[Justme_55]

I've been an on and off smoker since 15. I have quit three times once cold turkey twice with the patch, for 3 years I was a non smoker. The past 5 I picked up again. I'm a die hard smoker, im aware of how gross it is, stinky and not to mention the health effects, I'd like to quit but I LIKE to smoke. I know it's strange but it's something I enjoy, my desire to smoke is far more then that to quit but it's 1. Too expensive & 2. Taking a toll on my health. My doctor keeps pushing chantex on me but the psychological side effects scare me beyond belief because I'm already a sleep walker so that drug is out of the question. How do I motivate myself to kick the butts and how did you quit?

[avoice]

Have to hit bottom.Like everything I guess like everything....

uggghhh... i cant quit either. and im realy trying. because i have to. but everyone around me smokes too. it is hard.

[beauflow]

damn cigarettes are like my last addiction- i always forget them when talking about my past drug use, till I get asked do you smoke-- then I am like yeah- that is probably my worse addiction- still smoking cigs, and not sure if I can let them go- like I think about 5% of the ppl i talk to understand that- the others are like "hmmm.."... sigh- one day I keep saying.. then I am like why do I keep hold of them. they give me a break! that is why lol

I tried the patch too--- but I broke out really bad with that, the gum I tried but it did not stick

Chantex I too am very scared of, my boyfriend smokes, he says he does not want me on chantex esp. after talking with my general doctor and she said some thing about air line pilots are not to take it due to they dont know WHY people get the suicidal thoughts and stuff-- and I already have those just by myself, and she suggested welbutrin and I was like really? I did not take that offer either but I guess welbutrin also is a stop smoking agent for some.

IDK i have been told try to munch on carrots- dude if i did that- i would be carrot orange due to munching on so many LOL

Best of luck and if you find something- hey let me know

[gma45]

I wish I knew, The worst addiction there is! I have quit everything else. Smoking is like my last rebellion! Stupid I know but can't seem to kick it!

It is hard to give up, You need a lot of willpower to do it, I gave up for 2 years once and then started again, It is something I regret doing I don't know why I begun again, I quit with the patches, I chewed gum to take the urge away, I want to quit again as I have an awful cough but I think it eases the stress for me (excuse I know) but it is something that keeps me sane at times.Maybe have a word with your GP? There is so much help now to quit smoking.

[Tosspot]

A voice said it. Hitting bottom.
Ciggies were my last addiction too...wait no, caffeine was. Either way, I'd been wanting to quit for a while i LOVE TO SMOKE!! love it love it. I ended up coming down with bronchitis in Feb which turned to pneumonia. However, two days into being sick I went out into the snow to smoke and my body physically rejected it. I had to try to take a drag. SO i was lucky and said ok, i guess its time. About 2 hours later I was craving a cigarette so badly but I knew my body told me it was time.

It still sucks being a non-smoker at times, all my friends smoke and everyone seems to smoke at meetings i go to.

After the nicotine is out of your system,
Listen to your body, NOT YOUR HEAD!!

You can smoke again, just not today!

[Man'n'Black]

I tried welbutrin, gum, food, etc.
In the end I just said screw it, I am not doing this any more.
YES it sucks!!

I quit twice. Once cold turkey and didn't smoke again for twenty years. But then one day I lit up again and yep, I was soon smoking a pack a day again. The second time I took Chantix. I know about the side effects but I knew I couldn't do it cold turkey again. The drug worked perfectly for me. I had some horribly vivid dreams that were very disturbing, but I stuck it out and was able to quit. In fact, I didn't even have to take the whole course. I smoked the first week as instructed and with each day the taste got worse and worse. By the second week I was able to not smoke at all. I was off the drug within three weeks and didn't pick up again.

Now, that said, I have to admit that the craving for a smoke never really disappears for me. I LOVED smoking and I go through terrible moments of intense craving, but all I have to do is remember how I was back into my addiction so quickly after completely cleaning up my lungs. I guess I'm going to just have to miss it. . . . although if I live to 90, I might pick it up again because at that point what would it matter

[Justme_55]

Thank you everyone for great advice and to let myself and others know we are not alone in this conquest. It's very hard, I worked with the elderly and saw a 64 year old woman die slowly from emphysema and I still smoked, I'll get there eventually hopefully not before it's too late.

