Smoking: Your quitting/not quitting experiences and methods.

[Taxloss]

I started smoking in 1998 and stopped in December 2004. I have been smoke-free for close to six months.

While I smoked, I smoked 20 a day. More if I went out in the evening. I have tried to quit before, and it has always been a terrible failure. I tried cold turkey, which was a disaster and only made me miserable for the short period until I went back to smoking, next up I tried gum, more than once, which was a success in the sense that I stopped smoking for a while, sometimes months, but I became addicted to the gum. Patches were next, and a similar catastrophe; I couldn't tell any difference to the cold turkey.

By last year I was desperate to quit, and ran into a friend who was a similarly heavy smoker, if not more so. She had quit, and looked fine about it, and said she had done it through the Allen Carr method. I was so impressed by how happy she seemed with the results - I knew she had also made several unsuccessful efforts to quit - that I did it too, and it worked for me. Or at least it has done so far.

It's not really hypnotherapy, but I think shares some of its characteristics. It's done in groups and a facilitator goes through the reasns you smoke. Then, these reasons are sort of "explained away". Thus, you leave the group without a desire to smoke, which is the most remarkable feeling, even though I stayed sceptical after I left the group. But it worked, and continues to work even if I've had too much to drink at a party. I think it just equips your brain with responses to the little triggers that make us think "I want/need a cigarette", and one by one those triggers are turned off. No drugs, no aids, and it takes just one day.

Anyway, I thought it was amazing and happily recommend it. Your thoughts?

[KitchenWitch]

1. I quit smoking about 15 years ago.

At the time, I was 3 weeks pregnant (did not know it at the time). I worked for the county back then, and they were changing policies, to make all county building completely non-smoking. I had wanted to quit for awhile, but a bunch of us decided that we would hire a hypnotist.

I went through four sessions of hypnotherapy within a two week period, and quit after the fourth session. I had quit several times before (for periods of a few months to almost two years), and did not really notice anything different about the last time (maybe other than the fact that I really wanted to quit).

I do know that the longer I am away from it, the more it bothers me to be around it when I am. I also have asthma and radiation fibrosis of the lungs, so breathing in second hand smoke causes real problems for me. I have no problem with other people smoking, just as long as it does not come into the air I am trying to breathe.

[demosincebirth]

2. You had a very good reason to quit, being pregnant, the heath of your

child and all your other condiditions. YOu had very good incentives.

I quit 15 years ago after 35 years of trying. The incentive I had to quit was my life insurance. The premium would go down 70 bucks a month if I was a non-smoker. I quit cold-turkey, and it was not easy.

[Eloriel]

3. I quit cold turkey on Dec. 10 last year -- my 4th and final quit

THIS time I know I can never, ever, EVER smoke another one again in my entire life.

It was remarkably easy for me because of an herbal preparation that I recommend HIGHLY from these people:

http://www.viable-herbal.com/

I started taking the capsules just about the minute I decided to quit and I had almost NO cravings for the nicotine at all -- maybe 4 or 5 times over a period of 2 or more months (and they have a nice, quick solution for that). I did have some "cravings" for the ritual -- sit down and relax and do something indulgent for myself. But I could usually think myself thru that without any real problems. I still wish i could find something to take the place of that "little bit of self-indulgence and relaxation" that smoking represented. A cup of herbal tea is the natural suggestion, but the urge passes by the time the tea is prepared and I'm not that big an herbal tea drinker.

Anyhoo, the REASON I quit still cracks me up, and I'll share it (again -- I've told this story several other times). I have had a bit of a high blood pressure problem and in the back of my head I was reluctantly coming to the realization that in all probability I'd have to give up smoking to get this under control (esp. since I wasn't able to take any of the 7 or 8 b.p. meds I tried).

So on Dec. 9 I was having some symptoms that scared me, and I took my b.p. with the little cuff device I have (love it), and getting astronomical, "stroke territory" readings. Scared me. I went to bed that night thinking that I'd probably have to do what I figured I'd have to do: quit.

The next morning, i was still experiencing symptoms, and I smoked one cig around 9 a.m., sometime after I got up, took my b.p. a bunch more times with the same ^&%*@# results, and smoked my last cigarette at 11 a.m. And like I said, started taking those herbal capsules which I'd had on hand since 1999.

I guess it was the next day when my husband asked me if my b.p. had improved. "Let's see what it says now," he suggested. So I pulled the thing out, and as I was putting it on, he looked at me kinda funny and said, "You're putting it on wrong." And indeed I was -- backwards, so the monitoring part was against the back of my wrist, not the inside where the pulse is. When I put it on correctly, the b.p. was still on the high side, but certainly not "stroke territory."

I HAD TRICKED MYSELF INTO QUITTING!! Cracks me up.

The bad news is that it unleashed my food (candy) addiction. I had successfully lost 31 pounds on the South Beach diet -- wonderful, healthy, successful and effective diet I recommend highly -- but have gained 2/3 of it back. I haven't been able to get a handle on THAT addiction, but I fully intend to. Just as soon as I find the key. :-( I joined OA but am so far not getting it. Oh well.

But at least I don't smoke anymore, and for that I'm gleeful. Even tho I live with 2 smokers (who are very nice quite on their own about not smoking much around me) -- it just doesn't affect me at all. My ONLY cravings are about that bit of self-indulgent ritual, and even now, after all these months I still occasionally get that craving for a few fleeting seconds. I don't allow myself to dwell on it.

