I'm thinking of quitting

For good this time. I've quit 2 or 3 times previously cold turkey. Each time, I made it less than 2 years before starting again.

I was trying to cut down last month. Seems this month I'm smoking way more than I was previously. It just wasn't working. I'm going to have to go cold turkey again, I think. My smoking is getting ridiculous. I'm up to nearly a pack per day. I can't afford that!

Quitting is hard for some people. Try not to replace it with something else dangerous. I've suggested hot tea to others before and it did work. Hold the mug the whole time, feel the warmth in your hand. Breathe in the steam. Feel the experience. Respect the tea, for it is nourishment from the Earth. It doesn't have to be tea with caffeine even. If you like mint, try it as a tea. I like kava tea, it's very calming but you'll probably want to add flavorings until you aquire a taste. Though, I still like to put lemon balm and jasmine in mine. I don't use sweetners, because it takes the tea taste away. That's up to you.
Eat lots of tomatoes. Not only are they healthy, they contain similar chemicals to nicotine and trace amounts of nicotine.
Cold turkey is the best way to go. I quit at a dead stop from 2+ packs a day about 7 years ago.
Anyone can do it. You can too.

Yeah, I'm a big tea drinker already. I'm anticipating my biggest struggles being the morning with my coffee. That's when I smoke the majority of my cigarettes. Like 2/3 of them. I may try stepping outside with my coffee still, and just taking deep breaths. Trying to get past anxiety and mood shifts without smoking will be the other challenge and what could cause me to start again. That and being around people who smoke.

I think I've made up my mind that I'm not buying another pack. I have about 6 cigarettes left. My son so badly wants me to quit. I want to as well. They actually give me headaches and nausea make my sinuses gross. Seems stupid to keep smoking them.

I've posted elsewhere on the smoking cessation thread, so I won't repeat myself fully. The biggest factor for me was money, but I didn't fully realize this until I quit. I was smoking three cartons a month & after quitting I found I had $200 extra dollars in my banking account. It was easy for me to ignore the cost of smoking since I was so addicted.

Money is a big factor for me as well. My money every month is pretty tight. I figure I'll probably save myself at least $100 per month if I quit. It seems wrong for me to tell my son that he can't have something or we can't do something because "we don't have the money"...and then turn around and buy cigarettes. My goal is to quit and start a fun money jar.

Well I just smoked my last cigarette. Bought some nicotine gum yesterday. Here goes. Hoping I can figure a way to cope.

You can do it

Way to go, scatterbrained! I remember how intimidated I was when I first tried to put the cigs down, but it can be done! Remember all the cash you'll save. How's a cruise to the Bahamas sound? Outside of hurricane season, of course!

I'd wanna go DURING hurricane season, please. What's the worst could happen ;p

I've made it 24 hours. The cravings this morning are horrible.

One whole day! Keep going

Wow! I missed this today! I don't know how much a pack of cigs cost in Ohio, but that cash is in your wallet rather than in the till at your local store now! Seriously, though, I feel for ya with the craving thing. They say that after a week all the nicotine is out of your system & it gets easier. I quit three years ago, though, & still have an occasional "itch." Keep it up & keep us posted.

My Pall Malls are about $5.75 per pack. The nicotine gum I bought is really helping me out. I'd be lying if said I didn't consider buying a pack today though. This morning was rough.

I know how hard it is! You're doing great!

48 hours...

3 days...yesterday was really hard because of emotional triggers.

You're doing great

Keep it up

5 days...I'm going to have to somehow keep busy over the weekend.

Wow! Five days is unreal! This might sound stupid, but when I was first quitting, I put a rubber band around my wrist. Whenever I got an urge, I'd snap the rubber band. It seemed to distract me for just a second & make the urge less severe. Just a strange idea.

I know you live in Ohio, so the weather down there's probably not much better than it is here in Michigan, but walking can help. The Penn State-Ohio State football game is on today! Whatever you decide to do, I wish you luck distracting yourself this weekend!

Thanks for the tip on the Buckeye game. It's on broadcast TV, so I can actually watch this one (I don't have cable). I'm a big Buckeye football fan, just normally don't get to see the games.

The weather sucks here today. It's about 40 and raining. I had thought about taking a walk at the park, but it sounds like I'll be stuck inside today. I'm sure I can find something to do.

Thanks for the encouragement. I feel awfully close to caving in, but I keep giving myself reasons not to.

I've made it a week. Struggling a bit. Kind of at the point that if someone offered me a cigarette, I'd probably smoke it. But I won't buy any. Loaded up on more nicotine gum for this week. Next week, I will change from the 4mg down to the 2mg.

You're totally rocking this! Keep truckin' on.

Whoa!!! That's amazing! Congrats on the week! This may sound strange, but I was thinking about you during the Ohio State-Penn State game because I know you are a big Buckeye fan. That game was such a nail-biter, such a total classic, that I wondered if it would give you the urge. I'm glad you made it through! I'm glad the Bucks won, but I'll be rooting against you in two weeks when Ohio State plays my Michigan State Spartans! I'm sure you'll be smoke-free then, too.

LOL actually the game pissed me off so bad in the first half that I turned it off and put on Stranger Things. Didn't figure on the Buckeyes turning it around in the second half.