Stop smoking

[AmericanManiac]

I was wondering how many of you smoke or did smoke ? I'm in the process of stopping, I was wondering what did you guys do to help stop ? Should I buy the patch, or just try to cut down every day or what ?

[bwind22]

I smoke.

Here's the key.... You have to actually want to quit. Because if you don't desire to stop, then all the patches and gum in the world aren't gonna help ya. I get badgered at least a couple times a week (usually by family) to quit smoking, but I honestly have no desire to. I like it. I know if I tried to quit right now, it'd be unsuccessful simply because I don't desire it. Now, if one of those family members were to offer me 1 million dollars to stop smoking tomorrow, I'd quit, but it'd be because I had motivation to do so. Personally, I don't see myself quitting until some day when I have a kid. At that point, I'd hate to be setting a bad example for them so I would then have the desire to quit.


All that being said, if you really DO want to quit, I'd say just go cold turkey and stop (mind over matter) or else try the gum. My cousin did that when he quit and it seems to have worked for him.

[The Mothman]

remove yourself from temptations
(friends who smoke)

[Shazbut]

remove yourself from temptations
(friends who smoke)

Easier said than done - you cant hide away from it - either the desire to give up is there, or it is not. Personally, giving up smoking and sitting in a room with people still not having the desire to give up would give me a kick - I could gloat quietly at how *weak* my buddies are!! :p

[Phalanx]

Never smoked...I mean, I have no idea what it could've been to stop me getting right into this hugely tempting habit...the burning eyes, the throat, the congestion, the breathe of most smokers...really, I have no idea:confused:

But seriously...
My chick used to smoke, she had some gallstones removed, and was on some pethodine for a while, and something stronger, and when she came out, had no urge to smoke and got sick when she did...so, unless it was about having the gallstones removed, I'd assume it was something to do with a competing chemical forcing out or overriding residual chemicals? Either that, or, it was because the simple circumstance of having no option to smoke for a few days while in hospital?
A combination perhaps? Worked, all the same...so I guess you better think about ways to hospitalise yourself?

MY theory?
Take a couple weeks off work/study.
Buy about an ounce of weed and roll joints.
Roll yknow 15 with a bold tobacco mix, then roll another 10 with a little less, and so on, and so on, keep them in a place where you can go from high tobacco, to medium mix, to low mix, then none.
Smoke a joint whenever you get the urge to smoke...you'll be forced to cut down in public of course, but follow along here...At the end of this process, you'll have less money to buy cigarettes, you'll be too stoned to really give a shit, hm? Even if you crave for more'n one, you probably wouldn't get too far beyond 2 at a time, right?
Gradually, the tobacco content will become less and less, weening you off it...
Sure, you could end up with a bit of a pot habit, but in my experience, unless you're a serious stoner that can't moderate for shit, it's easy enough to drop whenever you like. Besides...and I'm being totally serious here...I've known smokers and I've known weed smokers...tobacco smokers end up spending more per week in almost all cases.
Irresponsible? Maybe...
Effective, for sure.

Other than that...I'd personally say:
Fuck the cravings. Quitting isn't easy...you'll be that much more satisfied with your efforts (I reckon) if you went cold turkey. I've got it from good sources that these supposed cravings only last up to five minutes...if that's true, good, if not, deal with it. The longer you keep at it, the less the urge will become.
Sleep when you're at a loose end with it, and excersize like crazy...sweat it out and exhause yourself, give your lungs a taste of fresh air....won't be pleasant at first I'm sure...but you'll get past it once you cough out the ick that your lungs are full of...

I cannot reccomend any "replacement" products...well, legally available ones anyway...for I have no experience with them.

I think the important thing is...stop buying, go through your last pack, and fucking ditch it, do NOT buy any more. Try to be on your own for a bit if lots of your friends smoke.

Easier said than done - you cant hide away from it - either the desire to give up is there, or it is not. Personally, giving up smoking and sitting in a room with people still not having the desire to give up would give me a kick - I could gloat quietly at how *weak* my buddies are!!
While sucking down secondary smoke? Doesn't exactly help towards ones target to remove the chemical intake...



That'll do me...

[Shazbut]

I smoke.

