I QUIT! The quitting smoking support thread.

[gallione11]

If it works for you, one other thing you can do, is set small goals and reward yourself. When I hit three months last June, I bought myself some new golf clubs as a reward and motivation to keep going. Doesn't necessarily have to be something that big, but you may find something that works for you.

[Hatter]

I randomly saw this thread at 1:30am today while browsing the forum. I'm 23 years old and have been smoking for 10 years. I've been smoking about a pack a day since I was 16 or 17. I just smoked my last cigarette and crushed the rest of the pack.

I feel a sense of immense relief. I'm sick of standing in the cold, leaving the table on dates or at a friend's house, and generally feeling like a leper. I'm even more tired of feeling like garbage, and smelling the same. Even more than that, I'm a post-secondary student on student loans who often can't go out with my friends because I've spent $300 that month to make myself feel ####ty.

$300 x12 x50 (if I would even live to 73) = $180,000

Bring it world, and thanks to the participants of this thread for the motivation. I've been stupid to wait this long.

[#22]

Just wanted to send out props to my wife.....2 years smoke free after smoking about a pack a day for over 25 years. Way to go, honey, I'm proud of you

[GreatWhiteEbola]

I started smoking again about 3 weeks ago, for about 1 week, 2 weeks quit now and going strong...

[Dion]

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteEbola

I started smoking again about 3 weeks ago, for about 1 week, 2 weeks quit now and going strong...

Good to hear. Just because you had a slip doesn't mean you failed. It took my mother several tries before she quit for good.

[dhc-2]

Keep trying no matter how many times you fail. Took me years and well over 20 attempts. One of them just stuck, and I didn't do anything differently than I did the other times. Been over a decade now.

For months afterwards I'd have cravings whenever I'd see or smell it. Then one day that changed too and I can't stand it now. I know I will never go back to it now, and it's not difficult.

Keep trying!

[HELPNEEDED]

so anybody who is balding who quit smoking that noticed a slow down or reversal of balding?

[wpgflamesfan]

Originally Posted by Hack&Lube

I found Swedish made snus at Macs store under the brand Swedish Match General.

It's $13 a tin there and about 15mg of nicotine per 0.5g portion. Snus is made of steamed tobacco bags (instead of fire cured and fermented like chewing tobacco) and you don't pyrolize it like when smoking so there are significantly to no harmful chemicals created as compared to when you light a cigarette. Sweden has the lowest rate of lung cancer in Europe supposedly due to the prevalance of snus usage instead of smoking but there really haven't been many scientific studies that aren't tainted by industry funding so I claim outright whether it's significantly healthier but it seems to be from what I'm reading.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snus

Might be an option to consider as a transition method away from cigarettes for those that don't like nicotine gum.

Snus is the best. Although the stuff you can buy here isn't the greatest (and doesn't contain nearly that much nicotine) and I'd suggest just ordering off Northerner if you're looking at getting some.

[blankall]

Originally Posted by dhc-2

Keep trying no matter how many times you fail. Took me years and well over 20 attempts. One of them just stuck, and I didn't do anything differently than I did the other times. Been over a decade now.

For months afterwards I'd have cravings whenever I'd see or smell it. Then one day that changed too and I can't stand it now. I know I will never go back to it now, and it's not difficult.

Keep trying!

Quick question for you. I've always wondered if the anti-smoking campaigns that drive into people's heads how addictive it is, make it harder to quit. There's definitely a psychological component to smoking addictions. On the first 20 attempts, did you feel like a part of you was destinted to fail?

[GreatWhiteEbola]

Originally Posted by HELPNEEDED

so anybody who is balding who quit smoking that noticed a slow down or reversal of balding?

I have never been cognizant of a correlation, I will now be more aware and consider the changes.

[AMG_G]

Don't give up it will work out eventually. I quit since Sept 24th 2011 and just the thought of pissing all that hardwork away stops me from wanting one.

I think I am done for good. The smell of smoke makes me nausiated now.

Originally Posted by GreatWhiteEbola

I started smoking again about 3 weeks ago, for about 1 week, 2 weeks quit now and going strong...

[dhc-2]

Originally Posted by blankall

Quick question for you. I've always wondered if the anti-smoking campaigns that drive into people's heads how addictive it is, make it harder to quit. There's definitely a psychological component to smoking addictions. On the first 20 attempts, did you feel like a part of you was destinted to fail?

I don't think so. I knew full well it was addictive when I started (but like a typical kid thought I wasn't addicted and I could quit whenever I wanted).

Everytime I decided to quit, I didn't feel destined to fail. I was only angry when I bought another pack and smoked one. But what really helped was generally I'd never finish that pack. I'd throw away most of it in disgust either later that day or a few days after. And I think it got easier to go longer and longer between buying packs and 'unquitting' because I started to feel ill after smoking, and it gradually lost its lure.

[V]

I'm getting on 2 years now. I just recently started running to keep myself in shape now that indoor soccer and hockey are done for the season. I had a pretty funny moment the other day when I was running, approaching a bus stop on the side of the road. There was a guy there waiting for the bus, and he was watching me run towards him. When I was just about at the bus stop he reached into his coat, pulled out a smoke and lit it. I thought it was pretty comical. I guess my running inspired him to have another smoke. I remember how when I was smoking, the idea of running 20 km in a week was so far away it seemed impossible. Pretty cool that I can do it now no problem.

