trying to quit smoking for a bit.

[oskar]

I had a cold so I had to quit smoking for a bit. I'm now on day 3.

This is the only addiction where the respected withdrawal method is to pump yourself full with exactly the stuff you're addicted to. idk how smart that is. I smoked an average of 10 cigarettes a day... now I chew an average of 10 nicotine gums a day, which by feeling tingly and slightly disoriented I can tell is way more nicotine than I used to inhale... and it's not the same.
It helps in the way that when you want a cigarette, and you take a gum, you don't really want a cigarette anymore but just because you'd know you'd drop face first on the floor if you took any more nicotine.
But it's like I imagine it to feel when you're on total parental nutrition... strangely unsatisfying.

I'm running out of gum... thinking about trying those inhalers because it's the ritual that I think I'm missing the most.
Anyone ever tried those?

[a500lbgorilla]

try weed?

I'm not good at quitting things, just switching to a new addiction for a while.

[Luco]

Ask your doctor for Zyban. it literally makes cigarettes taste like shit.

The gum comes in 2 different strengths though - try the 2mg if 4mg is too much for you (like it was with me).

[flomo]

the inhalers are great for airplanes, hospitals and other places one can't smoke. for quitting with them as an aid i have no idea

[Pelion]

I think the idea is to cut down a little once youre on the gum. Something that worked for my grandad when he wanted to stop smoking was for him to control the time he was allowed to smoke. When he woke up, he didnt let himself smoke for one hour. After that he could have as much as he wanted. A week later he wasnt allowed to smoke for 2 hours after waking up. A week later he made it 3. He pushed it further and further back over a few months until he didnt smoke at all, and all the while he was only doing something slightly harder than he had already been doing for a week before so it didnt feel like a big deal.

[BennyLaRue]

I so want a cig right now. And I don't even smoke.

[kingnat]

Somethign that is totally non-chemical that I found very helpful... take the pen cap, like a just a standard Bic pen cap is perfect (but anything with a few small holes should work fine.) Then as frequently as you'd like take in a very LONG sustained breath through the cap, hold it for a little bit and breathe out without the cap... you don't need to try to breathe out slow at all.

Part of the relaxing aspect of smoking cigarettes, is the controlled breathing you perform while smoking, and this simply simulates that... it was essential for me when I quit 8 years ago, and I still find the practice extremely relaxing. GL

[drmcboy]

Replacement nicotine doesn't work.

This does

http://www.amazon.com/Easy-Way-Stop-...5616875&sr=8-1

If the link doesn't work google Allen Carr

[sarbox68]

Replacement nicotine doesn't work.

Actually it depends on the person. I quit after 10 years of about 1/4 pack a day pretty much through the gum. I think where it fails is for people that go "ZOMG it's day 3 and I still has the craving!" Well, no sh!t... it took you months to develop the habit, it's going to take you at least as long to break it.

I also did goofy shit like a) smoke stronger cigs (went to lights from ultras) which meant I smoked fewer and started to build that habit out, b) cut increasingly large pieces off of my cigs w/ scissors so i could take the same number of breaks but was done sooner. Really don't like the prescription drug route, and it doesn't work for a lotta folks but meh, basically there's a bazillion things to try and just find the right mix of chemicals and gimmicks that works for you. Then stick with it for the necessary time...

[drmcboy]

You can of course quit with them or any method, but you're just making it harder if you add nicotine or reduce gradually. You have to break the physical addiction first, if not your mind has too many weapons to work against you. You can only do that with 0 drug. I've done it both ways (guess which one stuck!) and it isn't even close.

One of the many great analogies he uses in the book is wearing shoes that are too tight, just so you can take them off. Sure it's nice to take them off, but how about just not wearing them? Smoking (and gum etc) causes you to need to nicotine, the sooner you stop smoking the sooner you won't have the pangs. It also reinforces all the ideas you have - stress/boredom relief, good for a break, after meals,sex . etc - which are not true. These are hard enough to mentally get over without adding in the physical component of the drug.

[givememyleg]

curious, why did you (or anyone else) start smoking to begin with? i never understood why someone would start knowing how addictive and harmful it is.

[drmcboy]

I was smoking cloves, so I asked my friend for a cig instead because I was super wasted and kept inhaling the cloves which is like horrible for you. So I made the obv better health choice to start smoking.

The best generic answer is that a lot of people, mostly smokers and the people who sell them, spend a lot of time, energy and money perpetuating the myths surrounding smoking and its 'enjoyable' qualities.

