Stoped smoking this morning! Advice needed!

[quasar4legs]

Just wanted to say Good Luck and congrats for making the decision.

 

[wvdisluv2]

I quit 7 years ago, never thought I would. It was hard but so worth the freedom!! Here are the things that helped me:

1. I used every tool available to me - nicotine gum or patch, Wellbutrin, Tootsie Pops as mentioned, and anything else I could find.

2. When I had a craving I would immediately put a mental picture in my head of myself as an aunt I had, who would sit in a chair with a towel covered TV table with a large ashtray on it on one side, ashes everywhere, smoking away, with an oxygen tank on the other, with long drawn out hacking fits every few minutes. It was horrible and the worst thing I could imagine in my future as a smoker. And I imagined how my kids would be too embarrassed to ever bring a friend home and how much they would hate me.

3. When really desperate, I would take a long slow drag of air, exactly the way I used to when smoking, using the lips, pulling the air in, holding it a second, contentedly blowing it out. It really helped! And I could do it anywhere! I still do it sometimes when I miss smoking.

4. Finally, I had to accept that no matter what, it IS hard. That's the way it is and nothing will change that. But each day you realize you are strong because you are doing it ANYWAY.

And my favorite term, smober. As of tomorrow you will be 24 hours smober.

You can do it! A bunch of us who are normal and weak and who were totally addicted did it, so there is no reason you can't! My favorite thing about not smoking, as I mentioned, is the freedom. It controls so much of how you have to live your life, and once you stop you are FREE!!

Love the bolded term! And the last paragraph is SO true Everyone will do it in there own way~and it will work!

 

[drag n' fly]

Congrats on quitting smoking. I quit 9 years ago. I went on the patch for three weeks and never smoked again. Quitting smoking comes in threes. First you need to get through the first three hours, then the first three days, then the first three months and then the first three years. After three months chances are you will never smoke again. Once every few years I have a dream I was smoking and wake up feeling like crap with a ciggy hangover lol. Also I might walk by someone who used to smoke my brand and I will get a whiff and for a split second want one but it quickly passes. I chewed a lot of sugarless gum and sucked on a lot of sugarless candy but I did it and you can too! Also my mantra was.....I am in charge of the cigarettes the cigarettes are not in charge of me. I kept repeating that to myself to remind myself I had the control and choice!

 

[The Mystery Machine]

And my favorite term, smober. As of tomorrow you will be 24 hours smober.

I also have to comment since I call myself a cig-a-holic. Smober eh? That is me. I always want a cig and it never "goes away" for me.

So I have been smober for 82 days.

 

[Tinker'n'Fun]

I quit 15 years ago, and two things helped me the most, Chex Mix when I need my hand motion habit, and hot fire balls for cravings (the small ones). Now I did not over eat either one, but a little handful or the sucking on the cinnamon/hot combo helped me very much.

Also, congrats, good luck, it is hard. Took me 4 times until I got it right. It is very hard, and you can't be "hard" on yourself.

 

[Backstage_Gal]

I also have to comment since I call myself a cig-a-holic. Smober eh? That is me. I always want a cig and it never "goes away" for me.

So I have been smober for 82 days.

Smober, LOL!

I quit July 23 2010 at 10:30 am after 45 years. A fight every day, but I made it so far and I'm not miserable. DD has been the biggest factor, she moved back home that day and didnt want the smell in the house. She kept her clothes in the garage because the second hand smoke would stink them up.

Today, she moved her clothes to her room

I did the Laser treatment, but honestly DD was the biggest factor to keep me on the straight and narrow, she was so excited I quit. I still use nicotine gum and lozenges a lot, but so what, I'm not smoking, DD is happy, I breathe better and I dont smell of smoke. Do I still miss it every day? Heck, yes. But it's been almost 6 months now and I am surviving just fine.

Things lke sitting in a meeting next to a person worrying that you smell like poop or worse to them, I don't have to worry about that anymore. Or having people come to the house. And I breathe better and DD and DH claim I don't snore anymore (bonus).

YOU CAN DO IT!
Oh, I also use lemon drops (dentist not too happy with that) and spearmint gum and pretzel sticks.

And I agree, drinking lots of water was highly recommended by the Laser place. Hand to mouth motion plus hydration I suppose.

 

[hambirg]

I quit. . .the first time . . .when I found out I was pregnant with my oldest DD.

I would smoke pens. . .well. . pretend to light and smoke one, as if it was a cigarette. There was something just satisfying about going through the motions.

The other thing is that if I had a really bad craving I would take a shower. I had read that it helps to do something that is incompatible with smoking. . .and who doesn't like a nice hot shower? That always worked.

The last thing that really helped me was procrastinating. . .I'm good at that. When I felt like I wanted to go out on the porch to have a cigarette, I would tell myself, "In five minutes." And in five minutes if I still wanted one. . .I would just tell myself that again. It was almost like a mind trick. . .I wasn't quitting. . .I just wasn't smoking "right now." And it was getting through the "right nows" that helped me lose the desire.

 

[ford family]

One of the hardest parts to overcome is the psychological impact of "losing" something when you quit smoking. You can envisage "doing without" for a day or so but imagining a whole week "without" or a month "without" can become overwhelming. One trick is to repeat the mantra "thank goodness, I don't have to smoke anymore" whenever the craving appears, turning the process into a positive experience.
Many cigarettes are smoked as a "reward" to yourself for doing something or getting somewhere as in "I'll finish cutting the lawn before I have another cigarette". When you quit the very act of doing so invokes a "reward" situation as in, "I haven't smoked for six hours; I'll reward myself with a cigarette! It is important to find an effective replacement reward, a piece of fruit, chewing gum, favourite drink etc.
I've been "smober" for nineteen years but I still remember how difficult it was getting through those first few weeks.
Good luck!

ford family

 

[crz4mm2]

When I quit YEARS ago, I could not stand the thought of "never" having another smoke. So I made it through the first day telling myself that I could go buy more the next day. Next day I told myself "tomorrow" and every day after that I said the same thing.
It was the THOUGHT of never smoking again that I could not stand.

