Quit Smoking.

[Zero_Sum]

This might be the year that I quit smoking, not sure quite yet but it looks like I might try.

It's becoming a habit that is too expensive and overall horrible for my health. Being a chain smoker doesn't help either.

It is a habit of young men where I am no longer a young man anymore.

I am hoping that I notice feeling better right away given time without smoking.

[Mr Reasonable]

For the love of God please don't start in with one of those vaporizer things.

[Pandora]

[Ierrellus]

My quit date was Sept. 22nd, 2016. I've not had a cigarette since then. I smoked two packs a day. The way I quit was to count the cigarettes I smoked and decrease the quantity by one cigarette per week. When I got down to 3 per day, I could quit.
The acute nature of the craving lasts about fifteen to twenty minutes. Appease the craving with hard candy.
When you quit, tobacco will be out of your system within 72hours. The craving may be intermittently intense for about 90 days.
Part of giving up cigarettes is to find substitutes for the times and events with which you associate smoking--with coffee or alcohol, while driving, after sex etc., etc. Since not smoking will be felt to be a deprivation, reward each milestone of days, weeks months, with things you enjoy doing.
Do not tell yourself theses lies--
1.I'm too old to give this up.
2.Smoking makes me cope with bad situations and obnoxious people.
3.I deserve to smoke; it's one of my few pleasures in life.
Good luck. I agree about the vapor substitutes. They still support the habit you desire to break.

[natasha]

It's been forever since I last posted, but this post caught my eye.

A few years ago, I was taking care of my Father-in-Law 24/7. He was easy to take care of for the most part but after a year I was burning out. I went to my family doctor and told her how depressed I was feeling so naturally, she put me on an anti-depressant. Wellbutrin (Bupropion) was what she prescribed. Anyway, about a week into treatment, I no longer wanted a cigarette...in fact, trying to smoke one while on the med made me HATE cigarettes! This made me MORE depressed because I really liked smoking cigarettes and was pissed off that I no longer enjoyed them! So I quit the Wellbutrin and went on smoking! I eventually quit smoking on my own when I started getting heart palpitations. The moral of the story is that if you need help quitting, ask your doctor for Wellbutrin (Bupropion) as it is covered under most insurance plans where as Chantix (prescription med exclusively for smoking cessation), is NOT covered by most insurance plans and has MANY side effects.

Oh, and as far as the depression I was experiencing....a week at the beach cleared that up. Vitamin D from the sunshine did the trick!

[Ierrellus]

Correction--decrease smoking by deleting one cigarette per day.
Pick a stop date and stick to it.
I smoked for over 50 years. If I can quit, anyone can. You just have to handle the withdrawal symptoms.
I still dream about smoking and still crave cigarettes. At 75 years old I don't really need them.

[Zero_Sum]

For the love of God please don't start in with one of those vaporizer things.

No, I don't like those and I am pretty sure they're worse for your health than regular cigarette smoking is.

[Zero_Sum]

Funny.

[Zero_Sum]

My quit date was Sept. 22nd, 2016. I've not had a cigarette since then. I smoked two packs a day. The way I quit was to count the cigarettes I smoked and decrease the quantity by one cigarette per week. When I got down to 3 per day, I could quit.
The acute nature of the craving lasts about fifteen to twenty minutes. Appease the craving with hard candy.
When you quit, tobacco will be out of your system within 72hours. The craving may be intermittently intense for about 90 days.
Part of giving up cigarettes is to find substitutes for the times and events with which you associate smoking--with coffee or alcohol, while driving, after sex etc., etc. Since not smoking will be felt to be a deprivation, reward each milestone of days, weeks months, with things you enjoy doing.
Do not tell yourself theses lies--
1.I'm too old to give this up.
2.Smoking makes me cope with bad situations and obnoxious people.
3.I deserve to smoke; it's one of my few pleasures in life.
Good luck. I agree about the vapor substitutes. They still support the habit you desire to break.

Thanks for the advice and your comments.

[Zero_Sum]

Day 2 without smoking-

I became stressed out and agitated with a boss at work where I had everything I could do to restrain my anger or temper from dealing with his obnoxious condescending stupidity. There are times I just want to angrily lash out at people.

I relapsed at the end of my shift and began smoking again. I suppose that I smoke cigarettes as a way of dealing with stress, frustration, anger, depression, annoyance, and agitation. Lately I've been feeling trapped if not boxed in my day to day survival where this is making my quitting all that much harder. It's like I'm feeling claustrophobic amongst the rest of the world around me.

I sometimes wonder if I should become an alcoholic instead but with the way I chain smoke cigarettes probably not. Smoking cigarettes is all that I do really concerning drugs or artificial stimulants as I don't consume much alcohol or liquor at all. I only smoke cigarettes and that's it. I suppose that I rationalize by telling myself that since I only smoke and nothing else that it could be worse since there are others that consume much more than just cigarettes alone.