Here's the key.... You have to actually want to quit. Because if you don't desire to stop, then all the patches and gum in the world aren't gonna help ya. I get badgered at least a couple times a week (usually by family) to quit smoking, but I honestly have no desire to. I like it. I know if I tried to quit right now, it'd be unsuccessful simply because I don't desire it. Now, if one of those family members were to offer me 1 million dollars to stop smoking tomorrow, I'd quit, but it'd be because I had motivation to do so. Personally, I don't see myself quitting until some day when I have a kid. At that point, I'd hate to be setting a bad example for them so I would then have the desire to quit.


All that being said, if you really DO want to quit, I'd say just go cold turkey and stop (mind over matter) or else try the gum. My cousin did that when he quit and it seems to have worked for him.

It's different for everyone. I know people who couldnt do it without weaning off or substituting with gum or patches. Other friends used mind over matter with incantations like "I do not smoke, I do not smoke" for many weeks until one morning they woke up and lost the desire to smoke again. A couple of other friends just gave up like *THAT* - just woke up and never touched a fag again! (Fag = slang for Cigarette here in the UK - okay??!!) :D

[Phalanx]

I suppose the following will depend on how much credibility you put in it, but, my sister who was (maybe is again, I dunno, haven't seen the bitch in a couple years) quite a heavy smoker, claimed that she'd quit after seeing a hypnotist.
Said the idea of smoking felt foreign to her, and that there was no urges to speak of. Said she felt a bit fatigues for the following week, but that's the only negative she spoke of...

See, me...I don't put too much stock in the hypnotism thing, maybe I'll have an experience with it that'll enlighten me one day...until then, I'm like...surrre...my initial impression was that the stubborn bitch just decided to quit smoking after her "session" to save face after coughing up that amount of cash...
But yknow, this is up to you to decide.
It's an option that APPARENTLY works.

[AmericanManiac]

@Phalanx - I like how you are trying to get me on another drug, as if i'm not on it already :D , Although i stopped doing that easily. I spend about $50 a week on "fags" :D (sorry I never heard that one before). One of the reason's I want to quit is because i'm in the middle of buying a house, and I know I won't be able to afford it. A few other personal reasons, my dad died at a young age from smoking, and my fiancee's dad is now fighting cancer caused from smoking. I was 10 years old when I seen my dad laying in the hospital bed with his chest cut open, due to smoking. That right there should of made me not start, but once he seriously started having health problems I got stressed, my life got hetic and that's when I started. Now it is like a best friend to me, I've just read a web site where it says the craving only lasts about 5 minutes.

Going cold turkey sounds great, no money needed to spend on the patches :D

[_____V_____]

I dont smoke, dont drink, and dont do drugs.

[Papillon Noir]

I was wondering how many of you smoke or did smoke ? I'm in the process of stopping, I was wondering what did you guys do to help stop ? Should I buy the patch, or just try to cut down every day or what ?

I smoked for seven years before I quit and have been smoke free for two years now.

I really enjoyed smoking and smoked about a pack a day. I would normally smoke Marlboro Lights and was still smoking a pack a day when I was waiting tables and working as a baggage handler for an airline.

It wasn't until I started working desk jobs and was trying to get into the Air Force that I started exercising and running more, and the Lights just felt too strong. So I switched to Ultra Lights for two years.

Working in an office cut down my smoking even more and it just didn't really feel good anymore and even the Ultra Lights felt too strong. Once you can get down to a few cigarettes a day, you can get to one and try to smoke every other day until eventually you won't want to do it at all.

It took me about three months to ween myself off. I never used the patch because nicotine is out of your system in five days. You'll get headaches for two or three days and then you are fine. The only thing that gets you is that you're just so used to smoking, especially at a bar or after dinner or whatever. That's really the habit you have to break.

At any rate, you don't realize the extent of the negative effects of smoking on your body until you quit. I used to get colds several times a year and most of them would be pretty severe. Since I quit, I've gotten one maybe two over the past two years, and I didn't even have to take off of work.

Also, you don't realize how much you can't smell or taste untill you quit. I remember eating cherry pie about a month after I quit and I never knew cherry pie tasted so good. It was amazing and still is. My teeth looked much whiter too without having to whiten them.

So, my advice, if you want to actually quit for you and no body else you can do it. You just have to want the change and you will be able to cut back and then quit. But you have to stick with, if you can do five days you can do two weeks, and if you can do that, month is easy and then a year will pass and you won't even notice.

