Stopping smoking...advice and success stories?

[Sundial]

I have smoked for a few years and would now like to stop (health, money), but am really nervous about doing so because of a few unsuccessful previous attempts!

It's all fine until I get a really bad urge, and then I have tunnel vision and can only think about a cigarette and end up trundling down to the shop at high speed for a packet

But I really would like to give stopping another try, any tips on how to overcome the urges? Anyone successfully broken free?

 

[lunabella]

I stopped by cutting down by one cigarette every few days. If you smoke ten a day, cut down by one every three days. Then you'll go down to one and slowly zero. Don't beat yourself up if you mess up. The hardest to give up is the last one, but even if that takes a while, you've still cut down by a bunch. Feel free to PM me if you need any help.

 

[L.A.Woman85]

i kinda did the same thing as lunabella... just cut down how many i would smoke in a day by a few at a time. everytime i wanted one, i would ask how much longer i could go without having it... silly i know, but it worked. I would have a smoke every 2-3 hours, instead of 1-2hrs.
also, one thing to think about is what triggers you to smoke, aka: stress, drinking, coffee, socially etc
i always loved to smoke while driving and drinking (seperately of course haha!), so i found it the most difficult to not to smoke everytime i got in the car... took me a while but i stopped, although i cheat and have a smoke every now and then, but i don't beat myself up about it...
i don't think stopping cold turkey is very effective, it drives you crazy cause it is all you can think about!!!

 

[Sundial]

Oh no can you not reply to threads with multiple quotes?? (I am just getting used to the forum!)

Lunabella, thanks, that's very sweet of you I may well PM you! I have cheated before with the cut down one a day approach, however it's good (if done correctly!!) in the sense that it gives the whole thing an air of ceremony, finality and logic, and could perhaps take some of the panic out of it.

LAWoman85, you made me laugh I have far too many triggers so don't think I can use that

Glad to hear you are not steering inbetween breaking off for a quick swig or drag! I really think if you've stopped and just have the occasional one now and then that's absolutely fine; even my dentist tells me if I smoke 5 or so a day that really doesn't count, so you're doing brilliantly.

Hmm...I will have to give this some thought, I'd really like to succeed this time.

 

[misspistol]

I smoked since I was 15 and quit when I was 25 and after reducing to one or two cigarettes at the end of the day I just flat out stopped. I couldn't watch any tv that involved cigarettes though because it gave me insane cravings. It did help that I went out of the country to stay with my parents for 4 months and knew they detested cigarettes
I've got friends who have used the patches and chewed gum and all of that and only the people who just flat out stopped smoking seem to have stayed off them.

 

[Hipkitten]

My husband and I quit "cold turkey" almost four years ago. What we did was set a date a few months in advance (we chose 1 February because it was after the holidays and our birthdays). The date was nonnegotiable; it didn't matter what stressors popped up on or around the date (and believe me, they did) it was set in stone.

After we set the date, we slowly began changing our habits in advance of that date. The two biggest changes we made were to stop smoking in the house (had it painted, cleaned, etc), and cut back smoking in our cars.

We wrote up/signed a contract (formal, I know, but it kept us accountable) stating when we were quitting, if we had urges we would call one another before we acted, and that if we slipped up we would be honest about it.

On the night of 31 January, we had our last cigarettes, ran the remainder of the pack under water and threw them away. Neither of us have smoked since. There were days when my husband had to talk me off the proverbial ledge, and vice versa, but we always talked it through and never gave in.

The hardest thing about quitting was how to fill the time when I was used to smoking. For instance, taking breaks from working/school were hard because I used cigarettes as a way to unwind/reward myself. I started taking 15 minute walks instead which really helped. I'm not much of a gum/candy person, so I chewed on straws (probably looked strange, but it worked for me). I took the money we would have spend on cigarettes and put it towards Pilates classes, which I still do to this day. Using the money for something that helps my body rather than damages it was a good motivator for me to continue.

