Dammit, I just smoked a cigarette.

[asthmaticeog]

How the fuck does anyone ever manage to quit these things, anyway?

[Skittles]

1. it's hard

I quit smoking for two and a half years, then the stress of a layoff/new job sent me over the edge for a couple months. I'm back on the wagon again but I find it is much harder this time.

[Infomaniac]

2. Drugs

I finally quit after using Effexor XR. No side effects other than I stopped smoking, which is what I wanted to do.

[Fenris]

6. Do you get blinding withdrawls from Effexor XR?

Because I do.:|

[djeseru]

10. Same here...*shudder*

I'd rather smoke a cigarette than go through the awful withdrawals or brain shivers again.

[Fenris]

13. Possibly the worst feeling in the world.

Brain shivers SUCK.

[djeseru]

20. Oh my yes.

Not to mention just plain scary. And I had my withdrawals during the Iraq invasion last March - now that was surreal...

[jeff30997]

8. What is Effexor XR ? A patch ? A pill ?

[Infomaniac]

14. It's a pill

It's a pill. I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms. My dosage went from 150 to 75 to 25 daily. The last two weeks I took 25 mg every two days.

[asthmaticeog]

9. Is that perscribed for smoking cessation?

I thought that was only for depression.

[Infomaniac]

16. Nope.

It's prescribed for smoking cessation programs since it has a lower risk of sexual side effects than zyban or wellbutrin.

[asthmaticeog]

18. I'll ask my doctor

if Effexor is right for me.

Now I just need to get a doctor.

[freedom_to_read]

3. my suggestion (it worked for me):

water. a friend of mine suggested it to me and it really helped.

that's right, carry a water bottle around with at all times. every time you have the urge to light up, take a swig of water.

you'll spend a lot more time in the bathroom, i'll admit, but it'll both give you something better to do with yourself, and it'll also wash all the impurities out of your system.

i tried it & haven't had a smoke for 9 months.

[jeff30997]

12. Interesting... I'll try it....

Combined with all the other miracle cures like patches an Nicorette...

[proud patriot]

4. as a former quiter current smoker I have this to say

STUPID MOVE, that's how you start again ..
I've done it twice now :mad: so mad at myself .

[wryter2000]

5. Hmmm

1) Don't beat up on yourself.
2) Did you make plans to quit? For support? For patches or something?

The way I quit was to go for longer and longer periods of time without smoking. I started at a place where I couldn't smoke at work. I'd only smoke one or two cigarettes all day on breaks. I never, ever told myself "this is the last cigarette you'll ever have." In fact, when I decided to give it up entirely, I told myself, "I'll give it up for a month. After that, I'll go back to it if I want." After a month, I still missed smoking, but not so bad that I needed to start again.

[jeff30997]

15. I tried that also...

But I guess you have more willpower than me!

[jeff30997]

7. Quick ! Call 911 !

But seriously, nicotine is a hell of an addictive drug.I have lungs problem and I continue to smoke ! How stupid of me...

[tandot]

11. It is very hard. I finally managed to stop 10 years ago

There are lots of good things associated with quitting

Calculate how much money you'd save in a month and what you can buy. You will be less sick (allergies, colds, etc.) and might spend less money on medications. You'll decrease your chances of dying from cancer, a heart attack or other smoking related illnesses.

And it is a great feeling to say "I've overcome my addiction to nicotine, which is one of the hardest to beat"

Just never give up trying! It is worth the effort!

[jeff30997]

17. Well thanks for the positive encouragement !!!

[Chef]

19. Stopping

I know from many years of experience that it isn't easy. But, there is something about them running a catheter in your groin so they could put in two stints in your coronary arteries that tends to draw your attention to why it might be a good idea you should quit. Having lost a father at age 63 to a heart attack and a father-in-law to cancer is also an incentive. Lots of people quit every day without my incentive program, but the choice is yours to make. Remember, the tobacco companies donate your money to *.

[Speck Tater]

21. Tell yourself, over and over...

day and night until the message really sinks in...

"I am content to be a non-smoker."

That's the real problem. You can be a non-smoker for an hour or so, but then you start getting discontent with your non-smoker status and light one up. The trick is to reprogram your brain and convince yourself that you truely are content to be a non-smoker.

That's the method I used back in October and I don't even think about cigs any more, because, as I kept telling myself until it became true, I am content to be a non-smoker.

After 50 years of smoking and trying every method imaginable at least 3 or 4 times a year, every year, year after year, I finally quit, without effort, and without side effects and without withdrawl by simply repeating to myself, over and over, night and day, while I was driving, while I dozing off to sleep, while I was sitting at my computer. continuously relentlessly until it was permantently burned into my consciousness "I am content to be a non-smoker." Somewhere along the line a week or so after I started telling myself that, I just gradually didn't want to smoke any more, so I stopped.

I didn't have to push myself to quit, or force myself, or make some big dramatic deal out of quitting. It just happened that one day I noticed I hadn't smoked in a few days. I still don't know exactly when I smoked my last cigarette, and I don't think that I knew at the time that it would be my last. It's just that the urge faded away and never came back, so I never picked up another cigarette. A few days later I stopped carrying cigarettes with me, and a few weeks after that I threw away my lighter. So now I'm content to be a non-smoker.

And whenever I see someone else smoking I don't even have to give it a second thought. My brain has been programmed to instantly bring up the proper response: "I am content to be a non smoker."

Do it faithfully and it works wonders!

Seriously.

(ed:sp)

[asthmaticeog]

22. 50 years?

Yikes. I've "only" been smoking for 18 years, and that seems way too long. Good for you that you managed to drop it after 50.

[Speck Tater]

24. Typo: was supposed to be 40 years. Still pretty bad!

[miss_kitty]

23. it's hard; do not beat yourself up for having one or even if you

start again.

it is the most addictive sustance, is nicotine. and usually it takes more than one try.
you have to find motivators that work for you.

the best thing to do is to try not to have another one. if you even succeed in smoking less than you used to, GREAT! every little bit helps.

if you can afford it, go to a doctor and i think the lung association or someone has tips online

good luck!