[grizmom]

It's probably not the best time to try and kick this with all the stuff I have going on, but I'm going to at least try to cut back to start with. I'm sick of coughing, and I'd like to start walking again but I'm out of breath after 5 minutes

I moved my cigs, ashtry, etc. into the other room and will only smoke in there, and if I am smoking I will do nothing else at the same time...no tv, no books, no music, no computer, etc. (the whole mindfulness thing) I'm also going to make myself wait 30 minutes in between cigs to start with (and that's a lot for me; I'm a chain smoker). So we'll see how it goes today and hopefully no one in my apartment building ends up getting strangled for having their music too loud

I did quit once for 3 years, but I had a lot of incentive; I wanted to try and get pregnant and I refused to do anything that would harm a fetus, so I tapered off meds and quit smoking cold turkey. I actually got "lucky" that time and caught a bad case of the flu for a couple of weeks and I couldn't have smoked if I'd wanted to. I picked it up again after a traumatic incident.

Wish me luck!

[Skully]

I wish you a lot of luck. I have been smoking way too much as well and I have decided that I will no longer smoke in my house. Hopefully that will help me to cut down.

[(JD)]

Good for you! Taking back control of any aspect of your life is a good thing!

With cigarette smoking though, why not use a patch and other alternative methods so you benefit immediately from not having smoke around you?

You might want to take some of that new energy and apply it to getting the current smoke odor out of your home too. I think coming into a clean smelling home will also help incentivize you. I know my children always knew when I brought something home from "Nanny and Grandpop's" because it had a "peculiar" odor to it. She smoked cigarettes, he cigars.
After she had a scare regarding her health and spent 3 days in ICU without cigarettes, she continued to not smoke (talk about going cold turkey!) And she found out when she washed her curtains and furniture they were at least 3 shades lighter than before!

I wish you well in this endeavor. Any curtailing of this activity is success for you. You can do this. You would have to if you knew --in your face-- it was killing you, and those around you.

But do remember it's an addiction. It's a drug addiction and a habitual desire emotionally perhaps too? Don't treat it lightly. It is always a tough battle, one way or another, to win. But I believe you can do it.

[kadesgirl09]

You can do it! (((Grizmom))) Its been 2 weeks smoke free for me and today I really wanted a cig. Well ever since my baby had a seizure I have been wanting SOMETHING to calm my nerves so a cig seems like a good idea. Then I came on here and see its not such a good idea. I used the gum btw to quit. GOOD LUCK!!

[sanityseeker]

Wishing you success in your efforts. I smoke too and have been thinking that since my depression broke and I am not struggling with constant anxiety these days that now might be a good time to finally give it up. Like you I quit when I was pregnant but started up again at work. At home I limited it to one room but now I just never leave my smoking room. lol.

I tried the patch but for some reason it played havoc with my already disruptive anxiety issues. Probably check with your doc. My sister quit with the aid of a pill. Not sure what it was. Started with a C I think. It worked for her.

I find the biggest challenge is not having the cig in my hand. Not puffing on something was harder to let go of than the chemical addiction. Even when a patch was feeding my physcial addiction the psychological addition to holding and puffing a cig was the harder nut to crack.

I have been considering those new smokeless cigarettes as something to try. They are likely expensive but can't be more expensive then cigarettes. JD's idea of cleaning is a good one I think. I recently cleaned my smoking room from top to bottom and that has motivated me to restricting my smoking to outside. So far. eeks!

I like your idea about timing your smokes and not doing other things at the same time. I can do that much I think. Gotta start somewhere I guess.

Good luck to you and thanks for the motivation to do the same. Wouldn't it be great to be a non-smoker. Keep the vision.

[AtreyuFreak]

This is ironic cause I've literally JUST (within the last week) started timing my own cigarettes. Started with a half hour, then hour, then our and a half; for the past 2 days I've been at one every two hours . Since I only smoke like 1/3 to 1/2 a cigarette at a time, I'm only smoking like 2.5-3 cigs per day now; just last week I was at half a pack a day. (Mind you, a few years ago, I'd chain-smoke and wipe out a pack and a half to two packs per day, but I've cut down quite a bit since then.)

The medication (whoever) was thinking of is Chantix. My dad tried it, but nothing (patches, gum, meds, even the e-cig) has worked for him. I think he's just stubborn and only "quits" because others want him to .

I do want to try one of the "e-cigarettes"; I get nauseous from the taste of tobacco, and pretty much only like the nicotine buzz and smoke/vapor, both of which are included in the tobacco-free cigarette things.

Good luck! Part of my biggest problem so far is "impulsive" smoking--having a cig when I'm pissed or sad, etc. Also, there are times when it'll be my cig time and I won't "need" one, but will still have it; working on breaking that right now. If only every smoker only smoked out of necessity--not mindlessness, addiction, or habit!

I do think it helps a lot that my mother makes me and my dad smoke outside--plus I hate the way it lingers indoors so when I move out this summer, I won't smoke in my new apt. even if it is allowed. I don't think it really keeps me from smoking, except that I'm not smelling it everywhere I go; smelling smoke for me makes me crave one. Oh, and we've been cleaning some of the surfaces in the house (the previous owners smoked all over); we've scrubbed LAYERS of yellow off of the walls and floors, not to mention all of the disgusting cigarette burns all over the floors (that look like bugs crawling towards your feet!).


Oh, btw: your "lolcat" pic in ur signature is awesome!!! ^_^