Good luck. First 2 weeks were the worst for me.
I did tootsie pops too.

 

[Owlpost23]

BackstageGal-my husband and I did the cold laser treatment also! Worked like a charm-we have NO cravings.FordFamily, your comments are spot-on-when you stop smoking it almost feels like you are BETRAYING cigarettes-it's really strange.Quitting smoking is one of the things I'm proudest of!

 

[kimmyann]

Congrats on making the decision to quit. I quit on Aug 29, 2007 after smoking for 20 years. Best thing I have ever done. I could not imagine how I could live my day to day life without smoking, now I can't imagine how I sat there for 20 years letting it control me. It is very liberating to not need it any longer. I quit for my health & also I was going through a period of not liking the government and it would make me angry (still does) that they are collecting off of people dying I guess whatever works.

Anyway, take one craving at a time. They WILL get further apart and easier. Also, I used a website that really helped me, it's kinda in your face, but very insightful. www.whyquit.com. Best of luck to you.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Congrats on making the decision to quit. I quit on Aug 29, 2007 after smoking for 20 years. Best thing I have ever done. I could not imagine how I could live my day to day life without smoking, now I can't imagine how I sat there for 20 years letting it control me. It is very liberating to not need it any longer. I quit for my health & also I was going through a period of not liking the government and it would make me angry (still does) that they are collecting off of people dying I guess whatever works.

Anyway, take one craving at a time. They WILL get further apart and easier. Also, I used a website that really helped me, it's kinda in your face, but very insightful. www.whyquit.com. Best of luck to you.

So you do not want a cigarette ever?

I quit for 5yrs my last time and still wanted a cig everyday.

Maybe for some people it is different?

 

[Dismom+two]

I don't have any suggestions on how to get through the process of quitting, however, something to think about.

A friend of mine just completed her first year of being smoke-free and she saved about $3000!! That is amazing. If you can, put that money each week that would have have spent on cigarettes aside and at the end of the year do something wonderful for yourself!!

Good luck!!! You can do it!!

 

[LaraK]

So you do not want a cigarette ever?

I quit for 5yrs my last time and still wanted a cig everyday.

Maybe for some people it is different?

You hit a point where you go from craving a cigarette to a point where you are disgusted by them. It takes a while.

You also go from the point where you dream about smoking and they're good dreams to the point where you dream about smoking and it is a nightmare.

For me, it took about 3-4 years. It's not an overnight process.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

You hit a point where you go from craving a cigarette to a point where you are disgusted by them. It takes a while.

You also go from the point where you dream about smoking and they're good dreams to the point where you dream about smoking and it is a nightmare.

For me, it took about 3-4 years. It's not an overnight process.

I was quit for 5yrs and never hit that point. It sucks. However, if I never get to that point then that is OK too. I have to accept that.

 

[trip]

Whenever you have the urge to smoke...

• brush your teeth and tongue
• drink a glass of ice water
• clean out a drawer
• take a walk
• repeat

 

[Laurabearz]

I found taking several deep cleansing breaths when I really had the urge, seemed to help the most...

Hang in there

 

[elizke]

I was quit for 5yrs and never hit that point. It sucks. However, if I never get to that point then that is OK too. I have to accept that.

Congratulations on quiting again!

It's been 7 years (maybe more, I don't count any more) and I STILL miss it. Like accepting that it would be hard, I have accepted that I want one, but don't need to have one. At least it's just a "want" now, and I can handle that.

I actually still enjoy second hand smoke (outside anyway), but instead of wanting one from it I just enjoy it. Sometimes I'll walk by a group of smokers and once I get in the car I still might take a "drag" of air, and it feels great.

I think for some people the yearning never goes away. It never did for my mom either. But it's okay, I can want one and not have one. I was a pretty heavy smoker, and I know that it would take only one to get me roped in again. I still love the freedom too much. Smoking is such a ball and chain now, with no smoking anywhere!

 

[PatsMom]

Congratulations on quitting! It is probably the hardest thing you will do but it is one of the most rewarding. I quit many times before it finally "took" on September 12, 2006. I think it would have been very helpful for me not to be around smokers the first few weeks but that didn't happen since my husband still smokes. I did eventually (after a year) banish him to the outdoors to smoke! He's sitll trying and hopefully one of these days he will make it too.

You've got some good advice. Exercise, drink water, deep breathing, gum, they all helped me. I am like the poster who never got over wanting to smoke though so you have to be mentally prepared for that. I still crave a cigarette several times a day. But so far I have resisted the urge.

 

[kimmyann]

So you do not want a cigarette ever?

I quit for 5yrs my last time and still wanted a cig everyday.

Maybe for some people it is different?

No, not really. I think maybe once in the past year I really had a thought that I wanted one, but it lasted all of two minutes. My husband still smokes and I find the smell highly disgusting now, not so much of second hand smoke, but the smell of it on clothes & breath. Quitting was one of the hardest things I did, and part of staying quit is I would never want to quit again. I had also *quit* countless times before.

It was something I really wanted to do for myself, don't understand why its confusing that I wanted to quit & am okay with quitting. Maybe another motivator for me was when I did quit my mother had COPD (even though that is not why I chose to quit). She died on a ventilator in Feb 2008, it was very hard to deal with, so maybe that is why somehow I refuse to ever think about smoking again.