motown
02-21-2007, 07:36 PM
Hello all.
I need some encouragement please. I hate everything about smoking, the smell,the price both health/cost and the shame I feel. I know many of you believe in one method or another to stop but my question is what turned the tide? I stop with every cigarette I put out, with every pack that is empty. I renew my comment to stop yet always have another. I am willing to try Chantix again but I need the mental strength required to make this my last attempt and succeed. What clicked in your mind?
Thank you for helping.
I need some encouragement please. I hate everything about smoking, the smell,the price both health/cost and the shame I feel. I know many of you believe in one method or another to stop but my question is what turned the tide? I stop with every cigarette I put out, with every pack that is empty. I renew my comment to stop yet always have another. I am willing to try Chantix again but I need the mental strength required to make this my last attempt and succeed. What clicked in your mind?
Thank you for helping.
Sponsor
mangojunky
02-21-2007, 08:27 PM
My AHA! moment - realizing it was stressing me to smoke, because I hated being controlled by them, and I don't want to get (or increase my chances) of getting cancer or having a heart attack. I FINALLY realized that my actions do have consequences.
The chantix has been wonderful, and has worked better for me than the patches did.
You'll know when you are ready. You have to be prepared and you will be successful!
deb
The chantix has been wonderful, and has worked better for me than the patches did.
You'll know when you are ready. You have to be prepared and you will be successful!
deb
Memaw649
02-22-2007, 01:52 AM
motown,
This may not be the best testimonial, but at least it's truthful.:)
I did not want to quit smoking. I was at my doctor's office for a check up. He asked me if I wanted to quit smoking. I hated to tell him no, so I said sure. He told me about a new drug that was out. He said it had been out less than a month. Asked me if I wanted to try it. Again I hated to my doctor no, so I said okay. Well, he gave me my first month supply. The only reason I agreed was to satisfy him and my non smoking husband. I could then say "See, I tried THAT and it didn't work!!" Well, somewhere during the first week of taking the Chantix, I thought to myself, I may as well give this an honest try. See if it really works. That's what I did. And lo and behold I became a non smoker for the first time since high school!!:D (I'm having my 40th class reunion this year!). I never thought I would be able to do it. But I'm so proud of myself for giving this a try.
So if I can quit with the negative attitude I had, so can you!!
Memaw:wave:
This may not be the best testimonial, but at least it's truthful.:)
I did not want to quit smoking. I was at my doctor's office for a check up. He asked me if I wanted to quit smoking. I hated to tell him no, so I said sure. He told me about a new drug that was out. He said it had been out less than a month. Asked me if I wanted to try it. Again I hated to my doctor no, so I said okay. Well, he gave me my first month supply. The only reason I agreed was to satisfy him and my non smoking husband. I could then say "See, I tried THAT and it didn't work!!" Well, somewhere during the first week of taking the Chantix, I thought to myself, I may as well give this an honest try. See if it really works. That's what I did. And lo and behold I became a non smoker for the first time since high school!!:D (I'm having my 40th class reunion this year!). I never thought I would be able to do it. But I'm so proud of myself for giving this a try.
So if I can quit with the negative attitude I had, so can you!!
Memaw:wave:
Deda
02-22-2007, 02:06 AM
Motown--
Mangojunky is right....I don't think anything out there, prescription or non prescription, hypnosis or ANYTHING will work until WE have finally decided for once and for all that we don't want to smoke again, no matter what....we have to have reached 100% determination and commitment.....believe me, I know, as I too quit and failed over and over again. (at least 10 x and 2 times I made it to the one year mark, only to go back to smoking--again!)
