Thread: Quitting Smoking...

So my wife and I have quit smoking (as of this morning). Makes you realize how much cigarettes really have a hold over you when you stop.

We're both using the patch so hopefully we won't go nuts lol.

Anyone kick the habit? What did you use? Any tips?

Thanks,

Zero

I quit about two years ago but I did not go cold turkey. I started using Snus and after about a year a quit the Snus. That was hard. Well the physical withdrawals were hard. Was a month of hell-cramps, cold sweats and terrible mood swings. Anyway, might want to have a support buddy to give you encouragement, like send you positive messages when you are tempted. Remember, you might have a few lapses before you officially stop. Good Luck.

After 24 years of pack-a-day smoking (Camel straights), I quit at the end of July 1989. Cold turkey. No problems... not then, not now, not since. Like the Nike ad: "Just 'Do it!'"

(and good luck)

I quit a year and a half ago. I noticed that all the extra rubbish they were putting in them to make them not burn houses down was giving me an awful headache and an ache in my chest so I just put them down and didn't go back. I'd tried many times before using things like patches, but ultimately I don't think you are really going to give up until you have made the choice to quit, and decide to go nicotine free. Sure, I still feel like having one every now and then... but I've made the choice not to.

On a side note, I've also noticed apart from the chest pain going away that i have a lot more time to get things done

First off, congratulations! Taking the step is a big step and it's awesome that you both have done so.

My first bit of advice is don't give up on giving up. You may not make it first time, or second time etc, but if you keep at it you will make it. It took me probably 10 quits to actually quit - once it was for 9 months but I went back on. Today I have not smoked in over 3 years, and do not even think about it.

Second bit of advice - the physical addiction part doesn't last long, but the mental or emotional one does. You will find that smoking has accompanied all the little things you do in life and has insinuated itself into a lot of your habits. There will be emotional tugs and they were what I found were the hardest things to handle. What worked for me was making new habits and creating new, non-smoking, memories. For example, I exercised every time I felt that melancholy "I used to do this with a cigarette" thought. Something simple like dropping and doing 50 push ups, or a few star jumps, or just turning around and going somewhere else and doing something else. Do not let you mind dwell - do something else as soon as you feel those feelings, and make sure it is something constructive. For example, to help with after dinner cigarette cravings I took to doing the washing up by hand, even though we had a dishwasher.

Third, encourage each other. Be nice to each other. Try to remember you are both in this together and that it is all too easy to get snippy with each other. If you feel like being grumpy with your wife, do a few push ups or something physical, then give her a cuddle instead, and tell her how proud you are at how well she is doing. Share with her how hard it is at that moment for you. You are not two people giving up separately - use your combined strength to encourage and support.

Take up a sport of some description - one that involves other people and pushes you physically. I took up mixed martial arts. It really has provided me with a barometer of how good, physically, giving up smoking is. When I first started (after giving up) I could barely catch my breath and even doing 5 minutes of line sprints was a challenge. Now, I can do 3 hour non-stop gradings and I am among the fittest in the class. I saw and felt all that happening as time progressed, and it strengthened my resolve to never smoke again.

Lastly, tell everyone you know that you have quit smoking. Not only does that make them aware and therefore (hopefully) more understanding around you, but it also gives you incentive to not fall off the wagon - pride can sometimes be roped in in a positive and helpful way, if you know what I mean.

Good on you man, and I wish you and your wife nothing but success in this endeavour.

James.

i used to smoke a pack a day and chew about a half can of chew a day ... smoking ive never had an issue with when it came time to stop , i can smoke a pack now and not touch them for another year ... now the chew i cant stop , ive only stoped for 3 days in bout 18years and thats cause i was sick and slept 20 out of 24 hours a day ... i wish the both of you luck , its a struggle and is hard to beat !!!

Anyone can quit smoking. It takes guts to face lung cancer, heart disease and the risk of low birth weight ....

Kidding aside, I smoked Camel non filters, 2 packs a day for 36 years. I quit those 11 years ago. I quit by chain smoking tobacco pipes. Not a great solution I admit. The only good thing out of it is that I have never inhaled tobacco out of a pipe. Just puff on them. The tobacco is so much stronger that I get my nic fix out of it without inhaling.

I have dipped many a tin of Copenhagen. Started back when a tin was $0.35. Last tin I bought was $7.00 and I decided to hang it up. Not easy but I haven't dipped in going on 2 years. Best of luck to anyone who can get shed of any of these addictions.

Congratulations on becoming a non-smoker!

My wife and I stopped smoking about 6 weeks ago. She used the patches exclusively while I was also on a pill and used the low dose patch when I really thought I was going to break down and buy a pack.

For myself, when I get stress I want to smoke. To get past this, I think of why I am stressing and if smoking will help the situation or that it will just make me think the situation is better. Another thing I do is eat a cheek full of sunflower seeds outside and not come back in until I am done with them. I have to say it gets boring standing outside spitting the hull out for about 10 minutes. But so far the sunflower seeds are working great.

Good luck and keep up the good work!

Good luck to all that succceed if that is what you want to do,50 yr smoker here (not proud of it)pack and half of pall mall reds every day.Quit for two yrs in 2005,gained 30 lbs,blood pres went from normal to 150/120,started smoking again in 2007,lost 30 lbs, blood pres went back to 120/80.
Have had several smoker friends that have died of lung cancers and COPD,10/15 yrs after they quit smoking.Love my cigs,when my number is called up,god wants a helper,am ready to go.

Thanks for all encouragement gang! I'm taking it moment by moment, although it seems to be every 5-10 minutes.

Wish I could go cold turkey without the patch. I heard the nicotine leaves your system after 3 days and the rest is mental.