[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Help Needed Quitting Smoking (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 9/12/2010 9:23:09 AM EDT
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So I've been a Marlboro Red smoker for 20+ years. I've tried to keep it around one pack per day, but have went up to 2 packs at stressful times in my life. I swore I would quit "when they hit $3 per pack", I didn't. I swore I would quit "when they hit $4 per pack", I didn't. I swore I would quit "when they hit $5 per pack", I didn't. I've had a ongoing sinus infection for so many years I've forgot just how long. I can barely hear out of my right ear because of it. The only time it got better was when I quit smoking for about six months. For the last year or so I would spend five to ten minutes coughing and wheezing when I laid down to sleep. It was driving me crazy. I think to myself about all the SHTF preps I have made. Guns, gear, you name it and I can't run around the house without being out of breath. I'm not overweight, not in bad shape, but my breathing is pitiful. About two months ago I saw something on TV that had this old man sitting in a restaurant with his oxygen bottle. Something about it hit me hard. I realized that was going to be me if I don't do something now. The fear of not being able to breath came over me and really scared the shit out of me. I don't want to die like that. Since that day I have been cutting down on how much I smoke. I went from one per hour to one every two hours, to five per day all the way down to one cigarette per day. For the first time in years I can go most all day and not have the urge to smoke. I can drive across town and not want a smoke. I can eat and not need a smoke as soon as I'm done. My wheezing at night has gone away. My sinus problem is getting better. But my coughing seems to be getting worse and is accompanied by black "lung butter". I hope that is a good sign. Even though my one smoke makes me so light headed, I still can not put it down. I've tried gum and hard candy, but I still have a terrible need for it. I've come so far, but need some moral support to finish this for good. Actually I need your worst. Pics of burnt up lungs, cancer stories and what ever else you can dish out. I don't want pills or patches, I want the thought of smoking to turn my stomach. Any advice, help or words of wisdom will be appreciated. |
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e-cig if you really MUST have that one a day. You get the nicotine hit without the carcinogens. More to the point though, what's the attraction of that remaining one a day? Are you afraid on some level of cutting your ties to your old habit entirely?
ETA: Since this is GD....you could also try visualizing it as craving blowing a small white dick once a day  
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For a price I'll come slap them out of your hand every time you pick one up... Honestly unless YOU want to, you won't. My dad's been hounded by me, my mom and sisters for years...he's "quit" a few times...but just hides it instead. His money, health and happiness...just our suggestions b/c we want him around longer. He doesn't want to stop...so be it. |
| I just did it in July , smoked about a pack a day for 15 years. took me 5 days to quit , used the lozenges and I think it was the 2mg ones or the 4mgs ones . They says 30 days or so on the lozenges but by the 5th day i didnt want one anymore. you have to want to quit , thats the key. YMMV... |
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After i got down to one a day i just started finding stuff to do to keep me busy. One day i woke up and realized i didn't smoke the day before, so i went another day, and then another. It'll be 13 months tomorrow. You can do it. It's all in your head. People used to tell me that all the time and i never believed them, but think about it, your down to one a day and your head is telling you that you need it, but you don't. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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You have to want to quit and if you do you can quit..........cold turkey. Just do it and don't tell anyone or they will remind you in some way that you really want a cigarette. I quit cold turkey in Feb. 1967 and I honestly never wanted a cigarette again. I drove 6 miles one way home for lunch. I sat down on the couch and lit up. My wife asked me what I'd like to eat and I said "I'm not really hungry". That's when I realized I could and should quit and I put that one out and never lit up again. When you decide that you really want to quit you will! When I was about 15 a mobile medical group came to town and set up a display of how different diseases affected the body. They had a display showing healthy lung tissue beside lung tissue from a smoker. I quit that day and didn't start again until after basic training when I was 18. Google lung, lip, and mouth cancer. You'll see all the horrible things that tobacco will do to your body.
I hope you quit. |
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Chantix helped me. 9.5 months and counting.
