OT I quit smoking. Now I post cranky stuff.

[MoodyBluesKeys]

Unfortunately, so true. Years ago, I was CE of a local TV station, we had a remote transmitter site in a very small town, where everything closed up about 6pm. This was in the day when a FCC Licensed First Class Operator had to be present at the transmitter site, or shut off the transmitter.

 

My guy got sick, and I had to relieve him. I ran out of cigarettes about 7:30pm - Sign off was 1 am. Before the night was over, I had taken four Marlboro butts out of the ashtray, cut them apart, rolled up the tobacco in some newspaper - and smoked the thing. I think that was when I realized that I really was hooked. I didn't stop then - I just made sure there was always a carton in the car, a carton in the van, and several packs in the saddlebags of the motorcycle.

 

I quit 33 years ago - there were no electronic cigs, patches, or other aids - and I already knew from prior experiences that they was no such a thing as "tapering off." Back then, cold-turkey was the only way. Not macho - just necessity.

 

There was a TV show a few days before I quit - it showed graphic pictures of the effects of throat cancer. I found a LOT of incentive in watching that show. I take no pride in any of this - if it helps just ONE person avoid getting COPD - emphysema like I have, the story is worth telling.

 

 

 

[Outkaster]

Wow. Just thanks to you guys for the support and advice. I want to try to become the "non-smoker" I always secretly disliked.

 

I'm on day 5 now. Still no smoking, though I still own cigarettes in my house and my car. Today, they are getting thrown out, and I'm getting my car cleaned in and out. Driving is still a real trigger for me. I think a clean car and a fresh scent may distract me.

 

I bought my Ecig on day3. It saved my butt. I'm trying not to use it at all, and especially at my trigger times like after meals.

 

I'm also going to start yardwork today.

 

Thanks for the words of hope!

 

Get rid of that fuckin E-Cigarette also.

[mikecorbett]

I quit a couple of years ago after smoking everyday for 20 years. It took me many failed attempts before the last one.

 

I quit using the "one day at a time" method, basically, however much I wanted a ciggy, I told myself that I had to wait until tomorrow. I would regularly say things like "I am going to smoke 50 or 60 tomorrow!".

 

I seemed to have a chest cold that lasted for a couple of months, that I just couldn't shake. This is fairly typical, my buddy who quit around the same time had one also. It was no big deal though.

 

I used my natural sense of curiosity; I thought to myself, "I wonder how good I will feel tomorrow, or in a month!" For me, after about 4 weeks I could feel a total change in my brain chemistry, I no longer "needed" a cigarette. Since then, at odd times, the idea of a ciggy will seem attractive, but I am hyper aware that this is exactly how all addiction works, and I simply say "just for today, I relinquish the right to smoke, this is addiction" and if it persists "I can smoke tomorrow", and on the rare occasion it lasts more than 3 seconds, I just think about what a long road I have walked with smoking, and how I am looking forward to old age, etc, and I feel the craving lift in moments. I can honestly say that since 4 weeks, I don't think I have had a craving that lasted more than a few seconds, and they just leave me shaking my head with a wry smile, slightly baffled by the immense power of addiction. But I typically feel great after that, so I wouldn't worry that you will be plagued with powerful cravings for months or years, it doesn't work like that. Most days the thought of smoking never enters my head.

 

I also went to the gym almost everyday for about 3 weeks, it felt good to be around healthy, beautiful people, and to reward my own body with increased oxygen, happy endorphins, and to counteract the inevitable extra snacking!

 

Finally, my Grandfather passed away right when I quit, I said a little prayer to him for help, and I attribute my success to him!

 

I was a chronic, super-dependent, smokers smoker. If I can quit, I KNOW anyone can, and I am not being facetious. It can be crazy, wild and tough for the first month, but it does get better. And that first month you get to walk out of YOUR addiction, its interesting in its own way, and not at all bad. If anything, you may feel manic, up and down, but you will go back to being exactly how you were before, only better! I did worry during that first month that I would never be the same "me", I shouldn't have worried at all... I am still me... exactly the same, I just smell better, am richer, healthier, and have a longer life span. Come join us!

