Smoking, quitting, and cravings

[snake803]

I started @ 11 years old.... Quit @ 50.... Reason: couldn't breathe.... Good reason to quit.... BUT YOU HAVE TO WANT TO... I went and got hypnotized.
took about 3 hrs (group hypnosis, post hypnotic suggestion), cost $39.95.. walked out and never lit another... next year will be 40 years quit... some permanent lung damage, but I can still breathe ... DON'T EVER START / RESTART..
Best of luck on your efforts...
JIM...........

 

[arjay]

Get some aerobic exercise every day if you can.It helps fight the craving and reminds you of why you're quitting.

 

[raisedin99]

You can win this battle

With the help of Chantix I quit smoking seven months ago after being a pack and a half a day smoker for 47 years. I was just tired of paying the price for them... Like you and many of the others here I still have the usual cravings as well, with coffee after meals and what ever excuses a smoker has to light up.

I have found that if I just ignore the urge it simply goes away, it is not easy for me but it works. Those are the words of a man who smoked regardless of how bad the bronchitis, flue or other illnesses I had was.

Please allow yourself to quit, from what research I have read you are over the physical addiction of the nicotine. It is all habit that you are dealing with now. Do a little research and convince yourself.

I wish you success,

terry

 

[Straightshooter2]

I used Chantix in 2007 and, while they recommend three months, I only had to use it for one month. That pretty much took care of the physical cravings. However, I still occasionally get a mental or psychological desire for a cigarette. It's funny that I don't get those when I'm around someone smoking because it actually smells terrible. Instead, it's after meals or after a dream during the night.

BTW, the warnings about Chantix are accurate as far a mood changes go. When I quit, it was before they came out with the warnings. I was like a boiling pit of anger for a couple of months with no idea why.

On the good side, since 2007, I've actually bought 3 rather high end DSLRs and 3 lenses with the money I've saved from cigarettes.

CW

 

[timn8er]

"Yeah, I often think I'd like a smoke. And unlike many folks here, I like the smell of tobacco. Brings back all sorts of good memories for me." Onomea

Its not really the smell of tobacco that most people find so objectionable, its the smell of tobacco residue on a smoker's clothes that reek. You can walk into a room & easily smell out the smokers. That's one of the things I like most since I quit;knowing that I don't smell like that anymore!

 

[doublesharp]

I gave up a 3 pack a day habit in 1996. 1st month was extra tough. 2nd was a little easier, 3rd month even easier. After 6 months I was pretty much over them and after a year I knew I'd won. Just hang tough and do whatever it takes not to smoke. Every day will get a little better but you've got to get a real bad attitude about cigarettes. The cravings will end. I used a soda straw cut to the length of a cig as a crutch and it helped.

 

[Delos]

Do not think about white elephants at noon time and your wish will come true

When I was really young my Mother once said: "They have a saying in India, do not think about White Elephants at noon time and your wish will come true".

But one must think about something in order to "not think about it".

Fighting some urge is thinking about it.

Smoking a cigar and not inhaling is better for awhile. A pipe is nice also. And you do not need to "not think about it".

Then switch to chewing gum. Add another stick then another stick as each losses the sugar or artificial sweetener. Your dentist will later look at your shorter teeth and ask if you grind your teeth at night (No you chew invisible gum at night). That's when you know to switch to another habit.

Beans are good for you. So switch to Chocolate. M&M's are made from the bean they make chocolate out of and the little peanut inside. Coffee is from a coffee bean. They are health food. You will only gain 100 pounds but it takes a long time.

Then read about the chemicals that cross the Blood/Brain Barrier. All stimulants Nicotine, Caffeine, Theobromine (in chocolate), and all illegal drugs. How Does Chocolate Affect The Nervous System? | LIVESTRONG.COM

The blood-brain barrier is okay to think about.

