IndustrialStrength
Bluelighter
^^ Congratulations & well done. 
-
H&R Moderators: VerbalTruist
HOW TO QUIT SMOKING ~ Mega Thread
- Thread starter kristofire
- Start date
Amebix
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2006
- Messages
- 1,506
I'm going into my third smokeless year now. I did have one this past winter, but it wasnt enjoyable and I threw it away half smoked. I found what helped me the most when quitting, at least from the physical withdrawal feeling, was cutting back slowly. I remember it made the transition from smoking to not smoking go pretty smoothly. It also helped that I couldn't stop thinking about getting cancer with every smoke I had.
Perpetual Indulgence
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Jun 13, 2004
- Messages
- 20,518
I still want a ciggie esp when drinking beer with friends who smoke
IndustrialStrength
Bluelighter
Interesting that the cravings still stick around after that long.
I also have the most cravings when drinking with friends or being around smokers.
It probably doesn't help that everyone I know smokes & I'm around smokers pretty much 24/7.
I have tried quitting multiple times in the past but only recently had moderate success.
I have basically turned it into a social/occasional habit.
When I quit my Oxy/Opana habit cold turkey I figured I'd quit smoking at the same time.
For reference this was about a month and a half ago.
Oddly enough I've had better luck abstaining from the former than the latter.
Instead of smoking on a daily basis & having my own smokes I now just have the occasional drag or 2 off a friend or my gf's cig.
I went 7 days without smoking at all before having a cigar thinking hey it's not a cigarette.
I ended up smoking 15 cigarettes in the last month so I figure it could be worse.
I'm not really sure of how terribly bad the occasional cig is for me as I also smoke cannabis though I usually try to vaporize to help save my lungs.
Generally speaking I've reduced smoking to a couple drags a few times a week or having a couple of cig's when I drink/party.
Quitting totally seems more difficult though.
Not quite sure why that is though as I don't really feel any noticeable w/d's or anything like that on the days I don't smoke.
Though I have no real issues going 3-5 days without a cigarette I still end up having a few drags after those days when I'm in the mood to do so.
Well I believe I don't have any w/d issues or at least any that are overly noticeable.
I do often feel anxiety & such but I believe that it stems from underlying issues not nicotine w/d's as I have anxiety issues even when I do smoke.
TLDR version follows;
I guess I'm just having a hard time equating the damage done by a few cigarettes or cigars here & there against the enjoyment I tend to derive from them.
Sorry for the rambling but it helped me realize the above statement by typing out the mass of text above it.
Anyone have any insight into the harm/pleasure ratio of the "occasional" cigarette/cigar?
If anything along those lines was already posted sorry if I missed it and re-posted regarding it.
I just had never noticed this thread & figured I'd ask as the thread piqued my curiosity.
I also have the most cravings when drinking with friends or being around smokers.
It probably doesn't help that everyone I know smokes & I'm around smokers pretty much 24/7.
I have tried quitting multiple times in the past but only recently had moderate success.
I have basically turned it into a social/occasional habit.
When I quit my Oxy/Opana habit cold turkey I figured I'd quit smoking at the same time.
For reference this was about a month and a half ago.
Oddly enough I've had better luck abstaining from the former than the latter.
Instead of smoking on a daily basis & having my own smokes I now just have the occasional drag or 2 off a friend or my gf's cig.
I went 7 days without smoking at all before having a cigar thinking hey it's not a cigarette.
I ended up smoking 15 cigarettes in the last month so I figure it could be worse.
I'm not really sure of how terribly bad the occasional cig is for me as I also smoke cannabis though I usually try to vaporize to help save my lungs.
Generally speaking I've reduced smoking to a couple drags a few times a week or having a couple of cig's when I drink/party.
Quitting totally seems more difficult though.
Not quite sure why that is though as I don't really feel any noticeable w/d's or anything like that on the days I don't smoke.
Though I have no real issues going 3-5 days without a cigarette I still end up having a few drags after those days when I'm in the mood to do so.
Well I believe I don't have any w/d issues or at least any that are overly noticeable.
I do often feel anxiety & such but I believe that it stems from underlying issues not nicotine w/d's as I have anxiety issues even when I do smoke.
