Kicking the habit

[HunterG]

I come to you blog members for a little advice….

I have made the decision to quit smoking and am a about a week in. I have never tried to quit before and am feeling like a crazy person. It feels as though I have begun to put unholy fear into the members of my household, so I ask you:

Have you done this and succeeded? What helped you to be a non smoker? I am doing well for the most part (only 1 or less a day for 4 days now) but today I think I created a situation just so I could get upset and yell about something.

I hate to think that I may make my husband run for the hills with my completely insane mood swings – quitting isn’t worth my marriage. Is this normal? Do I have to lock myself away in a cabin in the woods or something? Insights and advice are most welcome and thank you!

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[JanS]

I quite years ago with my hubby (now my ex). He always had a toothpick in his mouth. I chewed gum like it was going out of style. Have you thought about talking with your doctor…something like Chantrix or Nicorette? When those moments come, can you go for a walk (alone), so as not to take their heads off? It takes about 3 weeks for a habit to take hold, or in this case, a habit to replace a habit. Keep coming here for support. We’ll be like your AA for smoking. Hopefully, more suggestions will come. Hang in there ! :)

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[acemotel]

Yes! I have done this almost one year ago. It was much easier than I ever thought it would be, and I had a long love affair with tobacco, starting at age 16 and going for more than 30 years, at about a pack a day. I was one of those people that others thought would never quit.

Please buy this book: http://www.amazon.com/The-Easy-Way-Stop-Smoking/dp/1402718616. by Allen Carr. The book says to stop without any help, but I used nicorette lozenges for a good six months afterwards. I also had access to patches, but I did not use them.

I had support from the smoking cessation program at the Cancer Care Alliance and they gave me the lozenges and patches free. (I had a scare when I thought I had cancer – but I didn’t – which is how I got there) The nice ladies at the smoking cessation program called me once or twice over six months to see how I was doing.

I could have got more support from dozens of online groups and sometimes when I really wanted a cigarette, I would read the boards there, but I never actually reached out to anyone because I had so much good support from my family and friends.

My doctor told me the first six months are the most difficult, and he was right. After that, I hardly ever thought about cigarettes, and I don’t now at all. IF I do think about them, I don’t want one, so the time will come when you are free. I just kept thinking about how great it is to be free, not to have to worry about how I smell, or to worry about running out of cigarettes when I go somewhere, or figuring out where to smoke when I am out to dinner or at my daughter’s softball games, etc.

I did it without gaining weight, either, so please don’t scare yourself into thinking you can’t do it, or that you have to gain a lot of weight. It’s not true. You can do it, and you will!

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[oddreality]

I quit cold turkey in the late 80’s after smoking 1 1/2 to 2 packs a day for many years.It was hard but worth it. Yes, I got cranky [ok,maybe more than just cranky] but that does pass! Stay strong,all the bad side effects of kicking the habit do go away.

What helped me was seeing people just a few years older than I was already in wheel chairs tied to oxygen tanks due to smoking.I did not want to end up like that if I could help it.

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[smokeycretin9]

chewing gum and drinking straws cut to the length of cigs to hold in your hands.

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[TanDL]

One of the biggest things is to change the routines you had around smoking.

Figure out when you were most likely to light up and get real busy at those times. This is a great time of year to quit because there’s more light for activity. Friends of mine figured out that they were especially prone to smoking in the evenings, after dinner, so they developed hobbies to keep their hands busy.. coloring, painting, sculpting, knitting, gardening, upgrading a room in the house, etc. Something you really like to do that will engage you and your hands.

Make this the busiest 6 months your hands have ever had.

Also figure out where you normally lit up. For example, if you normally smoked on the couch in the evening, start sitting in a different chair. If you smoked out on the back porch, start hanging out on the front porch instead. Change your routines to help change your perspective.

And if you normally smoked alone, start spending some quality time with your husband. Go for walks together or find some activity you both like to do together.

Best of luck to you. You can do it and you’ll feel really really good, too!