Pick a quit day. When it comes you get rid of everything smoke related because you are now a non-smoker. Avoid situations that might trigger the urge to smoke for a few weeks and if you do get an urge tell yourself " I am a non-smoker." Once you dont think about it all day it just kinds fades away in your mind and you forget about smoking altogether. If you are down to 1 a day it is all in your head. Good luck. |
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CHANTIX FTW. Mom smoked for 40 years and my wife and I smoked for 10. Pack a day minimum. We all 3 took Chantix and all 3 quit, EASILY. Seriously, I just stopped smoking. Not a second thought. You can quit cold turkey if you want to. But IMO, you'll just endure unneeded stress and frustration, as well as a lower long term success rate. |
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Been smoke free for 6 months. Took me 2 weeks to quit. Had some bumps but I did it. You can too. Just stop. It gets easier as time rolls on. Every now and than I want one but the urge is gone just as quick as it came on. I loved smoking. But I love not smoking more.
One cig a day? Come on, you can drop that. Quit fucking around and stop. You that weak? |
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OP, you said you wanted the worst support?
I'm still shocked that you need help when you're down to ONE FUCKING CIGARETTE A DAY!!! Jesus Christ, Dude, if you can't totally quit when your'e down to ONE FUCKING CIGARETTE A DAY then fuck it...start smoking again. Go ahead. Buy a pack, cause you ain't gonna quit if you get hung up on ONE FUCKING CIGARETTE A DAY! Maybe I'm being an asshole, but god dammit buck up and stop fucking smoking! If you're only having one smoke a day, then it's all in your head. |
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I smoked a pack/day for ~6yrs.
I quit about 8yrs ago by waking up one day and telling myself I was no longer a smoker. It sucked. I wanted a cig for a long time. But since that day I have not been a smoker and I have not had a smoke. As long as you allow yourself even a drag you are STILL a smoker, at least in your mind. The second you say 'I am NOT a smoker any longer' you will have made it unacceptable to smoke at all because nonsmokers do not smoke. Do it. Put aside all the $$$ you spend on cigarettes and at the end of your first smoke-free month treat yourself to a lower! |
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Quoted: OP, you said you wanted the worst support? I'm still shocked that you need help when you're down to ONE FUCKING CIGARETTE A DAY!!! Jesus Christ, Dude, if you can't totally quit when your'e down to ONE FUCKING CIGARETTE A DAY then fuck it...start smoking again. Go ahead. Buy a pack, cause you ain't gonna quit if you get hung up on ONE FUCKING CIGARETTE A DAY! Maybe I'm being an asshole, but god dammit buck up and stop fucking smoking! If you're only having one smoke a day, then it's all in your head. I'm done with it. I have been cleaning house today and while I was at it I threw away every ash tray, lighter and Marlboro related items I could find. Everyone here is correct, if I can go down to one a day with no problems, then the rest is in my head. I hate it more than I like it, so it's got to go, now. I'm going to end up gaining 50 pounds, but damn it, I'm going to be a non-smoker.  Edit: Thanks VAC  |
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Quoted: I smoked a pack/day for ~6yrs. I quit about 8yrs ago by waking up one day and telling myself I was no longer a smoker. It sucked. I wanted a cig for a long time. But since that day I have not been a smoker and I have not had a smoke. As long as you allow yourself even a drag you are STILL a smoker, at least in your mind. The second you say 'I am NOT a smoker any longer' you will have made it unacceptable to smoke at all because nonsmokers do not smoke. Do it. Put aside all the $$$ you spend on cigarettes and at the end of your first smoke-free month treat yourself to a lower! I'm going to do one better. I'm going to put what would have been cigarette money in a savings account. After one year I'll have enough to get a HK93.  |
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Originally Posted By: PantherArms762 CHANTIX FTW. Mom smoked for 40 years and my wife and I smoked for 10. Pack a day minimum. We all 3 took Chantix and all 3 quit, EASILY. Seriously, I just stopped smoking. Not a second thought. You can quit cold turkey if you want to. But IMO, you'll just endure unneeded stress and frustration, as well as a lower long term success rate. Chantix Over two years for me.  |
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The patch helps, a lot! Mainly with weaning yourself off the nicotine (I'd drag ass and get grumpy w/o it), in the end, it's will power and you're going to have to man the fuck up.
