How Did You Quit . . .

[WillMunny]

Damn good question, but don't just focus on treating the physical addiction because it is more of a mental habit......have a cup of coffee, have a smoke...after supper, have a smoke...on the phone, have a smoke.....just before bed, have a smoke, etc, etc, etc. You get the idea. These are what & how we've conditioned ourselves and that is much of what needs to be addressed to successfully quit.

Best of luck in your endeavors

Thanks, JustAnother,

I first started habitual smoking around 1992 while stuck in an extremely high stress environment. Psychologically, my best guess is I associate the nerve soothing memory of that first puff with relief from current and future high stress issues. We watched Office Space the other night. Maybe hypnosis is the way to go?

It might be, everybody is different and what it takes to help them. I hope it works for you.

That's certainly true, everyone's body is biochemically a little bit different so what might be salvation for some is poison for others.

 

[Gracie]

I quit for 6 months. Or rather, was on the patch for 6 months and was sick sick sick. Why? Because the damn patch gives you nicotine constantly. I didn't chain smoke, so getting that much made me ill. I started smoking again soon after I tore the damn thing off. I still smoke. The only way I will quit is when I truly want to. And when I truly want to, I will go cold turkey.

 

[Natural Citizen]

Good luck quitting, N_S. I'll add you to my prayers at night time.

Aside from that, I don't l know of any other habits to try to adapt in place of the smokes.

I'll offer some motivation to help anyone quit, however. Seems like it might be good motivation, anyway.

Consider this - You're driving through the wilderness with your family on a long winding back road through the mountains on a lightly snowy night and your vehicle breaks down. You have no cell phone signal. The snow storm then turns into a blizzard while youre stuck there stranded. The nearest town is 10 miles away and the blizzard is so bad, that a v-plow can't even make it through. So, the town suspends operations until the snow lets up. Nobody is coming to look for you or anyone else for a few days until the snow clears out, and it's freezing. 15 below zero, in fact. You ran the car for heat until the gas ran out. Now the car is almost completely under snow. You have no food, no water, no blankets, no cell signal, and it's freezing.

Now you have a choice to make. Do you stay there and wait for someone to come? Likely not, because you'd freeze to death, as would your family.

But...there's a shortcut over the mountain, and through the woods that cuts the walk to town into 3 miles.

So. As a smoker, could you carry your wife and kids through that and make it over the mountain with them to safety?

They're depending on you.

 

[Freiheit]

I was a heavy smoker 2-3 packs a day for years. I got my doc to prescribe Chantix and I quit in a month haven't had a cigarette in 15 years.
Although I still want one at times. There are times when a cup of seems to tell me "I would be a lot better with a Lucky Strike".
If there is a secret it is what my grandmother called "the wantitis" you have to want it really badly.

So no nightmares or stomachaches? My husband got a script from the doc, but he uses the excuse a lot of people have bad reaction to the med. He just does not want to, he has a box of patches too he isn't using.

Really vivid tecnicolor dreams no nightmares. I researched the side effects and decided quiting is worth the cost. The only secret I know is desire. Hope he gets the wantitis. I certainly do feel better not being chained to a cigarette pack.

 

[Natural Citizen]

I quit for 6 months. Or rather, was on the patch for 6 months and was sick sick sick. Why? Because the damn patch gives you nicotine constantly. I didn't chain smoke, so getting that much made me ill. I started smoking again soon after I tore the damn thing off. I still smoke. The only way I will quit is when I truly want to. And when I truly want to, I will go cold turkey.

Gracie, your avatar looks just like my better half. lol. Crazy. I had to do a double take.

I was just telling her she'd look nice in a summer hat, too.

 

[JOSweetHeart]

I have never smoked, but I do have a cousin who quit by taking the Chantix stuff. Within a month he was done with lighting up and in May of next year, it will be ten years since his last cigarette.

God bless you and him always!!!

Holly

 

[Borillar]

I smoked for years. When cigarettes got to around $3 a pack, I decided to start rolling my own. I cut down to maybe 3 cigarettes a day. Then I just quit altogether. Haven't touched tobacco for over 25 years.

 

[jon_berzerk]

SMOKING . . .

While in the damn middle of a major—um—professional project?

Because at the moment I've got a Nicorette Lozenge shoved down one lip, and a pinch of Kodiak Wintergreen down the other lip side, and, and, and . . . not working.

Will return later. Heading out for another smoke break.




