Stop Smoking Support Thread

Okay, I thought I needed to start this

As some of you know, I stopped smoking just over a week ago (May 25). I've been chewing (lots of) Nicorette since, but, have remained mostly smoke-free. I say mostly cuz I may have a puff or two at a bar every couple days, and don't consider that being a failure...

I've smoked since I was 17, and have enjoyed it - but - it's become a nasty "habit" that I really need to break. I was smoking too much, sitting at a computer all day, it's easy to smoke and not realize it. Therefore, it's easy to smoke 2+ packs/day without knowing it. I knew shit had to change getting out of breath taking out the trash!

It's not an easy thing, after 21 years. Trust me on that one. I think the stock price in Nicorette is gonna double in a couple days. But - better that than continuing to pollute myself, right?

I know non-smokers won't understand any of this.

I decided to quite (again) for a few reasons. The first (and only serious) time I quit was about 4 years ago when my mom was going in for cardiac bypass surgery. I lasted about 6 months, but the bar scene was increasing difficult to overcome.

This time, my mom was going back in for an angioplasty, and that was one motivator. Another was the fact that I didn't feel healthy any more -- getting colds for no reason, becoming out of breath for no reason, etc. Bad news. What made it easier was the fact that I ran out of cigarettes one night... a night I was on the chatroom ALL NIGHT. I would buy my smokes online for $12/carton, and never ordered more. That night, I ran out, and with the other motivators, I figured that was it - I ran out, so that's that. Time to quit.

I will say this - under circumstances I cannot/will not smoke, it never really bothered me not smoking. I didn't really think much of it, tho, at times I'd chew a piece of Nicorette every couple hours or so and it'd be fine.

But I tell yeah, once you "really quit" it's been much tougher. I've been chewing this shit almost constantly - more than I would otherwise. (But again, I figure it's better than smoking!)

As far as the "puff now and then at the bar", I don't consider that being a terrible thing, at least in the beginning. If I said to myself "I can never smoke again" I would think of that as an impossible task, and surely would fail. But, if I thought that - in the beginning at least - I would limit myself to a few puffs a few times/week it'd be no big deal. My rule is to never buy them, and to never take them home! I think it's helped. And it's not like I'd smoke constantly at the bar, only - cuz I haven't, and I know that wouldn't be good nor work. But a "let me light that for you" approach has worked so far. It's been over 8 days, and I've had like 1 cig (for real) the entire time. Compared to 40+/DAY, that's pretty incredible - and to me, not a failure.

But in any event - rather than rambling on - I'd love to hear others' experiences quitting. What has and what hasn't worked for you? Gum vs patch vs lozenges vs inhalers vs whatever - what has worked for you? And, what has your success/failure rate been?

I really wanna try this time. Cuz I said long ago that I wanted to quit by 30. Then at 35. Then at 40 -- and, at 38, I think that's close enough!

Well done Boss, that's a pretty good achievement, I only hope you can keep it up.

Maybe I have no right entering this thread, after all "I know non-smokers won't understand any of this." But I have come from a family that has known my parents to smoke all their lives. I was brought up on it and to be frank I'm lucky I'm not a smoker. When my lung collapsed the last thing what would have been good for me would be to smoke.

My dad finally gave up the habit this past Christmas. He was to have half of his lung taken out because of a tumor. He quit there and then and thankfully the operation was a success. He's now doing alright for a guy with one and a half lungs.

My mum has never manged to quit, god knows she's tried. The news of my dad only managed to delay her smoking for about 8 days. She hasn't got it in her and I know she'll never be able to quit.

I've known plenty of people to go a hypnotist to quit. All of them are back smoking again and can't even remember being under hypnosis. There money would have been better spent getting blindly drunk. If you're not gonna remember - why not?

About 10 years ago, when the patch first came out (you needed an Rx from a doctor to get them then, BTW), I knew a guy in his sixties who smoked about three packs a day.

He went on the patch, and stopped 1-2-3. A guy who was a heavy smoker for maybe 50 years. I figured if he could do it, so could I.