TLDR version follows;
I guess I'm just having a hard time equating the damage done by a few cigarettes or cigars here & there against the enjoyment I tend to derive from them.
Sorry for the rambling but it helped me realize the above statement by typing out the mass of text above it.
Anyone have any insight into the harm/pleasure ratio of the "occasional" cigarette/cigar?
If anything along those lines was already posted sorry if I missed it and re-posted regarding it.
I just had never noticed this thread & figured I'd ask as the thread piqued my curiosity.
MaW
Bluelighter
I quit without the patch cold turkey
Very hard to do
smoked for 6 years
you just have to have alot of willpower
Very hard to do
smoked for 6 years
you just have to have alot of willpower
Jabberwocky
Frumious Bandersnatch
I would recommend meditating for a minute every time the craving gets really bad or just have a cold shower or do some push ups.
Doctor_Ew420
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Mar 18, 2006
- Messages
- 286
MaW is right, I smoked for about 7.5-8 years (wow I can hardly believe I did it for that long) and recently quit.
I am a Canadian and had wanted to stop for a year or two, smokes are too expensive here. I decided I wanted to buy an electronic cigarette and kick the smokes that way, by either weening off with the e-cig, or just continuing with the e-cig, smoke free.
I realized before ordering that e-cig's are banned in Canada and that i have a very slim chance of owning and maintaining one with nicotine cartridges.
I came to the conclusion that since in Canada, we are taxed 5-6 dollars PER PACK of cigarettes. This is done "for our own good" to make us want to quit, but it is obvious that it is just a way to grab free money from addicts.
e-cigs cut in on that money, and the Canadian government produced fake documents saying that e-cigs contain carcinogens and are dangerous, and therefore are banned.
It is a blatant slap in the face, you can almost see the faces of the greedy politicians tenting their fingers. "Keep smoking, e-cigs kill!"
SO I QUIT!
It wasn't all about the health thing, of course I don't want to die for tobacco, but it was the anger I felt that my government does not want me to stop... When I would have been inevitably dieing of cancer within the next 20 years, it would be that government who i paid to do this to me that I would be paying for my pain meds.
Fuck that, just quit... a message to Canadians.
I am a Canadian and had wanted to stop for a year or two, smokes are too expensive here. I decided I wanted to buy an electronic cigarette and kick the smokes that way, by either weening off with the e-cig, or just continuing with the e-cig, smoke free.
I realized before ordering that e-cig's are banned in Canada and that i have a very slim chance of owning and maintaining one with nicotine cartridges.
I came to the conclusion that since in Canada, we are taxed 5-6 dollars PER PACK of cigarettes. This is done "for our own good" to make us want to quit, but it is obvious that it is just a way to grab free money from addicts.
e-cigs cut in on that money, and the Canadian government produced fake documents saying that e-cigs contain carcinogens and are dangerous, and therefore are banned.
It is a blatant slap in the face, you can almost see the faces of the greedy politicians tenting their fingers. "Keep smoking, e-cigs kill!"
SO I QUIT!
It wasn't all about the health thing, of course I don't want to die for tobacco, but it was the anger I felt that my government does not want me to stop... When I would have been inevitably dieing of cancer within the next 20 years, it would be that government who i paid to do this to me that I would be paying for my pain meds.
Fuck that, just quit... a message to Canadians.
Danny Weed
Bluelighter
- Joined
- Dec 11, 2008
- Messages
- 1,899
Yea thats what i do, been off the cigs for 3 month now (I have the odd few pulls when im out drinking, i really need to stop that)
The hardest part for me was the first few days just not knowing what to do with my self. It definitely gets easier as you start to forget about them.
Good luck to anyone that has quit or is trying to quit
i hope it all works out for you.Also i found cold turkey to be much easier for me, just my opinion tho. I just wanted the nicotene out of my body ASAP
Quitting is one thing but I have heard stories that even if you have quit for 10 years the craving NEVER goes away. As soon as close to you lights up you instantly feel like having a smoke.
Can anyone who has quit for a lengthy period testify as to whether the cravings stay the same or weaken over time ?
I'm smoking 30 smokes a day atm and am trying to quit. There's no cutting down for me, it's all or nothing. Apart from the health factor my smokes are costing me $15 - $16 a day, $112 a week etc etc.
Can anyone who has quit for a lengthy period testify as to whether the cravings stay the same or weaken over time ?