What convinced me...my a-ha moment...well, there were quite a few reasons I wanted to quit....socially didn't "fit in" any longer, (isn't that ironic, we all started smoking to "fit in", and we no longer fit in any more?), you are a social outcast in this state if you still smoke, so I was humiliated to smoke in public anymore, heck, I only smoked outside, and I started shutting my garage as I really didn't want my neighbors to see how much I really smoked! LOL Smoking is banned everywhere here anymore, so why even smoke? I live near Davis, (first US city to go smoke-free), and I love to go hang out up there, but you can't even smoke near a building there or you get a ticket!! grrrrr......it was TIME TO QUIT....I was really hating smoking anymore....it truly lost all of it's appeal and glamour and all of that other BS. :(
Also,.. age....at 48, it was time, I felt, do it soon or you're going to die of something as a result of it....3 family members died of an autoimmune lung disease, (that was probably the biggest reason right there, I was scared to death)....but also some other reasons,...I was just diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, (Hashimoto's thyroiditis-hypothyroid), and I was pretty sick ...I was sick and tired of spending good money on something so bad for me, sick of running to the store late at night, in the rain, etc., sick of sneaking out at work to hide and have a smoke,.....smoking in the cold weather, lookin' like a stupid idiot... tired of causing my kids and my family to worry about me, just too many hassles involved anymore,....it was no fun any longer, it just plain sucked and I had HAD ENOUGH OF IT!!!!! UGHHHHH!!! :mad: Another thing was, as I had just been diagnosed with the thyroid problem, it just seemed like once Dr's knew that I smoked, like it seemed like they really didn't want to bother with you! And I knew I needed their help, as I was so ill with the thyroid problems, very sick. Damn,.....I felt like the worlds biggest reject, at times! How can anything that's good make you feel that way??? :confused:
Motown, I was really beginning to think that something was really wrong with me. I thought I was just TOO addicted to ever quit, and I would actually think, "I'm just more addicted than most people and I don't think I'll ever be able to quit, because I'm just not strong enough!" I would look at the posts on this board, and see all of these strong people that were beating this addiction, having success and think they were all stronger than me....that I was just hopeless. Well, I was wrong, and I proved that to myself in Sept. of '03. I just made up my mind, and I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I didn't care,...I thought, "no matter how hard this is, I'm going to make it work this time, no matter how lousy it feels". One thing I tried to keep in mind, motown, was that I always read that so many million people had quit since 19??,....so I'd think, if those millions of people could've done it, well then surely I can too, and I won't die from it....but I will die if I don't! :eek: Yi-KES!
I didn't want to die a young death, like my dear brother did at 46. :angel: He left behind his sweet 14 year old boy.....bless his sweet soul....I miss him so much.
For about a year, my life, my emotions went up and down, I felt crazy at times, happy at times, some days real bad, some days real good, all kinds of crazy feelings,...but today I feel great, w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l and I never have cravings any more, at all ! I absolutely hate smoking, and I am so grateful that God gave me the strength to do it...also grateful for NRT too. :)
Motown, I think once we decide we want something bad enough, we can do anything...I swear to this! I know this to be the truth.
Don't give up on yourself....dig deep and you will find the strength in yourself, Motown....I swear [I know] that you can do it! Be of strong mind Motown and just get tough...my mind had to get real tough [with myself] and just fight off a lot of negative thinking, and replace the neg. thoughts with positive ones. Everyone here has had to find their own way to do it, but I'll tell you this, I don't think it's ever easy for anyone...it's just that everyone reached their own breaking point....like they say in A.A., you hit your bottom...or you bottomed out...that's what happens. It was worth all the ups and downs of that 1st year to feel the great way that I feel today.
Good luck to you and God Bless...
Deda
Mangojunky is right....I don't think anything out there, prescription or non prescription, hypnosis or ANYTHING will work until WE have finally decided for once and for all that we don't want to smoke again, no matter what....we have to have reached 100% determination and commitment.....believe me, I know, as I too quit and failed over and over again. (at least 10 x and 2 times I made it to the one year mark, only to go back to smoking--again!)
What convinced me...my a-ha moment...well, there were quite a few reasons I wanted to quit....socially didn't "fit in" any longer, (isn't that ironic, we all started smoking to "fit in", and we no longer fit in any more?), you are a social outcast in this state if you still smoke, so I was humiliated to smoke in public anymore, heck, I only smoked outside, and I started shutting my garage as I really didn't want my neighbors to see how much I really smoked! LOL Smoking is banned everywhere here anymore, so why even smoke? I live near Davis, (first US city to go smoke-free), and I love to go hang out up there, but you can't even smoke near a building there or you get a ticket!! grrrrr......it was TIME TO QUIT....I was really hating smoking anymore....it truly lost all of it's appeal and glamour and all of that other BS. :(
Also,.. age....at 48, it was time, I felt, do it soon or you're going to die of something as a result of it....3 family members died of an autoimmune lung disease, (that was probably the biggest reason right there, I was scared to death)....but also some other reasons,...I was just diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, (Hashimoto's thyroiditis-hypothyroid), and I was pretty sick ...I was sick and tired of spending good money on something so bad for me, sick of running to the store late at night, in the rain, etc., sick of sneaking out at work to hide and have a smoke,.....smoking in the cold weather, lookin' like a stupid idiot... tired of causing my kids and my family to worry about me, just too many hassles involved anymore,....it was no fun any longer, it just plain sucked and I had HAD ENOUGH OF IT!!!!! UGHHHHH!!! :mad: Another thing was, as I had just been diagnosed with the thyroid problem, it just seemed like once Dr's knew that I smoked, like it seemed like they really didn't want to bother with you! And I knew I needed their help, as I was so ill with the thyroid problems, very sick. Damn,.....I felt like the worlds biggest reject, at times! How can anything that's good make you feel that way??? :confused:
Motown, I was really beginning to think that something was really wrong with me. I thought I was just TOO addicted to ever quit, and I would actually think, "I'm just more addicted than most people and I don't think I'll ever be able to quit, because I'm just not strong enough!" I would look at the posts on this board, and see all of these strong people that were beating this addiction, having success and think they were all stronger than me....that I was just hopeless. Well, I was wrong, and I proved that to myself in Sept. of '03. I just made up my mind, and I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I didn't care,...I thought, "no matter how hard this is, I'm going to make it work this time, no matter how lousy it feels". One thing I tried to keep in mind, motown, was that I always read that so many million people had quit since 19??,....so I'd think, if those millions of people could've done it, well then surely I can too, and I won't die from it....but I will die if I don't! :eek: Yi-KES!