Somebody once said, "You know what's harder than quitting smoking? Starting to floss." And it's completely true.

One more thing, that whole gaining twenty pounds thing when you quit is completely true. I gained twenty pounds in a few months after I quit and it took me three times as long to lose it again. And I usually have a pretty steady weight. But I tell you that's a great deterrent to not to start again.

[Shazbut]

There is always Allen Carr's Easyway Method - it worked with one of my friends.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/0140277633

Carr, ironically, died of inoperable lung cancer 20 odd years after he quit - but he was on nearly 100 a day and believed breathing in other people's smoke at his "quit-smoking" sessions also contributed to it.

I remember my friend, on reading his book, said she felt empowered within a few minutes of reading the first chapter. She read it, following his instructions and eventually stopped.

I guess any method for cessation is the right one for someone.

Good luck!

[Shazbut]

I dont smoke, dont drink, and dont do drugs.


I dont read Mills & Boon........ :D

[bloody_ribcut]

its like what bewind said, youhave to want to quit.
i dont smoke ciggerettes, i rather spend five dollars on a nick.

[Nikkif8]

I smoke. I have been smoking for about 15 years now which is a long frickn time.
I have quite a few times, 6 months was the longest time. And I did it cold turkey. It went pretty well, I had lollipops to suffice the oral fixation and I just wasn't around smokers a lot at the time and I didn't drink.
The other times I quit was for up to 3 months. It was hard if I was drinking, or I wiould have a cigar instead and then I would have 5 cigars in a night and it was nasty.
You defintalely have to be reall sick of smoking and want to quit. If you have no desire than it will suck big time. I have tried patches too and they helped a lot, I barely thought about smoking at all.
I have been wanting to quit again soon but it's hard, I like it and I am just not ready again.
The whole dying from cancer smoking thing doesn't worry me, there are so many people that die of lung cancer etc that never smoked a day in there life. For me it is just a nasty, smelly habit and I hope to quit someday for good.
When I quit for the 6 months I had so much more energy, I couldn't sleep well for about a month I was wide awake. I could smell and taste everything it was incredible.
Good luck! Keep us posted.

[_____V_____]

I dont read Mills & Boon........ :D

lmao find it hard to believe huh?

Well, its the truth. One of the steadfast principles of my life which I ve upheld, and will continue to do so.:)

[novakru]

I started smoking at age 15 cause I just looked so fucking cool *cough cough*

I have quit every time I got pregnant and didn't start back til I stopped BF.
This time I am done for good and will not pick up another ciggie EVER because I want to see my kids become talented happy adults and that's all the motivation I need.
Besides, I was starting to cough up some really funky shit before I quit the last time and it was getting hard to breathe after climbing the stairs.:eek:

Try all the methods OTC first and see which one works for you, if they don't work, see an MD, or try accupunture(sp?).
Stay away from smokers and places that still allow smoking.
Change your daily routine so that the normal times you smoked won't be so alarmingly obvious.
Do crunches when you crave one.
Go on a good de-tox diet for a coupla days.


That's all I can think of for now.

Good Luck:)

[1beastieibe]

At any rate, you don't realize the extent of the negative effects of smoking on your body until you quit. I used to get colds several times a year and most of them would be pretty severe

This is true!

Anway I have been smoking on and off for the last 12 years, and I find it easier to ween myself off, I get really sick when I go cold Turkey, so I would just smoke a couple less a day until I was down to one or two, and then when I stopped I wouldn't get very sick.

The hardest thing is when ever I get back in a slump in my life I start up again, and then I end up having to quit all over....the longest amount of time I have gone without smoking was 14 months, and when I look back on it I felt the best during those months. So I guess I better stop having shitty things happen to me!

Anyway good luck with quitting, but like most people have said you have to be doing it cause you really want to stop not because someone else wants you too.

[AmericanManiac]

I do want to quit, for me. I read that if you drink a lot of water, tea the first few days it will get the nicotine, and other chemicals out of your body, and it's easier that way. I thank you all for your support and methods, i've had one cig today and thats good as I have been smoking close to 2 packs a day.

[Posher778]

I won't smoke, ever. No matter what. If I get stressed, there are plenty of ways to lessen it. Deep breathing? It works. Turning lungs brown and dormant? Not very good for deep breathing. Drugs? Never.

[AmericanManiac]

Do crunches when you crave one.
Go on a good de-tox diet for a coupla days.


