Allison1125
07-15-2005, 03:38 PM
hi there...i'm 25 years old & i've been smoking for maybe 8-10 years. not a lot...sometimes 5 cigarettes a day, sometimes a pack a day. the past few months i've been in the 10 or less a day area. my boyfriend smokes as well. well, we made a bet & i lost. the loser has to do whatever the winner says. he decided that we both have to quit smoking. i tried telling him that making somebody quit doesnt work. my ex always tried to make me quit & it used to get me mad...he was very nasty about it. and it never worked.
my boyfriend explained to me why he wants me to quit...he was very sweet about it & it made me think what the heck am i doing to myself? this is the dumbest habit ever! i lost my mother to breast cancer in october...she was a smoker. i realize now that i'm at a higher risk so why should i help it along?
i do want to quit, but i dont think i'm ready. its not that i crave cigarettes all the time. i can have like 2 or 3 in a day & be happy. i just like to smoke. i like the feeling. i like to drive in my car have a smoke. i like to just sit down for a few minutes & relax with a cigarette & a glass of wine. i like that cigarette after a meal, and the one before bed. i like to smoke when i'm out having a few drinks.
what do i do here? do i quit cold turkey? do i limit myself to a certain number each day and gradually work my way down? my bf & i are going to try to work out some sort of plan. am i ready for this? how hard is this going to be? any comments would be greatly appreciated...
my boyfriend explained to me why he wants me to quit...he was very sweet about it & it made me think what the heck am i doing to myself? this is the dumbest habit ever! i lost my mother to breast cancer in october...she was a smoker. i realize now that i'm at a higher risk so why should i help it along?
i do want to quit, but i dont think i'm ready. its not that i crave cigarettes all the time. i can have like 2 or 3 in a day & be happy. i just like to smoke. i like the feeling. i like to drive in my car have a smoke. i like to just sit down for a few minutes & relax with a cigarette & a glass of wine. i like that cigarette after a meal, and the one before bed. i like to smoke when i'm out having a few drinks.
what do i do here? do i quit cold turkey? do i limit myself to a certain number each day and gradually work my way down? my bf & i are going to try to work out some sort of plan. am i ready for this? how hard is this going to be? any comments would be greatly appreciated...
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pageaday
07-15-2005, 09:48 PM
Hi Allison,
Quitting smoking is one of the best decisions that you can make for your self and to do so at 25 is to give yourself years of freedom from a unhealthy habit that is never easy to break no matter how long or short a time you've been a smoker.
How you quit is a matter of what works for you. I used the patch and found that that helped with dealing with the cravings and the physical withdrawal from nicotine. But which ever method you decide to use the first two weeks are the toughest but they are manageable as long as you remain comitted to your quit.
Allison, you should think about making this quit about you and what you want and not about a bet with your boyfriend. When you quit for yourself it gives you a strong resolve to remain quit no matter what life throws at you. But this bet could be a big turning point in your smoking, and it looks like you and your boyfriend are thinking about quitting.
Before I quit I cut down on my smoking and did a lot of research on the net,then when I felt ready to give up, I went to a smoking cessation councellor, joined quit smoking forums and tough it out many times! And I am really happy I made this decisions to quit.
I wish you luck.Allison.You could'nt be doing yourself a better favour than quitting now.
Quitting smoking is one of the best decisions that you can make for your self and to do so at 25 is to give yourself years of freedom from a unhealthy habit that is never easy to break no matter how long or short a time you've been a smoker.
How you quit is a matter of what works for you. I used the patch and found that that helped with dealing with the cravings and the physical withdrawal from nicotine. But which ever method you decide to use the first two weeks are the toughest but they are manageable as long as you remain comitted to your quit.
Allison, you should think about making this quit about you and what you want and not about a bet with your boyfriend. When you quit for yourself it gives you a strong resolve to remain quit no matter what life throws at you. But this bet could be a big turning point in your smoking, and it looks like you and your boyfriend are thinking about quitting.
Before I quit I cut down on my smoking and did a lot of research on the net,then when I felt ready to give up, I went to a smoking cessation councellor, joined quit smoking forums and tough it out many times! And I am really happy I made this decisions to quit.
I wish you luck.Allison.You could'nt be doing yourself a better favour than quitting now.
mfh
07-16-2005, 02:28 AM
You've already taken the first step, which is to realize that smoking is dangerous and unhealthy.