I didn't want to die a young death, like my dear brother did at 46. :angel: He left behind his sweet 14 year old boy.....bless his sweet soul....I miss him so much.
For about a year, my life, my emotions went up and down, I felt crazy at times, happy at times, some days real bad, some days real good, all kinds of crazy feelings,...but today I feel great, w-o-n-d-e-r-f-u-l and I never have cravings any more, at all ! I absolutely hate smoking, and I am so grateful that God gave me the strength to do it...also grateful for NRT too. :)
Motown, I think once we decide we want something bad enough, we can do anything...I swear to this! I know this to be the truth.
Don't give up on yourself....dig deep and you will find the strength in yourself, Motown....I swear [I know] that you can do it! Be of strong mind Motown and just get tough...my mind had to get real tough [with myself] and just fight off a lot of negative thinking, and replace the neg. thoughts with positive ones. Everyone here has had to find their own way to do it, but I'll tell you this, I don't think it's ever easy for anyone...it's just that everyone reached their own breaking point....like they say in A.A., you hit your bottom...or you bottomed out...that's what happens. It was worth all the ups and downs of that 1st year to feel the great way that I feel today.
Good luck to you and God Bless...
Deda
Deda
02-22-2007, 02:15 AM
motown,
This may not be the best testimonial, but at least it's truthful.:)
I did not want to quit smoking. I was at my doctor's office for a check up. He asked me if I wanted to quit smoking. I hated to tell him no, so I said sure. He told me about a new drug that was out. He said it had been out less than a month. Asked me if I wanted to try it. Again I hated to my doctor no, so I said okay. Well, he gave me my first month supply. The only reason I agreed was to satisfy him and my non smoking husband. I could then say "See, I tried THAT and it didn't work!!" Well, somewhere during the first week of taking the Chantix, I thought to myself, I may as well give this an honest try. See if it really works. That's what I did. And lo and behold I became a non smoker for the first time since high school!!:D (I'm having my 40th class reunion this year!). I never thought I would be able to do it. But I'm so proud of myself for giving this a try.
So if I can quit with the negative attitude I had, so can you!!
Memaw:wave:
Hey Memaw....
Hi girl... :) This was so refreshing to hear....someone not really fixed on quitting and your mind changed while you were giving it a half hearted attempt, just to appease your Dr. .....see, anything can happen. It would be neat if we all could put our stories together and write a book. Aren't you glad now that your Dr. turned you on to something (like the Chantix) that would work so well for you? He turned out to be your angel. :angel:
Congrats--
Deda
PS~Have fun at your reunion... it will be nice to show everyone the new [non-smoking] you!
This may not be the best testimonial, but at least it's truthful.:)
I did not want to quit smoking. I was at my doctor's office for a check up. He asked me if I wanted to quit smoking. I hated to tell him no, so I said sure. He told me about a new drug that was out. He said it had been out less than a month. Asked me if I wanted to try it. Again I hated to my doctor no, so I said okay. Well, he gave me my first month supply. The only reason I agreed was to satisfy him and my non smoking husband. I could then say "See, I tried THAT and it didn't work!!" Well, somewhere during the first week of taking the Chantix, I thought to myself, I may as well give this an honest try. See if it really works. That's what I did. And lo and behold I became a non smoker for the first time since high school!!:D (I'm having my 40th class reunion this year!). I never thought I would be able to do it. But I'm so proud of myself for giving this a try.
So if I can quit with the negative attitude I had, so can you!!
Memaw:wave:
Hey Memaw....
Hi girl... :) This was so refreshing to hear....someone not really fixed on quitting and your mind changed while you were giving it a half hearted attempt, just to appease your Dr. .....see, anything can happen. It would be neat if we all could put our stories together and write a book. Aren't you glad now that your Dr. turned you on to something (like the Chantix) that would work so well for you? He turned out to be your angel. :angel:
Congrats--
Deda
PS~Have fun at your reunion... it will be nice to show everyone the new [non-smoking] you!
wailana
02-22-2007, 02:27 AM
I've been wanting to quit since I graduated from college. That was 8 years ago. My husband (newly married since April '06) begged me to stop smoking. I no longer was getting pleasure from smoking. After many attempts, I tried the pill method of quitting smoking.My willpower is much stronger now than before. Plus, I wanted to become pregnant this year. I believe that was my Ah-ha moment. The thought of being healthy for a baby really made me want to really quit.
