Giving up Smoking...tips & encouragement please

[LolasLiger]

During a recent discussion with a close friend, the topic of my smoking came up. And how it was something my friend hated. It has prompted me to give up, though today is only day 2. I succumbed yesterday and had two rollups. So far, today, I have managed to fight the urge, though I am starting to bounce off the walls.

I have been smoking since I was 13 (I'm 44 now) and smoke between 20 and 30 a day (but up to 40 a day when working). So it is pretty much chain-smoking.

Has anyone else given up recently? Any tips? I did give up for a short while before, and at that time I signed up for giving up service at the local pharmacist. But their way was to substitute cigs with nicotine products. However, I found that I had very adverse reactions to them. I tried the gum, spray and lozenges, and each one gave me such heart burn that I seriously thought I was having a coronary.

So any alternatives that members can suggest? I know some people suggest that a good substtute is to suck hard candy to replace that need for something in the mouth, but I already have enough issues with weight control.

 

[bawksy]

a good substtute is to suck hard cock to replace that need for something in the mouth

Fixed

 

[Evvie]

I've noticed a lot of ladies lately talking about e-cigarettes, I've heard a lot of good comments but some negative ones as well.

Also, if hard candy isn't for you, try out gum. Sugar-free gum is super cheap, you can get like 45 pieces for $1.50 here and you can usually find a few different flavors.

 

[Bocefish]

If you want a low calorie alternative to keep your hands and mouth busy like a cigarette would... you could try cinnamon sticks. Last time I quit, they helped with that aspect but I unfortunately started back up again. Gonna try the e-cigs next time.

 

[Jupiter551]

I smoked heavily for 15 years, then bought an ecig and haven't had a puff since. Wasn't even willpower, absolutely everything about the ecigarette is better, from the throat hit to the flavour.

BTW this site is amazing for liquid, Geoff's Blend is my favourite by far https://tastyvapor.us/

 

[gigolo_joe]

I think it was Mark Twain that once said quitting is easy its not starting back that is hard. I found the nicotine gum useless and it tasted horrible, the e cigeratte wasn't very helpful either but at least it doesn't taste bad. There are a couple of prescription drugs available which helped me quit for the longest time but they are expensive and really mess with your dreams. Anyway good luck with not starting back!

 

[LolasLiger]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I hadn't considered e-cigs as they don't be as common here in the UK (but I maybe wrong as it's been a while since I last looked at cessation material).

I am intrigued with the cinnamon idea too. Just out curiosity I am going to try it.

 

[Jupiter551]

they're not especially common yet in australia either, but they have a dedicated following and merchants (who are almost always vapers themselves) who are able to provide everything you might need.
A quick google search turned up the UK section of e-cigs forum, and this list of vendors.
http://allaboute-cigarettes.proboar...lay&board=newmembers&thread=1148&page=1#23191

 

[AliceDoe]

When I quit smoking I hadn't been doing it for very long (on-off for about 2 years) and I basically just didn't smoke any more and that was it, so I don't have any real experience with this particular thing.

Quitting smoking is like quitting any habit though, you need to break the habit and form new habits. So, on that note, I've got a few tips

Keep yourself occupied. Feel like smoking? Go for a run. Or draw something, play video games, cook, whatever! Just do something to get your mind off it - if you're not thinking of it it's a lot easier to ignore.

Punish yourself when you actually do smoke. For example, take a shot of vinegar for every cigarette you smoke. Eventually you will associate smoking with the vinegar and you will feel sick just thinking about smoking.

Keep your hands busy. The cinnamon sticks sound great, because they are roughly the same shape as a cigarette

Reward yourself for each day you're smoke-free. This is like the vinegar thing but the other way around.

Get rid of all your cigarettes! If there are none in the house, it's going to take more job to get a smoke and that will keep you from smoking. Humans are naturally lazy, take advantage of that!

Every time you smell cigarette smoke, tell yourself that it smells nasty and makes it tough for you to breath. The power of the human mind is amazing! If I could convince my body that my hunger pains were signs that I ate too much, you can convince yours that you don't like the smell of cigarette smoke!