[Joe Muscara]

My poor mother lived with dad from the mid-50s when they got married until dad died in 1998. She never smoked, except all that second-hand crap he put her (us!) through. She's still kicking at 83, but she has a permanent cough now that the docs say was caused by the smoke that damaged one of her lungs.

[Skinny]

My dad was a long-time smoker, quit around age 51-52. He's 63 now.

 

I remember him telling me about how he would smell people that just came in from a smoke break, and that he thought to himself, "I used to smell like that?"

[Outkaster]

I quit a couple of years ago after smoking everyday for 20 years. It took me many failed attempts before the last one.

 

I quit using the "one day at a time" method, basically, however much I wanted a ciggy, I told myself that I had to wait until tomorrow. I would regularly say things like "I am going to smoke 50 or 60 tomorrow!".

 

I seemed to have a chest cold that lasted for a couple of months, that I just couldn't shake. This is fairly typical, my buddy who quit around the same time had one also. It was no big deal though.

 

I used my natural sense of curiosity; I thought to myself, "I wonder how good I will feel tomorrow, or in a month!" For me, after about 4 weeks I could feel a total change in my brain chemistry, I no longer "needed" a cigarette. Since then, at odd times, the idea of a ciggy will seem attractive, but I am hyper aware that this is exactly how all addiction works, and I simply say "just for today, I relinquish the right to smoke, this is addiction" and if it persists "I can smoke tomorrow", and on the rare occasion it lasts more than 3 seconds, I just think about what a long road I have walked with smoking, and how I am looking forward to old age, etc, and I feel the craving lift in moments. I can honestly say that since 4 weeks, I don't think I have had a craving that lasted more than a few seconds, and they just leave me shaking my head with a wry smile, slightly baffled by the immense power of addiction. But I typically feel great after that, so I wouldn't worry that you will be plagued with powerful cravings for months or years, it doesn't work like that. Most days the thought of smoking never enters my head.

 

I also went to the gym almost everyday for about 3 weeks, it felt good to be around healthy, beautiful people, and to reward my own body with increased oxygen, happy endorphins, and to counteract the inevitable extra snacking!

 

Finally, my Grandfather passed away right when I quit, I said a little prayer to him for help, and I attribute my success to him!

 

I was a chronic, super-dependent, smokers smoker. If I can quit, I KNOW anyone can, and I am not being facetious. It can be crazy, wild and tough for the first month, but it does get better. And that first month you get to walk out of YOUR addiction, its interesting in its own way, and not at all bad. If anything, you may feel manic, up and down, but you will go back to being exactly how you were before, only better! I did worry during that first month that I would never be the same "me", I shouldn't have worried at all... I am still me... exactly the same, I just smell better, am richer, healthier, and have a longer life span. Come join us!

 

Nice post Mike your better for it.

[eric]

I was an on/off smoker in college and then a social smoker for some time after that. Usually only with drinks or during long spells of waiting for gigs between soundcheck and gig time when there's not much else to do. During my social/gig smoking days, I would probably consume maybe one pack per month and sometimes just bum smokes off of others. At this time, a couple of guys in my band were also smokers and we referred to ourselves as "Team Tobacco." I had always been able to turn it on and off whenever I wanted and could go weeks/months between cigarettes.

 

My team tobacco bandmate, who also happens to be one of my best friends, had a health scare nearly 10 years ago and was told by the doctor that if he did not quit smoking, he would be dead in <1 year. This was his wake up call. He was a pack-per-day smoker and I only smoked with him at gigs or social events.

 

After hearing his story and his commitment to quit due to health reasons, I decided that it was also time for me to quit the social habit in support of my friend. We both quit at the same time and place and have not had a single cigarette since then (almost 10 years ago). It was very helpful to have a friend to support this, so my recommendation to anyone trying to quit is find someone to quit with you.

