cigarettes: quitting is not all that hard

[lumberjim]

i think it's a lot of hype put about by the colossal conspiracy of the cig companies. i quit 2 weeks ago. it was rough for maybe a day or two. then it was all about the habits. no patch. no gum.

i decided that i would quit on march 15th. i meant it. i smoked like a chimney on the 14th....made it 'til like...9 pm on on the 15th, and caved. rough day at work. smoked like 3 or 4 the rest of that day, and felt guilty about it. the next 6 days, i had maybe 2 or 3... and then, on the 21st, I had the day off.....and smoked 0. the 22nd, i stayed strong, and thanks to a busy day at work, again had 0. after that, it got easier every day. now, only 2 weeks later, it doesn't even occur to me that i would enjoy one. I avoided getting really drunk, and stayed in instead of going to friends and barhopping last weekend.....but at this point, i think i'd be fine at a bar. i'm a little buzzed right now....and i don;t want one.

i've had 2 dreams where i bought and smoked cigs, tho. i was soooo pissed in the dream. i remember that happening the last time i quit. ( i went 3 years...dumbass)

the point of this though, was to say that.....if you really want to quit, it aint no thang. suck it up, and do it.

jinx quit, too, so with the extra $240 that we used to spend on smokes, we're joining a gym.

[Aliantha]

Good for you LJ...and Jinx. I agree with you about it not being so hard to quit. I did it several years ago now and haven't even looked at one since. I just went cold turkey which is pretty much what you've done too.

I believe that when you're ready mentally to quit, it's simple to do because your mind is ruling any of the physical addiction you might have so therefore you're in control of what's happening.

[freshnesschronic]

It's all mental!!!!
Just like masterbating or eating chocolate or getting down to it and studying.

I had a spot in the third month that was the hardest.
After the first thee-four weeks, it is all mental. Habit and why you smoked/continued to smoke... that core issue.
But, you really don't have to get to that, just replace it with why you don't want to now, and HOLD-ON to that.

I'll also say that the whole, "this is my last smoke ever, everever" then you slip-up and smoke and you label yourself a "failure" while counting days... then start counting all over again, is bullshit IMO.

The one thing I do like about those step progams is the mantra when I got-up "dude, I bet you can get through today without a smoke". Sometimes when I was craving I would bet myself how long I could last before I gave-in.
At 1:00, "you are a pussy if you don't make it to 3"... and so on.

When I did smoke, it would be a puff or two and I would REALLY pay attention to the taste and ask myself "you like that... not the fix, tasting that, SMELLING like that for Kan, pussy?"...out it went.

I had two 40lb dumbells in my room, I was not as sick then, and I would curl or press them, when I had a craving, until I either did not want a smoke or could not lift it to my lips...

Pavlov was seriously on to something there.
Voice in the back of my head, next moring: "Craving, shut the fuck-up dude... you tryin' ta' kill us!?"
Me: "What was that?"

Voice: "Nothin' man... you still crazy... s-ok... no smoking assholes here... just us carrots... go take a shower..."

[limey]

I too, choose the cold turkey route to give up and it works (three times so far for me!). Both previous non-smoker periods were two years or more and each time I fell off the wagon I learnt something more about myself. I agree with Aliantha that it really helps to have your mind in the right spot. (Currently non-smoker since June 26 '05).

This may have just worked for me... so this is not advice, I'm just sayin' it worked.
Also, my little "method" has worked for others and it closely resembles the new behavioral drug rehab methods... which creeps me out, because in my circle people call this Rob's method, even people in LA that I don't know.

Anyway, I kept a pack or half in the house or car.
(waits while people freak/rant)
Now, hear me out.
If you are serious about this, really-really.
You are going to have "days", "afternoons", "mornings".
I know you hear me.
And when you read then above post again... now is a good time *waits, remembering LA*, you are going to get it.
There will come a time when you are going to do the "just one" tango with yourself.
Now, that pack is not for you to smoke.
Yes, huh!
That is right, NOT for you to smoke.
But, if you do, it was a slip and you do the "pay attention" thing, why you quit and how great it is going to be to get rid of them and their hold over you and how shitty if felt to give in, how bad you smell and need to bush your teeth, etc, etc.
The other thing is this... if the above happens when someone dies, your boss says some shit to you, your SO breaks-up with you or a heel over your head, you lose your money in Vegas, etc.
The last thing you want to do is have the conversation with your car... then the counter at the 7-11... then the pack... then the lighter... all while you are upset and having people all-up in your shit.
Go have your private "I need this One" and move on... since you set it up that way, it is not a/the failure and one more thing you are dealing with along with the crap you are dealing with that day... which you do NOT need.
I promise you, it helps, because people back-slide when the shit hits the fan.
You will get rid of your back-up pack when you find it after you have forgotten where it was, and that is an AWESOME day and a gift you get to give yourself.
Good luck... but more... have AT IT!

[Sundae]

I work quite closely with the Stop Smoking team at work (my Manager signs off the invoices for nicotine replacement items). I would suggest that it varies greatly from person to person.

Some people get severe nicotine withdrawal and some people find breaking the actual habit incredibly hard without counselling.

It seems that with an addiction there are people who need help to break it, those who never quite manage and those who turn their back on it quite easily.

[Flint]

I think there is a genetic component to cigarette addiction, because whetever it takes to get addicted to cigarettes: I don't have it. I can smoke a pack in one weekend of going out, and then not smoke again for six months, and not even think about it. It doesn't affect me that way.

[Cloud]

well, people are different, and you can't just assume other people are going to have a similar experience as you.

I quit . . . 20 years ago. I used a bad cold as a cutting-off point, because I could never enjoy smoking when I was sick.

[TheMercenary]

Well done, congrats lumberjim. Soon you will be able to taste your food.

And your place & car will smell nice.