Smoking does a whole lot of bad stuff to your body, and a lot of that can be noticed. So take a picture of your skin, and follow the progress of it getting healthier over time. Taste something new every day, and be amazed at this new sense - taste! Fill your house with fragrant things, because that's another sense you'll be getting back - smell! Basically, show yourself every day how big of a difference it does that you're not smoking!

Good luck with your quitting! I'm rooting for you :-D

 

[Mirra]

I've never gotten the allure of smoking so I never started and so I've never had to quit... but good luck! It's tough to make changes to your habits. Hopefully some of the tips offered by the others are helpful!

 

[SindiRae]

Congrats on the decision to quit and good luck!

I am an advocate for the e-cigs. I tried quitting with them once and was the most successful I had been than with anything else such as the gum or patches. I have not quit, but please don't let that discourage you. I had some major stressful circumstances occur which I used as an excuse to pick real smokes back up. Now I'm waiting to WANT to quit again. I do think that mindset is important. E-cigs plus WANTING to quit instead of just knowing I SHOULD pushed me further towards quitting than ever before.

Others mentioned distractions which can be very useful as well. But some psychology articles I have read about bad habits seemed to state that facing the issue is important as well. I would get a craving for a cigarette and I would grab my roommates pack (same brand of cowboy killers I smoked) and basically have a breakup argument with it. This sort of behavior is probably why I find myself reading psychology articles in the first place.

Good luck!

 

[Loslonelyboy]

I quit smoking about 5 years ago after my 4th attempt at quitting, after smoking 2 and a half to 3 packs of cigarettes each day. I tried nicotine patches and gum the first 3 times I quit but it didn't work because I wasn't mentally prepared to quit. On the 4th time I used nothing but me telling myself I was done...no more, I am through! To this very day, 5 years later, I still have significant cravings to smoke and any time I see or smell a cigarette, I want one badly. I won't say I will never smoke again but I feel much better since I did quit and don't want to end up the way my parents are now with health issues.

Only advice I can give you is make sure you are ready to quit! If you aren't fully in the mindset of wanting to quit, you will likely struggle. It was one of the toughest things I had to ever do and I am still battling it now. Good luck I am rooting for you!

On a side note...My mother recently quit smoking after 50+ years of doing it, using the e-cigs. I wish I had those when I quit cuz they seem to be the way to go these days.

 

[SweepTheLeg]

I support your decision to quit, my parents both used to smoke a lot. My dad had to quit and now chews gum on a very regular basis now so I guess that's my helpful tip- you can't smoke if there's something else in your mouth.

 

[Jupiter551]

Just to clarify my situation - I chose not to give up nicotine, but to switch my habit from cigarettes to e-cigs, which are cheaper, taste better, don't give you cancer, don't produce smoke or ash etc.

I enjoy vaping my e-cig and don't want to quit it - I've got a half pack of cigarettes in the drawer next to me it's been there untouched since the day my ecig arrived in the mail: you want to know how easy/hard it is? There was zero challenge, not ONCE have I felt the desire to smoke one, not even a little bit, not once.

 

[LadyLuna]

I didn't post in this because I've known very few smokers, and never smoked myself. But I'm posting now because I support your effort, and wish you luck, so feel I can help by bumping this thread.

*hugs*

 

[LiLredhairedgrl]

 

[LolasLiger]

I didn't post in this because I've known very few smokers, and never smoked myself. But I'm posting now because I support your effort, and wish you luck, so feel I can help by bumping this thread.

*hugs*

Thank you very much, Luna.

I should have updated everyone (if anyone was interested). So far it has been about 90% successful. I have had a few lapses. Have managed days on end before getting the urge and not being able to resist a sneaky one. I am not going to claim that I didn't enjoy them...i fucking loved them. But what has helped me is to not feel guilty if I have weak moments. I just keep telling myself that going from 30 a day to an odd one or two every 3 or 4 days is an achievement in itself.

