saltfish

Hey everyone,

I've been sick with a sinus infection for the past few days, with that being said I haven't been able to leave the house to buy cigarettes. I haven't had a cigarette for more than 52 hours and I want to keep it that way.
I've smoked around a pack a day for the last 6 years and I'm worried that I'm going to go batty doing this. Any suggestions?

-SF

Nimbletoe

Have you ever tried quitting before? The patches do seem to help quite a few people...


Just the though of the money I would blow and the time im cutting off of my life is enough to keep me far away from them though.

__________________
Go Pistons!

TWISTEDBADGER

Just be prepared for those tough times. I found that I had the hardest time with the routine breaking aspect. Getting up in the morning and not having a smoke, getting in the car and starting to work without lighting up, going on break at work with smoking friends and not smoking ,etc. Suprisingly, the physical aspect wasn't to difficult to overcome. I took alot of vitamins, made sure I was taking my BP meds, and always had a few Tylenol on hand. And oh yeah, I avoided all personal contact for about a week(don't know if that was intentional or not).

Plan9Senior

drink lots of water and start exercising. That is the best way to kick the habit. I wont lie, quitting smoking sucks and there isn't a single easy way to do it, however; the more you torture yourself by not having that cigarette makes you a stronger person and stronger then the addiction and that in itself is something that motivated me when I quit smoking. The hardest part is the first week... after that it just feels like breaking up with a girl that you really liked. You miss it... but the more you stay away from it the more you get over it faster. I quit smoking a year ago and I used to smoke a pack and a half a day. Today I remember how great it was to smoke but I no longer crave to have one . Good luck to you, and know that the only way to quit smoking is to be stronger then the addiction. Don't let those dirty things beat you .

aintyoboyfriend

I just quit smoking.

I had bronchitis, and couldn't smoke more than a cigarette or two for a week. After smoking a pack a day for like 8 years that made me realise that I didn't need to smoke anymore.

Then about a week ago, I threw most of a pack of cigarettes in the trash, didn't say anything to anyone, and haven't had a cigarette since.

I knew I had really quit when the smoke from walking by people out in public bothered me.

Just stick to it, and remember, you are better off health wise and financially by not smoking.

perth1

try the gum, i found it worked for me for a month...

but, i am reformed. i aint a quittter! LOL

going to try again tomorrow. god it's hard

good luck mate, hope ya manage to kick it!

meff

My dad stopped cold turkey with just mint life-savers and sunflower seeds. Keep your mouth and your hands busy and it should be easier, even though I am not a smoker and know nothing of the addictive qualities.

Good luck.

__________________
Toy-like people make me boy-like.

gabshu

I quit cold turkey after I got sick one time. I had to change my routine, leaving my room later so I didn't have time to smoke before class. I gave all my cigs away (this was very painful). I think its easier if you tell yourself there's a reason for it, I kept on trying to tell myself that I had to quit because my dad had quit because I started (you get the chain). My dad actually quit with the patch, but he had been smoking some 40 years more than me. It also helps if you date someone who doesn't smoke.

Good luck Salt Fish!

__________________
Go Kool Aid. OH YEAAHH

http://www.retrocrush.com/archive2003/koolaid/

fhqwhgads

Don't laugh...

Hypnosis. My uncle and his wife tried it a couple of years ago and haven't had the craving since. This inspired my father and his wife to try it too, and they haven't smoked since. It was realitively cheap...I think he said that they attended one of those mass hypnosis seminars in a hotel lobby for around $50.

Good luck to ya...

santafe5000

I quit cold turkey about 5 yrs ago. The main thing you have to realize is, your success will depend on your real desire to kick the habit. If you are serious about doing it, check with your doctor for their advice. Read up on the various ways available. Try to select a means that will suit your temperment. Patches, pills, sprays, pychological training, all work, but not for everyone. If you try one method and don't find it to work, try something else. You will definitely feel better later, after quitting. Good luck.

