How long do you give me?

[just play]

I just stopped smoking cigs today. I figured tax day would be an easy date to remember, I know how smokers always know the exact day they quit.

I have been smoking for just about 25 years, and have only quit once for a few months back in my mid 20's.

They are $70 a carton here in Massachusetts, it's pretty ridiculous when I can send that money to a casino instead. (no way in hell)

So really, what are the chances I can quit?

 

[gloria460]

cold turkey, pill or patch???

I stopped sodas and cigs eight days ago and has saved myself about 80 bucks. I drink 4-5 44 fountain drinks a day and decided I really need to stop wasting so much money.

I'm doing the patch and so far so good.

 

[pevangel]

WOW WTG you 2, I am proud of you both, Just play, I have total confidence that you can do it, if you really want to. Good Luck to you both


pevangel

 

[just play]

Cold turkey! Rip the bandaid right off!

I can't imagine quitting cigs AND soda...holy smoly.

Good luck to you!

I remember the last time I quit, the longer I went without smoking the worse the cravings got, probably why I started again, you would think they would ease up, but they got worse. Anyone know why?

 

[felicie]

I tried to quit a couple of times because 60 a carton is totally embarrassing to me to be such a weak schmuck but my smoking neighbors started complaining when I'd knock at their door at various hours of the day and night with tear stained checks and bug eyes begging for just one more. pathetic. so I'll just keep smoking but best of luck to you my friend cause it ain't easy.

 

[chayton]

Good Luck JP! I was trying to quit smoking before my surgery last Dec but then got called early and had no time to quit. I stopped the day before surgery, spent 4 days in the hospital and didn't miss it a bit. But I'm pissed off at myself for coming home and starting again.

If you're really ready to quit you'll do it.

 

[SlotMonster]

The chances are 50%:50%
50% that you quit
50% than you won't

 

[bernynhel]

I just stopped smoking cigs today. I figured tax day would be an easy date to remember, I know how smokers always know the exact day they quit.

I have been smoking for just about 25 years, and have only quit once for a few months back in my mid 20's.

They are $70 a carton here in Massachusetts, it's pretty ridiculous when I can send that money to a casino instead. (no way in hell)

So really, what are the chances I can quit?

A can of TOP tobacco is less than half the price of a carton (was only $12 before the last tobacco tax increase!) and usually more than 200 cigs + if you hand roll 'em when you wanna smoke and don't buy one of those machines that stuff the little prefab paper/filter tubes, you might cut way down. I went from a pack a Marlboro reds a day 15 years ago to an average of 6-7 a day and I feel I smoke all I want. Plus the canned tobacco can be kept humidified and the cigs go out when you set em down stead a burning up. Hope this info a helps.

 

[gloria460]

Cold turkey! Rip the bandaid right off!

I can't imagine quitting cigs AND soda...holy smoly.

Good luck to you!

I remember the last time I quit, the longer I went without smoking the worse the cravings got, probably why I started again, you would think they would ease up, but they got worse. Anyone know why?

Because you have nicotine receptors in your brain and the more you smoke the more receptors that you have. HeHe..when you quit these receptors will be screaming at you as if you were a bad husband. They want that fix and will do anything to get you to give it to them. They will make you think you can't live without them and it'll only get worse if you don't give in.

If you wait for 10 minutes and drink a glass of water the cravings will subside. They also will get easier as the receptors die off from starvation.

 

[kakata]

my wife must be full of receptors....cause she screams (to herself) a lot....and she doesnt smoke.
now My question is. If receptors are kept in the brain....where does she hides her's receptors?

 

[just play]

I made it through "the after dinner cig" and "the morning cig"...but I can feel the cravings slowly coming after me.

I'm just ignoring them, just like John Nash ignored the voices.


Thanks bernynhel, when I go back to smoking I will try it.

Slotmonster

Chayton, I LOVE to smoke, I don't do very much, (drink/drugs/go out) but I LOVEEEEE to smoke, the price is just getting out of hand, it's really ridiculous, even the "cheap" cigs are HIGH.

 

[bernynhel]

my wife must be full of receptors....cause she screams (to herself) a lot....and she doesnt smoke.
now My question is. If receptors are kept in the brain....where does she hides her's receptors?

LOL kakata! You got me...why don't you ask her?

 

[anniemac]

Congrats, JustPlay! Your chances of making it will depend on your willpower and just how much you want to quit.