I'm smoking 30 smokes a day atm and am trying to quit. There's no cutting down for me, it's all or nothing. Apart from the health factor my smokes are costing me $15 - $16 a day, $112 a week etc etc.
psychoblast
Bluelighter
Quitting smoking is NOT hard and does NOT take any great act of willpower. I smoked for 20 years. I quit a few times -- sometimes for years at a time -- but each time I started up again, I smoked more heavily than before. I especially liked to smoke when doing drugs and, since I had no plans to quit drugs, it made me think I was stuck being a smoker forever.
Then I met a guy who said he'd recently quit smoking after reading a book. He said his wife got the book from a friend who had quit smoking after reading the book, then his wife had read it and quit smoking, then it had worked for him, too. He gave me the name of the book. It was supposed to change the way you think about cigarettes so you truly do not want one, then it really does not taken any willpower at all to quit. Does it take willpower to stop from cutting yourself with a knife? (Well, okay, maybe for some...)
Anyway, I had some experience with cults and brainwashing (long story), and it seemed possible that if you are open to it, a book might reprogram the way you think about cigarettes. I did not know if the book would be full of graphic, disgusting photos or statistics or something to try to make me afraid or create some kind of negative association, but I decided I didn't have much to lose. For about $12, I bought the book on Amazon.
I read the book over the course of about 4 days. It was actually well-written, enjoyable, an easy read, and fairly thin (under 150 pages, I think). I smoked the whole time I read it. I tried not to analyze as I read it whether I was losing the desire to smoke. I tried to withold judgment till the end. I did not try to quit while I was reading it. However, I kind of timed it so that I would be smoking my last cigarette as I read the last page. Then I figured I'd see if I felt the need to buy another pack or not.
I recall turning the last page, finishing the last sentence, looking at my mostly finished cigarette, contemplating a last drag, but then deciding just to put it out. That was over five years ago, and I have not smoked since. I do not miss anything about smoking except the social aspect of it -- when you go out to the "smokers" area at a party or bar, and chat with new people.
To put this into context, I quit smoking on a Wednesday night. Thursday, I thought about cigarettes periodically -- after a meal, or whenever I'd "normally" have a cigarette, but using the book's technique, I moved my thoughts to another topic and did not allow myself to dwell on the idea of smoking a cigarette. The very next day -- Friday -- I woke up, did my daily stuff, ate meals, etc... and I did not even think about cigarettes at all until around 6pm! I was honestly astounded. The book had said there was a period of about 3-5 days when you may still feel cravings that you need to deal with and ignore. So this immediate success caught me off guard.
And most surprising, after that first day, I could do anything without craving cigarettes -- hang out in bars, with smokers, do drugs, etc. -- and I had no desire to smoke. The whole thing was amazingly easy. By far the best $12 I ever spent on anything in my life.
The book has at least half a dozen different approaches, each of which addresses a different problem in quitting, and altogether they create a mental wall between you and the URGE to smoke. Once you put the wall in place, it is there whether you think about it or not. It is not like something you have to keep working at. It is like flipping a switch and going from smoker to non-smoker.
The book is here:
http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Way-Stop-Smoking-Non-Smokers/dp/1402718616
The author has a few out, but I got the basic one on quitting smoking. In case anyone thinks this is a sales pitch, you are wrong. The guy has sold millions of copies, he does not need to plug his book on websites like this. You can also find countless other satisfied customers writing similar reviews (like on Amazon).
I will say it is not guaranteed to work for everyone. Some people find satisfaction in proving everyone else wrong, in being uncontrollable and unique, and some people may just be incredibly resistant to listening or absorbing anything that threatens how they view the world or think about things. So I imagine there are personality types that will not ALLOW the book to work for them. But I honestly believe just about anyone who is open to the possibility CAN quit just as easily as me from reading the book.
I also think it is a crying shame that so many people who want to quit do not know about this book, but get steered to prescription drugs and patches and other stuff that is truly unnecessary. I cannot fathom why every doctor on the planet does not pitch this book to every patient who smokes. I suppose it is a function of money, and there is more money to be made treating smokers with drugs than curing them with a book.
