Quitting the evil death sticks - Attempt #??

[Kwaka_Chris]

Death sticks, darts, burners, fags, cigarettes... such lovely things to have in the morning with a coffee, no so fantastic for your health though.

I am on my way through recovering from a strong bout of the flu, and with my lungs quite choc full of phlegm and rather painful, I decided that this might be the best time to start my next attempt at stopping smoking.

I've quit 3 times in the past, the two most recent times with decent success - Champix is fantastic and apart from the side effects it negated my desire for the evil baccy completely. 2 months without smoking.

... Then I went drinking with friends, and failed.

The last time I quit I went cold turkey, using only the power of eucalyptus lollies when I wanted a durry, the result? 3.5 months without cigarettes.

... Then I went drinking with friends again, and failed.

This time I will repeat the eucalyptus lolly phase, considering as a second attempt Champix is no longer highly subsidized by the prescription med service. I am hoping this is like learning to ride a bicycle, every time you go for a ride, you will stay upright longer before falling over.

If you are/were a smoker, how did your quitting progress go? I think my goal for this will obviously be... DON'T GO DRINKING WITH FRIENDS, or if I do, have soda water.

edit: for reference, I've never had success with stop-smoking aids such as patches or gums. All I typically have to do is survive about a week of no cigarettes before the withdrawals subside and it is only the habit that remains. And as a secondary point, I do have the desire to quit, although I have only been smoking for about 5 years, the health effects are quite dramatic, and thankfully dissapear slowly when I have quit in the past. I would love to be clean, healthier and with $250 more in my pocket each fortnight.

 

[OldSaw]

It all starts with a decision. Do you just "kind of" want to quit because it's healthy? Or do you really want to quit more than anything else you have ever done? If it is the first all the lollies in Lolly Pop Land won't help. But if it is the second, then 90% of the battle is already won.

I don't think nicotine patches were invented yet when I quit, so I used Red Man leaf chewing tobacco when the urge was really strong. I made sure I chose a chew that I did not like or want to continue long term. After a few months I quit the chew and resorted to sniffing a dirty ash tray when I had an urge to light up. That along with the decision is what did it.

Now (27 years later) I can have a cigar or smoke a pipe once in a while and not feel the addiction. I have never had a cigarette since the day I decided to quit. I even had 2 new cartons of Pall Mall's in my locker that I got for $4 a carton when I was at sea in the Navy.

Just make the decision and stick to it.

 

[_MementoMori_]

Cold turkey for me going on 5 years ago. I have a 7 year old daughter who is the love of my life, and I want to be around for her as long as I can. I smoked for 15 years.

I think, for me, it just took incredibly strong inspiration. My will to live for myself isn't exactly overpowering, but being a parent and having someone rely on you is another thing entirely.

 

[Kwaka_Chris]

I would say it is a 80% will to quit because I really dislike cigarettes, hate smoking, the feeling you get in the morning, the smell of your breath, all in all I find it disgusting and gross. the remaining 20% is for my personal health, I can feel the health effects and want to live a healthier life, instead of increasing my risk of multiple side effects.

The only thing that stops me from quitting is the initial withdrawal symptoms, and the habit that has formed of hand to mouth or my mouth actually having something to do to break my work day up. Regarding the lollies not helping, I disagree, for me it is a great habit bender, giving my mouth something to do that doesn't relate to huffing on a cigarette. Whenever I feel like having a cigarette at work, I pop a eucalyptus lolly in my mouth, lasts a good 15-20 minutes and has the benefit of keeping my breath fresh.

It is not a matter of "kind of" want to quit, it is also not "100% need to" for me it is a gradual slide in my desire that starts with a maybe, then over the last few weeks once again has built up to a "yes... work is tomorrow, and I will not be buying anymore, or smoking any of my remaining cigs, I don't want to have to rely on this crutch and habit anymore".

Good on you Mori for quitting for your daughter, I've quit for a few ex's but I find I need to quit for myself to make it definite (since I have no children, which would be a major inspiration).

Oh just an update as well, I love growing fresh lavender and having eucalyptus oil on hand, just had a hot bath with fresh lavender, and now a steam inhalation with some eucalyptus oil and 2 sprigs of fresh lavender. Lost half my body weight in phlegm and can actually breath again! damn flu...

 

[jansob]

I got hypnosis when my company offered to pay half, and it worked like a charm. The cravings were simply gone and I haven't had a cigarette in almost 10 years. But I was motivated to quit.
I did the same thing you did...quit for a while and then restarted in a bar. A couple of times. But part of the hypnosis session was to identify those triggers and add them to the treatment. I then got a tape to listen to at bedtime for a few weeks. It seems to have worked!

 

[dfennewald]

Quit a two-pack-a-day habit cold turkey (sorta), that was ten years ago. I stepped down over a three day weekend, stretching the amount of time between a portion of a cigarette each day just to take the edge off. Had free access to group counseling, patches, drugs.... but after talking to one of the administrators I felt like they were substituting one drug for another. I also didn't like how they were computing "success" rate (basically they weren't counting anyone that quit the program during the year). Instead of thinking about NOT smoking or quitting, I just tried not to think about smoking or cigarettes. It's worked even with the wife still smoking.

 

[Legion]

I quit cold turkey, and haven't really smoked for a few years now. Having said that, I had quit and taken it back up again previously. Having the flu will help get you past the first few days which are probably the hardest, after that it will all be down to will power.

And you CANT go drinking with your mates who smoke for a while. You will fall off the wagon. I get drunk with smokers even now and usually end up bumming a cigarette off them. For me it is not so much of an issue, I have been quit for so long that smoking one just reminds me how nasty it is, but that still doesn't make me not want one when I am drinking.