I quit coldturkey about 8 yrs. ago because my guy developed a lung condition and had to quit also and couldn't be around cig smoke. So in support, I quit too. It was really hard because I smoked mostly when nervous, son playing sports was the worst, or when I did certain things, played slots was a biggy. But I made it. Can't say it was easy because it was not. Best thing to do is try to stay away from things that trigger the urge to smoke.

You can do it!!

 

[kakata]

LOL kakata! You got me...why don't you ask her?

I did.
The answer was: receptors?? I never hide anything honey....

I stopped there

 

[just play]

Best thing to do is try to stay away from things that trigger the urge to smoke

Ok, so I have to stay away from coffee, food, showers (don't ask, I always crave after a shower) sex, gambling, my computer desk, my couch, driving or being in a car, after fighting with my husband, my computer.

That outta be easy enough.

 

[kakata]

Ok, so I have to stay away from coffee, food, showers (don't ask, I always crave after a shower) SEX gambling, my computer desk, my couch, driving or being in a car, after fighting with my husband, my computer.

That outta be easy enough.

Now I know why I will never stop smoking.....

 

[Mavin1]

I have come to the conclusion that I would have to be put into a coma for a couple months to really quit. I have tried the patch, didn't work as it is still feeding the brain nicotine. Then I would go out and sneak one smoke with the patch one. So out the window.
I purchase my smokes online, they are all natural, no additves and only cost $23 + ship, a carton, they're as good as any name brand smokes. But Good old USA and RJ Reynolds, we will be blocked from this too. Which is a load of BS, since we are buying in our own country.

But I do hope you both can stick it out, everyday away is one more day ahead for you.

 

[silcnlayc]

Took me 3 tries for 2 months. It was awful but I made it too on Feb 20th 2000!

So I am not envying either one of you right now..it is really awful for many and I was one of them people...

I smoked since I was 8, my fathers filterless pall malls...is how I started, always got a quick high from it (lmao) and then the high disappeared and I got hooked..

I alsways carreid a straw or a small stirrer in my pocket when the craving kicked in really bad. It helped a LOT! On top of that, I carried a pack of cigs for 2 months will trying to quit just in case I got a panic attack and needed one...it was like a noce comforting pacifer knowing I had them but didn't need to smoke them..

That is the two things that helped me through my addiction...

Find that combination and hang in there..it makes a big difference not smoking..

Good luck you two and anyone else thinking about it!

.

 

[jod5413]

Hey Just Play,

Quitting smoking is hard as Hell, even with the crutches of the patch or pill, or food of course.

I have quit a bunch of times in my life, I have tried patches, pills, etc. and they never did more than make me sick.

I quit cold turkey for a few months here and then over a year and still ended up smoking again. The biggest excuse people give about not being able to quit is stress.

It is the hardest thing to quit. I strongly believe that cold turkey gives you an advantage over using things in place of smoking.

I quit for the last time on 12/09/2009. I have not smoked in over 4 months. The honest to God truth is I still crave them and will probably crave them til I die. But, my position was quit or die a lot quicker and more painfully if I kept smoking. I am not in any hurry to kick the bucket, so I use that as a mantra, so to speak. It is still hard but you CAN do it!!

Good Luck!!

 

[IanO]

4 wot its worth

like the old saying goes... ''Quitting is easy, I've done it hundreds of times.''


That said, I found the best way to quit is by having a partner in crime. I did a 'quit bet' with a friend.... first one to spark up gives the other a grand, with all our other mutual friends watching us like hawks. You'd be surprised how good this is as motivation.

If you dont know any other smokers, offer a reward to everyone you know. ''Catch me smoking for a €500 reward''

Also... I found that reallllly strong sherbet sweets and lollypops make nicotene tasts like muck. thats more of a cutting down tool and didn't help me quit, but I thought I'd share that too.

Best of luck! I have everything crossed for anyone who tries.

 

[Chops24]

Me and the wife quit with the help of the patch 13 months ago when we were tring for our first kid. We haven't started yet and now with my first daughter I don't think we will either. But to be totally honest I still get big cravings but it's just not worth it. My wifes Grandparents both got lung cancer and to see people you love go through that makes you think alot. So good luck it's not easy but if you want to bad enough I think you can to it.