So I got me some patches, uses them for about 10 days, and stayed smoke-free for almost two years.

What I never realized about smoking, and what non-smokers can probably never understand, is the strength of the physical addiction to nicotine. I'm still not sure I understand it myself. No withdrawel symptoms, no pains, no shakes, just an indescribable mental craving, which, we don't realize, is actually a physical craving.

Then (stupidly), I started having an occasional cigar, which became a regular cigar, which led to an occasional cigarette, which became a regular cigarette, which led to my resuming the habit.

Since then, I've tried to stop, using the patch, several times, all with varying degrees of non-success. I've lasted a few weeks, a few days, a few hours.

Hmmm...this thread is for support, and I guess I haven't been very supportive, have I? Well, I stopped for almost two years because I was motivated to do so. I wasn't really notivated for all the other attempts, but you sound motivated enough.

The best advice I can give you?:

Avoid the occasional few puffs, or the occasional full cigarette.

And as hard as it will be for a guy like you

Try to stay out of the bars

Coming from someone who's father died of lung cancer at age 51, and my mom who has emphysema, all I can say is your family will love you for it. It's a hard road I'm sure. But think of all the added years you'll have.

Good luck!

I'm not a big smoker, but I do smoke a couple Newports a week. My dad has been smoking since he was 18, and he's 50 now. My mom smoked for 10 years, but she quit when she found out she was pregnant with me. Too bad you can't get pregnant, eh JG? :p My 2 grandparents (my dad's parents) both died back in 96/97 from smoking related deaths. They were both around 70. JG--You should just try chewing regular gum and see if that works. That nicorette shit brings up your blood pressure. -Pat

As a non-smoker, I'll just say GO-MAN-GO! or maybe that's STOP-MAN-STOP. Addiction is a peculiar thing to understand for the non-addict. Besides the physical as Pl points out, the personality drives you to....something. Maybe you can replace the urge with water.

I had a friend who tried the patch. It would work on and off. Finally his kids begged him to quit and he did. So since you don't have kids, I'm begging you to quit. And if you have to go to a bar, drive up to Suffern, NY and we'll sample some micro-brew at the Ramapo Brewery and Bar....no smoking allowed.

YOU can do it...after all, you are the Godfather.

I think it's a good idea to quit.

I think the longest I've quit was only for two weeks. I know it is a physical addiction, but a mental one as well. As all smokers know, having a drink without a cigaret for instance, is one of the hardest things "not" to do; or picking up the phone and having a long phone coversation; or, after leaving work and getting in your car, especially after stressful days, that cigaret is "automatic".

Working at a school, smoking is prohibited in and outside on the school campus, which I guess is a plus for me. Also, as of 2 years ago, I do not smoke in my house, but outside, which you would think is a plus as well.

It's harder to explain, I think, the mental addiction that smoking has. I think that might be harder (at least for me), than the physical addiction. One has to be "determined" to quit and in the right mental frame of mind to succeed. This is something that nonsmokers don't get. Many think in terms of "just quitting". Like losing weight, it is an enormous challenge.

I don't have the answers, but I wish you luck Geoff, as there is no doubt it is better not to smoke. Of course with almost everywhere being nonsmoking areas these days, you would think that would help too.

Good luck!!

TIS

I stopped smoking...to chew tobacco.

Please don't anyone pick up this habit. It's horrible. I know smokers say the same thing, but they still enjoy it. It's the same way with chewers/spitters...

Nothing like a big fat plug of Red Man after a day at school, or a dip of Copenhagen to round out a horrible four hour research report...

I'm trying to quit to. There's this stuff that's made out of corn silk, that's supposed to simulate the tobacco experience.

Smokey Mountain Snuff
KIKIT Chew Alternative
QuitTobacco.com

I'm sure they have to have stuff like this out for cigarrettes. If not, gum, beef jerky, suckers, Lifesavers, heck, this imitation chew might work. I'm ordering my bunch of the Smokey Mountain Snuff at the end of the week when I get paid...