[oskar]

I'm lazy, so I'm not going to go into some dark ally to buy a plastic bag of weed and god knows where that came from and risk getting fined. Sure, there are better drugs for you. If they had mushrooms at the supermarket, I'd probably go for that. If I had to fly in a carton of cigarettes from over the border in my rectum, I'd never smoke again. I'm just smoking out of convenience. Cigarettes and alcohol are convenient drugs.



I can't speak for the long term success of supplements, because I've never even tried quitting for good. But they sure make it a lot easier during the times where you can't smoke for some reason. I haven't even had the urge to smoke today because my throat hurts and I'm just skin covering nicotine gum right now.

[boost]

ya, smoking sucks. I quit cold turkey a bit over 3 years ago.

I wasnt smoking a pack a day, so that probably helped. I think its really different for everyone, so youve just gotta try to find what works for you. Id start out with the non-chemical approaches first though since they are free and wont have any side effects.

gmml people are retarded and companies who produce these things are savvy. I mean the same question could be asked about coffee, soda, alcohol, ect. Sure they have varying degrees of value outside of their addictive properties, but theyre all bad for you and addictive.

[KoRnholio]

FWIW, if you're a long time smoker, the cravings will probably never go away completely. My dad was a smoker for 10+ years, then quit cold turkey when they banned smoking in public/government buildings. He says he still gets a craving once in a while, usually when he gets stressed out.

Best of luck to you, it can and will be done.

[Monsieur_chat]

In her thirties my mother quit her 50 a day habit by deciding she was done with smoking. According to her she simply "put them down and never picked them up again". Pure willpower.

I tried the same method to quit my 1 or 2 a day habit when I was about 20. Still haven't fully kicked it. Go figure.

[bode]

In her thirties my mother quit her 50 a day habit by deciding she was done with smoking. According to her she simply "put them down and never picked them up again". Pure willpower.

I tried the same method to quit my 1 or 2 a day habit when I was about 20. Still haven't fully kicked it. Go figure.

i cant figure out how people can smoke 50 cigs/day.

I smoke 6-7 a day usually and need to quit, but i dont want to bad enough yet i guess.

[oskar]

It's not that hard at all. People like to be heroes. Like there's a guy on youtube who is trying to quit and giving daily updates. He's using Zyban, nicotine patches, nicotine gum and when he has a rough day he sais he turns to jesus and prays and poof the urge is gone. If I were the funny type I'd tell him to lay off the aids and just use jesus 24/7 if he's that awesome.

Today I haven't had any nicotine at all because I'm saving the gum for the evening and I hate the inhaler, and I'm fine... and I've been smoking 10 per day for almost 10 years now.

[oskar]

haha, I found a guy who committed to taking up smoking by smoking a pack of reds lol
http://www.youtube.com/user/thirstyp...34/fUzBTLB3Ges

[Monty3038]

I had a cold so I had to quit smoking for a bit. I'm now on day 3.

This is the only addiction where the respected withdrawal method is to pump yourself full with exactly the stuff you're addicted to. idk how smart that is. I smoked an average of 10 cigarettes a day... now I chew an average of 10 nicotine gums a day, which by feeling tingly and slightly disoriented I can tell is way more nicotine than I used to inhale... and it's not the same.
It helps in the way that when you want a cigarette, and you take a gum, you don't really want a cigarette anymore but just because you'd know you'd drop face first on the floor if you took any more nicotine.
But it's like I imagine it to feel when you're on total parental nutrition... strangely unsatisfying.

I'm running out of gum... thinking about trying those inhalers because it's the ritual that I think I'm missing the most.
Anyone ever tried those?

I didn't read entire thread, but good luck if you decide to quit. I successfully quit about 15 years ago. it is hard,but the way I did it was to become dirt poor and not afford them, helped.

The withdrawl was bad for the first few weeks for me, but I got over it... strangely though I now live with my wife who smokes, but I've not had the desire to start again, this is 3 years into the marraige and I am still good with being non-smoking.

Good Luck, whichever way you do it!

[kingnat]

I'd tell him to lay off the aids and just use jesus 24/7 if he's that awesome.

Wow, the dude believes in pretend people, addicted to nicotine and is gay???

tough beat.

[XTR1000]

I quit 12 days or so ago. I bought a 30 pack of gums and have some left I could ship you. Running really helps, Im averaging 15km/day. Everytime the urge to smoke gets too heavy just run for your life. Im also taking coffee and alc as substitute rather than viewing those as suplemental goods, that way I have successfully taken away another excuse to begin smoking again. Essentially its all happening in your head, your body is off nicotine withing 72 hrs.