Cheers Chops24

 

[ksech]

I give you a huge thumbs up! I have quit numerous times, only to start again. You can do this if you are psychologically ready. I know some people who have quit cold turkey, some who have used the patch, and some who have used Chantix. Good luck to you and to any who are trying to do this.

 

[kakata]

I tink,good luck is more needed to those,like me, who will continue smoking....lol
go JP...you can do it

 

[just play]

Still going, haven't had one since tax day. (2 days ago )

Is it weird that I'm craving one in my chest? My chest is craving a cig?

You mean to tell me after I quit, I will still crave them months or even years later?


Thank you everyone who posted, I really appreciate it. My gut feeling (or chest feeling...lol) is that today will be a hard day, I will be all alone...daughter going swimming lessons, then out with friends for most of the day, husband working until 5.

 

[Jasminebed]

It's not a battle I have won yet, but I've managed a few skirmishes so far. This site is pretty good, and there may be something similiar where you live.

You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.

It's also important to realize that a "slip" is not a failure and a sign to just go back to smoking, but just that, a "slip".

If cold turkey doesn't work for you, try using an aid...it doubles most people's rate of success.

Sunflower seeds in the shell were one of my mom's tools in the battle, and she managed to stay quit for the 15 years prior to her death from lung disease, years she would not have had otherwise.

 

[kakata]

....if I dont drink, dont smoke, dont gamble, dont have sex (not with my wife)

why would I want to be alive?

 

[Jasminebed]

oops, I missed posting the link

You do not have permission to view link Log in or register now.

 

[just play]

I'M DYING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

:sob::sob::sob:

 

[gloria460]

No you're not!!!!!!!!!! I bought a pack today and threw it away. Kicked myself for wasting $5. I'm determined and so are you. get the patch..It's a gradual step down program and will help considerably.

I went without my patch for several hours just to see what would happen and I temporarily gave in but I believe that I can do it this time.

Don't give in...may the force be with you!!!!!!!!!!

 

[kakata]

JP...I bought a pack today and I kicked....my wife...cause I had to pay for it....after I gave all the money i had(*well....almost all)

 

[just play]

 

[chuchu59]

....if I dont drink, dont smoke, dont gamble, dont have sex (not with my wife)

why would I want to be alive?

I always tell people I dont want to be alive if I cannot gamble though I have scaled down immenesely in the past few years.

I dont smoke because I cannot stand it. In my early school years all 39 of my classmates smoked in the schoolbus but not me. Can you believe it?

I rarely drink because any wine/liquor tastes bitter but I am a very good drinker if I need to be one. 2 or 3 glasses of pure brandy/whisky are gone in several gulps.

Sex? I wont tell you. My wife may be reading this lol.

 

[IanO]

The youtube method...

It wouldn't be me if I didn't share my fave youtube quit smoking clips...

 

[just play]

Still haven't touched one!!! I said something like "did you think I could really quit" to my husband and he's like, your not quit yet, it's only been a couple of days.

I couldn't go 15-20 minutes without one before!!! And it's been 4 days.

 

[Shyguy]

Have never really tried to stop smoking, once when I was about 19. It stresses me out too much. Best of luck though if you are quitting. Mate of mine once said that quitting was for quitters!

 

[jod5413]

Still haven't touched one!!! I said something like "did you think I could really quit" to my husband and he's like, your not quit yet, it's only been a couple of days.

I couldn't go 15-20 minutes without one before!!! And it's been 4 days.

Your hubby is wrong! The fact that you haven't smoked for a couple of days, is comparable to a lifetime for a smoker! You have quit! And, if you really want to you will have quit for good a couple of days ago.

I know how horribly hard it is. I have been a lifelong smoker who has quit quite a few times, once for over a year (I smoked two packs a day, almost from the start at age 14). I quit for the final time last Dec. 8th. I am sure I will not start again. The reason being, I waited too long and now have COPD. Not a pleasant way to spend the rest of my life. I spent 10 days over Christmas in the hospital with double pneumonia. I am OK now pretty much, but the rest of my life will become more and more restricted as my lungs get worse.

Walking around all the time scared you are going to get bronchitis or pneumonia is really a drag, and when you do catch something it is an automatic hospital stay. My lungs are trashed enough that I am an easy target for every little virus that comes along. I wheeze and cough a lot. I will also end up on oxygen and tons of other meds just to keep my lungs working, though not perfectly. It restricts my lifestyle, which really is a bummer. I have always been a very physical and active person.

