I quit smoking...

I quit smoking on June 7th. I'm using gum and dum dum pops for cravings. I've been tapering my cigs for a few months.
I would really appreciate any suggestions/encouragment.

take care, Patti

What helped me was to tell myself I only had to quit for the next 30 minutes. Then I willed myself to work the task at hand. If my mind wondered back to smoking, I quickly changed the focus. I repeatedly told myself I could do this for a given period and right away changed the focus.

Quitting in many ways was one of the more difficult things I have ever done. I had smoked for over thirty years and was smoking three or four packs a day at the end. I went to see my doctor because I thought I had pneumonia. My doctor thought I had had a heart attack. Turned out it was asthma. The doctor told me asthma today, emphysema next, then an oxygen tank and a wheelchair, then who knows.

The best advice I got was from a former smoker who had lost a third of his lung capacity. He simply said if you intend to quit, do not say try to. Make up your mind to do it and quit.

Good luck.

I, too, have a 30+ year habit and Saturday, the 12th is my quit day. I have tried to quit more times than there are pine trees here in ga. But I like what you said, Byz, about the trying crap. I will quit, I have to quit. My health is at risk with the beginning stages of copd, and I still have a chance to rectify some of this damage. I watched my mother at the end of her life, clinging to her cigs like they were the only friends she had. And she said they were. I refuse that option. I will probably be haunting pc for the next few weeks but whatever it takes, I have to do it. I have no choice. I have to keep the faith.

Congrats on setting a quite date. I found the patch to be very helpful to me when quitting. I didn't like the gum that much. I also chewed on coffee straws and that helped with the cravings and it was calorie free.

Congratulations on quitting. There are two things I did to help me stay quit. I stayed as busy as I possibly could, so there was no time for a smoke, and I did more to pamper myself. Scented lotion sure works a lot better when not surrounded by a cloud of stinky smoke. I wish you the best of luck. You're just as capable as any other former smoker of quitting and staying smoke-free.

I recently quit smoking. I'd have to say for me that the first few weeks were not easy. I live with an avid smoker so taking a puff here and there was easy. I feel I had to quit since I've suffered asthma for 30 yrs and had my second bout of pneumonia this year. The longer I moved away from those puffs, though, the more I began to dislike the taste and smell. Persistence and one day at a time did it for me. I didn't think too far ahead because I did get agitated. Initially, I used the gum and the lozenges, but I quit them too since they began making me feel sick. What so cool after all this is that I am introducing more enzyme healthy foods into my diet. I can now hear my body craving certain things that are good for me and I'm giving in to the health rather than the addiction.

Congrats on quitting! Its a difficult thing to do, I know b/c I still haven't quit yet, but u can do it! Keep thinking healthy thoughts&find things to do besides smoke. Keep us posted!
Lotsa luck&(((((hugs)))))

Good luck, Julial. Keep up the good work, Patti.

Thanks everyone. The cravings aren't too bad. It's my moodiness. That's bothering most. And, having nightmares. I see my psych dr. Friday. I'll talk with him about it.
hugs, Patti
p.s. I wish you all good luck and congrats.

You can do it, kyangel_04.

I agree with Byz - hardest thing I've ever done. There's much info to help in the addictions section. Also, Sunflower55 is a wealth of information.

You can do this and even if you don't this time, it's a stepping stone to when you do.

Great work on giving up smoking, it's one of the hardest things to do, but very satisfying too,

Rhiannon

hi patty,
im brand new here and came here for some of the sme type of support although i have other issues. i m new so i cant use or figure out when/how i can use all the resources here so i will reply pubicely here. i CONGRADULATE you on quiting cold turkey. i am using a step down method with commit lozenges (also called nicotine replacement therapy). the dum dum pops are a great idea if you can handle the sugar (dental issues) and diet health. i went to walmart and bought one of every hard candy in sugarfree and tried them all till i found some i loves. wuthers original and licorice are working for me now. also i love coffee in the morning so i switched to diet coke for awhile (quit may 6)
dont know if its appropriate but i joined quitnet.com online support group. hope the moderator doesnt yell at me. just trying to make a supportive suggestion based on my successful experience. maybe when i figure this place out and they let me we could become friends it really helps to do it with support. best wishes for you to keep your quit and CONGRADS again for saving your life!