I put the cigs down the same day as my sobriety date. Of course quit drugs, and being married that week also. I went into shock lol. But by the grace of HP, still sans cigs.
One thing that helped me was to write down all of the reasons that I wanted to quit. Then I read it every day, and when the urge to smoke came up I repeated the reasons for quitting, along with saying to myself "no a cigarette will not taste good". It's a numbers game (one day at a time) like alcohol.
-- Edited by StPeteDean on Tuesday 29th of January 2013 01:18:03 PM
-- Edited by StPeteDean on Tuesday 29th of January 2013 01:18:19 PM
well first day off the cigs and its so hard!!! Been a smoker since 14 and will be 40 this year,did give up for 1 1/2 years but stupidly started again. Its the snappiness thats hard,have to remember to take deep breaths and walk off for a few minutes to calm down.I have a steely resolve to quit,and it will not be broken. One day at a time.
Wishing you the very best results in your effort to quit smoking cigs! I tried about a year ago, took something called Chantix and the next thing ya know I don't want a cig, smoke free for 6 days and absolutely insane! I was so far away from being polite, warm and fuzzy. I was a raging idiot! After a situation with my neighbor, who was right to complain about my lil' dog pooping in her yard, I knew that something had to change and change immediately! I stopped taking the Chantix, and went and bought a pack of smokes... been smoking since. I wish I had tried just not taking the chantix first, before getting those cigs.
Now, I'm at the start over point again. Seems like I have spent a big part of my life there... like a professional starter-over. I should consider putting it on my resume LOL
I'm not ready today to put them down, but I surely am in the getting ready stage. I'm going to keep/start praying for the desire to be removed, and set a new quit date, and see if, with God's help, I can resist a cig, one puff at a time, one cig at a time, and find something to do with myself for that same duration of time, til it passes...
Who knows... one day I might be able to say..."I'm a non smoker".
Day 24 without a cigarette for me ... and no, that's not meant to be boasting ... Today, I'm okay so far ... But last night I even told Neo that I was going crazy for a cig in a PM ... ... ...
I was on Chantix for a month and It was driving me 'F...ing' NUTS ... but I did manage 24 days so far and will pray intently for the Lord's help here to stay stopped ... ... ... I think going 'cold turkey' would be much better than use of Chantix ...
My biggest problem ??? ... I don't WANT to quit, but my doctors are finally using the 'or else' phrase ... ... ... plus cigs are gettin' awfully expensive ...
GOOD LUCK Marge .........
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
I like that John - a professional re-starter. I tell my kids that about 100 times a day "lets just start over" and then like in today's reading - force a smile and move on. They are 'easy' - they teach me about true forgive and forget relationships - they can do it in a snap - I hope they stay that way - they are 4 & 6 - I would be silly to worry about tomorrow now wouldn't I?
I have said that I am smoke free for 7 years, but that's actually not true. In those last months of my drinking, I bought a pack of smokes. The effect that one puff of a cig had on me was remarkable. I had to maintain my alcohol consumption at that point to not pass out too early or ever get too drunk - so that little extra buzz from a drag of a smoke would get me a taste of that high I was actually desiring. Weird I know - but then it was 2 drags, then a 1/2 a cig at a time. I guess I told myself that if I didn't ever smoke one full cig, I wasn't a smoker - my silly disease talking lol..
Well - throwing that 1/2 empty pack of cigs away this last time, was just like throwing the last pack away 7 yrs ago - even though I had been smoking for a decade the first go round, and only a couple of weeks here and there the second go round. It was ready to take me down the same slow sucking for air death that both my grandpa's died from as I watched scared of the tubes and whizz of the air machines as they gasped and suffered tremendously. The images never enough to stop me from blocking them out so I could enjoy that buzz I got for a few brief moments. It's so sad.
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Thanks for everything. Peace and Love on your journey.