That's all I can think of for now.

Good Luck:)

Thanks for that idea, This is what I started doing. I used to do this in Highschool. I take a deck of cards, have them facing down piled up, take the one on the top. Whatever the number is do that many crunches, the next card, is push-ups, and keep alternating. Jacks are 11, Queens 12, Kings 13, and Jokers well 20. Now my blood is pumping and i'm not even thinking about one, looks like i'm going to have to go with bloodrayne now and start dieting :D Thanks for that suggestion, much thanks is appreciated, and if I can stay this motivated how I feel now, i'm already done. :o

[Dante'sInferno]

I don't and will never smoke.And i will never do drugs eiither.

[Shazbut]

lmao find it hard to believe huh?

Well, its the truth. One of the steadfast principles of my life which I ve upheld, and will continue to do so.:)

I dont find it hard to believe actually - I have many friends who abstain from the demon weed and that devil called alcohol. I rarely drink - maybe a couple of glasses of red wine a month.

Everything in moderation or not at all isnt a bad thing!

Personal choice is our prerogative! :)

[bwind22]

I have a few friends that don't do anything. They make great sobercabs. :)

[novakru]

and if I can stay this motivated how I feel now, i'm already done. :o

Cool.
And come here when you're weak...we'll kick your ass back on track:)

[Mictlantechutli]

I smoked for 10 years - 1 1/2 packs a day.

Quit cold turkey. It sucks ass, but I tried weening myself off of them and it never worked. Cold turkey - one week and the cravings are gone.

And when I got the cravings I just did push-ups. I gained weight, but it was mostly muscle.

[monsterhash]

so true about wanting to quit, it can't happen otherwise. I quit using a whole program that used hypnotherapy and a systematic daily reduction in nicotine. The whole plan cost $350 and I was determined not to waste that much money. I sold one of my Marshall amplifiers to get the money-that's how much I wanted to quit at the time. I've not smoked cigs for 8 years now.
BTW I smoked for 16 years before quitting-yes I'm old ;)

[Marroe]

I smoked for 10 years - 1 1/2 packs a day.

Quit cold turkey. It sucks ass, but I tried weening myself off of them and it never worked. Cold turkey - one week and the cravings are gone.

.
The same with me. I smoked for 10 years almost (started when I was only 12), and just stopped buying them...period. I still get cravings seldomly, and I admit I have had a few since I quit when I am out drinking, but for the most part the cravings are gone, and I couldn't feel better. Just don't let yourself buy them!!!!! If they're not around, you won't smoke them;)

[Despare]

I smoked up until about 3 years ago, it was tough to quit for me. I'm one of the rare people who liked everything about it (except the health issues). I loved the smell, the taste, the feeling... I still like the smell of second hand smoke. I only quit to be healthier and I GUESS that's good enough of a reason. I tried xanax but that didn't really help, ended up going cold turkey but the fact that my wife bought me a gift every month I didn't smoke helped a lot heh.

[jenna26]

I smoked when I was a teenager up until I was about 21 I think. It was pretty easy for me to quit regularly smoking actually, but every once in awhile I would have a slip. But haven't had one now in well over a year, and haven't had the desire either, even when I am in a group where others are smoking (that was always my problem, I was fine until someone else lit up).

[bloody_ribcut]

hope this makes scence....
Respiratory Tract and Lung cancer

Cancerous growths in the mouth make up one in twenty of all cases of human cancers. Oral cancer is uncommon, except among tobacco users and heavy drinkers of alcohol. Three out of five cases of oral cancers are due to alcohol or tobacco (cigarettes, pipes, cigars and smokeless tobacco, especially snuff. The risk soars for people who smoke and drink. Two packs a day and four drinks a day, for example, means 35 times greater risk. The human papilloma virus is also suspect. See cancer and parasites for more information. Malignant growths on the lips are a frequent finding in areas of the world where strong sunlight is usual. The tongue is another site of cancer, often starting as an innocuous-looking area of whitening of the noramlly pink surface. A frequent cause of tongue and mouth cancer is tobacco smoking, especially in pipes and cigars, .

Lung Cancer has been on the increase since the turn of the century. Recently, however, there has been a decline in the number of men with lung cancer but a large increase in the number of women with lung cancer.


http://i159.photobucket.com/albums/t154/gus361/cancer.jpg