__________________
When all else fails, QUIT.

Lunchbox7

Buy Chupachups in bulk. Everytime you feel the need chuck a chupachup in your mouth. You get the habit of something in your mouth and hand. It lasts a while and it only modifies your behaviour a little. Couple it with a little will power and you can do it. It worked for my mum and she is extremely weak willed. Im actually making my girlfirend quit at the moment. Im buying her a heap of chupachups to hel;p her. Hope it works for you too.

perth1

don't "make" her quit. she has to have the absolute desire in her own head to stop smoking, or else she will fail. you have to be patient until she has completely made up her own mind about it, and support her whilst she trys.

my girlfriend tried to "make" me stop, but i wasnt ready and everytime i was not with her I would light up and lie. i now finally have the ultimate desire to quit, and i'm gonna do it. she is supporting me whilst i am moody and touchy, and i'm determined!

i wish your GF luck, support her whilst she kicks this filthy habit, it aint going to be easy!

Craven Morehead

Quitting is rough. I did it cold turkey several years ago. Would wake up at night dreaming about smoking. Thought I was going out of my mind. The physical addiction is easiest to break - its gone in less than a week - so patches or gum aren't needed after that. Its the habit of having a smoke at break, or following a meal or whatever your routine is that is the roughest. I used to pull one out of my shirt pocket everytime I got in my car. Then one day as I was getting in my car - well over a year after I quit - I found myself reaching for one. Freaked me out. The mental addiction is scary.

Good luck. And don't worry if you gain weight. Losing weight after you've quit smoking is far easier than quiting smoking itself.

Plan9Senior

Also, remember that quitting smoking doesn't make you gain weight. What makes you gain weight is when you substitute the habit of smoking with the habit of snacking to fill that oral fixation. EXERCISE INSTEAD! I cannot stress how important it is to exercise when quitting smoking. Not only will it drastically make the quitting process easier, but you will not gain any weight if that happens to be your fear to quit.

rockzilla

I quit last week and decided to use the money I saved by quitting smoking to buy a gym membership. The feeling of having just worked out is so much better than the feeling of just having emptied a pack of cigarettes while at the bar.

Plan9Senior

Awesome! Every time that urge becomes extreme, go do 30 minutes of cardio and you will not even want to look at a cigarette Keep up the good work!

perth1

i would be doing about 8 hours of cardio a day, is that healthy? :-)

but seriously, i need to give up the bloody ciggies. now that i am exercising its so painful! my lungs are so tight and i cant seem to get enough oxygen in my lungs.

grrrr going to give it yet another try (if at first you dont succeed..)

rockzilla

I tried cold turkey over and over, but something would always set me off (smelling cigarette smoke, stressful situations, drinking etc...). I found that a week on the patch was all I needed to get rid of the major cravings and help me with the physical habit. You'll be able to notice the difference in your lungs within a day or two. The feeling of being able to breathe is the best reason to keep away from the smokes for good.

Best of luck

water_boy1999

I chew tobacco and have been doing it since I was 9....I am 29 now. I am going through a mental crisis right now because I really want to quit, but I still go for that little dip of flavor. I need to quit....I don't want to get cancer, but it is not only difficult emotionally, but physically it gets painful when I am craving it. I have tried to quit before but I picked up smoking for a few years instead. When I told myself to quite smoking, I started to chew again......it is a vicious circle and I need help off this ride!

__________________
Doh!!!!


-Homer Simpson

hy_

Do not, and I say do not get lonely, do something, if you need a smoke run around outside, workout, NEVER get bored.

gonadman

You sound like a good candidate for Nicorrette gum. The nicotine will help your physical craving as it is absorbed the same way- through your oral mucosa. Also satisfies the oral fixation. Just make sure your head is in the right place first- you gotta WANT to quit, not think you should quit

__________________
For me there is only the traveling on paths that have heart, on any path that may have heart. There I travel, and the only worthwhile challenge is to traverse its full length. And there I travel, looking, looking, ...breathlessly.
-Carlos Castaneda

mrsandman

A lot of people quit ,cold turkey,in I. C. U.

But that's later on in life, nothing to worry about now.

__________________
Hail to ALL the troops and shadow warriors.