[Outkaster]

That helps Eric. You are what the industry calls " a Chipper" you could turn it off and on when you wanted to, very rare. I trained a dentist like that once again it's rare but clinicians do smoke.

[Dave Ferris]

Whenever I play at a private party or club and there's young 20/30 somethings off in the corner or outside smoking, thinking they're hip & cool...(in Ca. it's not really socially acceptable in most circles to smoke around other non-smokers) --if I'd made a video of my mom's last 24 hours in the hospital, I'd say ..."hey come over here and look at this"..see how hip & cool this is now.

 

She was heavily sedated with God knows what and just barely conscious. I don't even know if she was aware my wife and I had made it back to St. L. to see her. Her chronic smoker's cough she had her whole life had turned into this continuous ongoing hacking that was more like an involuntary body reaction. It was like 60 years of abuse was coming up all at once. I heard sounds coming from her body that I've never heard from another human being-indescribable ! Man it was the saddest and deepest thing I've ever witnessed in my almost 60 years on this earth.

 

We went home after she passed early in the morning to get some sleep. When I woke up around noon, it was your typical shitty November Midwest day with chilly rain and all. I said f..ck it and went for 10 mile run to blow off some steam. The whole time thinking about my mom's life and how f..ing cigs ruined it.

[gangsu]

Nobody's mentioned Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking

 

Worked for me. I haven't smoked since 6am June 16, 2010.

 

The weird thing is, I had no desire to quit. I liked smoking. But my daughter sent me the book and after reading it in a round-about fashion over a period of weeks, I finally had to admit that I was I was tired of smoking in order to "feel like a non-smoker" for about 20 minutes. The single biggest plus from the book was the convincing argument that it was going to be easy.

 

Screw the public health support groups.

 

You can do it.

[ITGITC]

 

Hi Sue!

 

 

[drawback]

I quit in 1989 after more than 20 years of pack-a-day. Back then there was just nicotine gum - no patch as far as I knew - and it had to be prescribed. My doc told me how to wean myself off but after a day of chewing the gum instead of smoking, I quickly realized that wasn't for me. I believed if I kept nicotine in my system, I'd be smoking again within a few weeks. I was so ready to quit, I just stopped.

 

Of course it was tough, but as in Kanker's experience, it really was more about the cigarettes than the drug. And I felt, as one of the only persons in my family, band, co-workers and social circle who still smoked, I'd have the positive reinforcement not to smoke anywhere.

 

Which sidetracks me into a strong memory - remember back in the days when everyone smoked - and you flew into a foreign country and the first thing you smelled was the particular odor of their cigarettes? If you could put a smell to the USA it would have been Marlies, or what smelled like Québec more than DuMauriers, n'est pas?

 

Anyway, the best method of quitting for me was telling myself 'I choose not to smoke, right now, in this moment.' As the moments turned into hours, days, weeks, etc, it got easier. And after all those years, I still miss it, and I wish I could have maybe one a day - the one after supper - like many of my friends are somehow able to do. But I know that if I started that, I'd be hooked again in no time.

 

Oh, and as a way to reward I told myself I'll take it up again when I'm 75. That's years'n'years away, but there are days when I still plan on it!

 

Or maybe put it off till year 75 +1 day... or +2 days.... or....

 

 

[gangsu]

Hey Tom! Hope all is well in your corner of the world.

 

[mikecorbett]

Nobody's mentioned Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking

 

Worked for me. I haven't smoked since 6am June 16, 2010.

 

The weird thing is, I had no desire to quit. I liked smoking. But my daughter sent me the book and after reading it in a round-about fashion over a period of weeks, I finally had to admit that I was I was tired of smoking in order to "feel like a non-smoker" for about 20 minutes. The single biggest plus from the book was the convincing argument that it was going to be easy.

 

Screw the public health support groups.

 

You can do it.

 

Yes, I recommend this book also. Although I didn't "make it" the time I quit after reading this book, many, many of the things he said stuck in my head, and I used them to good effect when I did finally manage to quit. Excellent book.

