[littlebitlost]

Decided that I was turfing the ciggs last night, smoked my last and said goodbye.

I have minty e cigs, but have only been sucking on them a bit. Thought I'd be homicidal and aggressive, but I haven't even really wanted to smoke.

I made a Fake Deal with myself last night when I decided, that if I felt like it I would just go get smokes and move on and forgive myself...

Could this be the difference? A different mindset?

I don't seriously expect this total fine-ness to continue for 6 months - a year after today and quit - I expect a bumpy ride, but I'm just kinda startled by being ok on Day 1....

WDYT?

[gayleggg]

You mindset is very important when quitting. I had tried to quit many times but the last and successful time, I decided I would be successful and not give in. I treated myself along the way, with new GameBoy games as that is what I substituted.

I, also, used the patch recommended by my pdoc as he was concerned about the chemical change it could cause in my brain, as every time I tried to quit I would get depressed.

With a new mindset and my trusty GameBoy, I have gone without cigarettes for 20 years. It's the best thing I ever did except for raising my wonderful daughter.

Good luck to you.

[notz]

Today marks 17 years without a cigarette for me. Like Gayle, the best thing I've ever done and in all honesty, very hard too.

Read everything you can get your hands on. Pick what you think will help you. I used the 14 mg patch as a start knowing I needed to step down immediately rather than run the risk of getting more nicotine than I already was.

I cut a straw to length and "smoked" it! It felt good between my fingers, like a good friend. I did things that I did without smoking...lots of showers, brisk walks and brushing of teeth. Stayed away from coffee and alcohol as they both went hand in hand with smoking.

You can do it!!

[littlebitlost]

Thanks Gayle and Notz!

It's Day 5, and I am feeling FINE. 3 days is when nicotine is out of the system, and I've not had any of the expected homicidal urges, headaches and sitting in the bottom of the shower rocking myself.

No patches, no gum, no meds, no booze. I am *somehow* doing completely fine. My cravings to smoke were STRONGER when I *was* a regular smoker going an hour without a cigg........

Sure I'd like a smoke, but it's really not a big deal at all...

I feel somewhat guilty that I am so fine with this, and everyone else struggles so much.

[notz]

Sounds great! Just keep doing what you're doing!!!

[littlebitlost]

Woot. Still not back on it!

[Slamjammer]

Congrat's on stopping! This thread is a bit old, and I hope your success has continued.

Like you, I quit cold turkey, back in '91 or so and have never looked back. Now, I can smell it from a block away, and can't stand to be near smokers. Even if they aren't smoking at the moment, they still stink like old dirty ash trays.

I have a simple strategy for those who want to stop: DON'T BUY ANY MORE...and have enough self respect to avoid bumming from friends. It's 100% effective and works every time.

I've heard from many people that e-cigs are very helpful in quitting.

[emgreen]

Originally Posted by 8888an8888

I've heard from many people that e-cigs are very helpful in quitting.

I hear they're helpful for some, but the price is virtually the same a cigarettes. When I quite cold turkey (I smokes a pack & a half a day) I bought a new, inexpensive car that I wouldn't be able to afford if I'd continued spending $200 plus a month on cigs. Thus, I had two choices...Make the payment on the car...Or start smoking again. I've been smoke-free for nearly a year (in June) so I can continue paying the loan on my car. That extra incentive helped me quit cold turkey without resorting to e-cigs. It's an unorthodox approach, but it's worked thus far for me.