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[NFiorentini]

This is my story. I’ve posted something similar on other boards and, for whatever reason, someone flies off the handle for reasons that I don’t understand. But here goes anyway…

Smoking is fun. Smoking can be enjoyable. Except the part where you wake up hacking up a lung, the annual fits of bronchitis, cancer, cigarette ash burns on your favorite tie, smelling like an ashtray, etc.

And nicotine isn’t terrible either. There are worse substances to which to become addicted. If someone needs to be alert or needs to be mentally astute, nicotine is beneficial.

I smoked off and on for a decade before moving to snuff and Snus, but I missed smoking. About a year ago, I tried an electronic cigarette kit which I purchased from a local convenience store. I tried it out next to someone who is hypersensitive to smoke and they could not smell it. Overall, it was okay, but not a great replacement for smoking. But it was enough to warrant trying other e-cigarettes.

I’ve since become an advocate of e-cigs and I think that anyone who smokes “analog” (tobacco) cigarettes should try the various e-cigs that are out there. The dangerous byproducts of tobacco cigarettes are not present in e-cigs. There is no smoke, just water vapor. “E-juice” is made with either Propylene Glycol and/or Vegetable Glycerin, combined with any flavoring that you can image…from attempts to replicate Marlboro Reds to Snickerdoodle cookies (which is awesome and tastes just like Snickerdoodle cookies) to Pina Colada. Additionally, e-juice is available in various levels of nicotine, including no nicotine. People have been successful in completely quitting cigarettes altogether with e-cigs, so there’s that option also.

Me…I don’t want to completely quit and enjoy vaping! It’s also vastly cheaper than smoking.

The most important lesson that I’ve learned is that, the more an e-cig tries to look like a cigarette, the lousier the battery life and the less the volume of vapor.

You can get a lot of info here (it’s a bit overwhelming actually)…

http://www.e-cigarette-forum.com/forum/

As far as myself…

I use a Provari (Google that if you’re curious), which is made in Monroe, WA. And I get most of my e-juices from Ms. T’s Bakery (Google also). I’m currently vaping Vanilla Custard and I enjoy this *way* more than any Marlboro or Camel Turkish Gold analog.

And my lungs are fine.

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[Andy]

Acemotel’s book recommendation is a good one. I read it and was finally able to quit. Coincidence? Maybe. I know it helped change how I thought about smoking, and that’s the key.

Also, I somehow managed to whip myself up into such a fear of cigarettes that I still have occasional nightmares about smoking. Sort of a self-inflicted brain washing program. I’ll take nightmares over lung cancer. My family agrees.

And I wager yours does, too.

Keep it up! A week is a long time, so you’re already enjoying more success than most people when they try. And remember to be proud of yourself – this is a big a deal and a hell of a gift to you and your family.

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[pattilea]

I quit several years ago. I loved smoking, but I knew I didn’t want to die of lung cancer. I watched both parent die that way. I did use the patch, and it was easier than I thought it would be. My husband still has his head! Every now and then I dream about smoking, or I smell smoke and I think, maybe just one drag, a passing thought.

Hang in there!!!

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[365Stairs]

Don’t forget to pay yourself…

For every pack you would have purchased…put that into a new savings or investment account…

Make the trip you would have made to the 7-11…and go to the bank…every day…make the deposit! Same amount of time you would have spent…but worth so much more!

$9 bucks a day (or more for some)…you have some real financial incentives to go along with healthier habits! Compounding Interest!

Good job and best of everything to all of you who stopped!

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[Spring Chicken]

It seems unfair that some people can quit smoking easily, when for most of us it’s really, really hard. Don’t give up, YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Get every kind of help that you can! Consider hypnosis or a support group if that’s your thing, I know people who swear by them. Nicorette gum or patch, call all your friends, read inspirational messages on websites about quitting, BE KIND TO YOURSELF!

When you get a craving, glance at your watch. After a few days you will notice the cravings are spaced farther apart and of shorter duration. Take deep breaths and the craving goes away faster!

Remind yourself that a craving is a good sign the nicotine is leaving your system!