I still would like to quit smoking cigarettes but I don't think that I am ready to yet. I sometimes wonder what will happen if I quit smoking cigarettes what that would do to my stress levels. The more that I am stressed the more prone I am to angry outbursts.

[Pneumatic-Coma]

Yeah. We've heard this a thousand years ago. Keep trying at least never give up and you'll succeed?

[Pneumatic-Coma]

Support. Dedication. Inspiration! I got you family.

[Pneumatic-Coma]

We're talking nicotine here Pandora Not Caffeine

[Pneumatic-Coma]

Although. I'm curious now, what is your method of substitution?

[Ierrellus]

Quitting smoking can feel like losing a dear friend. That's why quitting cold turkey most often does not work. You have to find substitutes for smoking that will attend to the sense of loss. You have to find ways to treat yourself to lessen the pain of loss. In some cases hypnotism and psychotherapy can help. If you are into doing it all on your own, you must break all the associations with things that made smoking seem pleasing. It's a battle with your mind, which you can win!

[Pneumatic-Coma]

There. You're cured.

[Meno_]

Loosing my beloved mother to lung cancer was one of the most painful experiences. This was before hospices, and the medical treatment consisted of very objectionable methods, based on protocol that could not be challenged.
Ahe waa a 2 say packer, back when cigs cost 25 cents. Her suffering was profound and her tolerance astonishing. Since ahe was absolutely morally taint less, of there is a heaven , she knows the mistake of contributing the enormous profits of the products of slave labor, by consuming an obsessive product.

[esperanza1]

Thank you for sharing Meno, I cannot even imagine the pain of losing a mother. May her beloved soul rest in peace.
This brings back memories of my grandfather whom passed away after lung cancer as well. I forever thought of him as a mountain of wisdom when I was young.

Very good reasons to quit smoking, and advice. Good luck Zero_Sum.

[Meno_]

Thanks esperanza,

[MagsJ]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v

There. You're cured.

[Karpel Tunnel]

Day 2 without smoking-

I became stressed out and agitated with a boss at work where I had everything I could do to restrain my anger or temper from dealing with his obnoxious condescending stupidity. There are times I just want to angrily lash out at people.

I relapsed at the end of my shift and began smoking again. I suppose that I smoke cigarettes as a way of dealing with stress, frustration, anger, depression, annoyance, and agitation. Lately I've been feeling trapped if not boxed in my day to day survival where this is making my quitting all that much harder. It's like I'm feeling claustrophobic amongst the rest of the world around me.

I sometimes wonder if I should become an alcoholic instead but with the way I chain smoke cigarettes probably not. Smoking cigarettes is all that I do really concerning drugs or artificial stimulants as I don't consume much alcohol or liquor at all. I only smoke cigarettes and that's it. I suppose that I rationalize by telling myself that since I only smoke and nothing else that it could be worse since there are others that consume much more than just cigarettes alone.

I still would like to quit smoking cigarettes but I don't think that I am ready to yet. I sometimes wonder what will happen if I quit smoking cigarettes what that would do to my stress levels. The more that I am stressed the more prone I am to angry outbursts.

People I know were pissed off for quite a long time. Smoking regulates emotions as does any habit. So it would be good to be very generous with yourself and maybe do any kind of explosive type activity you like: chopping word, judo, sprinting, football, screaming in the basement. Spend extra on food you like. Not necessarily treats, but instead of mediocre meals, spend the saved cig money on higher quality meals, eat take out instead of making your own meals. Do stuff you like in general and cut yourself slack. AFter at least a month it eases off. People will mention lung cancer, but you sure as shit do not want chronic lung obstruction or emphysema. My mother had that. Never quite getting enough air for over a decade. Waking up without enough air. It help to engage friends, like you did here. This book is a good one dealing with habits in general....https://www.amazon.com/Changeology-Step ... 3b1a6c1c53

And research shows that willpower is not the main thing. There are lots of indirect things to do that really make it easier.

[Pneumatic-Coma]

So did we give up Zero_sum or what happen? If anything comes across that HAS helped. Please inform us. I know one too many smokers myself. And really in all seriousness need help in this environment myself.

[Zero_Sum]

So did we give up Zero_sum or what happen? If anything comes across that HAS helped. Please inform us. I know one too many smokers myself. And really in all seriousness need help in this environment myself.

Still smoking. (I am smoking right now typing this.)

Someday I will quit....someday.......

[Pandora]

Just make it a goal to smoke less.

[Zero_Sum]

Just make it a goal to smoke less.

That's the plan anyways and in some ways I am doing just that.