[BigFlameDog]

I was on CPcation and stumbled on this....I wanted to say great job to all of you who are trying and don't give up or give in, it is worth it in the end.

I quit chewing 4 years ago this month (after 15 years) and it is worth it to have my 6 year old not remember Daddy chewing the "yucky", as she called it when she was 2. One day I am going to have some explaining to do regarding pictures with a big pinch in my lip, but I will be able to say I slayed that dragon.

I tried at least 10 times to quit before it finally took.....my only advice is don't sweat the small relapse just don't turn it into a big one and get right back on the horse.

Don't say I'll quit again Monday...just quit again as soon as you knew you screwed up..don't beat yourself up just drop it again and pat yourself on the back.

[devo22]

I smoked for the past 9 years, but made the decision to stop smoking about 6 weeks ago ... however, I was hammered on St Patrick's Day and thought it was a good idea to smoke a single cigarette at about 3 am but I haven't smoked since then, so it's about a month now. It's actually quite easy, I barely miss it. The only 'dangerous' situations are when I'm out for a few beers with my friends ... always enjoyed a few butts while going for a drink. But so far, everything is going really well.

[HELPNEEDED]

Update:

I bit the bullet yesterday; picked up Allen Carr's book after the Pen-Flyer game and read it off and on till the end of the Canucks-Kings game, and boy I was hooked. What he said made so much sense, the cravings are'nt actually cravings they're the smoking disease dying, its starving to death. I finished the book, went outside and lit up a smoke and asper his instructions I carefully breathed in each drag and felt it going down my throat to my lungs and for the first time in a long time the process of smoking was not as pleasurable, don't take me wrong I was still smoking but it had less of an appeal. This was 11pm last night.

11-hours later, a workday. I have had cravings, but instead of bowing to them, I am accepting them as the nicotine monster dying of starvation. I have a bit of a head-ache and drowsy feeling, but I'm sure it will pass.

I'll try to update every so often on the Allan Carr experience.

Originally Posted by HELPNEEDED

I finished the book, went outside and lit up a smoke and asper his instructions I carefully breathed in each drag and felt it going down my throat to my lungs and for the first time in a long time the process of smoking was not as pleasurable, don't take me wrong I was still smoking but it had less of an appeal.

The "Aha!" moment!
I remember mine exactly. I was on my break at work, sitting on the curb in Market Mall when I had that smoke.

[Pacem]

Originally Posted by blankall

Quick question for you. I've always wondered if the anti-smoking campaigns that drive into people's heads how addictive it is, make it harder to quit. There's definitely a psychological component to smoking addictions. On the first 20 attempts, did you feel like a part of you was destinted to fail?

For me, it was absolutely 100% true that the anti smoking got in my head. The marketing blitz done by quit smoking aids truly makes it appear that quitting smoking is the most difficult thing in the world to do. It was a huge mental block in my head without a doubt. Hearing other people that are close to me and their issues with quitting, it appears its the same. Reading Allen Carrs book completely eliminated that mental block. The book just made me look at quitting smoking differently. Once I realized how weak the cravings literally were and that it really isn't that hard to do, it just finally made sense.

Originally Posted by HELPNEEDED

I finished the book, went outside and lit up a smoke and asper his instructions I carefully breathed in each drag and felt it going down my throat to my lungs and for the first time in a long time the process of smoking was not as pleasurable, don't take me wrong I was still smoking but it had less of an appeal. This was 11pm last night.

I'll remember that last cigarette. The whole process behind, and what that cigarette meant. Almost two years later and it is definitely a great moment in my life.

[gallione11]

Originally Posted by Pacem

. Reading Allen Carrs book completely eliminated that mental block. The book just made me look at quitting smoking differently. Once I realized how weak the cravings literally were and that it really isn't that hard to do, it just finally made sense.

I never read the book, so I'm can't comment on that. But one thing I will add -- when I was looking online for aid to help quit, one of the biggest "facts" I read that made it easier for me to deal with cravings was that supposedly cravings only technically last about 3-4 minutes. Whether that's actually true or not, I don't know, but I made myself believe it and when a craving hit, I purposely did something to divert my focus for 5 minutes and the craving disappeared afterwards.

Just sounds kinda similar to what the book may say.

[pylon]

I just want to encourage all the quitters in this thread.

I am now 1 year and 4 months in.

Last year, I worked to improve my cardio, and it was a lot better, but I still had some lingering lung issues. I call it the 14th street test. How hard can I pedal up the 14th street hill going north out of downtown. It is a leg/lung crusher. By the end of last year I was able to get up it the whole way without dismounting, but in the lowest couple of gears on my bike, out of breath at the top.

This year, both times I have gone up it, I am plowing through it 3 rings higher up on the bike and am only experiencing leg burn, no issues with being out of breath. And I basically did zero cardio this winter, just weightlifting.

There is a light at the end of the tunnel.