If you don't feel you are ready to quit - don't quit. You won't be successful anyway. Since you don't smoke very much, try to keep it to a minimum and smoke half cigarettes when possible. Remind yourself everyday that you plan on quitting.
Then one day, you will realize the time has come and you'll do it. Stay strong.
If you don't feel you are ready to quit - don't quit. You won't be successful anyway. Since you don't smoke very much, try to keep it to a minimum and smoke half cigarettes when possible. Remind yourself everyday that you plan on quitting.
Then one day, you will realize the time has come and you'll do it. Stay strong.
Tobias
07-16-2005, 12:09 PM
Hi Allison:
The beginning of being a former smoker is feelings such as you're having right now. You're seriously considering it and that's good. As to how hard it will be, I won't lie - it's not easy! I can identify with all your feelings. I too loved to smoke. I haven't had a cigarette in almost 3 1/2 yrs and I still could light up and would probably thoroughly enjoy it.
There are many ways to stop including all the possibilities that you list plus a few more which include the use of nicotine replacement and/or Rx medication (zyban). I smoked for 38 years, mostly a pack a day, and it took me many tries before I succeeded. I tried everything from cold turkey to tapering off to nic replacement. I never tried zyban however, so I can't tell you too much about that. In the final analysis, what worked was nicotine replacement. Tapering off just made the remaining smokes that I "allowed" myself that much more important and hard to give up. I failed at cold turkey several times.
You are fortunate in one sense: you are young and to stop smoking now (instead of 30 years from now like me) means that you may escape the health consequences of the smoking you have done.
Tobias
(I had to re-enroll under a new handle after I deleted all my cookies and couldn't log on! :o so now I am Tobias2
The beginning of being a former smoker is feelings such as you're having right now. You're seriously considering it and that's good. As to how hard it will be, I won't lie - it's not easy! I can identify with all your feelings. I too loved to smoke. I haven't had a cigarette in almost 3 1/2 yrs and I still could light up and would probably thoroughly enjoy it.
There are many ways to stop including all the possibilities that you list plus a few more which include the use of nicotine replacement and/or Rx medication (zyban). I smoked for 38 years, mostly a pack a day, and it took me many tries before I succeeded. I tried everything from cold turkey to tapering off to nic replacement. I never tried zyban however, so I can't tell you too much about that. In the final analysis, what worked was nicotine replacement. Tapering off just made the remaining smokes that I "allowed" myself that much more important and hard to give up. I failed at cold turkey several times.
You are fortunate in one sense: you are young and to stop smoking now (instead of 30 years from now like me) means that you may escape the health consequences of the smoking you have done.
Tobias
(I had to re-enroll under a new handle after I deleted all my cookies and couldn't log on! :o so now I am Tobias2
Allison1125
07-16-2005, 11:48 PM
thanks for your replies everyone. i've been thinking about it a lot & i really do think its a good idea for me to do this...duh...of course its a good idea! i'm just really concerned about how to handle it. i though about nicotine replacement but i'm not sure its the nicotine that i'm addicted to though i'm sure that sounds stupid. i think i'm more addicted to the action of smoking. i must be strange...i just love holding the cigarette...breathing it in...flicking the ashes. do they sell something that mimics the act of smoking without actually smoking?
i've been noticing lately that i've been coughing a lot though i havent been sick in months. that freaks me out. i dont want to be one of those people with the constant smokers cough. and i also find that when i'm talking, i'm always doing that "uh-hum" clearing the throat thing. this bothers me too. i recently started running & i'm sure quitting would make my life a whole lot easier. i also wouldnt mind the extra money in my pockets seeing as how i'm a poor struggling college student. :)
i tried to take it easy yesterday...i had 7 smokes. today, i had 7 as well but i'm really wanting that before bed smoke. my bf & i havent had the talk about what we plan on doing yet. i thought i should get a few ideas from all of you experienced people. he hasnt stopped yet either. so i'll probably cave tonight & have 8. thinking that maybe i'll allow myself only 6 for the next couple of days & then drop it down to 5. is this a good idea? i think the after dinner & before bed ones are going to be the hardest to kick.