Win-go-los-ik,
Don Ethereal

Jeez, Part', two pieces of 4mg gum at a time?? No wonder... that's like smoking 8 cigarettes at once!

The gum does satisfy a nicotine craving, but it really doesn't satisfy a cigarette craving. As Plaw and others have said, it's a physical addiction (to nicotine, of course) and also a mental habit. Habit as in reaching for a smoke in particular circumstances (as TIS said): waking up, morning coffee, after meals, driving, while drinking, etc - those times are most difficult. And after sex, of course

I always hated the fact that bars in NY were smoke-free, but I guess it's a good thing when I think about it. Going outside to smoke (making it inconvenient) helps to cut down significantly. Especially when it's pouring rain or below freezing )

Maybe I'll try this: Putting a rubber band around my wrist, and every time I crave a cigarette I'd have to snap it really hard. I'm sure after a while I'd think about it less!

Why? Cuz negative reinforcement is a good habit-breaker:

While in college, my roommates and I started saying some stupid word or phrase over and over, and it was becoming incredibly annoying. So we decided that whenever any one of us would say this word/phrase, another of us would punch the person as hard as possible in the arm. The result? After a couple days, no one said whatever it was -- and to this day, none of us recall even what that word or phrase was!

Don Geoff,

You need to be commended for realizing you need to quit smoking. I don't smoke but alot of my family does. Keep on keeping on and you know your fellow BBer's are all behind you. You will do it. Use that rubber band if you have to. Best of luck.

One of the hardest things about trying to give up is finding something to do with your hands, a lot of the time I find myself smoking out of boredom and that's awful. When I'm not smoking I usually find myself fidgitting with something, like a paperclip or elastic band. I think perhaps that's why a lot of people put on weight when they give up smoking - its to do with the hands and mouth.

I've been thinking a lot recently about giving up. Apart from the obvious damage its doing to my health, smoking is ridiculously expensive here, almost £5.00 ($9.00) for a pack of 20 cigarettes. If I don't give up just now, then I will when I get pregnant, because then it will be my baby's health that is the most important thing.

Geoff's right about the negative association thing. Some people find that if they associate the act of smoking with something abhorrant eg a disgusting smell, or a painful sensation, then this helps them not to smoke. Hypnosis uses a similar principle - the hypnotist would trick your brain into smelling, say, dogshit, everytime you spark up!!

Not to change the subject, but you have sex? :p

(Well, you left yourself pretty wide open for that one)

Seriously, though. I had a friend, Barry, who's a psychologist, who used to work with people on smoking cessation.

One of his techniques, which I watched him try on another friend (this was about 30 years ago, before patches, gum, etc.) was what he called the "quick puff" method.

We were sitting in Central Park, and he had my friend Jeff (strangely enough) light a cigarette. As soon as Jeff exhaled, Barry would say "puff", and Jeff had to inhale and exhale again. He got no time off in between puffs, and I had to have a lit cigarette ready for him as soon as he finished the one he was smoking.

About midway through the third cig, Jeff was coughing and choking, but Barry made him keep going. He couldn't even inhale anymore, and finally he just threw up.

The method worked great. After throwing up, Jeff didn't smoke another one for at least 3 hours. :rolleyes:

I spent the entire 80's puffing away on Virgina Slims lights and had no intentions of quiting. In 1990, I had bronchitis and could not get rid of it. So I stop smoking until the bronchitis was resolved, and planned to returned to smoking. The "drawback" to that plan is that I kept forgeting to buy cigarettes! So I reasoned that if I cannot remember to buy cigarettes then I don't need to smoke.

Geoff, it does not sound that like using the gum alone is doing the trick. Ask for a script for the patch (DON'T CHEAT AND SMOKE! ) or ask for a script for Zyban to turn down the stimulate response. Zyban is also a antidepressant and has a good reponse in weight reduction. But forgettaboutit if you have seizures

I smoked since i was 12 years , pretty young, the last week i was very sick, i went to the hospital and i had a neumonnia, the doctor said my lung was pretty bad for a 23 years girl, told me i can´t smoke again in my whole life, so for the youngest here like pat quit now man, you don´t wanna be in your 20´s and have problems with your lung and for geoff good luck in the hard road to quit .