[joegerardi]

Expect the addiction to never go away. 7 years since I quit cold turkey, and every single day I want a cigarette. I was a heavy smoker- 2 1/2 packs a day, and it was Luckys before I switched to Marlboro lights (figuring that was safer and I would catch cancer "light), but I still want one every single day.

 

Badly.

 

..Joe

[BluesKeys]

Good luck!!! Having never smoked I have no advice. I have heard family members who have quit say after years of not smoking they could smoke one

A foot long. Usually while drinking.

[Michael Wright]

Yes, I recommend this book also. Although I didn't "make it" the time I quit after reading this book, many, many of the things he said stuck in my head, and I used them to good effect when I did finally manage to quit. Excellent book.

I remember reading some of this about 8 years ago. Made sense, so I ordered it again. Here we go!

[Rockhouse]

Day 6.

 

I am reading this thread from the beginning every time I log on. Some of your stories are so powerful.

 

I thank every one of you who is posting here!

 

I lost my mother-in-law to COPD just weeks before my wedding with her daughter. I fed her ice-chips after she could no longer speak. My thoughts are with all of you who were impacted by that disease.

 

Today, my car is clean. There are no cigs in my house or car. I went for a walk and now I'm gonna do yardwork.

 

Thanks again, my keyboardist buddies . . . Every day I am moved by what i read here.

[mikecorbett]

Day 6.

 

I am reading this thread from the beginning every time I log on. Some of your stories are so powerful.

 

I thank every one of you who is posting here!

 

I lost my mother-in-law to COPD just weeks before my wedding with her daughter. I fed her ice-chips after she could no longer speak. My thoughts are with all of you who were impacted by that disease.

 

Today, my car is clean. There are no cigs in my house or car. I went for a walk and now I'm gonna do yardwork.

 

Thanks again, my keyboardist buddies . . . Every day I am moved by what i read here.

 

Just try to make it through today, ignore all crazy thoughts, you will be fine, it will get easier, and you will regain your old self! Well done on 6 days, you are breaking the physical addicion with every passing hour!

[Dave Bryce]

Expect the addiction to never go away. 7 years since I quit cold turkey, and every single day I want a cigarette.

Really? My experience is exactly the opposite. I was a pack to pack and a half a day smoker for 23 years. Quit in 1999, and have never really looked back. I never crave them at all.

 

My detox was pretty thorough, though. I broke it down to three separate elements, and came up with a solution for each. Nicotine - patch. Oral fix - gum. The third was the tricky one - the time fix. I was used to taking these regularly scheduled breaks. For that, I decided to try and learn more about the stock market. I created a virtual portfolio online, and every time I wanted to take a smoke break I spent five to ten minutes checking out the stock market.

 

Worked like a charm for me. I gained no weight at all, and never think about starting again. I can't imagine what it would take to get me to light up.

 

dB

 

[Outkaster]

Nobody's mentioned Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking

 

Worked for me. I haven't smoked since 6am June 16, 2010.

 

The weird thing is, I had no desire to quit. I liked smoking. But my daughter sent me the book and after reading it in a round-about fashion over a period of weeks, I finally had to admit that I was I was tired of smoking in order to "feel like a non-smoker" for about 20 minutes. The single biggest plus from the book was the convincing argument that it was going to be easy.

 

Screw the public health support groups.

 

You can do it.

 

Everyone is an expert. What you know about public health.

[Outkaster]

This is a great site:

 

http://www.becomeanex.org/

 

 

[Michael Wright]

I think that whatever works for whomsoever is great.

[Dave Bryce]

I think that whatever works for whomsoever is great.

No doubt at all.

 

dB

[SteveCoscia]

Had my last cigarette in 1983. Quit cold turkey.

 

But... to this day, when I am near cigarette smoke, the aroma causes an urge. Funny how that works.