I've been quit for 1mo, done pretty well too, I've sat in smokey bars and drank, but not bummed a smoke. My GF was up my ass about quitting and I toss $5 a day into a jar, so I notice what I'm not spending. Once you quit, the battle isn't over, I quit for a year, had it beat cold... Smoked one night and was back to a pack a day 2 days later. You can never smoke one again, ever, period. You can use a pipe or cigar to get over the physical part of the habit, but only when you absolutely HAVE to have the prop. I suggest a pipe, you'll get so sick of dicking with it, that you'll be off that in no time. The main thing, keep busy* and try to stay away from stressful things. * You figure smoking take maybe 5min, you have a pack a day habit, you quit, you just gain almost 2hrs of free time... WTF do you do with it? Find a hobby. I know it sounds stupid, but I play PS3. BTW: Developing an absolute loathing for people who smoke also helps in quitting... I'm a reformed whore, I think smokers are the nastiest people on Earth, I've developed a hate, it works for me. 
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Quoted:
Quoted:
OP, you said you wanted the worst support? I'm still shocked that you need help when you're down to ONE FUCKING CIGARETTE A DAY!!! Jesus Christ, Dude, if you can't totally quit when your'e down to ONE FUCKING CIGARETTE A DAY then fuck it...start smoking again. Go ahead. Buy a pack, cause you ain't gonna quit if you get hung up on ONE FUCKING CIGARETTE A DAY! Maybe I'm being an asshole, but god dammit buck up and stop fucking smoking! If you're only having one smoke a day, then it's all in your head. I'm done with it. I have been cleaning house today and while I was at it I threw away every ash tray, lighter and Marlboro related items I could find. Everyone here is correct, if I can go down to one a day with no problems, then the rest is in my head. I hate it more than I like it, so it's got to go, now. I'm going to end up gaining 50 pounds, but damn it, I'm going to be a non-smoker.
Edit: Thanks VAC
Good for you! I'm happy to help ya any way I can. Hell, I'll even IM you my phone number if you want someone to vent to. As far as gaining weight, yep, it's gonna happen, but only as much as you allow. The first time I quit I gained 20 pounds. Holy shit, I got fat! None of my uniforms fit. This time I was aware of the weight gain and took steps to avoid it. When I got the munchies I grabbed carrot sticks. It's going to be a battle, but you can do it. And like the Flight Surgeon told me, a few extra pounds is still healthier than smoking. By being aware of what I was doing as I quit, I only gained about 3 pounds. Right now, start reminding yourself that you are a non-smoker. Tell those that love you that you no longer smoke. Not only will you be proud of yourself, but they'll be proud of you, too! |
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JUST MAN UP AND QUIT. Or do you have less willpower than a fucking cigarette?  You control what goes into your body. Don't make excuses for your own lack of self discipline, because it's the only reason you HAVE a lack of self discipline. It's really as simple as throwing the damned things in the trash and telling yourself that you are totally done with them, making that DECISION, and STICKING TO THAT DECISION because it's what a MATURE ADULT DOES. You don't need a support group. You need to learn to respect your own decisions and live by them. But first, you have to MAKE that decision. It's easy to skate out of a commitment you haven't MADE. That's that. CJ |
| Exercise is crucial, and really helped me through it. You won't want to do it, and you'll feel like shit, but smoking is one of the few problems that you can literally run away from. There are a number of drugs out there that can really help, unfortunately most of them are illegal. |
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Do you drink? I quit smoking on a regular basis years ago, but I still drank nearly every night. On nights I'd get a little to drunk I'd find myself smoking a cig or two. It was the only time the urge hit. As of typing this the last time I drank was around 3 weeks ago and as a result I haven't had the slightest desire for a cigarette.