I am not actually using anything except will power. I had a look around for e-cigs and was close to ordering some when I came across an article about what many of them contain (or may contain). That put me off. But I may have swappe done addiction for another....i am going through shitloads of:

 

[gigolo_joe]

Hang in there LolasLiger it is at least 90% will power...and don't be surprised if you gain a few pounds those will be easy to loose! Its will power that will keep you from starting back!

 

[loveyougipsy]

i am going through shitloads of:

Yummy, I'll have to have a look for them when I'm back in the UK. I used to have a terrible Haribo Sours habit.

I wish you the best with your push to kick it. For me the biggest question is do you actually want to quit or do you feel you should for other reasons?

I gave up twice in the past. Oddly both times were after a heavy day/night out involving far too much alcohol and far too many cigs. The following day after getting up the first thing I did was look for my cigs. After lighting up I looked at it and thought I don't want this anymore and that was that.

Both times I restarted life was not going well, and involved being too stressed, too much alcohol and being with friends who smoked.
I keep thinking I should give up for various reasons, but at the moment inside I don't actually want to. I personally know if I try at the moment I won't succeed because I don't have the desire to give up.

 

[LolasLiger]

I wish you the best with your push to kick it. For me the biggest question is do you actually want to quit or do you feel you should for other reasons?

Thank you. In this instance want and should are linked. I loved smoking but (without going into too many personal details) my reasons for giving up are based on prioritising what is more important in my life. In this instance, smoking came second.

I gave up twice in the past. Oddly both times were after a heavy day/night out involving far too much alcohol and far too many cigs. The following day after getting up the first thing I did was look for my cigs. After lighting up I looked at it and thought I don't want this anymore and that was that.

I have had nights like those where i woke up gasping for a smoke but then being disgusted. Never got to the stage where i wanted to give up, but certainly didn't enjoy those firsts one after a night of over-indulgance.

Both times I restarted life was not going well, and involved being too stressed, too much alcohol and being with friends who smoked.
I keep thinking I should give up for various reasons, but at the moment inside I don't actually want to. I personally know if I try at the moment I won't succeed because I don't have the desire to give up.

I can understand that too. I have to admit that I am surprised that I haven't started smoking full time again, as I've had a few stress situations recently. The only times i have lapsed in the last week or so is when I have taken shots with a friend, and ended up having a couple (I have managed to kick associating coffee with smoking, but breaking the link between alcohol and smking has been far harder...just as well i don't drink often).

As to wanting to....I was completely resistant to the idea too, until now. But sometimes it just takes one small trigger.

 

[camstory]

was going to post this to daily thoughts, then troll post to Evvie's smoking thread, but even though she said she thought it was a "horrible yucky terrible habit", she was not looking for conformation of that, but rather suggestions of what tobacco ppl liked and what they thought about the different kinds. That was not what I had written, so I think this is the best place...

My best friend has been at hospital for the last few days, her father in ICU on life support unable to breath on his own. He started to have breathing problems 10 years ago, and finally stopped smoking about three years ago. I love the man, and he feels more strongly than I do that people should be responsible for their actions, - not that I don't, just that this man is probably one of the strongest principled people I have ever known. So though I feel badly he has come to the end of the line, or soon will, I can not feel his condition is really anyone's fault but his own.

But thinking about it does make me furious that all the major tobacco company CEO's were allowed to get away with saying they did not believe smoking tobacco was harmful to ones health, when questioned under oath during congressional hearing 20 years ago. Bernie would not claim anyone was, or is responsible for his ruined health but himself, but it would have been nice if the tobacco companies would have taken responsibility for marketing, and selling a product they knew was additive and harmful to ppls health, or when they didn't, that they had been put in jail for lying.

It's a short read, and sums up nicely how the big tobacco companies got away with lying.
http://theloungeisback.wordpress.com/20 ... e-century/

 

[driverxtc]

was going to post this to daily thoughts, then troll post to Evvie's smoking thread, but even though she said she thought it was a "horrible yucky terrible habit", she was not looking for conformation of that, but rather suggestions of what tobacco ppl liked and what they thought about the different kinds. That was not what I had written, so I think this is the best place...

