The newest commercial I've seen (last evening) about smoking cessation was about a guy hooked up to a suck-o-meter as in quitting sucks. He took something that made the withdrawals ease and the meter went to zero. I loved the commercial and yes it does suck...I've been nicotene free for almost a year now. I need help with other compulsions tho from time to time. In support
When I was in grad school in the 80's studying addictive disease, docs at the teaching hospital were working on cutting edge info about the endorphins and studying comparing nictotine withdrawal and cocaine withdrawal. They found nicotine withdrawal activated the same brain mechanisims as in coke withdrawal and that nicotine withdrawal was worse in severity and duration. Extraordinarily hard to kick & stay kicked. Use all the help you can get and don't flail on yourself because you are struggling. I'm a former smoker in remission by the grace of God and pray every day, as with my sobriety & clean time, to stay smoke-free one more day. Ive relapsed to cigs after 8 years, after 12 years, after 3 years, after 1.5 years, after 6 months (the last time, which was 3 years ago now) ...you get the picture. Notice the progression of shorter times smoke-fee and closer-together relapses...sound familiar to alcohol?
To contribute here, you guys are absolutely right. Back when I was barely a teenager (age 15-16) I used to think cigarettes were disgusting. However, before my 19th birthday, my sister (not biological, mind you) introduced me to cigs. The cigarettes gave me a temporary buzz, that made me feel that I was on f*cking fire!
I guess that is how companies draw you in. You like one cigarette, then another...and so on. Unfortunately, with my personality I can become addicted to anything. Since I've attended one AA meeting, what am I going to do about this?
Grrrrr - now I have the itches, like coke-bugs, but not as bad. I found some good head-filler at quitnet.com. I'm going to go try to go to sleep. I hope it's possible.
Hope to see your refreshed and clean air-filled thoughts here tomorrow. I hope you will hold my hand in cyber space when I get up the nerve to quit. I deeply admire your effort to at least try. Smoking cigarettes SUCKS dirty air more. Ice is for sissies. Heart, Angela
It does suck. 72 hours is all you need for the physical stuff. The rest is mental/emotional withdrawl. http://whyquit.com/ *really* helped me when I quit the cigarettes.
JP...first things first....Alcohol...work on that through AA and go to more meetings. Some of us can be like Dean and give it all up....Dean also worked through a load of crap in 2 to 3 years of in an out before finally reaching a point of embracing a healthy lifestyle completely. Our stories are similar and different in some ways. I admire anyone in the program that quits smoking cuz it lets me know I can do it. But, as stated by someone else above, I'm not ready yet. Not sure when the willingness will kick in but I am getting progressively annoyed by my smoking habits. I don't smoke in any controlled manner and it is like my alcoholism was...BUT...I still don't drink and I am a work in progress.
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Keep coming back. It works if you work it. So work it. You're worth it!
Way to go, Aquaman! I've smoked over a pack a day for 38 years-- I know how hard this is. Like Mark Twain said "Quitting smoking is easy; I've done it a thousand times."
I quit smoking about 2 months ago, but I'm still addicted to nicotine. Guess I'm on a "maintenance program" until I have the strength to do it cold turkey. I use the tobacco pouches*-- like nicotine gum but much cheaper. Even with these, the first week wasn't easy. Quitting completely is best, but this is the next best thing-- at least my poor lungs are getting a break. Our thin savings account is getting a break, too!
May God be with you on this cleansing journey!
*not "SNUS" but GRIZZLY pouches(like SKOAL Bandits)-- they come in a can like dip. Very cheap compared to any other form of nicotine, and no spitting involved! My wife uses them, too.
Good job for putting forth the effort! I have never smoked, but have been through my fair share of addictions. My hats off to anyone that openly tries to kick an addiction. Keep going, it will be worth it!!!!!
The little monster beat me today. I had my wife's van and found a pack of mine in the back from camping and I KNEW I should have chucked it...but I didn't . While I was at Office Max spending my hard-earned $15 a guy from the office called and said "what if...?" and I cracked that pack like a junkie cookin' up. Spark, red swell, fiiiiiilllll me up - yum....fixxxxxed.
It almost took me to an LQ for an airplane bottle of Absolut...but not today.
I'm cool now...nap & some food. Cigarettes are f**in' evil. I'd rather fight off coke bugs than the intra-soul crap that ciggy's getcha with.
Don't beat yourself up too much...I've commited to losing 50lbs and started working out about 3 weeks ago and then...I cracked open a box of Turtles one of my students had bought me at Christmas, so I brought them home and gave the rest to my hubby and, are you ready for this...when I went to get my lunch from my bag this morning, there were 3 beautiful Turtles laying at the bottom of my (filthy) bag! I thought they were all gone!!! Throw them out? pfffft...ate em up, yep, snuck em at my desk like they were a friggin liquor bottle. But, then I went for a workout and ate a chicken breast for dinner. There...nanana poo poo Turtles demon people. You're not alone buddy, food, cigs, booze, whatever, it's tough. One day at a time. Christine
Rob, you're certainly not alone. Very few succeed in quitting on their first, second, third, or fourth try.
You might consider doing what I'm doing-- find a nicotine substitute to break the smoking habit, then work on weaning off the substitute. I think most studies show that this method is more successful than trying cold turkey... as long you stick with the program and don't cheat. It is definitely less stressful than trying to kick the smoking habit and the nicotine addiction at the same time.
Like I said in my previous post, I'm still a nicotine addict but I rarely even think about cigarettes anymore. After this moving ordeal is over, I'll work on weaning off the nicotine with sugarless gum.
That book by Allen Carr is pretty good.
Have you considered Chantix or Wellbutrin? (Wellbutrin is the same chemical as Zyban, but cheaper). I've heard many people say these drugs help.
Whatever you do, don't give up. It's like any other addiction-- as long as you're alive, there's still hope.
-- Edited by jasperkent on Wednesday 6th of January 2010 03:41:55 PM
The little monster beat me today. I had my wife's van and found a pack of mine in the back from camping and I KNEW I should have chucked it...but I didn't . While I was at Office Max spending my hard-earned $15 a guy from the office called and said "what if...?" and I cracked that pack like a junkie cookin' up. Spark, red swell, fiiiiiilllll me up - yum....fixxxxxed. 