Quitting smoking

[tommy34]

Hey everyone, I have made a few threads about this in the past. I'm making this one because I am very serious about quitting smoking now. I've smoked for just over a year. I've never told anybody that I smoke daily so support has been nill. I had my last smoke 1.5 days ago and this has been the longest in a year. I really don't want to buy a pack because I've been trying to stop for ages but I can't stop thinking about it. I'm trying to eliminate all cues. I made a coffee for the drive to work to keep my mouth occupied and things like that. I'm just in need of some support and suggestions I guess.

 

[OverDone]

the physical addiction is over with in 3 days so you are almost there (CONGRATULATIONS). The mental mind fuck lasts for quite some time but starts to go away eventually.

Fuck, I would avoid coffee at all costs right now. Cigarettes and coffee are too good together (for me at least).

Drink lots of water and exercise, exercise, exercise. Jogging is a good idea because it will make you extremely winded but in time you will feel amazing. Those first few jogs will be murder but just push through.

Quitting smoking for me was one of the most difficult things I've ever done but after over 12 weeks its no longer a big deal. I've actually lost count of how long it has been.

A neat trick that I did in the past was to drink a soda as fast as I could so that my throat would burn. This seemed to kill that craving for the feeling of smoke going down my throat and into my lungs.

Good luck, man! Keep it up!

 

[tommy34]

Thanks OverDone, you always have wise words to share. I was about to buy a pack while I was out before but I thought. No, I've made a post on bluelight an I'll have to shamefully post that I gave in. So this thread has helped so far Luckily I don't associate coffee and cigarettes because I would die without coffee. I associate it with driving more than anything. Its something to do while I drive that keeps my entertained. I really need to quit because otherwise I need to tell my girlfriend I smoke daily an friends ect... I would rather quit than tell people. Social anxiety has actually done something good for a change. Thanks again

 

[Stay.Blazed.420]

I've smoked a half pack of smokes a day for the past 3 and a half years and when i went to jail for two weeks i had to quit cold turkey (since in our prisons you can't smoke in them). It was fucking god awful, but i suppose a good way to make someone quit.. Just pretend you're in jail and you can't access them lol.

I used to dream every night that i'd be smoking... what horrible memories.

 

[rangrz]

I just gradually reduced my smoking until the nicotine made me want to vomit and made me sweat and have a tonne of drool and other signs of excess acetylcholine receptor over-stimulation unpleasantness. Negative reinforcement; it works.

 

[Ixchellian]

OD is right on, for sure.... and I have a few pointers myself;

- E-cigarettes WORK. Just remember, you get what you pay for though. It's not like buying a pack of Sonomas, instead of the Camels. 8)
You don't gotta go all out and buy a $300 Ecig system.... the Blu ecigs have the best flavor, sensation, value and quality that I've found, and it ran me about $120 for a starter kit.... 3 months later, and I only just opened my second charger pack ($15, instead of $40+ per week for a carton of smokes).

- Wellbutrin does a really good job with smoking cessation. Not only does it kill the urge to smoke..... It also makes tobacco taste like ass.... and always left me with a headache if I insisted on smoking anyways.

- Candied raw ginger. I shit you not, if you pop one of those and chew it each time you get a nicotine trigger, you'll forget all about smoking soon enough

 

[Allein]

I'm assuming you are in the US so my advice may well be of little use as products may vary.

I gave up smoking after over 15 years of it 10 years ago, my big habit was for J's with hash but at work etc i would smoke straight cigarettes.

Like Overdone i had a string addiction connection with both coffee,15 cups a day would not be unusual and with hash so i gave them all up and used nicotine lozenges.

More recently my father gave up after 50 years using nicotine inhalers.

The stats from the UK all indicate that a nicotine replacement works much better than just quiting cold turkey as you break the mental ties and triggers and can deal with the chemical addiction almost as a separate issue.

So if you really get bad for a cigarette you should look to a nicotine replacement of some sort rather than go back to square one and start smoking again....would be my advice

 

[tommy34]

I'm in Australia. Today is day 3 of cold turkey. I think I've hit the peak of the cravings. I'm craving the action more than the nicotine. I dondon't want to use my inhaler because I want to be free from all habits.

 

[ryand123]

well the best i could give if you wanna keep your mouth preoccupied is chew on a tooth pick. i was in treatment for a while and i couldnt smoke so i would chew on toothpicks all day. it worked for a while after i got out too but i pussed out and went back to em, and now i regret it.

 

[Dave]

Having something to occupy the oral fixation really helps a lot of people. Gum works for some, or toothpicks. When I quit, I was still just a lad, barely in Uni, so I (grossly) chewed pens. Did the trick though!

I learned very quickly to keep a designated pen for in labs though. Even in trace amounts, the shit that I dealt with there did not taste good.

 

[Legerity]

If you made it through 3 days then its likely you've gotten past the peak of the withdrawal period. In my experience the physical withdrawal if less of a concern than the psychological aspect which can easily be convincing that smoking will take away our anxiety and make us feel better.

All the best. i'm glad to see anybody focusing on breaking this useless habit.

 

[Ixchellian]

Im glad to see anybody focusing on breaking this useless habit.

Not totally useless...
If it wasn't for a timely cigarette, I'd likely have already committed grievous harm on a few people or things which really really, deserved it.
That, and if it weren't for nicotine.... the 'ol Army game of hurry-up-&-wait woulda made me lose my mind. 8)