Sometimes a tough day could occur after it’s been easier for awhile, don’t get discouraged. Don’t give up and smoke or you will have to go through all of this over again!

Schedule your teeth cleaned and brush often, soon after every meal if you can. It’s less tempting to smoke when your mouth feels fresh.

Avoid bars or clubs for a few weeks, if for you a drink always goes with a cigarette.

I drank lots of clear liquids, especially craved Ginger Ale for some reason, and I walked a lot! Having crunchy low-cal snacks like carrot sticks always ready in the fridge helped too, since I was afraid if I put on weight I might go back to smoking.

Breathe in, breathe out, and don’t smoke in between!

Keep going WE’RE HERE FOR YOU

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[sbre]

Ohhhh, smoking!!!

I thought this thread was going to be about booting a nun on the bum…

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[acemotel]

I just remembered a routine I used to get me through the rough patch. Whenever I so completely craved a smoke that I thought I couldn’t make it, I would go to a coffee shop and get a coffee. It takes time and there’s a certain ritual about walking or driving there, ordering, etc etc… and by then, the craving was gone. For me, it was a matter of finding new “rewards” because I used to mark my life with smokes…. i.e., I’ll finish this report and have a smoke, I’ll clean the kitchen and have a smoke. So my new “reward” was getting a coffee, but it could be any number of things. Springchicks idea to check your watch is great! The craving ALWAYS passes.

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[Semele]

I quit four and half years ago cold turkey and picked up running. Every time I had the urge to smoke I ran until my lungs hurt. Tryst me, it wasn’t very far at first. Then, about three months after quitting I decided to train for a marathon and completed it that same year. I haven’t smoked since and still stay incredibly active. You must find something to replace it, just try and make it healthy.

There is no reason to have to gain weight like everyone always is afraid of if you don’t make your replacement food. Good luck! It’s one of the best things you can do for yourself! Oh, and exercise will also help curb the crabbiness!

My husband said I was miserable to be around the first month. It’s rough but it does get better. Keep us informed of how things are going!

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[casaboba]

Congratulations for choosing not to smoke. As you know, you will have to continue to make this conscious choice every day in order to quit.

I quit 12 years ago. I still make the choice not to smoke every day. For the first five years after quitting I dreamed about smoking. In technicolor no less!

I wish I had a magic wand, pill or methodology to share with you that would ease your cravings, anxiety, and doubts. I do not. I do know however that if you continue to “tough it out” the cravings and anxiety will diminish.

Know in your heart that what you are doing is good for you, your family, and the environment. Keep BUSY and give that nervous energy you are experiencing an outlet. As for the oral fixation, unsalted sunflower seeds, unsweetened gum, toothpicks/straws/etc may prove soothing.

Here’s a link to some clever visuals to look at to help remind/reinforce why smoking is so harmful.

http://www.boredpanda.com/top-40-cool-creative-antismoking-ads/

As Winston Churchill once said, “Never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, give up. Never give up. Never give up. Never give up.”

You CAN be successful.

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[datamuse]

I quit ten years ago. It was my third attempt, but this time it stuck.

I went cold turkey, though it helped that I developed a major respiratory infection at the time that made smoking much less appealing. (I don’t necessarily recommend this as a method.)

For me, what really helped was reminding myself of all the things I could do that had been difficult before. I do kung fu and the almost immediate increase in my endurance and stamina was a huge boost in helping me stay off cigarettes. Having that additional pocket money that I wasn’t spending on my habit helped, too. Doing other things that I enjoyed instead also helped.

And for me, not “having just one” was really, really key—that’s how I fell back into the habit the previous two times. I had a physical addiction and I couldn’t “have just one” and not have it become a habit again. There are things I can do in moderation, like coffee and alcohol. Cigarettes, it turns out, aren’t among them.

But after a few years, I didn’t WANT cigarettes anymore. I was recently in China, where smoking is very, very common, and I found myself more annoyed by it than anything else. Cigarette smoke smells bad to me now and I don’t like being around it. This makes me happy because it means my chances of starting smoking again are slight.

You CAN do it—and you’ll be so happy you did.