View attachment 220435



View attachment 220435


View attachment 220436

tried all kinds of way to no avail

then one day i said screw it

and have not a had a smoke since

five years now

Sheer force of will. I like that. Thanks.

deep down i think that is the case every time someone quits

 

[WillMunny]

I quit for 6 months. Or rather, was on the patch for 6 months and was sick sick sick. Why? Because the damn patch gives you nicotine constantly. I didn't chain smoke, so getting that much made me ill. I started smoking again soon after I tore the damn thing off. I still smoke. The only way I will quit is when I truly want to. And when I truly want to, I will go cold turkey.

I guess I must have randomly gotten lucky with the patch because I was never a chainsmoker - usually less than a pack a day - but I've never once felt sick from a nicotine patch. At worse, it left an itching, red rash on my skin. But never any other discomfort I noticed.

One rather interesting quality about the patch is that at night it's often given me the most vivid, lushly detailed, 3D high-res. technicolor, intricate dreams I've ever had in my entire life.

 

[Gracie]

I quit for 6 months. Or rather, was on the patch for 6 months and was sick sick sick. Why? Because the damn patch gives you nicotine constantly. I didn't chain smoke, so getting that much made me ill. I started smoking again soon after I tore the damn thing off. I still smoke. The only way I will quit is when I truly want to. And when I truly want to, I will go cold turkey.

I guess I must have randomly gotten lucky with the patch because I was never a chainsmoker - usually less than a pack a day - but I've never once felt sick from a nicotine patch. At worse, it left an itching, red rash on my skin. But never any other discomfort I noticed.

One rather interesting quality about the patch is that at night it's often given me the most vivid, lushly detailed, 3D high-res. technicolor, intricate dreams I've ever had in my entire life.

You're supposed to take it off at night for that very reason, lol.

 

[WheelieAddict]

SMOKING . . .

While in the damn middle of a major—um—professional project?

Because at the moment I've got a Nicorette Lozenge shoved down one lip, and a pinch of Kodiak Wintergreen down the other lip side, and, and, and . . . not working.

Will return later. Heading out for another smoke break.




View attachment 220435



View attachment 220435


View attachment 220436

Consider snus instead of the Kodiak. No spitting and much easier on the gums.

I've seen that, thanks. Been meaning to give it a try.

I dipped Kodiak for years starting at 15. You won't get the same nicotine "hit" you get from Kodiak with snus but it is close enough. Find the snus that works for you, it's more potent than you think, nothing like skoal bandits or whatever.

Of course quitting nicotine completely is best. It's hard to do completely, so I placate myself with the snus sometimes.

 

[WillMunny]

I quit for 6 months. Or rather, was on the patch for 6 months and was sick sick sick. Why? Because the damn patch gives you nicotine constantly. I didn't chain smoke, so getting that much made me ill. I started smoking again soon after I tore the damn thing off. I still smoke. The only way I will quit is when I truly want to. And when I truly want to, I will go cold turkey.

I guess I must have randomly gotten lucky with the patch because I was never a chainsmoker - usually less than a pack a day - but I've never once felt sick from a nicotine patch. At worse, it left an itching, red rash on my skin. But never any other discomfort I noticed.

One rather interesting quality about the patch is that at night it's often given me the most vivid, lushly detailed, 3D high-res. technicolor, intricate dreams I've ever had in my entire life.

You're supposed to take it off at night for that very reason, lol.

I somewhat enjoyed those nicotine patch dreams, actually. They're like a really exciting book you can't stop reading.

 

[night_son]

SMOKING . . .

While in the damn middle of a major—um—professional project?

Because at the moment I've got a Nicorette Lozenge shoved down one lip, and a pinch of Kodiak Wintergreen down the other lip side, and, and, and . . . not working.

Will return later. Heading out for another smoke break.




View attachment 220435



View attachment 220435


View attachment 220436

Consider snus instead of the Kodiak. No spitting and much easier on the gums.

I've seen that, thanks. Been meaning to give it a try.

I dipped Kodiak for years starting at 15. You won't get the same nicotine "hit" you get from Kodiak with snus but it is close enough. Find the snus that works for you, it's more potent than you think, nothing like skoal bandits or whatever.

Of course quitting nicotine completely is best. It's hard to do completely, so I placate myself with the snus sometimes.

Thanks. Unfortunately, I've done Kodiak on and off for over 25 years. I must confess, a part of me loves smoking as well. I come from a family, paternal side, where my WW2 veteran grandfather smoked Pall Mall from about 1941-2005 before transitioning to a pipe, or so we all thought. In reality, his long walks in the woods up until he died at 93 in 2015, were had just as much to cover his secret smoke breaks as they were for the stress relief we always dismissed them as. My father, a Vietnam veteran, also "quit" many times at my mother's request, only to be caught by us kids out in the woods behind the grandparent's house puffing away on his beloved Kools after Sunday dinners. And now my fiancé is pleading with me to quit, as my own habit returns to a pack a day of non-filtered Camels or Camel Crush Menthols. And, now also, I have taken up the mantle of trying to hide the severity of my habit.