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| One ciggie is as bad as a bunch. Just quit and give yourself a few weeks. I quit over 30 yrs ago by something called a clip. Doctor who managed the program said that you will always feel the need so just do yourself a favor and quit cold turkey. I was smoking 3 packs a day when I quit. |
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I smoked for 30 years. I used the patch. It really helped with the urges, but the bottom line was that I quit when I believed I COULD quit. You have to make a big commitment. You have to resolve to win the war - and it is WAR. You have to believe that once you quit, you WILL wonder why you ever smoked those filthy things. You'll have a really tough week, an easier month, a even easier year, and a much better life. You CAN do it. |
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I've tried to keep it around one pack per day, but have went up to 2 packs at stressful times in my life.
Work was stressing me out so damn bad, I was smoking 3-4 packs...a SHIFT. Finally, completely on a whim, I bought a box of Nicoderm CQ patches, and quit. I used them (the stage 1 patches) for 3 weeks and then quit those. That's been over 3 years ago.
If you WANT to quit, you CAN quit. |
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man don't quit...the goberment needs your tax money and your SS money when you die at a younger age.
True story My mother was bitching that they need a new car but cannot afford one. I did the math and they were smoking the car payment and insurance money ever month. She quit that month and went out a bought a new van. So whats it gonna be....more smoke of that new thousand dollar pistol you have your eye on? |
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Nicoderm 3 step patch. Lots of liquids and deep breathing. That helped me to quit.
I used to get bronchitis at least once every winter when I smoked, I almost never get sick now. It's been about 15 years. You'll breathe better, food will taste better and you'll be all around healthier because your body is not constantly fighting the poison you are putting into it. Not only that, think of the money you can put into guns and ammo. You can do it. |
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I smoke. I like smoking. I like the taste, the smell, the feeling. I cut back a bit to prevent the bronchitis, asthma and burning nose symptoms. I should quit, but it has been unsuccessful because I like it. That said, I'm getting sick of paying a 50 cents a day to smoke a half pack of cigarettes, so I'm probably going to try cold turkey again shortly. It's more that I hate smelling like an ashtray, hate my family looking down on me, etc. I also plan on going back to smoking pipes and cigars. I haven't lit up either for 6 months. I'd much prefer to have a cigar a week than to constantly smoke cigarettes. |
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Quoted: I smoke. I like smoking. I like the taste, the smell, the feeling. I cut back a bit to prevent the bronchitis, asthma and burning nose symptoms. I should quit, but it has been unsuccessful because I like it. That said, I'm getting sick of paying a 50 cents a day to smoke a half pack of cigarettes, so I'm probably going to try cold turkey again shortly. It's more that I hate smelling like an ashtray, hate my family looking down on me, etc. I also plan on going back to smoking pipes and cigars. I haven't lit up either for 6 months. I'd much prefer to have a cigar a week than to constantly smoke cigarettes. What brand are you smoking that cost $1.00 a pack? Damn Tops cost more than that here. |
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Quoted: I smoke. I like smoking. I like the taste, the smell, the feeling. I cut back a bit to prevent the bronchitis, asthma and burning nose symptoms. I should quit, but it has been unsuccessful because I like it. That said, I'm getting sick of paying a 50 cents a day to smoke a half pack of cigarettes, so I'm probably going to try cold turkey again shortly. It's more that I hate smelling like an ashtray, hate my family looking down on me, etc. I also plan on going back to smoking pipes and cigars. I haven't lit up either for 6 months. I'd much prefer to have a cigar a week than to constantly smoke cigarettes. I liked the taste of cigarettes while I was addicted to them. Since I quit, the smell of them makes me want to vomit. I smoke a cigar every now and then (maybe 2 a month) and I enjoy them. |