 

[litenlarry]

Circa 1988
I had a 3 and 1/2 pack habit daily...Lot's of stress at work and working away from home on extended periods..I was in management in the construction of a G.M. plant...
At the time it was not uncommon to have a cassette sized voice recorder, used during meetings..
At some point, I keep hearing myself cough..It was not apparent to me at the time..
Time to quit...
Cold Turkey..
Yes I was a joy to be around for a few months..
Nightime dreams of smoking, or did I smoke ?
The ritual of waking at 4:00 am and consuming a cup of coffee and a bowl of cig's, sitting on the 'can', became one of my biggest obstacles for me to overcome..
Automatic cigarettes, meaing cig's you are not really aware that you are smoking..
When I quit, I was wearing polo type shirts with a pocket..I would find myself reaching for the pocket..Automatic..
For those just trying to not smoke as much without quitting...Change where you keep your smokes ..makes you think..

 

[JJEH]

Stay strong, you can do it.

 

[wbraswell]

I smoked from the time I was 15 until I was 40. My blood pressure was climbing so I went to the Doc, knowing what he would tell me. I never smoked again, after I left his office. I just put the pack up in the pantry and never touched them again. It was tough for a couple of days, physically. Remember that it's mostly psychological. Control your mind, don't think about wanting a smoke, think about how mad it makes you because some big corporation had their hooks in you. Think about how much you want to quit. Be grateful how little you cough now, compared to when you smoked. Think about how much more intelligent you look without a *** in your hand. Man up! You can do this, you HAVE to do this.

 

[blujax01]

You know what I love about this forum - the OP asked for help and in less than 18 hours has had 49 people respond with their suggestions, prayers and well wishes.

Y'allz a good group!

 

[litenlarry]

I thought of something that might apply..
During the Jimmy Carter years and interest rates were around 20%, I had to feed the family..
A firefighter that I knew offered me his off days at an Italian bistro and bar, as a Bartender..Great job, I learned a lot..

Something that I did to ammuse myself was to frequently clean the bar top...Remove the customers items, clean and replace in a different order..Drink, cig lighter,money, ashtray..In a matter of minutes, the items would appear as they had prior to the cleaning..
They were not even aware that they were re-arranging the item's..

 

[calmex]

I quit in the mid-1980's.
The only thing I craved was to immediately beat people senseless when they ticked me off.
I developed a lot of restraint during that period.
Hope your experience is more tranquil.

Yes, me too, exactly the same.

I quit New Year's Eve, 2003. I used Nicorette gum. I handled the cravings with the gum. It works. It's a little slow, it doesn't get to your brain as fast as the nicotine does from a cigarette. It takes about two minutes to go threw the chew-system and relax you, but I always found that it got there "just in the nicotine".

If you chew nicorette too fast, you can burn your throat. And it's hard not to chew it too fast when you're in the middle of a nic-fit, but try the "chomp-suck-savor" method instead of the "chomp-chomp-chomp-chomp oh, I need that" method. Kind of lodge the chiclet near the back of your teeth and chomp it every-now-and-then and just let those juices calm you down. Goes good with coffee, and after a long-enough cooling off period, it goes good with beer or Jim Beam. (Once you've got that mastered, you can try doing the coffee, beer, or Jim Beam in a public place where some smoker might just decide to light up in front of you. That's a real test. Leave, if you feel yourself crumbling. If you go long enough, you'll be able to take it when someone smokes in front of you.)

I weaned myself off the nicorette by switching to the Mexican Trident Bubblegum flavour of gum. It's called "Cool Bubble" down here, but any type of gun would have done, I just chose this one. I still chew Mexican Trident, always carry a pack. I wouldn't start smoking again if I couldn't get it, but in every way chewing a few sticks of Mexican Trident every day has completely replaced smoking.