My best friend has been at hospital for the last few days, her father in ICU on life support unable to breath on his own. He started to have breathing problems 10 years ago, and finally stopped smoking about three years ago. I love the man, and he feels more strongly than I do that people should be responsible for their actions, - not that I don't, just that this man is probably one of the strongest principled people I have ever known. So though I feel badly he has come to the end of the line, or soon will, I can not feel his condition is really anyone's fault but his own.

But thinking about it does make me furious that all the major tobacco company CEO's were allowed to get away with saying they did not believe smoking tobacco was harmful to ones health, when questioned under oath during congressional hearing 20 years ago. Bernie would not claim anyone was, or is responsible for his ruined health but himself, but it would have been nice if the tobacco companies would have taken responsibility for marketing, and selling a product they knew was additive and harmful to ppls health, or when they didn't, that they had been put in jail for lying.

It's a short read, and sums up nicely how the big tobacco companies got away with lying.
http://theloungeisback.wordpress.com/20 ... e-century/

First off I'm sorry and I don't mean to be rude or disrespectful towards you.


This is coming from a guy with an avatar with a person smoking.

 

[camstory]

was going to post this to daily thoughts, then troll post to Evvie's smoking thread, but even though she said she thought it was a "horrible yucky terrible habit", she was not looking for conformation of that, but rather suggestions of what tobacco ppl liked and what they thought about the different kinds. That was not what I had written, so I think this is the best place...

My best friend has been at hospital for the last few days, her father in ICU on life support unable to breath on his own. He started to have breathing problems 10 years ago, and finally stopped smoking about three years ago. I love the man, and he feels more strongly than I do that people should be responsible for their actions, - not that I don't, just that this man is probably one of the strongest principled people I have ever known. So though I feel badly he has come to the end of the line, or soon will, I can not feel his condition is really anyone's fault but his own.

But thinking about it does make me furious that all the major tobacco company CEO's were allowed to get away with saying they did not believe smoking tobacco was harmful to ones health, when questioned under oath during congressional hearing 20 years ago. Bernie would not claim anyone was, or is responsible for his ruined health but himself, but it would have been nice if the tobacco companies would have taken responsibility for marketing, and selling a product they knew was additive and harmful to ppls health, or when they didn't, that they had been put in jail for lying.

It's a short read, and sums up nicely how the big tobacco companies got away with lying.
http://theloungeisback.wordpress.com/20 ... e-century/

First off I'm sorry and I don't mean to be rude or disrespectful towards you.


This is coming from a guy with an avatar with a person smoking.

It is a good point, and I'll go you one further, I currently smoke. I see the hypocrisy, but really my anger at the time and now is not so much about the perpetuation of the marketing of poison, but more about the leaders of corporate America being aloud to tell bold face lies and not being held responsible for it. I just think that if you are going to perjure yourself about thing of such consequence, be it asbestos, tobacco, or pedophilia when you are the captain of the ship, than there should be a big risk of your ship going down. If we did a better job of holding our leaders responsible for their actions, or their lies to cover those actions, they might be less likely to take huge steaming shits on ppl and the world.

 

[AmeliaArcana]

I quit about a year and a half ago, and I'm super proud of myself every day... because I LOVE SMOKING. A LOT. And I still did it, cold turkey.

The way I was able to do it was to buy bulk Damiana, a really wonderful herb, from my local co-operative grocery store
(you can also get it online). I bought rolling papers and a little rolling machine, rolled my own damiana cigarettes, and smoked them when I had incurable cravings. They say cravings only last for a few minutes after the first few days, so I just tried to power through most of them and smoke damiana when I couldn't make it. It was amazing for going out and being around smokers... because i could still smoke things with people. Also, it smells really nice and is quite relaxing.

It's soothes nicotine cravings, too.. and if you mix it with mugwort, it'll also act as an expectorant to start pulling out all of that crap the chemicals in cigarettes have been depositing into your lungs....

prepare yourself for one hell of a cough that will last a while while your body heals... but it's so, so worth it once you realize how much more you can do, how much better you feel, and how much more awesome you smell

best of luck! And if you need any other herbal tips for that stuff, I've got lots
xoxo
violaine