I found having someone to quit with to be very beneficial but it can be a double edge sword. I've had friends try to quit together unsuccessfully because one was more motivated than the other and/or used the other's failure to quit as an excuse to sabotage their own progress.

I think it's important to remember that the physical addition only last about 72 hours, and everything after that is mind over matter. I've had numerous friends try to quit with varying degrees of success. The ones who quit and have kept it up were the ones who quit "cold turkey" without patches, gum, etc.

Best of luck

 

[modelbehavior228]

Quitting smoking....the best thing you can do for your body

I am quitting smoking. Finally....after years of smoking 1-2 packs a day, I have now gone two days without a cigarette! I am on the patch and it is going somewhat ok. I am still having terrible cravings, but the patch makes them more bearable than when I tried to go cold turkey in the past. Even though it has been 2 days, I do feel better. Not so congested in the chest and not coughing nearly as much. This is still the most uncomfortable thing I have ever done. I wish I had never started....even with the patch I still feel like I am on a roller coaster of feeling ok then feeling bizarre.

Who else has quit smoking here? Why did you start? How and why did you quit? What side effects from giving up tobacco did you have? What changed when you quit?

*Edited Gradually it became a very heavy, chronic habit. I never knew how badly I am addicted until I tried to go cold turkey a few months ago. I was a crying mess for a day, as silly as that sounds. I want to quit because I feel like a hypocrite. I am vegan, super health conscience, try to be as fit and active as I can. I stay out of the sun to avoid skin cancer, yet I inhale the smoke of 40 cigarettes a day into my lungs. I don' really have a plan right now, just quit dammit, just quit.

Any stories to share about quitting will be welcome

 

[MimiV]

I have been saying since march that I should buy an electronic cigarette, and will "have to" do so before mid-december as it'll cost four times more if I don't buy it here. To me it's really a social habit more than a nicotine addiction, because if I don't go to cafés clubs, restaurants or visit a smoking friend, I don't crave it at all! I just can't seem to watch people smoke in front of me without going crazy so I think the electric one is the best way for me to go. Anyone tried it and succeeded?

 

[ParisFashionMuse]

my boyfriend read this book by Allen Carr- YOU MUST GIVE THIS A TRY! and he passed it along to my mother and they both have been ex smokers for 6 years. Read the success stories on amazon they are pretty uplifting to hear

 

[5 8 6]

I'd like to stop smoking, but so far every attempt has been a complete failure. The thing is I can't stand anymore the smell and the cigarette's price here in Italy has increased so much that it's getting difficult to maintain that habit. The biggest problem is that I can't picture myself as a non-smoker, especially when I go out at night. I've bought nicotine patches and I seriously hope they will be somehow helpful.

 

[apertures]

I just wanted to pop in and say that it takes a full two weeks for the nicotine to leave your body (since your last cigarette). It helped me to know that after those two weeks, I would no longer be physically dependent and that it was all a matter of habit from there on out- a brain game, something that you have total control over!

We all know that when trying to quit there are moments where you would literally move mountains to get a cigarette. You don't care if it is rude to take one from another person, you don't care if you smell like smoke in your business meetings, and you certainly don't care if you drain your bank account just a little bit more. This is the physical side of addiction talking, telling you that you need, you crave, and you absolutely must have. Addiction is a total beast! But you CAN beat the physical side of addiction, in just 14 days no less!

I would encourage anyone who is quitting to be sure to listen, REALLY listen to their bodies in their time off from smoking. Even on the first day, you'll notice a difference; focus on the positive things. Your body will begin to totally heal itself, and you will be able to see the tangible results of your efforts. I absolutely loved being a smoker, I wish that my body could handle it. But the benefits of being able to breathe easily, not have to constantly worry about how it was aging me, not having to spend my precious last pennies at the bodega, and not having to embarrass myself by bumming off of everyone when the monster took hold... you get the idea. The benefits are worth it, hang on for just two weeks!!

