Over six months smoke free! I think about it at times, but that passes quickly.
Over six months smoke free! I think about it at times, but that passes quickly.
Way to go Steve! We quit in 1998 and we still get the urge. Then we chuckle it off like nonsense. The longer you're done smoking, the easier it is to laugh it off. For a long time after we quit, I would go to the cupboard before a road trip to make sure we had enough smokes. Then I would realize, we don't smoke and we would both laugh about it. It gets easier and easier with age.
Let's go fishing.
Quiting cigarettes as the hardest thing I've ever done. It took me 4 or 5 times to quit for good.
The only thing I can tell is that to quit, I had to stay away from all my friends that smoked, stop drinking coffee, spirits, most food, and stay away from women for about 8 months.
But I felt really great....once I got over the depression.....(LOL)
I've been quit for over 15 years now.
Gigmaster,
Man, that's hardcore! Good for you. Btw, you had a long list - which one caused which?? LOL!!! That's probably a rhetorical question on my part!
Best regards, Dave S.
Drinking coffee without a cigarette was the worst, if I remember correctly. I finally just had to stop drinking coffee for about 6 months.
The way I really quite for good was (believe it or not) going to a Native American sweat lodge. I have a few friends that are Native Americans, and they had me adopted in their tribe, and clan (Hidatdsa-Prairie Chicken Clan). I had done a lot of fund-raising (playing music) for them to build a local hospital, and they invited me to one of their Sweat Lodges. (BTW as far as I know, I have no Native American blood, nor do I claim the heritage. I am Scotch-Irish). I don't know if it had a detox effect, or what, but that was the absolute last time I ever touched a cigarette, and I did'nt have any troubles after that either. After about 2 months, I just realized that I hadn't had a cigarette in all that time, and wasn't even aware of it.
Weird, but it worked.
I quit everything but the nicotine. It was much easier. In fact, the combination of the addiction and my PTSD made it quite dangerous for me to quit smoking even under medical supervision. This was proven by 3 attempts that were aborted on the advice of professionals. LOL It was UGLY! I've kicked some other chemical dependencies cold turkey. Smoking is a monster! But I got off all the cancer-causing stuff, the ashes, the smoke, the fire, the lighters, ashtrays, butts, and all that nasty stuff and just kept the nicotine a few months ago. And my blood pressure and all that are fine anyway. I use a product called Green Smoke. It is an atomizer nicotine inhaler that is the same size, shape, and color as a cigarette. It's a bit heavier because the white part is a nicad rechargeable battery and the tan part is the nicotine cartridge. It makes a smoke-like water vapor laced with the nicotine when you draw on it like a cig. So it is an excellent simulation of smoking with no smell, smoke, or ashes. And you get the nicotine. The cartridges come in a variety of flavors. I use them in a tobacco flavor similar to the cigs I used to smoke. It's not perfect, but it is the closest I can get safely.
I quit my 1 1/2 to 2 pack a day habit 35 years ago this month when my wife, now ex, advised me that she was pregnant. Providing the healthiest possible environment for the two of them was motivation enough to kick a habit that had a vicious hold on me. I shortly realized that I was now in charge of my life, not some chemical and behavioral prop. Of course it was difficult but my reasons for quitting outweighed by far my discomfort.
BSwan,
Your children will thank you! It just absolutely freaks me out to see parents smoking on their kids. They hold their kids captive inside their cars and smoke. I see them fussing with the child in a stroller, and the parent is right at the level of their kids face, with a cigarette hanging from their mouth. Yikes!! The list goes on and on. I'm glad to see at least one parent has some common sense, even to the point of thinking well ahead. Wish everyone had even half of your common sense!! Well done!!
Best regards, Dave S.
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