[Crusher10]

I quit 12 days or so ago. I bought a 30 pack of gums and have some left I could ship you. Running really helps, Im averaging 15km/day. Everytime the urge to smoke gets too heavy just run for your life. Im also taking coffee and alc as substitute rather than viewing those as suplemental goods, that way I have successfully taken away another excuse to begin smoking again. Essentially its all happening in your head, your body is off nicotine withing 72 hrs.

Replacing one bad habit with another is not really solving a problem now is it....

[aka_red]

Honestly oskar, I think that you should just eat as much gum as you think you would need for the rest of your life. I mean if you have all the nicotine you could ever want at one point in time you probably will be set for life. Just save yourself the time of smoking the cigarette by eating a bunch of that gum at once.

[OP]

^^ I worked with a lady who quit smoking by smoking.

Not sure if it's ENTIRELY true but she did quit smoking.

Legend has it that she bought 3(ish) packs and sat down and just chainsmoked the fck out of them until she made herself sick and after that even the thought of a cigarette made her sick. Sort of Pavlovian conditioning.

My sister and aunt used Chantix (only available through prescription AFAIK) and it worked though.

[sarbox68]

i cant figure out how people can smoke 50 cigs/day.

^^^ this. I guess part of it's what you do with your day. If you're sitting in a toll booth or in your living room, it's prolly pretty easy to just chain. Much harder since they made it illegal in offices, bars, etc.

That being said, I used to start coughing up fur balls when I'd hit 10 a day, let alone 50.....

[b-rabbit]

i like the running/exercising suggestion. that being said, i'm going to smoke a cigarette and then play some video games.

[Monsieur_chat]

i cant figure out how people can smoke 50 cigs/day.

I smoke 6-7 a day usually and need to quit, but i dont want to bad enough yet i guess.

I know what you mean but this was the late sixties / early seventies in Britain. Smoking was a full time occupation back then.

haha, I found a guy who committed to taking up smoking by smoking a pack of reds lol
http://www.youtube.com/user/thirstyp...34/fUzBTLB3Ges

Ain't no thing, I started out on reds. Maybe that's why I could only manage 2 a day and now smoke a handful of menthols a week.

[will641]

i think weed helped me quit a good bit.

[Extremophile]

I quit smoking 4.5 years ago. I smoked for 4 years, a package per day. Then, i hated the idea that a 5cm rulo packed with weed controls myself. I hated the smell, and some other stuff in your mouth when you wake up in the morning. I hated I had to smoke every time I take a break and every time after meals. I tried a few times, getting rid of the lighter and the whole package each time. Finally, I thought I am stronger than that weed and I would never fail against it and started to fight with it. I wanted to smoke a lot after 4 days but I knew it was a temporary thing.

I know the EXACT date I quit smoking, January 17, 2005. Counting the number of days helps a lot since your score increases every day and your confidence increases. Chewing gum (without nicotine!!) is very helpful. I also started jogging and haven't put on weight. There was a little bit of nervousness and other factors can even increase it but, remember you are stronger than that 5cm thing. Keep counting the days!

[sarbox68]

Ain't no thing, I started out on reds. Maybe that's why I could only manage 2 a day and now smoke a handful of menthols a week.

You do realize that 1 menthol = like, 5 regular smokes in terms of what that sh!t does to your lungs...

[dsmrolla06]

Ive smoked for about 6 years, but have quit for up to 6 months during that time. Im doing about 15-20 a day, mostly because Im either at a bar or am at the casino which makes it waaay harder to not smoke. The problem is I really do enjoy smoking, even thought I know I should quit. The two ways I have quit were from cold turkey and then I quit from using dip instead of smoking. I felt it was way easier to quit dipping than it was to smoke. They both lasted for a little while but I always fell back into it.

Going to bars and drinking definitely makes it harder thought. I mean trying to drink and not smoke is like trying to poop and not pee...

[Monsieur_chat]

Ain't no thing, I started out on reds. Maybe that's why I could only manage 2 a day and now smoke a handful of menthols a week.

You do realize that 1 menthol = like, 5 regular smokes in terms of what that sh!t does to your lungs...

Urban myth ITT!

[BennyLaRue]

Ive smoked for about 6 years, but have quit for up to 6 months during that time.

Dude, that's not quitting. It's pausing.

[bode]

^^ I worked with a lady who quit smoking by smoking.

Not sure if it's ENTIRELY true but she did quit smoking.