Well, I'm not a "full-time" smoker, but I have had periods of time where I smoked Marlboros like it was water. My dad had been smoking since he was 29 years old, and he quit about 4 years ago when he was 51 years old. He just quit, no patch, no gum, no nothing. It was tough for him. Those "Y do you think smoking" commericials really convinced me to not smoke anymore.

Off topic, I remember this one time, I was walking on this bridge, and i saw a pack of Marlboros. It was new, and it hadn't been opened. My first pack

When I quit smoking I quit cold-turkey from 2-1/2 packs a day (this is chain-smoking almost constantly)... that was 22 years ago.

A girlfriend and I were lying outside under an enormous pine tree on a mild fall night (about midnight actually) ... we had just, uh ... well ... uh, (ahem) smoked all my cigarettes ... then smoked all hers. We got onto the conversation of how long we'd been each smoking ... I had for almost 9 years, she for almost 8. So, right there we agreed to both quit together on the spot.
She went back to smoking about 4 months later ... I never smoked cigarettes again.

I must say, one thing that really helped me was that I was weight-lifting, and later running for exercise about that time. The exercise was something that I'd been doing independently of any plans to quit smoking.

For me, exercise was the most important componant to getting past that first few weeks or so where the withdrawl symptoms are at their worst.

I think there are three stages that have to be treated individually.

The first is the withdrawl period.

The second is a period lasting several months or more where your body has neither the nicotine to satiate receptors in the brain, nor has it completely re-started generating it's own endorphins in normal quantities either. This period is particularly helped by the artificial inducement of exercise to get your biochemistry back to normal.

The third is the psychological residue of being triggered etc.. that can last for varied lengths of time. This is the stuff that's treatable by behavior modification ... removing the chair from in front of the telephone if you smoke on the phone (forces you to stand and cut short conversations) ... removing ashtrays ... substituting other behaviors for smoking behavior etc..

By the way ... I think relying on the 'gradual' method of using nicotine gum and patches etc is *completely* the wrong approach ... as is "cutting back" to a couple smokes a week. Though these two artifices may help to make the quitting "ledge" you are about to jump off a bit lower ... IF that is you actually jump!
Sooooo many people I know simply substitute the patch or gum for some cigarettes ... then go right back to their regular smoking habits. The patch and gum for them were nothing more than a "different cigarette".

If you are going to *quit* ... in the literal sense of the word ... then you are quitting ... cold turkey. If not ... then you are not "quitting".

For those who have smoked so long that they have significant, relatively permanent changes to their brain chemistry which make "typical" successful quitting strategies not an option; I believe the answer is to use the same sort of detox treatment that are used to treat other substances. This means inpatient or outpatient ... and follow-up group support participation untill you are comfortable with going it on your own.

I have a friend in this position. He has smoked since we both started about 30 years ago ... he is *horribly* desperate to stop and has tried everything. He is angry and disillusioned ... this was my advice to him. He is still considering it.

Insurance plans may cover such treatment. I noted to him that this does not hold the same stigma that getting treatment for heroin (for instance) carries ... he will look like a hero to his employer and anyone who knows, as having taken control and successfully quit.

I should say, I do smoke a cigar about one every second or third month (yup, usually at a nice bar). I started "collecting" cigars about 6 years ago and at first smoked about 5 a week (not inhaling). Stopped that after about 4 months and dropped off to my current level. I never went thru any 'withdrawl' or difficulty in doing so.
Now, often 3 or 4 months go by without my having a cigar ... it really depends on whether I go out to a nice place to smoke one.

Besides coma ? Nah, not really... :p

I would really cut back to "only" 4mg at a time... jeez, I'm almost ready to cut down to 2mg after this latest box of gum...