If my Cruise Ship hits an old W.W.II mine sometime in the South Pacific and there's a life-boat with a Guess Jeans Girl in it that's full of cartons of cigarettes and another life-boat close-by with just a nice girl in it but full of packs of Trident Bubblegum, I'll take the nice girl and the gum. A few years ago, I wouldn't have. Immediately after quitting, it would have been hands-down for the Guess Jeans.

But you do get over it. It's just not something that's quick and totally without discomfort.

 

[litenlarry]

Sorry folk's, I just don't get having an aid to quit..It's not like you are trying to ween yourself off crack cocaine..
Tough? yeah, most addictions are..
Man up and put on the 'Big Boy ' pants...
The only way to quit lies between your ears..
I have no sympathy for those that need a medication to quit...
Rant off...

 

[Comrad]

I smoked for 40 years and failed at quitting several times until the last time. I finally succeeded a little over 6 years ago, cold turkey, the only real way to do it. Looking back I will tell you it's easier than you think. The real key for me is you must always say I QUIT, don't say I'm trying to quit because that sets you up for failure. Tell everybody I QUIT, you should get lots of support. Now to make it really work, you have to hate it. I loved smoking but in the end I hated it. It's expensive as hell, and in NJ smoking outside in the winter sucks. When I started getting winded by just putting on my socks that was the final straw and I just quit. Never ever went back. I do sometimes miss it but it's no big deal, I miss a few women I've know over the years too and I'm not going back there either. I do sometimes dream about smoking and wake up pissed at myself until I realize it's just a dream.

You can do it and you will be happy you did.

Oh, don't expect to feel good for a long time. I am not sure how long exactly but it took a couple years and I can guarantee for sure, I feel like a kid again, sense of smell, taste all like new again.

I do sometimes smoke a cigar but I have never had a craving for a cigar like cigarettes.

Good luck hang in.

 

[wbraswell]

I never told myself that I quit. I just said, "I'm not smoking today." every day until I knew I wouldn't.

 

[Mike McLellan]

I havn't had a cigarette in almost 10 years. During moments of stress or anxiety, I still find myself reaching toward my shirt pocket for a cigarette. It's no longer a physical craving, but some part of my little brain wouldn't mind having a nice smoke.

 

[Rangerpat]

I quit after 20 years of smoking in 1989. I listened to motivational tapes about not smoking and took some pills for about 3 months to help with the cravings. I also replaced the habit of smoking by sucking on "Fireball" candy whenever the urge hit me. My opinion is you need to replace one habit with another (carrots are way more healthy than candy).
In 1990 I watched my mother die from lung cancer, not a good way to go; she was happy to know I quit.

 

[litenlarry]

I quit after 20 years of smoking in 1989. I listened to motivational tapes about not smoking and took some pills for about 3 months to help with the cravings. I also replaced the habit of smoking by sucking on "Fireball" candy whenever the urge hit me. My opinion is you need to replace one habit with another (carrots are way more healthy than candy).
In 1990 I watched my mother die from lung cancer, not a good way to go; she was happy to know I quit.

Good that you quit,,Why replace the need for a cig with another trigger to the brain for a carrot or a piece of candy..

Altho a carrot is hard to keep lit..

 

[aroundchicago]

I smoked a pack and a half for the last 34 years and I'll admit, I loved to smoke. I especially liked to smoke while drinking my morning coffee, after meals, when drinking beers, etc etc. I quit cold turkey on Memorial Day, exactly 1 month, 16 days and 19 hours ago. I know this because I downloaded a cool app to my IPhone called QuitIt. It keeps track of how long you've quit, number of cigarettes you haven't smoked, money saved since quiting, and the amount of tar not inhaled over that period. If you have a smartphone, I recommend downloading this free app to track your progress. Don't know how long it'll take until your cravings will go away. There are times I still think about it but it's becoming less and less everyday. Now I hardly think about it at all and I've been working out alot, and eating extremely healthy so incredibly I've also lost weight since I've quit. In short, keep yourself occupied doing something else and I think as time goes by, you'll think about smoking less and less. Good luck.