Edited: My other quits were at much earlier periods in my life, all for 1 to 2 years at a time. This was in many ways the easiest, and I'm reasonably confident that I won't go back to it this time. Now to just get the "addiction" thing under control -- or recovery, actually.

[gizmo1979]

13. That's excellent I'm trying

very hard to quit but I can't work up the feeling you must have before you quit.I quit drinking 14 years ago and never looked back but smoking is way harder than drinking.

[dsc]

4. I have nothing but respect for those of you who have quit smoking

I have attended several AA meetings over the last few years and the number of people with a decade or more of sobriety who still smoke is nothing short of amazing. I know how hard it was to quit drinking but appearently quitting smoking is much harder. Congrats.

[Theres-a]

5. I've met more than one person who said it was easier to kick heroin

Almost 2 months off cigarettes here,but I'm still getting nicotine to my brain.My lungs are happy,though.

[dsc]

6. My dad, who quit a long time ago

tells me he used to dream that he smoked. Just like I did with drinking.

[Mutley]

7. The only time I quit for any length of time I was on the patch.

I was 17, my parents were bugging and bugging me to quit. So I went on the patch and quit for three months. Then I had an insanely stressful day at work and bummed a cigarette from a friend. That was the end of my quitting.

[Joe Chi Minh]

8. I smoked 30 to 35 a day, Taxloss,

(less than some, but plenty, nevertheless) from the age of about 13 or 14 to 34 (i.e. 30+ years ago). The *only* way I could stop, and, strange to relate, it was quite easy, was to tell myself that I was not going to stop smoking, but just put it off until a few minutes later. I still haven't *officially* stopped, but, not only do I no longer have the urge to smoke, the thought of it (not to speak of the smell of the smoke) appals me, so it ceased to be a question any longer.

Out of sheer stupidity, rather than craving, I did start again after several months, the first time I stopped, but then gave it up for good, without any problem. That time when I started again, it affected my lungs far worse than it had before. As if my body was crying out for me to stop it.

I think it helps that I am able to live in the present most of the time - pretty much the same theme as the AA's "one day at a time", I believe, though a bit shorter time span! I think the realisation that cigarettes were bad for my nerves, rather than soothing them, was a great help. The closer I came to needing my next one, the more nervous I became. Like so much else, really wanting something is evidenced by making repeated acts of the will. Not just a one-off decision. So, the taking away of the nervousness, even the realisation of it, made it far easier to repeatedly reject the temptation. Never mind chlorophyll and mountain streams, be cool when you say "no" to yourself. It's a great feeling.

I must say, reading a description in a John Grisham's book
of what happens to the inside of your nostrils, never mind your lungs, horrified me. Good luck to all of you. You *can* do it.

[mourningdove92]

9. I'm working on this one.

I have been a pack and a half smoker for many years. But hey, I'm gonna be a grandma in August. I have GOT to get off these killers.

I have tried the cold turkey several times and failed...ok I relapsed. This time I am working on reducing my cigarette numbers before I quit. I am now down to below 20 a day. The count is going to be 19 for today. No too bad considering I had to deal with my brother. Yes, excuses. Man, quiting alchohol was a lot easier than cigarettes. Just had my 12 year sobiety date. Maybe around this time next year I can celebrate being off cigarettes. Throw a few million good thoughts my way, please!!!!!!

[KitchenWitch]

10. All the good thoughts and positive energy in the world to you

:hi:

You can do it. For me, quitting smoking was a one second at a time deal, where I could stretch the not drinking to a day at a time.

[stepnw1f]

11. I Smoked for 17 Years

I quit smoking cigarettes right before New Years 2004 due to a Bronchial infection. I think it was before New Years, but I really am not sure, since I really didn't note the date I quit. Anyway, what I did was move to the patch, and did it for one month before feeling a little sick from the nicotine. I lowered my daily use and when I got the cravings, I chewed Nicorette (the stuff is nasty).

I got sick of the Nicorette Gum and drank lot's of water. I have not touched a smoke since, and I am feeling much better today. I have to say, getting sick helped me quit, but the rest was really up to me to take the steps to try to ween myself off of nicotine.

One thing I did mentally was keep the hope and belief that by quiting cigarettes other issues in my life would also improve. With that as an award, or golden carrot dangling in front of my nose, I had a goal, and became pleasantly surprised at how I started to mentally and physically feel.

You will feel temptations from time to time, but it gets easier. DO NOT temp yourself by hanging around other smokers. Limit places where you may feel tempted to pick up again... remember: People and Places... and remember your goal to a healthier lifestyle. Lot's of things can change just from changing habits. Go luck!!!

[demosincebirth]

12. The longer you smoke, the harder ii is to quit.

[Pharaoh]

14. I quit dec 26th 2004

I just started again due to stress at work, I do need to quit again, I've had many quits but this last 14 months was the longest, I got really scared as I was (am) losing circulation in my hands and feet, feet and hands would turn white then blue,

scary shit but the addiction is powerful,

right now I've had to quit pot because I'm afraid of a drug test for work, but the stress of no pot pushed me back, I will try again once I get this straightened out,

I don't know, but the cravings can stay with you for aloooooooooonnnnnggggg time!