 

[5 8 6]

I just wanted to pop in and say that it takes a full two weeks for the nicotine to leave your body (since your last cigarette). It helped me to know that after those two weeks, I would no longer be physically dependent and that it was all a matter of habit from there on out- a brain game, something that you have total control over!

We all know that when trying to quit there are moments where you would literally move mountains to get a cigarette. You don't care if it is rude to take one from another person, you don't care if you smell like smoke in your business meetings, and you certainly don't care if you drain your bank account just a little bit more. This is the physical side of addiction talking, telling you that you need, you crave, and you absolutely must have. Addiction is a total beast! But you CAN beat the physical side of addiction, in just 14 days no less!

I would encourage anyone who is quitting to be sure to listen, REALLY listen to their bodies in their time off from smoking. Even on the first day, you'll notice a difference; focus on the positive things. Your body will begin to totally heal itself, and you will be able to see the tangible results of your efforts. I absolutely loved being a smoker, I wish that my body could handle it. But the benefits of being able to breathe easily, not have to constantly worry about how it was aging me, not having to spend my precious last pennies at the bodega, and not having to embarrass myself by bumming off of everyone when the monster took hold... you get the idea. The benefits are worth it, hang on for just two weeks!!

Thank you for the encouragement!

 

[apertures]

I completely understand your worries about social smoking, what to do when you go out at night, etc. I lived, worked, and socialized in a very smoker-heavy scene for a very long time. Just as this was the scene that got me hopelessly addicted, distancing myself from it got me out of it. I used to truly relish sitting down with a friend to have a cigarette and go over whatever thoughts had run through our heads that day; it wasn't about fitting in, it was just about enjoying myself and connecting with other people. It took me a long, long time to give up cigarettes completely, but what finally did it was engaging more with my non-smoking friends; consciously making plans with them and seeing how their lives revolved around things other than when their next cig break would be. This doesn't necessarily mean that you give up your smoker friends; you should do whatever works for you. But seeing how the other half lives was a great influence; instead of sitting down at the end of the day with a cigarette, you might find something else that is just as indulgent and effective at helping you unwind and take a pause for conversation with a friend.

 

[5 8 6]

I completely understand your worries about social smoking, what to do when you go out at night, etc. I lived, worked, and socialized in a very smoker-heavy scene for a very long time. Just as this was the scene that got me hopelessly addicted, distancing myself from it got me out of it. I used to truly relish sitting down with a friend to have a cigarette and go over whatever thoughts had run through our heads that day; it wasn't about fitting in, it was just about enjoying myself and connecting with other people. It took me a long, long time to give up cigarettes completely, but what finally did it was engaging more with my non-smoking friends; consciously making plans with them and seeing how their lives revolved around things other than when their next cig break would be. This doesn't necessarily mean that you give up your smoker friends; you should do whatever works for you. But seeing how the other half lives was a great influence; instead of sitting down at the end of the day with a cigarette, you might find something else that is just as indulgent and effective at helping you unwind and take a pause for conversation with a friend.

That's exactly my situation. Cigarettes are so much part of my everyday life, that it's difficult to imagine how my days would be without them and the fact that almost all of my friends smoke definitely doesn't help. I think the secret, as you said, it's changing your lifestyle and getting used to a new reality. I have to thank you again because your words are truly inspiring.

 

[sloosen]

i was a full time smoker for years… off and on for about 2-3 and full time for… 3-4.

This year i have been really sick as i had been partying A LOT and going out/not sleeping much and just living an un-healthy life style. I had pneumonia and Bronchitis for a while and i was so ill. It scared me so much. I felt like i could have died… I felt horrible.

I was forced to stop smoking during this time and since it worried me so much i completely changed my lifestyle! Now i exercise daily, eat as clean as possible and never smoke or drink alcohol.

I suppose it was the best/worst thing to happen to me! I was so ill for so long… But it possibly saved my life.

 

[dumbfairy]

I used patches for one week and never had another cigarette. That was February. Will power is key, you'll only succeed if you really want to. Good luck!