but it is better. I didn't feel I needed to smoke so often. Only if I had a few drinks or saw other people smoking or if I was doing something, like driving, that I always smoked while doing.

The third month was better. I'd go days without thinking about smoking. Sometimes I still thought about it, but it wasn't often and it would go away. It always goes away. Remember that. Even when I was knee walking drunk, my urge to smoke would go away. It would last maybe 5 minutes then go away.

After the third month I almost never thought about smoking and I felt better overall. I never remembered feeling comfortable while not smoking because I started so young.

I had my first cigarette when I was 10 years old. I found it in the couch while I was looking for change to buy some candy. I kept it hidden between my bed and the wall for at least a week. I still remember hiding behind the wall that separated my neighborhood from a big office building while smoking this pitiful looking crooked cigarette. It was stale and harsh and made me cough, and I liked it.

I began stealing cigarettes from my parents after that. Only occasionally, but I'd steal them and sneak out behind the office building and smoke them as often as I thought I could get away with it. They would never notice one or two cigarettes gone missing each week.

When I was 12 or 13 I started working mowing lawns, and I started smoking regularly at that time. I had my own money, and the man at the store would sell me cigarettes. By, the time I was 15 I was smoking daily. All through high school I smoked about 1/2 to 1 pack a day and my senior year I smoke ~ 2 packs a day. After my 18th birthday I was legal, so I smoked even more. Everyone knew I smoked, so it wasn't a big deal anymore.

But today, at 25 years old I don't smoke. I haven't smoked at all in this 25th year. In fact, I'm 9 beers into a 12 pack right now because it's St. Patrick's and I'm....uhh.....hmmm.....an alcoholic???? Anyway, the point is I don't want to smoke and I'm fairly drunk. It's been 6 months and I almost never want to smoke. Only sometimes, in situations were I had always smoked before but that aren't coming up all the time. Like after sex. I'm not in a relationship right now, so I'm not having sex so often. But, I've gotten used to drinking and driving (not at the same time) without smoking. Those were the two hardest.

Anyway, I'm not sure where I'm going with this, but after 3 months it gets a lot easier. Go vegan and quit smoking, it can be done. Just think of the bunny rabbits...

[RubyDuby]

I just recently noticed I'm not craving cigarettes anymore. Ever.

[Pugzley]

I know this is a bit of an old thread, but I too struggled to stop smoking for many, many years. I quit a few times and started right back up within a week. Last September a friend of mine told me about an electronic cigarette, I had no intentions of quitting, I didn't think anything would work at that point. I basically tried it because she told me she and her husband had both quit. I stopped smoking cigarettes within 29 days, but I was using nicotine in the other form of the electronic cigarette. Better than combustible materials but even so...

So, I started reducing the amount of nicotine and pretty soon, I was forgetting to even use the thing. Now I quit everything. It was really easy to do.

If you are stuggling like I was with nic addiction, these devices are well worth researching and looking into. Good luck with quitting!

[patientia]

Congrats, Pugzley!

[twinkle toes]

i smoked a lot for twelve years, then once i quit (about three months ago) i never looked back. it sounds pretty stupid, but i think the reason i didn't have any problems with cravings is because i decided i was going to quit, carried on smoking as usual for about a month afterwards anyway, THEN quit. when i decided it would be a good idea i thought at the time that it would be too stressful for me to quit because of other things going on in my life. anyway by the time i actually did quit i was so fed up of smoking and the idea of it made me feel pretty bad about myself. so yeah, make the decision to quit, think about it for a while and then go for it once you are ready. you can do it people i believe in you

[LaceytheCrazy]

Ah well, my attempt was short-lived. I kept it up until Saturday, at which point my bf thought it was a good idea to host a party and have "a few smokes."
Such the relapse.
So, this Sunday! Trying again, and serious! Quitting at the same time I start a 4 week holistic detoxification plan. Wish me luck!

[LaceytheCrazy]

It's crazy, I know, to think that smoking almost becomes apart of who you are! Does anyone else feel this way? And I am fighting so hard to eliminate that part of my life. It's almost like a battle between my inner self's The new and improved self saying "You can do it! You can kick that nasty habit...you are becoming a healthier you!" And the old self saying "Why change?! You enjoyed it so much! It's been apart of you for 10 years!"......ITS MADDENING

I know this is a bit old of a post, but I just had to say I completely understand. It's screwed up...smoking creeps its way into every aspect of your life. Everything revolves around "your next smoke" and it's actually...literally like a part of the person you are, y'know? So hard to put into words.

Anyway. Hope you managed to kick it for good, it would be nice to have some inspiration!
And if not, you should quit again, with me! On Sunday!

[BlackCats]

^ I feel that way about drinking alcohol. I feel a lot better generally when I don't drink but it's become such a habit that it's difficult to break.

I think it must be about 9-10 months since I smoked anything! Hurray.

[Gwydion]

Aye, totally re ecovegan's post!

I'm starting to 'think' about giving up, first time in 10 years. The thought scares me

[LaceytheCrazy]

^ I feel that way about drinking alcohol. I feel a lot better generally when I don't drink but it's become such a habit that it's difficult to break.

I think it must be about 9-10 months since I smoked anything! Hurray.

Congrads!!! That's awesome! (about the smoking!)

EDIT: And Gwydion, my best advice to you is not to stress about the idea of giving up, since nobody can make you do it and you have as much time you want to quit, if you choose to. It's far better to just keep that thought in the back of your mind and let yourself ponder the reasons why you'd like to quit without putting pressure on yourself. Eventually, you'll probably become 'ready' on your own, and far less scared of the idea because you'll be so used to it.

[BlackCats]

Thanks Lacey.:smile:

I'm starting to 'think' about giving up, first time in 10 years. The thought scares me

You should give it a try Gwydion! I have heard good things from ex-smokers about this book. Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking I haven't read it myself though.

[Gwydion]

Cool. Thank you lovely ladies.

[powerlifer]

i smoked for 13+ years up until recently quit cold turkey, easiest method in my opinion.

only problem is when on the odd occasion i have a drink its impossible not to have a cig.

[twinkle toes]

aaaargh!! what's going on. ok so i gave up smoking about four months ago and i've found it pretty easy really and i don't crave cigarettes or anything, but lately every time i drink any alcohol i end up smoking. it's really annoying as normally i'm not bothered and don't even think about it !! three times in the past six weeks i've ended up smoking and then the next day i feel really awful and guilty it's not fair !

[alejandro:-)]

To stop smoking you can begin to stop eating, doing a fast.
When you are doing a fast you must not to introduce toxines in your body, and tabacco has a lot of toxines.
When you return to eat you probably forget the tabacco.

I stopped smoking after a 5 days fast, until now.

[Adena]

When I found out the cigarettes I'd been smoking had been tested on animals it put me right off, I didn't want to smoke another drag. Then I did my research and found a brand that didn't test on animals, and were also organic and didn't use any additives either, so I started smoking again. Only now there's a chance I may be pregnant, I've stopped abruptly again just in case. And I know that when/if I find out I'm not pregnant, I'll just start smoking again. I don't think I actually want to quit enough to do it right now, (although if I am pregnant, that's me finished with smoking forever). It seems that I can't give up for myself, only for someone else [animals/my baby?]