~psychoblast~
Then I met a guy who said he'd recently quit smoking after reading a book. He said his wife got the book from a friend who had quit smoking after reading the book, then his wife had read it and quit smoking, then it had worked for him, too. He gave me the name of the book. It was supposed to change the way you think about cigarettes so you truly do not want one, then it really does not taken any willpower at all to quit. Does it take willpower to stop from cutting yourself with a knife? (Well, okay, maybe for some...)
Anyway, I had some experience with cults and brainwashing (long story), and it seemed possible that if you are open to it, a book might reprogram the way you think about cigarettes. I did not know if the book would be full of graphic, disgusting photos or statistics or something to try to make me afraid or create some kind of negative association, but I decided I didn't have much to lose. For about $12, I bought the book on Amazon.
I read the book over the course of about 4 days. It was actually well-written, enjoyable, an easy read, and fairly thin (under 150 pages, I think). I smoked the whole time I read it. I tried not to analyze as I read it whether I was losing the desire to smoke. I tried to withold judgment till the end. I did not try to quit while I was reading it. However, I kind of timed it so that I would be smoking my last cigarette as I read the last page. Then I figured I'd see if I felt the need to buy another pack or not.
I recall turning the last page, finishing the last sentence, looking at my mostly finished cigarette, contemplating a last drag, but then deciding just to put it out. That was over five years ago, and I have not smoked since. I do not miss anything about smoking except the social aspect of it -- when you go out to the "smokers" area at a party or bar, and chat with new people.
To put this into context, I quit smoking on a Wednesday night. Thursday, I thought about cigarettes periodically -- after a meal, or whenever I'd "normally" have a cigarette, but using the book's technique, I moved my thoughts to another topic and did not allow myself to dwell on the idea of smoking a cigarette. The very next day -- Friday -- I woke up, did my daily stuff, ate meals, etc... and I did not even think about cigarettes at all until around 6pm! I was honestly astounded. The book had said there was a period of about 3-5 days when you may still feel cravings that you need to deal with and ignore. So this immediate success caught me off guard.
And most surprising, after that first day, I could do anything without craving cigarettes -- hang out in bars, with smokers, do drugs, etc. -- and I had no desire to smoke. The whole thing was amazingly easy. By far the best $12 I ever spent on anything in my life.
The book has at least half a dozen different approaches, each of which addresses a different problem in quitting, and altogether they create a mental wall between you and the URGE to smoke. Once you put the wall in place, it is there whether you think about it or not. It is not like something you have to keep working at. It is like flipping a switch and going from smoker to non-smoker.
The book is here:
http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Way-Stop-Smoking-Non-Smokers/dp/1402718616
The author has a few out, but I got the basic one on quitting smoking. In case anyone thinks this is a sales pitch, you are wrong. The guy has sold millions of copies, he does not need to plug his book on websites like this. You can also find countless other satisfied customers writing similar reviews (like on Amazon).
I will say it is not guaranteed to work for everyone. Some people find satisfaction in proving everyone else wrong, in being uncontrollable and unique, and some people may just be incredibly resistant to listening or absorbing anything that threatens how they view the world or think about things. So I imagine there are personality types that will not ALLOW the book to work for them. But I honestly believe just about anyone who is open to the possibility CAN quit just as easily as me from reading the book.
I also think it is a crying shame that so many people who want to quit do not know about this book, but get steered to prescription drugs and patches and other stuff that is truly unnecessary. I cannot fathom why every doctor on the planet does not pitch this book to every patient who smokes. I suppose it is a function of money, and there is more money to be made treating smokers with drugs than curing them with a book.
~psychoblast~
dance.ana.dance
Bluelighter
Quitting smoking.
Me and my boyfriend are quitting smoking together. Does anyone have any good tips on shit to distract us from cigarettes?
Also, I heard that when you quit, you gain weight because you eat more. Should I watch what I eat like, twice as much, or is it just a myth?
Anastasia
Me and my boyfriend are quitting smoking together. Does anyone have any good tips on shit to distract us from cigarettes?
Also, I heard that when you quit, you gain weight because you eat more. Should I watch what I eat like, twice as much, or is it just a myth?
Anastasia
I think that really depends on the person (@dance.ana.dance). I didn't gain any weight when I quit smoking. It's just that some people use food as a new addiction. As long as you are aware of what you're doing - being a conscious eater- you'll be fine.