Go to BJ's -- you can get a box of 192 of the 4MG jobs for "only" $65 -- that's only 34c a piece!

Went to the bar tonight, and started out pretty well. Lit a couple for my friend later on, though... but, still in control... I can do this...!

Sorry, TonyD, but I have to disagree with you in some things...

First of all, everyone is different -- so one method won't necessarily work for someone else.

Secondly, surely you cannot deny that someone who may smoke 2-3 cigarettes per WEEK is better off than someone who still smokes 300 per week (like I was)!

Thirdly, it has everything to do with the person's mental state. A mentally strong person would get thru it a bit easier than a mentally weak person (and by strong and weak, I mean, as far as handling the physical dependance). And I do admit, I have been pretty weak in the past! But even if the only motivation is to "save face" - that's motivation enough, I hope, to keep it up....

BJ's is short for "blow jobs" -- and for the money, it's really reasonable, buying in bulk! :p

JG,

If you don't stop soon, you will have irreversable effects on your lungs...

My Godfather stoped smoking 5 years ago and now he has emphazima.

I suggest you stop before something like that happenes to you...

Good point. I suggest he stops smoking before he needs a lung taken out because quite frankly JG, you're no John Wayne. Sure, he got back on his horses and returned to film making after having a lung taken out but for us ordinary folk it isn't as easy as that.

How do you START smoking after the age of 16? I seriously don't know ANYONE who has started smoking after the legal age limit. People know better after that.

Maybe you should give up going to bars.

(remembering I'm talking to Geoff) Never mind! :p

Im not a smoker, so I wouldnt know about how hard it is to quit, but my mom smoker for 20 some years, then quit when she was pregant w/ my brother.(I guess I'm not important enough to qiut smoking for )Anyway, what helped her was that she cut a pencil down to the right size and whenever she had a craving, she puffed on the pencil.Sounds stupid, but it worked.
Anyhoo, good luck quiting.Its worth it if you can.

JG, I mostly agree on all three points ...


>> First of all, everyone is different -- so one method won't necessarily work for someone else.

Particularly I stand corrected on the word "completely" ... (as in gum/patches "are 'completely' the wrong approach" ... )
("completely" is an absolute like "never" or "always" ... rarely accurate)
I don't know what the hell came over me :-) ... low blood suger or somethin' :p

Let me change that statement to "often seems to be" ... an observation from the number of people I know that have used nicotine replacement methods unsuccessfully ... temporarily helped them stop inhaling smoke, but not quit nicotine. Though, I must admit I do know a number who eventually took the final leap and quit.

Out of curiosity, I wonder what the success rate of actually quitting is with replacement methods?

I agree, when you consider how many things can contribute to quitting, ... whether taking a medication, patches, gum, running, avoiding triggers, stepping down the number of cigarettes, group help ... if it gets you to the goal, then it works for you (kinda Buddhist ... 'where ever you are, there you are' :-)... what actually clicks for a person is their own combination.
(Motivations too ... like for ones children, health etc)

My only reason for mentioning the running thing was that it was so important when I quit from 2-1/2 packs a day.

>> Secondly, surely you cannot deny that someone who may smoke 2-3 cigarettes per WEEK is better off than someone who still smokes 300 per week (like I was)!

2 or 3 per week is certainly much better. I meant it only in the context of actually "quitting" though.
Like I noted in that post ... as long as a person actually takes the final step off that ledge and quits ... then they've quit. (sheesh, sounds like Yogi Berra)
But for as long as one smokes, the action of the drug nicotine is still playing the same roll in the physical addiction as it did at 10 cigs per week, or 20 cigs per week. If ones (at least interim) goal is to "cut down" but not quit right away ... yes, 2 or 3 is *much* better.

>> Thirdly, it has everything to do with the person's mental state. A mentally strong person would get thru it a bit easier than a mentally weak person (and by strong and weak, I mean, as far as handling the physical dependance).

Yup, people definitely have different levels of pain tolerance. I do have an unusually high pain threshold ... that could very well be why I was able to quit (I must admit) without a lot of really unpleasant side effects, even though I had chain-smoked incessantly.