[Visioneer]

I was actually really lucky. I went through a really stressful period where I couldn't eat, especially sweets, or drink alcohol, even though they were mainstays in the past. I smoked for 15 years. But during that period, I couldn't take a drag without gagging. I kept trying for a couple of months but eventually realized my crutch was broken. It didn't bring me relief anymore. Nothing did.

Honestly though, what keeps me away from alcohol and pills I'm not supposed to be taking, and cigarettes (aside from the disgusting smell) is the fact that I'm taking the medication I should. I mostly don't feel the need to do those things anymore. Once in a rare while I feel a slight urge to drink or smoke but I remember those months of gagging and know I don't really want to.

I know, though, that if I went off my meds, I'd be back to square one, because there would be nothing to stop me. Sad excuse for willpower. I guess my willpower keeps me taking my meds every day.

My last addiction is sugar, and I don't know how to beat that one. Except to maybe get a life, but I don't see that happening any time soon, heh.

Habit replacement and having a health goal to work toward helps a lot of people. I know people who have replaced their crutches with exercise, and as the work that they put into their health becomes more important, they don't want to throw it away on smoking. Getting your teeth whitened and knowing you don't want to ruin it with smoking and waste the money. Meditation. Massage therapy. If you could take Wellbutrin I'd recommend it but it seems like a bad choice for you.

Best of luck, whatever you decide.

[OneRiffTooMany]

Smoking was banned in all Australian pub about 5 years Ago and prior to that gross images of smoking related images were put on all packs but what steered me away from the cigs was and is without a doubt the price in aus for example a packet of Winfield 25's is around $20.



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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-37.574102,143.830074

[tohelpafriend]

I quit two days ago; bought a "panic pack" today just in case; I'm getting headaches, but not cravings. How many days more until the body gets
rid of nicotine in the blood? So it's been about 48 hours. I've quit before; always start again, socially. My motivation is to quit and start a new exercise program.
good luck to all those trying to quit smoking!

[Tosspot]

tohelpafriend - most studies show active nicotine clears out in about three days. Nicotine will stay in the blood stream for about three weeks then you are physically clear!!
i had a panic pack too. started bumming them out to my bf, then carried just one cigarette in my car for a long time (just in case). Then when i was cleaning out my car i saw it broke and almost had a panic attack - i quit 10 months ago!! so having the back up cig helped me mentally, just knowing it was there and when it was finally gone i realized ten months what's another day?

best of luck, hardest addiction ever!!

[Justme_55]

Originally Posted by OneRiffTooMany

Smoking was banned in all Australian pub about 5 years Ago and prior to that gross images of smoking related images were put on all packs but what steered me away from the cigs was and is without a doubt the price in aus for example a packet of Winfield 25's is around $20.



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I am here: http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-37.574102,143.830074

TWENTY DOLLARS? Ours is five to six in America I know currency is different but twenty bucks is Alot of money to be a smoker!

[LylaJean]

I'm in the same "I should quit, buuuttt..." boat as you guys. I love smoking. I love smoking with my husband, too. That's what makes it extra hard to quit... If you're going to, you have to both be committed. I started on Sertraline and, surprisingly, it made me feel carsick anytime I smoked while on it for the first 3 weeks or so. I should have used that to make me quit but I powered through, gagging the whole time, and now that phase has passed. It's an awfully nasty habit.

[Tosspot]

Originally Posted by Justme_55

TWENTY DOLLARS? Ours is five to six in America I know currency is different but twenty bucks is Alot of money to be a smoker!

Five or six in america??? where do you live? in MA my camels are almost nine!
when i was in AU back in 2007 i thought 12 a pack was bad- 20?????

[Perna]

My husband smokes, sounds a lot like you, says he enjoys it also and does not believe he would be able to quit. He did quit once, for a couple weeks, using an electronic/computer thing where he smoked normally for a week while it recorded his pattern and then it started telling him when he was allowed to smoke, gradually weaning him off.

He can afford to smoke (although I wish he would use the money for something else). If you cannot afford it, I would not buy cigarettes anymore; I did that when I wanted to stop eating fast food; just quit going completely.

I would treat cravings and desires as an "illness" and deal with them as I would any other illness or physical problem; you can't get over a cold for at least a week, no matter what, or stop throwing up if you have the stomach flu, etc. Treat them as symptoms of an illness and be good to yourself but don't give them "control" over you. You are not your cough when you have a cold; why be your cough when you smoke, or your cravings. Make them symptoms of something larger instead of keeping them personal. It is not a failing in you to have them, just to give in to them!