Topic Posted by: lovingdusty
Date Posted: Fri May 2 9:14:09 2008
Additional Comments: hey guys! I haven't been around for awhile bc I have been rather busy plus I don't know how to change my name on here. lol Right now my hubby and I are in the process of quitting smoking. He is on the patch and I am on the lozenge. Today is day 6 w/o a smoke but it is hard. Anytime I get stressed I want to run out and buy a pack. Been smoking for 17 yrs. now. Anyone quit before and still not smoking? Need help...
Posted by: maggimae Date posted: Sat May 3 12:01:23 2008
Message: One thing I've heard is to avoid being in situations where you usually smoked. Not sure how you accomplish that, though. I've tried to apply it to drinking. My husband and I sit out and watch the sunset almost every night. And we have a couple of drinks. Now that's the only time I think about drinking, so if I didn't sit out and watch the sunset, I wouldn't drink. But I'd sure hate to have to quit watching the sunsets.
Posted by: muffin Date posted: Sat May 3 0:56:43 2008
Message: my husband quit after 17 years. he said the hardest part is the habit of it, such as when you go out to dinner, smoking while you are waiting for your food. (even tho it is illegal now to smoke in public) but i do remember reading that if you drink alot of orange juice that it is supposed to help wash the toxins out of your system...good luck!
Posted by: Janie Date posted: Sat May 3 0:24:15 2008
Message: I have never smoked but my SO had for many years. Last June he was hospitalized with pneumonia and that was a wake up call for him. His pulmonologist told me not to ever smoke again. Its been almost a year now and he hasn't started but he says that he really misses it. I'm not sure you ever get over your craving for a smoke. I have another friend who quit after many years and she says that she will follow someone who is smoking just to get a whiff of the smoke, she misses it so much. Addiction is really tough to break. Even though I never smoked, I feel like I'm addicted to food. Having grown up with a full blooded Italian mother, food was the center of our life so I struggle with my eating habits and weight constantly. I admire your courage for doing this. Hang in there. Think of the health benefits. I've also heard that food tastes better when you don't smoke but my guy says he doesn't notice a difference in that. Good luck and hang in there!
Posted by: Bristol Date posted: Fri May 2 22:56:24 2008
Message:
I smoked for about 25 years. Some days I smoked 2 packs, some days I smoked 2 cigarettes. Sometimes I'd go days without smoking one because I was somewhat of a closet smoker and there were times that I just couldn't sneak one. But even when I couldn't smoke, I always knew as soon as I got the chance, I'd smoke some more.
One day I just got tired of smelling like a butt tray, tired of spraying air freshener (as IF it did anything) , tired of my clothes smelling, tired of hiding butts, cigarette packs, scrounging for change to buy a pack, going out in snowstorms to make sure I had a supply for the duration, sucking on life savers in an attempt to erase the smell from the inside of my mouth. I was just tired of being a smoker.
I went to bed one night and told myself 'You're not a smoker. Never were and never will be". I threw all my cigarettes in the trash and poured old coffee into the garbage bag so I couldn't reach in and pull them out again. During the day, whenever I thought of having a smoke, I just thought "Why would you want a cigarette? You're not a smoker. Never were and never will be"
And thus, I quit cold turkey. No gum. No patches. No hypnotism. No nothing. About 6 weeks after I stopped, I found a cigarette in the bottom of a drawer. You guessed it. I lit it up. It was incredibly hard and gross to inhale and it tasted awful (probably because it was stale, too) Then I thought, "No wonder you didn't like that. You aren't a smoker. Never were and never will be".
And that, my dear was that. Never touched a cigarette or wished I had one for over10 years. What freedom! Another reward is to put the cash you would have spent on a pack in a big old water jug every day. It adds up to hundreds and hundreds of dollars a year, just for cigarettes - let alone the amount you spend on dry cleaning, laundering, mints and air freshener. You'll be so rich and healthy. Of course you'll be! That's because you're not a smoker. You never were and you never will be.
Posted by: fee Date posted: Fri May 2 15:19:15 2008
Message: Every DAY is a huge accomplishment! Just remember that! I'm sure it's just SO hard! But EVERY SINGLE DAY is really a milestone!
Posted by: katiesbeach Date posted: Fri May 2 9:28:27 2008
Message: Start a jounal! Write down whatever you feel. Write down a grocery list, or things you plan to wear next week. Someone said once that having a pen in your hand was like having a cigratte. Go figure. But try it! And good luck! Six days is awesome!