Tips? A reasonable plan: if you can't do cold turkey - a reasonable taper plan. You and your b/f need to support each other AND hold each other accountable. Know your triggers - for example I had to stay away from bars for a bit, as I smoked a lot while drinking. Last - chewing gum, lots of walks
Tips? A reasonable plan: if you can't do cold turkey - a reasonable taper plan. You and your b/f need to support each other AND hold each other accountable. Know your triggers - for example I had to stay away from bars for a bit, as I smoked a lot while drinking. Last - chewing gum, lots of walks
dance.ana.dance
Bluelighter
Reasonable taper plan?
- are you asking me what I mean?
I mean that if you're not quitting cold turkey: cut back reasonably. Don't overshoot and set yourself up for disappointment. You can always smoke LESS than planned. Say you smoke a pack a day. Smoke 3/4 for a few days, then 1/2, (whatever amount you feel you can do-the bigger cut the better), and eventually get down to like 3 cigarettes a day. Then smoke 1 a day for a few days. THEN - you're done.
So don't go FULL PACK - ONE CIGARETTE - over. You're fail (if you're not the cold turkey type).
I mean that if you're not quitting cold turkey: cut back reasonably. Don't overshoot and set yourself up for disappointment. You can always smoke LESS than planned. Say you smoke a pack a day. Smoke 3/4 for a few days, then 1/2, (whatever amount you feel you can do-the bigger cut the better), and eventually get down to like 3 cigarettes a day. Then smoke 1 a day for a few days. THEN - you're done.
So don't go FULL PACK - ONE CIGARETTE - over. You're fail (if you're not the cold turkey type).
If you dont already, buy a cigarette holder. One of those ones that holdsa bout 10 or less cigs.
I dont know how much you smoke but lets say you smoke 10 or so cigs a day.
Put 9 in there each day, and smoke no more than that. Ration them. Every 3 days or a week or whatever, cut the daily amount by 1. Eventually, youll only have only a couple, then 1, then NONE.
WhatEVER you do, you will not succeed if you change the plan. If you plan on 1 less every 3 days, dont chance it to a week. Keep at it, the only way you can quit is with persistence and willpower, you cant give in.
Personally, i can stop and start whenever i want. I have, and i didnt smoke for a while.. nowadays i smoke a cig just now and then, maybe 1 or 2 a week max, even though i always have a pack on me or have them available. Cig addiction is for noobs.
I dont know how much you smoke but lets say you smoke 10 or so cigs a day.
Put 9 in there each day, and smoke no more than that. Ration them. Every 3 days or a week or whatever, cut the daily amount by 1. Eventually, youll only have only a couple, then 1, then NONE.
WhatEVER you do, you will not succeed if you change the plan. If you plan on 1 less every 3 days, dont chance it to a week. Keep at it, the only way you can quit is with persistence and willpower, you cant give in.
Personally, i can stop and start whenever i want. I have, and i didnt smoke for a while.. nowadays i smoke a cig just now and then, maybe 1 or 2 a week max, even though i always have a pack on me or have them available. Cig addiction is for noobs.
chewing gum, lots of walks
yup. gum chewing and walks is what did it for me, i quit on the first try even though i bummed plenty of cigs for a while even after i stopped buying packs. don't buy mint gum in small strips, buy the biggest, bulkiest blocks of fruity gum you can find and stuff your mouth full then chew till your jaw gets sore!!!
ocean
Bluelight Crew
I quit this past Decmber after smoking for like 15-16 years.
I took a few days of LOW LOW stress- reading, candles and lots of orbit gum
I think it helped that the days that was THE ONE, I woke up and did not smoke that morning smoke.
I also quit coffee for a while since it was coffee and cigs for me all the time....
So, find your triggers and cut back or cut them out of your life for a while and try to create a low stress environment for your first week......
You might also want to try to get together a bunch of healthy snack foods
I took a few days of LOW LOW stress- reading, candles and lots of orbit gum
I think it helped that the days that was THE ONE, I woke up and did not smoke that morning smoke.
I also quit coffee for a while since it was coffee and cigs for me all the time....
So, find your triggers and cut back or cut them out of your life for a while and try to create a low stress environment for your first week......
You might also want to try to get together a bunch of healthy snack foods