 

[night_son]

I quit for 6 months. Or rather, was on the patch for 6 months and was sick sick sick. Why? Because the damn patch gives you nicotine constantly. I didn't chain smoke, so getting that much made me ill. I started smoking again soon after I tore the damn thing off. I still smoke. The only way I will quit is when I truly want to. And when I truly want to, I will go cold turkey.

I guess I must have randomly gotten lucky with the patch because I was never a chainsmoker - usually less than a pack a day - but I've never once felt sick from a nicotine patch. At worse, it left an itching, red rash on my skin. But never any other discomfort I noticed.

One rather interesting quality about the patch is that at night it's often given me the most vivid, lushly detailed, 3D high-res. technicolor, intricate dreams I've ever had in my entire life.

You're supposed to take it off at night for that very reason, lol.

I somewhat enjoyed those nicotine patch dreams, actually. They're like a really exciting book you can't stop reading.

So the patch is a dream weaver? Lol?

 

[dannyboys]

SMOKING . . .

While in the damn middle of a major—um—professional project?

Because at the moment I've got a Nicorette Lozenge shoved down one lip, and a pinch of Kodiak Wintergreen down the other lip side, and, and, and . . . not working.

Will return later. Heading out for another smoke break.




View attachment 220435



View attachment 220435


View attachment 220436

hypnosis.
Chain smoked for thirty years.
One hypnosis session.
Never wanted another smoke.

 

[night_son]

SMOKING . . .

While in the damn middle of a major—um—professional project?

Because at the moment I've got a Nicorette Lozenge shoved down one lip, and a pinch of Kodiak Wintergreen down the other lip side, and, and, and . . . not working.

Will return later. Heading out for another smoke break.




View attachment 220435



View attachment 220435


View attachment 220436

hypnosis.
Chain smoked for thirty years.
One hypnosis session.
Never wanted another smoke.

Thanks. But have you seen Office Space?

I'm worried I'll come out of that first hypnosis session speaking either bock-bock or trying to drive out to California (from Maryland) in my sleep.

((**WARNING Movie Spoiler Ahead**))

 

[evenflow1969]

SMOKING . . .

While in the damn middle of a major—um—professional project?

Because at the moment I've got a Nicorette Lozenge shoved down one lip, and a pinch of Kodiak Wintergreen down the other lip side, and, and, and . . . not working.

Will return later. Heading out for another smoke break.




View attachment 220435



View attachment 220435


View attachment 220436

Trust me you will end up addicted to that kodiack. I have done it your way many times always end up addicted to the snuff. Good luck! I have not beat it yet.

 

[Mr Natural]

Here's the thing about quitting:

You have to WANT to quit. The desire to not smoke has to be greater than the desire to smoke.

If you can get yourself into that mindset, quitting becomes easy.

 

[jon_berzerk]

Here's the thing about quitting:

You have to WANT to quit. The desire to not smoke has to be greater than the desire to smoke.

If you can get yourself into that mindset, quitting becomes easy.

well easier anyway

 

[AsianTrumpSupporter]

I quit for 7 years once. It started when I got so sick that I was coughing like crazy for about 3 weeks. I thought I might have tuberculosis or something, so I went to the doctor. The doctor said I just had a cold and prescribed me some hydrocodone.

For those 3 weeks, I was going to law school and coming home to sleep a lot on the hydrocodone. I also couldn't smoke, because I'd start coughing like crazy if I even took a few drags off of a cigarette.

Eventually, the cough went away, and I decided to see if I could go a month without smoking. After a month, I tried to see if I could go 2 months without smoking. During those 2 months, I did not drink any alcohol or go out to any bars or restaurants that served alcohol.

Aside from the hydrocodone, I quit cold turkey. After 7 years of not smoking, my lungs healed a lot. I eventually started smoking again, but now I know that it's mostly just the first 1 1/2 to 2 months that are the hardest when quitting.

Thanks.

I've briefly quit a few times largely due to running out of cigs somewhere I couldn't buy more, until the moment I could, and then went right back to it. Other times I tried throwing the pack away only to backtrack and retrieve it. I think perhaps the fiancé has acted as my best anti-smoking panacea yet, with her demands for self-imposed limitations on my habit. But when she's not around . . .

No problem and good luck. I also forgot to mention that after the first 1 1/2 to 2 months, I had no urge to smoke a cigarette. Unfortunately, I started up again after 7 years of not smoking. But I plan to quit again eventually.