[John Tweed]

I quit about 30 years ago, from 1+ pack a day. Fortunately I had never been one to reach for a smoke first thing in the morning, so I just kept delaying that first one of the day over a period of a month or so till one day I missed it altogether.

 

My primary motivation at the time was to improve my jogging which I had just taken up. Once I got away from the smokes I found I was breathing so much easier that I could keep going much longer than before. That was a huge reinforcing factor. I never used patches or the like as they weren't available then.

 

My brother OTOH "quit" about 5 years ago. We were in Japan where the ciggies were cheap, but once we got back to Australia he went onto nicotine gum. Trouble is, he's still chewing the gum, and so it seems to me he's still addicted, and on occasion will still have the occasional smoke when he's out.

 

So my final advice:

* find a really motivating (and immediate) reason to stop - for me it was running (which btw I gave up too, due to the stresses on the body), or for other posters here, singing

* forget about patches, gum, or whatever which just feed and nourish the nicotine addiction

* it's much easier if your partner and/or housemates don't smoke

* never have a cigarette again. I once went two years without a smoke, then, relaxing in the band room on a Sat night, figured I'd be OK just to have one. Next week it was two, and sure enough within a couple of weeks I was back to a pack a day.

 

Good luck!

[joegerardi]

Well, I didn't really quit because I wanted to, I quit simply because I should. And if you remember from the old days, I'm a stubborn old cuss, so I won't go back out of of simple pride. (Well, that and the fact that the price of them now is ludicrous! Talk about your money going - literally - up in smoke...)

 

But I still want one.

 

..Joe

[Rockhouse]

Day 7

 

Going for a walk. Things are looking up. My crankiness is all but gone. Still have the urges to smoke, but i can manage now.

 

Thanks everyone who talked me through the hardest week!

[jcazzy]

I quit 2 years ago after having a 2 & 1/2 pack a day habit. I was helping conduct an interview process when all of a sudden my nose started to bleed. I was able to curb it for a while and had an emergency personnel person take my blood pressure. If I remember correctly it was 180 over 118 at the time. (Stroke material there!) The scary part was that I didn't really feel bad at the time. Needless to say I eventually had to go to the emergency room at a local hospital that night to get it stopped after it started back bleeding again. Being the idiot I was, I stilled smoked the next couple of days although not as much as I had. To make a long story short, I wound up going back to the emergency room and finally to a nose specialist before deciding to lay the cigs down for good.

 

I used nothing to help me quit smoking at that point. The scare of the nose bleed and also what it cost me for the emergency room and specialist visits convinced me to stop. I did tape a piece of masking tape to the bottom of my computer monitor screen with the numbers 24/48/72 on them, which represented the number of hours it would take for the nicotine and other toxins to clear from my system (supposedly). I was very proud to wake up the fourth morning and see where the 72nd hour had passed and a slash through that hour on the masking tape!

 

One thing that has puzzled me a bit is the fact that being that heavy of a smoker and not having a bad craving for them after I quit seems a bit odd. It never really has bothered me to be around people smoking cigarettes. I don't like to be anywhere there is a lot of smoke but I was that way even when I smoked cigarettes.

 

Rockhouse, one thing you can tell yourself and be proud of it is, "I used to smoke, but I don't smoke anymore!"

[mikecorbett]

Day 7

 

Going for a walk. Things are looking up. My crankiness is all but gone. Still have the urges to smoke, but i can manage now.

 

Thanks everyone who talked me through the hardest week!

 

Great stuff. It would seem you are over the initial hump! Continue to take it easy, Rome wasn't built in a day. For me, and many others it took a bit longer to get truly free of it. I have heard three weeks, but it was four weeks for me when I noticed a sense of "completeness" back. I have enjoyed that feeling ever since, really, I just returned to the same as what I was before I started in the first place. I found between week 2 and 3 that I was almost getting bored with the whole experience of quitting, and nearly started again, but I would always bring it back into the day, the 24 hour period I was existing in, and that made it relatively easy to walk out of the addiction. How was the walk?