please let me know if there is some kind of fake cigarette that they sell. i think that would be excellent for me. also, how do you guys feel about the patch? think that will help to keep me from wanting to go through the actions? this is crazy. its starting to make me angry how involved this is. it should be so easy right? i'd love to smack the 1st person who came up with the idea!
i've been noticing lately that i've been coughing a lot though i havent been sick in months. that freaks me out. i dont want to be one of those people with the constant smokers cough. and i also find that when i'm talking, i'm always doing that "uh-hum" clearing the throat thing. this bothers me too. i recently started running & i'm sure quitting would make my life a whole lot easier. i also wouldnt mind the extra money in my pockets seeing as how i'm a poor struggling college student. :)
i tried to take it easy yesterday...i had 7 smokes. today, i had 7 as well but i'm really wanting that before bed smoke. my bf & i havent had the talk about what we plan on doing yet. i thought i should get a few ideas from all of you experienced people. he hasnt stopped yet either. so i'll probably cave tonight & have 8. thinking that maybe i'll allow myself only 6 for the next couple of days & then drop it down to 5. is this a good idea? i think the after dinner & before bed ones are going to be the hardest to kick.
please let me know if there is some kind of fake cigarette that they sell. i think that would be excellent for me. also, how do you guys feel about the patch? think that will help to keep me from wanting to go through the actions? this is crazy. its starting to make me angry how involved this is. it should be so easy right? i'd love to smack the 1st person who came up with the idea!
Bharat2005
07-17-2005, 01:18 AM
Hi Allison,
Quitting can be very hard, buit it is stil;l possible. It gets harder as age advances.. cigarettes you light up can look very harmless but become really life threatening too.
I had been a smoker for 18 years, tried to quit unsuccessfully for last ten years or so. I had tried everything, the patch, gum, cold turkey, tapering off.. nothing seemed to work..until a few months back. Then a visit to the cardiologist made me understand that anything is possible when the stake is your life. This time I did quit, but had it been possible a decade back, probably there wouldnt have been this piece of metal insiide my heart, probably I wouldnt have been on all these tabs that drive me crazy, probably I wouldnt have been on this Dr. Ornish diet...
Do something when you are healthy. Cigarettes are about being sorry always. Being sorry for lighting up, being sorry for becoming a smoker, being sorry for not quitting, being sorry for starting again, being sorry that you were a smoker once.... quit ASAP, it is not as hard as you think...
Quitting can be very hard, buit it is stil;l possible. It gets harder as age advances.. cigarettes you light up can look very harmless but become really life threatening too.
I had been a smoker for 18 years, tried to quit unsuccessfully for last ten years or so. I had tried everything, the patch, gum, cold turkey, tapering off.. nothing seemed to work..until a few months back. Then a visit to the cardiologist made me understand that anything is possible when the stake is your life. This time I did quit, but had it been possible a decade back, probably there wouldnt have been this piece of metal insiide my heart, probably I wouldnt have been on all these tabs that drive me crazy, probably I wouldnt have been on this Dr. Ornish diet...
Do something when you are healthy. Cigarettes are about being sorry always. Being sorry for lighting up, being sorry for becoming a smoker, being sorry for not quitting, being sorry for starting again, being sorry that you were a smoker once.... quit ASAP, it is not as hard as you think...
Deda
07-17-2005, 03:24 AM
Congratulations Bhara2005.
I think you are right in that it's not that hard when you REALLY want to quit. Once your mind is 100% made up (to quit for good), it makes it SO much easier to quit!
Way to go.... :)
Deda
I think you are right in that it's not that hard when you REALLY want to quit. Once your mind is 100% made up (to quit for good), it makes it SO much easier to quit!
Way to go.... :)
Deda
Cher2005
07-31-2005, 08:45 PM
As far as a fake cigarette goes, cut straws to cigarette length and inhale those.
You really need to quit cold turkey, not just cut back. I went for months trying to cut back and was successful, but I couldn't stop completely. If you have a puff, you want more.
I didn't want a puff, I wanted to sit and enjoy whole cigarettes.
Throw them out, throw out the ashtrays and the lighters and start your life over living clean and free. You and your home and your car will smell so much better. And your health will be so much better. I didn't stop completely until I had to have bypass heart surgery. That did it for me cause I almost died.
Go for it and be strong!