Here's the kicker, folks. I knew I shouldn't smoke because I took care of my Mom for over twelve years, she had COPD with all the bells and whistles. She ended up dying of heart failure, in my arms.

Ya know, I don't usually talk about my private life but this is a special occasion. I am, for once, not being snarky. Just the brutal truth, and it sucks. (Not snarky, Max, pretty good, no? ) I guess I deserve this, but sadly, the body does get addicted to a lot of things. It is insidious and you really feel at the mercy of cigarettes.

The craving will always be there, to an extent, but you can fight it and know you have saved yourself a lot of illness and stress. And, think of the money you saved. Hello, Casino!!!!


P.S. Snarkiness and BS meter back on high alert!!

 

[bb28]

Jod.............Thank you so much for sharing that story with us. It was so very brave of you to do so. Stories like yours reach out and grab us and make us think about the real consequences of some of her behaviors/addictions. I'm a smoker myself and I've tried more than a few times to kick it but I haven't succeeded yet but I'm gearing up for my next try. Damn cigs......I wish I had never saw one.

My hat is off to you girlfriend.......and I hope the coming year is filled with happiness and no health issues.

 

[anniemac]

I have been quit for 8 plus years and yep, the craving is still there. However, the few times I have taken a puff, it nearly killed me. My lungs absolutely spasmed, my head got to spinning and I thought I would throw up. So there is a good thing after all. Anything that makes you feel that bad needs to go.

You will be surprised how much better you feel after a while. The down side for me was that food tastes so much better.

If you really, really want to quit, you can.

 

[just play]

Tommorow will be one week!!!

I do have to confess, my dad came over the other day and I smoked one but besides that, that's it.

My food and ESPECIALLY my coffee taste WORSE!!!! I can't make my coffee right...besides smoking that was my favorite thing, now it doesn't taste good anymore.

 

[maphesto]

Tommorow will be one week!!!

No, you have to count from your last one!

I do have to confess, my dad came over the other day and I smoked one but besides that, that's it.

I have to ask you, doesn´t your father wants you to quit?

It sounds like the people around you don´t believe in you at all. Maybe they don´t want you to quit?
Go show them!

My food and ESPECIALLY my coffee taste WORSE!!!! I can't make my coffee right...besides smoking that was my favorite thing, now it doesn't taste good anymore.

The thing about bad taste, it will come back. That day you realize that things taste good again you really know that you´ve become a "former smoker".

 

[just play]

No, you have to count from your last one!

Says who? I don't count one cig in a week, I'm the one quitting, I can make up my own rules.

I have to ask you, doesn´t your father wants you to quit?

It sounds like the people around you don´t believe in you at all. Maybe they don´t want you to quit?

Sure he does. Who doesn't believe in me? Cuz my dad gave me a cig and my husband who is a non smoker his whole life thought that I wasn't quit yet?

You are right, my husband wants to continue to pay $70 a week for my cigs, and my dad wants me to die early.

 

[maphesto]

I'm the one quitting, I can make up my own rules.

You are absolutely right here. I was just thinking logically, not as a quitter.

You are right, my husband wants to continue to pay $70 a week for my cigs, and my dad wants me to die early.

Hehe, I see your point.

I read this:

I said something like "did you think I could really quit" to my husband and he's like, your not quit yet, it's only been a couple of days.

And in my head it became:

No, you are not making it..

About your father giving you a cig, of course he don´t want you to die.

I´ll put it in another way. I would not give a

*quitting smoker a cig

*fat person who tries to loose weight a pizza

*a quitting alcoholic a bottle of wine

But I might be a bit overambitious when it comes to these things.

I still believe that you can quit. Otherwise you would have tortured yourself for nothing these days.

Go on!

 

[Luckylizzy]

Not Easy But Worth It!

I think if you have enough motivation, it is possible. I know how hard it is to quit even though I only smoked for a couple years.

I can tell you that it is like going over a mountain- It gets harder and harder and then easier and easier. It is so bad at first but just don't let yourself think of picking it back up. Find a new hobby to take your mind off it and you'll be fine.

About the quitting soda part, I still havent been able to do that! lol But I did switch to caffeine free a couple weeks ago! Maybe that's a start.

 

[Luckylizzy]

I was just wondering if you were able to quit. I hope you were able to do it!