main
side
curve
  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

JCC ITT I quit smoking.

Discussion in 'Community' started by SuperWatto, Feb 3, 2013.

  1. SuperWatto

    SuperWatto Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 19, 2000
    Anybody who's gone through this, and has any tips on what worked - or what didn't?
     
    Summer Dreamer likes this.
  2. VadersLaMent

    VadersLaMent Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Apr 3, 2002
    In my case, a collapsed lung and the Patch for one week.
     
  3. Rox

    Rox Administrator Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 24, 2000
    I quit cold turkey. A big part of what helped me quit was to have a pen around to chew on the end of while at work. I never had a problem with cravings at home since I had my wife around to keep me in line.
     
  4. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    Friend of mine used just e-cigarettes for awhile but has completely stopped now.
     
    halibut likes this.
  5. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2004
    hey, good luck superwatto! i smoked for 20+ years, and quit cold turkey on tax day last year. it was really, really hard but if you're serious about not wanting to smoke anymore you can do it. i actually started a thread on the temp boards when i quit and all the encouragement i received from people was really helpful.

    i think everyone is different, and i don't think cold turkey works for everyone. i hear a lot of good stuff about e-cigarettes. the only drawback to those is that people tend to keep using them indefinitely, but it's still a lot better than smoking real cigarettes.
     
    Yodahasgreenfeet likes this.
  6. VadersLaMent

    VadersLaMent Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Apr 3, 2002
    Not to mention one can save something like $1,800 a year if you are a pack a day smoker.
     
  7. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    I was going to suggest that you ask Tom as I remember his thread on the temp boards.

    Edit - if you do stop try putting the money you would have spent on smokes into a jar and see how quickly it builds up. Then use it to treat yourself if you stay 'clean' for awhile.
     
  8. beezel26

    beezel26 Jedi Master star 7

    Registered:
    May 11, 2003
    Think of the children, honestly its the truth. If you have children. But best of luck. And ask for help from all those around you that doesn't smoke. And if you are not in a smoke free environment like work or a restaurant, NY is smoke free everywhere then best of luck.
     
  9. SuperWatto

    SuperWatto Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 19, 2000
    Thanks, Tom.

    I'd forgotten all about the e-cigarettes; are they still on sale?
    I don't think cold turkey would work for me. Tried that a few times but started again within... hours. I need some help. I thought at least posting about this will help me be serious about it...

    VLM- WHAT. Quitting caused your lung to collapse?
     
  10. Boba_Fett_2001

    Boba_Fett_2001 Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Dec 11, 2000
    [​IMG]
     
  11. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2004
    yeah, e cigarettes are definitely still around and i think more popular than ever. i think the starter kits are a bit pricey (like $70 or so) but the refills are reasonable and you would end up spending a lot less than you would on real cigarettes. i think for me they would be better than the patch or gum because what i miss about smoking, as much as the nicotine, is the act of smoking itself. this replaces both.
     
  12. VadersLaMent

    VadersLaMent Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Apr 3, 2002
    Not exactly. What they told me is that tall thin males in their mid 30's can be walking around all healthy and then BLAMMO! Down they go with a collapsed lung out of nowhere. They said that smoking was not the cause but helped it happen. One item I saw on the web said it makes it up to 20 times more likely to happen. Afterwards if I had continued to smoke I had a 70% chance of it happening again. I do miss the habit, I liked smoking. But the smell is terrible now that I don't smoke, and you have less expense.
     
  13. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    Try a drugstore near you to get an idea on price for starter kits. I know there are some on Amazon as well.
     
  14. Rogue1-and-a-half

    Rogue1-and-a-half Manager Emeritus who is writing his masterpiece star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 2, 2000
    Good for you, man. A lot of my relatives smoked when I was little, but I decided just to not ever start, since I saw so many of them struggle really hard (and often fail) to kick the habit. Best of luck! I'm sure you can do it and just about every area of your life will be better; more money, more time, better health. Be prepared to kind of be a jerk for a little while; that used to happen to some of my family when they were quitting. But it passes and you'll feel like yourself again, just a better version!
     
  15. NYCitygurl

    NYCitygurl Manager Emeritus star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jul 20, 2002
    Mazel tov! My dad quit smoking a coupke years ago; I think he used the gum. He said the worst is when, a bit down the road, you're really stressed out or you're around people who are smoking; it's hard to resist. He also eats candy sometimes as a replacement. He recommends chocolate. He gained a bit of weight (10 pounds, maybe), but it's better than the cigarettes.
     
  16. LAJ_FETT

    LAJ_FETT Tech Admin (2007-2023) - She Held Us Together star 10 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    May 25, 2002
    Load up on M&Ms...(assuming you like those).
     
