smoking cessation, uncharted journey for me

[Earcutter]

I guess I quit about 7 or 8 years ago now. Just reading this post sees me still want a smoke though. Crazy!


I tried Chantix. Oh that was a no go for my frail mind. It was some kind of a crazy trip. But that’s me I guess, but dang that was some kind of crazy!

I used the patch. A few times. That worked for a while, each time. But I went back.

Ultimately I decided to try the nic gum. I chewed it for WAY longer than recommend lol. Then I slowly transitioned to regular gum. To this day, I still chew gum like it’s going out of style. I’ve really got to quit that too now. arg. But at least it’s not a smoke.

Point is, you try, and try, and try some more. Whatever works works. Good luck!

 

[StuMcB]

Gave up smoking over 23 years ago now. My then gf said " if you want to marry me then you have to stop smoking",. So here we are nearly 25 years married later. Gave up booze too 15 years ago. On both occasions I just stopped and threw it all away. Even while smoking and drinking my heart wasn't really in the past time.

 

[Barney14]

In another 4/5 months I will be completing 35 years of smoking. It started as a lark and I was hooked before I knew. I vividly remember that within couple of weeks I habited to smoke 20-22 cigarettes on average day and very rarely the stats dipped below 10; not even when I was down with Malaria or Typhoid. When I started smoking, it was normal to have Sports events sponsored by Tobacco companies. There were glossy centre spread in magazines and it was still some years away that smokers were to be seen as anti-social people, shunned by society at large and neglected like criminals by very governments who collected huge excise duties from them.
My first attempt to quit was cold turkey method in which I failed within 1 hour. Then again, I tried to quit when I was 20 years down; this time I thought I was better prepared. Emptied my wallet from cash, collected work pile to keep me busy for whole week and smoked 50 cigarettes back to back. I passed out from so much smoking and woke up after a 12-hour sleep. I had my usual day start and only it was at the fag end of second cigarette (first smoke of the day is back to back 2 sticks for me) I remembered I had quit smoking. I simply gave up on trying to quit.
Because of smoking habit, I consciously decided to not go near alcohol, so my drinking career is all but approx. 50 small pegs in my entire life. I never abused drugs but smoking, I just couldn’t let go. My failed attempts made me realise, I actually like to smoke more than I want to quit. How does one quit doing something he likes?
As on today, my health isn’t really failing me but at 51, I can discern a pattern of breathlessness in physical activities and it made me pause. I know I need help and advice of psyche therapy probably will not work on me. After consulting my physician, I had medicine delivered at home just before lockdown. I started 10 days ago, and I am still smoking but being at home with wife helps a little yet there is no apparent cutdown.
Has anyone tried taking help of these medicines? Were you successful in quitting by end of 3-month long treatment? What additional measures you took to help you with smoking cessation. While smoking I try to mix some cigarettes that are not my brand, roll my own from pipe tobacco so I don’t get used to smoking only my brand.
By the looks of it, it appears Churchill fooled us all. So, chaps, wish me luck in putting my best foot forward.

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I had a bad time with Champix really bad mood and depression, anybody thinking of using it please read reviews

 

[Merle]

Good journey to you, go for it because you realize with smoking you will eventually cut short your time with people you love, keep you from things you like to do, and maybe realize you don't have to do it to fit in with other people.

Welbutrin was a psychological shock to my system. It created a level of awareness in me that left me agitated during the day and recipient of very dark/frightening dreams. I don't recommend it, YMMV.

When I've felt melancholy or just not care a wit, I have meerschaum pipes I think about packing and smoking like the old men of my yesteryear. So far I haven't taken the effort to order tobacco nor go by a tobacconist. But it would be so easy to stroke out or have a coronary event taking that path.

On the other hand, recently, I've finally been exposed to tea products beyond those simplistic products many western people thought were "tea." These tend to lift me up and there is no harsh depression after the smoker's nicotine high peters out. And oddly, when I was ready for it, I no longer experienced the radical jittery difference 'tea caffeine' had before when compared to 'coffee caffeine.' I'm told it was simply the realization, just like coffee, that tea expresses itself differently at different extraction temperatures as well as 'type', regional character, and production processes.

For me, I stopped smoking in the mid-90s when I realized I was very close indeed to checking out. Doing so let me see everyone I'd cared for - needed/wanted to care for - pass... so now, what time there is it's for me. (Gee, I feel so lucky I've seen/lived this past 6 months!) Even so, I realize I'm like the biblical story of the rich man not being able to fit through the eye of a needle to reach the realms of heaven - because I still have too many "material things" I want to live for - including benefiting by/spending of my "wealth!" And, who knows who might come through my door on the 'morrow?

So a good journey to you - may you have no regrets!

 

[plumberroy]

Thanks for your wishes. It was the first thing that came to my mind but I work in a small town and trying to take appointment from a qualified psychiatrist means I have to take leave from work and travel by air for sessions. Even while speaking to some of them I realised they would take my case a challenge and none of them were really into it. Trying this medicine is the next best thing I could do.

In today's world this isn't true I have anxiety issues ,my last appointment with my psychiatrist I sat in my car my doctor sat in his den

 

[chinmusic82]

To the OP, @HereticHermit how is it going?