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[luckymom30]

Congrats to all of you who quit smoking!

And thank you!

My dad died of lung cancer, and my mom died of second-hand smoke.

I wanted to say the book that was suggested is a great one, several of my friends got that book and it helped them greatly as did changing their daily habits.

You can do it HunterG!

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[SJoy]

I have quit several times. The first time I quit I didn’t smoke for 4 years until my life fell apart when my mother died of lung cancer. I stupidly took up smoking again. I half heartedly tried a few more times to quit. I again quit for 8 months until stress got too much when we were taking care of my mother in law who was dying of lung cancer…. I tried again a few times half heartedly but the beginning of Jan this year I quit for good. It’s not easy but it’s doable. You need to find what works for you.

What works for me is:

– I know that my craves subside very quickly within a minute or two if I make myself move on and think of something else.

– I am also training again for another triathlon so I am getting exercise that helps the craving and stress.

– I continue to tell myself these three things

1) I will NOT die like my mother and mother in law (both of lung cancer).

2) I will NOT keep putting weight on everytime I try to quit.

3) I will NOT go through the process of quitting smoking again.

You also should pinpoint your major triggers. My two are when I get mad and when I drink. I have pretty much stopped drinking for this reason but a number of other reasons as well. When I get really, really mad, all I want to do is smoke. This is my hardest time and my biggest weakness. But I also KNOW that this is my weakness so I try not to get mad and I am more going with the philosophy that the world isn’t going to fall apart and everything will be ok. You just have to find your own successful ways to manage your weaknesses and trigger points.

Good luck – it is so worth it.

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[add]

This is a great thread. I quit smoking 24 years ago after smoking 1+ packs a day for more than 10 years. I don’t remember some of the “tricks” or specifics that made it easier, but I do know that key component to my success was shifting my thinking from “i am quitting cigarettes” to “i am taking on a tough personal challenge”. For some reason, this was way more motivating to me .. I just wanted to see if I could do it. Then, after a few weeks, it was all about not breaking my streak. So the idea of creating new meaning about the behavior change can be very powerful!

I will also recommend a book called Change Anything: The New Science of Personal Success (http://www.changeanythingbook.com/) – it provides a great framework for changing any habit and so many of the ideas shared above fit right into that model. (Full disclosure, I work with the authors.)

Good luck! Keep it up, I’ll check in on you at the Thriftway. :)

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[Talaki34]

No matter how you choose to quit, I would suggest reading everything you can on http://www.whyquit.com. The more educated you are the better decisions you will make. The better decisions the more successful the Quit. The info is invaluable. I would also suggest you get yourself a quit buddy.

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[kootchman]

And… keep trying! Ig ya slip, backslide, remember it takes most people multiple tries. Do things that are incompatible with smoking. Chlorinated water as in swimming pools makes cigarettes taste terrible. Ride a bicycle.. plenty of hills is West Seattle to measure yourself by.

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[pigeonmom]

I quit six years ago. Two weeks before my quit date I switched from my preferred premium brand to American Spirit to wean myself off the chemical additives and to give myself the idea that these cigarettes were disgusting and I had no business smoking them. (American Spirits tasted nothing like my previous brand.)

On my quit date I started the patch and only went one week with them and I was done.

I replaced deep breathing for a cigarette whenever the urge to smoke came along.

Hooray and good luck!

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[HunterG]

You guys are AMAZING! Thank you for sharing your stories, it helps me so much reading what some of you have wrote and how I have similarities.

I truly am not alone! When you start to go through these insane feelings you feel like you are.

I will keep coming back to this thread to keep myself motivated and will update you guys on my progress, thank you again so much for sharing with me. Today will be my first day with no tobacco at all. WIsh my husband luck ;)

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[JanS]

HunterG…I was just thinking….when you feel the urge to crab at your hubby, maybe substitute…well, ..rhymes with hex :D…hehehe..calories burned, he’s happy, you didn’t have a smoke…!

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[HunterG]

Ha! Good idea Jan, but he’s being a sh*t right now so I can’t think of that. =D *Blushing*

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