Oh!!! Dear Marge....May the Force be with You!!! I got off cigs at 20 years sober.....and became hopelessly addicted (for like 6 or 7 MORE years!) to those nicotine candies....yummy....like sucking a hot ashtray.....I LOVED 'em, but haha unfortunately they made my teeth start to fall out (not a good look for me lol).... I got sober in 1984, and in those good ole days.......we frickin CHAIN SMOKED , guzzled coffee. and talked about the steps damnit!!! ( I walked uphill BOTH ways , to my A.A. meetings too lol! ) Today, they toss, the poor lil drunks in treatment, demand they get off booze, drugs, AND slap a patch on their arms.......AND there is no smoking in the meetings.....It is my opinion, that we are killing drunks this way......I NEEDED to chain smoke during meetings, and the meetings before and after the meetings........I could NOT be in a room full of people without bein' drunk....soooooo.....cigarettes were neccessary for me!!!! .DID you know that Bill W. only quit smoking 2 years before he died of....yep you guessed it...SMOKING (correct me if I am wrong pls.)....Us drunks with the "nervous dispositions" are SUPPOSED to die of smoking!!!!!! We were alot more fun and funny, when the rooms were full of smoke........however..... all A.A. walls were AlWAYS the same color.........YEP! YELLOW-BROWN!!!! Best of luck....blessings ! Love, Lady Eli Oh! There is only one thing that makes me not want a cigarette........Having A cigarette, will NOT make me want to smoke LESS........It will make me want to smoke MORE!!!!!!! damn
Contrary to Pappy and John's experience, I went on Chantix after smoking for 27 years and it was the only thing that helped me to stop (tried cold turkey, patches, gum, Wellbutrin). I stayed on it for 5 months and haven't had a cig in 3 1/2 yrs. Good luck.
Oh, don't get me wrong ... Chantix did remove the 'craving' for a cigarette, and made it easy to stop ... but it removed my sanity along with it ... I had crazy a__ dreams ... mood swings ... indigestion nightly ... piss poor attitude ... and some depression not unlike the withdrawal period from alcohol ... I was hoping against hope that after 21 days, I could stay stopped using our AA principles ... ... ... So far, so good ...
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'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
Smoking too?...Yes and the last time I relapsed on smoking I got the living definition of relapse. Another home group fellow and I planned to stop together tho he went back to the nicotine without telling me. We were having a Christmas celebration when he bent over in front of me and lo and behold a box of the same type of cigars dropped out of his pocket to the ground...one fell out...the one he raised up to me and asked "Want one"? Minutes later a soggy, flaming, stub was burning my lips and asher were dropping into the scrambled eggs and I was all thumbs trying to cook and save the stub before it hit the ground and then it hit the ground, still lit, just under an inch long and cov ered with dirt and gravel and I went thru all kinds of gymnastics trying to cook and get that piece of putrid cigar back into my mouth...it's how I use to fulfill my addiction...I've got them out of the gutter, ash trays, bathroom floor, your kitchen trash can and every where inbetween. I wasn't shocked at what I was doing I was craving another and then another cigar...inhale every drag until it's all gone and then pray for another. The last time my lungs alone were praying and screaming stop at the same time. I'm born tuberculic (and alcoholic) and so I was beyond letting go how my lungs were feeling without running to a doctor. Doc said my lungs were fine and I didn't question the use of the word fine. I paid the bill and left and haven't had a smoke of my own since. I shy from 2nd hand stuff like I do alcohol. Just don't wanna any more for today. (((hugs)))
I tried hypnosis the patch nicorette gum nothing was working I got on my knees and asked God to remove the obsession to smoke, that was it! pretty simple but I was ready to quit
I think you just described the solution to a good many problems we have at times ... My little secret? ... I was unable to stop even with the Chantix, until I started praying for the craving to be removed ... amazing , huh? ... ... ... Today? ... uh ... 28 days smoke free ...
__________________
'Those who leave everything in God's hand will eventually see God's hand in everything.'
I went into shock lol. But by the grace of HP, still sans cigs. 
well first day off the cigs and its so hard!!! Been a smoker since 14 and will be 40 this year,did give up for 1 1/2 years but stupidly started again. Its the snappiness thats hard,have to remember to take deep breaths and walk off for a few minutes to calm down.I have a steely resolve to quit,and it will not be broken. One day at a time.