I think *breaking* an addiction to any drug is, in the end game, an 'all or nothing' propasition (The "Substance Abuse Treatment" world believes this as gospel). Other forms of addiction treatment don't entertain 'mild' uses of the substance. In the final analysis I think there's a difference between the intent to stop and the intent to cut back ... one is breaking the addiction, the other is not ... but certainly both are very good things. And while the action of cutting back can help with quitting ... there's a case to be made for keeping in mind how separate the two are. A distinction that can get lost too easily I think.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by SC:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by J Geoff:
[qb] Went to the bar tonight, and started out pretty well. Lit a couple for my friend later on, though... but, still in control... I can do this...! [/QUOTE

I take it at the bar scene, you did not smoke.
Congrats! you are well on you way.

Geoff, no more posting...are you still on the wagon?

Hey, you're right, it's the 2 week anniversary when I wake up tomorrow! Wow, time flies when you're (not) having fun!

I'm not gonna lie and say I've been 100% smoke-free -- one or two at the bar per week I don't consider a failure -- but that's been it! Still chewing the Nicorette. I think after this box I can (or at least should) drop down to the 2MG gum before I get totally addicted to it like Partagas! But hell, being addicted to the gum is still infinitely better than smoking, for your body.

Thanks for asking I really want to try hard cuz after making this public, I don't wanna look bad so soon!

I tried to stop smoking once. I smoked only after making love. I was down to a pack a week in no time.

:rolleyes:

I don't know whether or not I smoke after sex.....I never looked.

first of all i want to say j geoff, congratulations on this one. i'm 19 and i started to smoke one year ago. i used to smoke sometimes with my friends or bought them somtimes, but they did last for 2-3 weeks, but since last year i buy them and smoke almost everyday. it depends on where i'm at and what i'm doing. i wouldn't say i smoke a lot. 2-3 a day or 3-4 a day during the week. on weekend it's not like that though. i smoke almost 20 cigarettes on weekends, it can be more sometimes. During holidays i smoke a lot. As i started last summer to smoke too much i tried to stop after i came back from holidays. i didn't smoke for a month, i didn't tried nicorette though or anything else. i just stopped like that. it was ok for me, i didn't really feel the need to do it. but after a while, i started again. i had stress at work and i started to get nervous all the time. so i started to smoke all over again. sometimes when i had colds, (i never smoke when i got a cold) i stopped smoking for a while, even after the cold was gone. maybe for 2-3 weeks, but than i started all over again. i know it's not good for my health, but i feel like it's really hard to stop, when you started once. i used to say i can stop whenever i want, but now i dont feel that way anymore. i mean i can stop maybe for some weeks or a month but i guess i will start again.

Wow, a rambling thread started at 2 in the morning leads to this...a whole communion for Smok-aholics Anonamous? :p

Only kidding; well done man. I've never even had a puff of a cigarette, and hope I never will, but just wanted to post some (irrelevant) information that I heard on the local news tonight--that is the most depressing programme in the world that picks out all the bad things and never the good. Anyway, it turns out that my region (the North East) of England apparently is the worst region for smokers, smoke-related diseases/deaths etc., so there is going to be a ban on public smoking coming into place.

Not sure when (or even IF), but I think it's a good idea. Then again, I don't smoke, and like JG said in his opening thread, non-smokers don't really understand what quitters have to go through in the opening period of non-smoking. I was wondering if you would approve of the idea in your area, if it was put into place...?

Mick

Actually, that is not entirely true. Anyone with an addiction of some kind, rather its food, alcohol, sex etc. and wants to quit, does understand how hard it is to quit.

By all means Partagas...Congrats!
And Congrats to Geoff, going on week #3 and turning the BB nicotine free

I started smoking at the age of 18, and Ive been telling my girlfriend "This is my last pack" or "I promise, I'll quit smoking just for you"

Let me tell ya Its easier said that done

My best advise is Dont Start