  17. SkywalkerSquadron

    SkywalkerSquadron Jedi Knight star 4

    Registered:
    Feb 2, 2013
    My sincere congratulations to you!
     
  18. SuperWatto

    SuperWatto Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 19, 2000
    Thanks everybody. The plan is already becoming more real. I can't really imagine spending $70,- on not-really-quitting, though! Guess I need to check out if the patches and the gum are similarly priced.
    The M&M's is definitely my kind of idea... but I'd be checking into the Fitness Goals thread after I've gone though this. :p

    Lighting a cigarette as I write this. Man, I feel as if this habit has sort of become part of my personality. Anyway, one thing I've decide now is that this will be my last pack. 17 more cigarettes to go - and tomorrow morning I'll go to the drugstore.
     
  19. Rogue1-and-a-half

    Rogue1-and-a-half Manager Emeritus who is writing his masterpiece star 9 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Nov 2, 2000
    I remember in The Exorcist that the mother character would mime the actions of smoking. Knocking a cigarette out of the pack, putting it between her lips, lighting it, inhaling, holding it between her fingers as she exhaled. All just with empty air.

    The downside to this method is that it may cause your children to be possessed by an ancient demon.
     
    eht13, JackG, Juliet316 and 1 other person like this.
  20. Frank T.

    Frank T. Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Sep 2, 2012
    I've cut down a great deal by not smoking in my house. I've yet to take the final step and stay quit for more than a few days yet though:(
     
  21. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2004
    well you would "really be quitting" putting smoke into your lungs. that's the main thing. smoking does become a part of your personality, and your self-identity. nicotine is that thing that you never needed until you start smoking, but after that the cravings never really go away. the idea that after a few weeks "you'll go back to feeling like yourself, only a better version" really isn't true, i'm sorry to say. ten months after quitting i still feel like something is missing and i imagine i probably always will. i'm not trying to be a downer at all, i just think you should have realistic expectations. in fact, even though i've been nicotine free for ten months i still sometimes seriously consider getting an e-cigarette.

    as for what works, i do think everyone is different but for me what worked is quite the opposite of what people are suggesting here. i didn't replace cigarettes with anything. no nicotine substitutes, no chewing on things, no candy. for me it was important not to have another thing that made me think about the fact that i wasn't smoking all the time. i rather tried to do things i enjoy that took my mind off of it; exercise, reading, watching movies, listening to and making music, etc. i did occasionally eat a whole can of peanuts or a whole bag of pretzels, but that's ok. also i didn't avoid situations that i knew would tempt me to smoke, but instead confronted them head on. the second day after i quit i went and hung out with smoker friends and drank alcohol. it was important to me to get that out of the way right away because i felt that if i avoided it for weeks i would certainly cave in the first time i was in that situation.

    another thing i think is really important is not to get down on yourself if you do slip up and smoke. instead of thinking of it as a failure and thinking that quitting is too hard you have to look at it in a positive way. if you smoke a cigarette the second day after you quit, well one cigarette in two days is still great and you should think of that as an accomplishment and not a failure. i never did have any slip ups save one cigarette that i shared with a friend in december, but i did go into quitting with that attitude and i think it helped.
     
    Souderwan likes this.
  22. SuperWatto

    SuperWatto Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 19, 2000
    Seems like there's not one single way that would work for everybody. I understand your viewpoint, tom, and the way you went into it, but it still seems superhuman to me. The patches, I think, is one solution that doesn't make you think about the fact that you're not smoking all the time - you just stick 'em on and forget about it. I hope. Do you think that could have helped you, or not?
     
  23. tom

    tom Chosen One star 8

    Registered:
    Mar 14, 2004
    oh, definitely. any nicotine would have made those first few days easier, and then slowly weening myself probably would have been a more sane way to quit. i was just on this really hard-ass mind over matter thing, and was keen to prove to myself that i could do it. it sounds like you already know that cold turkey doesn't work for you and the patch would be a good option.

    we need Souderwan in here to tout the values of the e-cigarette though. he swears by it.

    also (warning: you will be logged out) here is the link to my temp boards thread. i figure it might be an encouraging read. i started the thread on day 3.
     
  24. SuperWatto

    SuperWatto Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 19, 2000
    Cool, thanks for the link, I was already interested in that thread.

    I knew there was a reason to keep Internet Explorer around :p
     
  25. Juliet316

    Juliet316 Chosen One star 10

    Registered:
    Apr 27, 2005
    You'll get logged out even on Internet Explorer.[face_plain]