42 days and no smoking, not one puff
You really need to quit cold turkey, not just cut back. I went for months trying to cut back and was successful, but I couldn't stop completely. If you have a puff, you want more.
I didn't want a puff, I wanted to sit and enjoy whole cigarettes.
Throw them out, throw out the ashtrays and the lighters and start your life over living clean and free. You and your home and your car will smell so much better. And your health will be so much better. I didn't stop completely until I had to have bypass heart surgery. That did it for me cause I almost died.
Go for it and be strong!
42 days and no smoking, not one puff
Scotty1
08-01-2005, 03:16 PM
Today is my first day of quitting (I'm not going to say trying to quit because I know I'm going to) and I went with the patch... I'm 27 and smoked about the same amount of time you say you have and about the same amount. I tried once about a year ago with the patch and it really seemed to do the trick.. (Had a very stressful event which caused to start up again after 4 weeks..) I haven't really had a craving yet today and it's going very well.. Good luck with whatever you decide..
Deda
08-01-2005, 04:16 PM
Scotty1...
Hi Scotty.. WAY TO GO...and here's wishing you the very best of luck!! The patch will really help with the withdrawl symptoms, but please don't expect it to work like a miracle. They are very helpful when we quit, but your strong determination to stay quit is what will get you there in the end. With 100% determination to stay quit, nothing will keep you smoke free, permanently. Work hard at it, stay away from your smoking friends for a while too, and keep yourself busy and distracted from it. You are smart to quit now, while you are young and healthy. Try to keep going even if a stressful situation should arise. I used that excuse for too many years, (although I quit at least 10 times), and didn't end up quitting for good, (22 months now) until I was 48, and had smoked for at least 30 years. Life is one stressful event after another anyway. You can do it! Go Scotty! :)
Deda
Hi Scotty.. WAY TO GO...and here's wishing you the very best of luck!! The patch will really help with the withdrawl symptoms, but please don't expect it to work like a miracle. They are very helpful when we quit, but your strong determination to stay quit is what will get you there in the end. With 100% determination to stay quit, nothing will keep you smoke free, permanently. Work hard at it, stay away from your smoking friends for a while too, and keep yourself busy and distracted from it. You are smart to quit now, while you are young and healthy. Try to keep going even if a stressful situation should arise. I used that excuse for too many years, (although I quit at least 10 times), and didn't end up quitting for good, (22 months now) until I was 48, and had smoked for at least 30 years. Life is one stressful event after another anyway. You can do it! Go Scotty! :)
Deda
Cher2005
08-01-2005, 08:00 PM
Yup anyone can quit if I can. I couldn't imagine myself being able to quit and then my health really started going down. If it comes between life or death, the cigarettes lose. That's it.
Stop now while you still have a choice.
No more puffs... ever
Stop now while you still have a choice.
No more puffs... ever
Scotty1
08-02-2005, 11:29 AM
First day was a piece of cake... I'm really confident that I'll beat it without much problem... I really want to quit this time!
Deda
08-02-2005, 03:14 PM
I really want to quit this time!
...then you will!!!! :nono:
Scotty is a non smoker!! Cool! :cool:
Congratulations, Scotty!
Deda
...then you will!!!! :nono:
Scotty is a non smoker!! Cool! :cool:
Congratulations, Scotty!
Deda
Johnsternow
08-02-2005, 03:38 PM
Ya hooo
GOOOOOO SCOTTY!!!!!!!!!!!!! :bouncing: :bouncing: :bouncing:
FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D
GOOOOOO SCOTTY!!!!!!!!!!!!! :bouncing: :bouncing: :bouncing:
FIRST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!!!!!!!!! :D :D :D
Cher2005
08-06-2005, 07:25 PM
I'm on day 48 and it got REALLY hard. All of a sudden these huge craves came out of nowhere. I was doing so well. So far I haven't smoked, but it is SO HARD.
I keep telling myself if I smoke the craves won't go away. they will just get stronger.Smoking won't help me at all, it will just make my health worse.
Bypass surgery on June 23rd. I CAN'T SMOKE> I NEED HELP!
I keep telling myself if I smoke the craves won't go away. they will just get stronger.Smoking won't help me at all, it will just make my health worse.
Bypass surgery on June 23rd. I CAN'T SMOKE> I NEED HELP!