You are lucky in Australia. At least when your mates want a smoke they have to go outside. You stay in your seat, and don't pretend you are doing them a favour by going out to "keep them company".

 

[DavyRay]

It is not easy. If you do quit, feel proud. Look at some famous people who have survived and overcome drug addiction. One I am thinking of is a famous musician. He has been in rehab and is clean from cocaine and heroin. He still smokes Marlboro reds. Nicotine is strong stuff.

Even if you get drunk and have a few, just remember the sound and smell of that juicy smoker's cough.

 

[Alraz]

Quitting is easy, not starting over is the hard part.

Al raz.

 

[Kenno]

quitting is hard, not quitting is harder!

ask yourself, do you see yourself doing this till ya 70, image the damage your doing, if not why do it now? why pay the cigi companies to slowly kill ya self?

spend 250 a fortnight on your lady, charity or family. if cigas didn't do harm i'd still be puffin away but man i don't see em helping me with me city to surf?

 

[kzoo1]

3 years cig free here. Cold turkey (sorta). You need to change the way you think about cigarettes.

I was a confirmed smoker, tried patches, gum, candy, and the "psycho" drugs. None of it worked. I read a recommendation for Allen Carr's "Easy Way to Quit Smoking", I figured I had nothing to lose, so I bought the book. I read it for about 15 minutes a day while having my after lunch smoke. At the end of the book, I picked my quit day, and haven't looked back since. Much easier than I ever would have thought. No withdrawals, no cravings, no weight gain, and no relapses while drinking. In fact, the day I quit, I went out at the normal time with the smokers to see how I would hold up. Usually, hanging around it would make me crave it even more, but not this time. This time I was really and truly free from the cigs. You can buy the book on Amazon. You have nothing to lose by reading it, except your dependence on cigarettes. Free yourself, and don't look back. Change the way you think about cigarettes, and you will be free.
I wish you well in your efforts.

 

[Bertilak]

Cold turkey worked for me, but it took more than just that.

1. Self image. As long as you see yourself as a smoker who wants to quit, all is lost. You need to decide that you are NOT a smoker. Who would want to be a smoker, such a filthy, smelly and literally sickening way of life. Besides, are you really so weak you can't resist? (Trying to help with the self image here!)
2. Enforcement. I went on a multi-day trek into the mountains without any cigarettes.
3. Distraction/exercise. I think the physical effort of my trek both distracted me from thinking about cigarettes and flushed the poison from my system.

The first item is, I think, by far the most important. For example, I think the relapse when out drinking is at heart a self-image problem.

EDIT: All that was in 1975 or 76 and I haven't even been tempted since. OK, once many years ago when I was feeling sorry for myself over something I now don't even remember. I was in a bar and bummed a cigarette from the guy next to me. I took about two puffs and stubbed it out. It was more of a rebellion thing than a relapse.

 

[djm2]

Chantix worked for me, quite nicely I would add. The side effects were not very severe in my experience. I was probably helped by the fact that all public establishments in this state have banned smoking, and thus the bar temptation was removed. If you do go out with friends for a drink, go to an establishment that is smoke-free -- at least in the early stages of recovery.

 

[chris456]

I will give you the suggestions that were given to me, maybe they will be helpful to you. There is definitely not just one way to quit smoking, if there was, everyone would be doing it Here is what I did:

-I picked a date to quit and told a lot of people what that date was. This created some accountability and helped me use my pride and not wanting to let others down as strengths. I specifically told people whose opinions I respected or saw regularly.
-I used nicotine lozenges. I was directed by a respiratory therapist to use the 2 mg ones instead of the 4 mg. Her experience was that a lot of people ended up getting addicted to the lozenges because they thought they needed 4 mg when a cigarette usually has less than 2 mg of nicotine.
-I did not use the lozenges every time I wanted a cigarette and made sure to use less everyday. Towards the end I started breaking them in half. I used the lozenges for about a week.
-I chewed gum, the regular kind. Cinnamon is supposed to be the best for urges and cravings.
-I partake in some spiritual practices, so I also used prayer as tool.

Good luck, you can do it!

 

[maxman]

My uncle did the hypnosis thing in the 1970's. It worked for him.
Does the government have any programs to assist you?
If you work, does your workplace have any employee assistance?

 

[jakespoppy]

I smoked for about 5 years in my late teens and early 20's. I quit hundreds of times during the last year. I realized I didn't like smelling like an ashtray, and just kept quitting but then starting again. Each time in between got a little longer, until one day I realized it had been several years since the last time I had quit, so I just kept not smoking. About 5 years later, I was travelling alone on business, and decided I wanted a cigarette, so bought a pack and started to light one in my room, not realizing I was standing directly under the smoke alarm on the ceiling when I struck the match. An extremely shrill alarm going off right over your head will get your undivided attention!

After I calmed down, and explained to hotel security there was no fire in my room, I tore up the pack of cigs and threw them away, all un-smoked and never even lit. I've never wanted one enough to try again since.

 

[DaveNJ74]

Good for you. My friend owns a laser spa and says it works well. You might look into that.

 

[emm]

I quit three years ago cold trukey. One of the things that helped me was to avoid situations that would make me want to smoke, and to alter daily routines to avoid smoking.

 

[ouch]

Quitting the evil death sticks

I thought you were talking about cartridge razors.

 

[Badger & Bengall]

I never really felt like I needed a cigarette when I wasn't drinking so I stopped drinking socially and that cut out the craving to smoke. I drink so irregularly that when I do drink the association with smoking no longer exists. It also helps that I no longer drink to become intoxicated so I'm always rational.