Legend has it that she bought 3(ish) packs and sat down and just chainsmoked the fck out of them until she made herself sick and after that even the thought of a cigarette made her sick. Sort of Pavlovian conditioning.

My sister and aunt used Chantix (only available through prescription AFAIK) and it worked though.

ive thought about doing this and have never pulled the trigger. I think if I would chain smoke (like literally lighting a new one off the last) until i puked i could quit forever.

[dsmrolla06]

Ive smoked for about 6 years, but have quit for up to 6 months during that time.

Dude, that's not quitting. It's pausing.

Like I said i like smoking too much.

[Ash256]

Nicotine gum + Allen Carr meant I was over the first wave @ 3 days and over the second wave @ 21 days. It's been pretty easy from then, although (6 months later) I still have 2-3 nicotine gums a day.

Really really get that Allen Carr book, it's not hypnosis or anything ghey like that, it just puts things into logical perspective.

gl with it man, I've found cessation to be good for quality of life - I can go out drinking without having sore lungs in the morning, I can use trains without always needing a cig and my clothes don't stink of smoke.

[motorcity1957]

man i tried everything, gums, patches, hypnosis, acupunture, i even paid some guy with dread-locks 20 bux and he did something in his closet with some chicken bones and a couple of my hairs he plucked outta my head. nothing worked. i just watched a 52 year old friend die from emphyzema from smoking.
i had to do something, i found out about the electronic cigarette, you inhale vaporized nicotine, so i'm still addicted, but it is not going to kill me. so that works for me for now. if you would like to know more about the electronic cigarette, here is where i found out. it is called the electronic cigarette forum.

[Ash256]

man i tried everything, gums, patches, hypnosis, acupunture, i even paid some guy with dread-locks 20 bux and he did something in his closet with some chicken bones and a couple of my hairs he plucked outta my head. nothing worked. i just watched a 52 year old friend die from emphyzema from smoking.
i had to do something, i found out about the electronic cigarette, you inhale vaporized nicotine, so i'm still addicted, but it is not going to kill me. so that works for me for now. if you would like to know more about the electronic cigarette, here is where i found out. it is called the electronic cigarette forum.

out of interest, what happens if you don't smoke? what withdrawal symptoms do you get?

[motorcity1957]

there is none, you still get the nicotine fix that you are addicted to when it is vaporized and you inhale it. also part of the cigarette addiction is the actual physical process of puffing and inhaleing, with an electronic cigarette you are replicating that process.
there are about 212 ingredients in a tobacco cigarette. some of them are known to cause cancer, also the tar in a cigarette is what messes you up. all i know is that since i have been vaporizing liquid nicotine in the electronic cigarette and inhaling that , i no longer crave tobacco cigarette's, i don't wake up hacking and coughing in the morning, and i can now run to the corner without being out of breath.

[oskar]

I've heard that people like these things... but I haven't seen them at a store.
As far as the withdrawal symptoms go, there wasn't anything. I don't get how someone who really wants to quit can't. I don't even want to quit, and I've gone 2 weeks now.
Have you ever gone without chocolate for a week or so? - like that just a little harder. I'm not going to quit chocolate, and I'm pretty sure I'm taking up smoking again, but I'll try to cut it down to a pack a week or something.

[motorcity1957]

i applaud your willpower to control your smoking. the sad truth is that many millions of people cannot do as you do, and thus are basically addicted to cigarettes. many health problems are attributed to smoking. and it's not just the smokers who suffer, but is proven , that non-smokers health is being affected by second hand smoke.

[UG]

oskar, spoken like a true addict

"easy to quit, look at me 12 days no withdrawl symptoms" but "I'm pretty sure I'm taking up smoking again, just less."

why start again?

[Galapogos]

oskar, spoken like a true addict

"easy to quit, look at me 12 days no withdrawl symptoms" but "I'm pretty sure I'm taking up smoking again, just less."

why start again?

Yeah I definitely lol'd at that.

[oskar]

why start again?

Why eat hamburgers drink coke and get wasted? It's all bad for ya and you know.
All this... omg it's the most addictive substance on the planet... is bs. it's not. If you're a smoker and you check into a rehab and tell them you need help because it's ruining your life... you just sold your house and sent your daughter into prostitution... they're just going to point and laugh.
It's a joke. It's not a very good drug, and it's not as addictive as they might have lead you to believe.

I haven't had a nicotine gum since friday, and I'm fine... but I'm down to my last piece of bitter chocolate and I'm getting nervous... stores are closed tomorrow.
Gotta call Jackov, I've heard he's got connections.