You will have lot of support on this board when you decide to quit. You can do it, I have faith in you!!
You will have lot of support on this board when you decide to quit. You can do it, I have faith in you!!
Frozen
02-22-2007, 12:16 PM
My ongoing reason has also been the social aspect. I felt I had to sneak around to smoke because I didn't want people (strangers, since my family knew I smoked :rolleyes: ) to see and judge me. Then I had to mask the smell on my hands and breath and in my hair so I wouldn't be found out after the fact. This secret life was really dragging me down. I'm generally a very honest person and all of the "lying" was chipping away at my self esteem. This had all gone on for years and enough was enough.
I quit (again and for the last time) a little more than a month ago because, in addition to the above, I'd come to a refined realization about my responsibility to my 5-year-old daughter. For me, it was more than the general "I have to be healthy for my child" feeling that I'd had in the past. Rather, I gave a lot of thought to the fact that my husband and I waited until we were well into our thirties to have a baby. With that choice to wait came additional responsibility to take care of ourselves because we are now "older" parents. If a 20-year-old has a baby, that child will be grown and on their own by the time the mother is 40. Yes, it would be tragic if that mother died at 40, but the child would face that loss as an adult. If a 33-year-old has a baby, that mother has to make it until at least her early 50s to see that child through to adulthood. Otherwise, that child is left an orphan. In my mind, it's much harder to live to see 50 than it is to see 40. I lost both of my own parents by the age of 10 (they were 35 when they died), and I will not do anything to contribute to the possibility that my sweet little girl will suffer the same.
Keep up the good work everybody! And thank you for being here for me.
I quit (again and for the last time) a little more than a month ago because, in addition to the above, I'd come to a refined realization about my responsibility to my 5-year-old daughter. For me, it was more than the general "I have to be healthy for my child" feeling that I'd had in the past. Rather, I gave a lot of thought to the fact that my husband and I waited until we were well into our thirties to have a baby. With that choice to wait came additional responsibility to take care of ourselves because we are now "older" parents. If a 20-year-old has a baby, that child will be grown and on their own by the time the mother is 40. Yes, it would be tragic if that mother died at 40, but the child would face that loss as an adult. If a 33-year-old has a baby, that mother has to make it until at least her early 50s to see that child through to adulthood. Otherwise, that child is left an orphan. In my mind, it's much harder to live to see 50 than it is to see 40. I lost both of my own parents by the age of 10 (they were 35 when they died), and I will not do anything to contribute to the possibility that my sweet little girl will suffer the same.
Keep up the good work everybody! And thank you for being here for me.
Grehound27
02-22-2007, 12:43 PM
My AHA! moment.......I went for my annual physical and my Doctor told me that my chest xray looked fine (I had smoked for over 25 years). I decided that was the AHA! I needed.....maybe next year it wouldn't look so good (It still looked good this year!!) Many times tried and many times failed until the last try!!
Good luck and keep us posted.
Dave SmokeFree since 2/9/06 :p
Good luck and keep us posted.
Dave SmokeFree since 2/9/06 :p
Liamsmom
02-22-2007, 12:49 PM
I did it for my son he was diagnosed with asthma (not because I ever smoked around him not in the house car nothing) I even changed my clothes after every cig the laundry situation was getting insane. But his Dr said there's such a thing as third hand smoke and even though I was doing everything I could think of to keep him from being affected by my smoking the third hand smoke in my hair, on my hands etc could trigger an asthma attack. I quit cold turkey within a few days and had the MOST miserable 7 days of my life so that keeps me from going back along with the fear of my son's first REAL asthma attack. Plus he's been asking me to quit for a while anyway what better to gift to my son and myself than to be around for him longer. I always tell him he's my hero because he helped me to quit smoking so he saved my life you should see his little face when I tell him that that's worth everything.
I hope you find find your AHA moment soon once you get past the initial icky part it's fabulous
I hope you find find your AHA moment soon once you get past the initial icky part it's fabulous
paulagizmo
02-22-2007, 02:58 PM
The only thing I truly was beginning to despise about smoking was over the past year, I have been steadily feeling worse. Very short of breath and literally could feel when I was not getting enough oxygen (this causes headaches, confusion, etc.). My father has emphysema and I know the consequences of it and that did NOT sit well with me. I am almost 42 and could not imagine going the rest of my life attached to a tube! That being said, I still had not made a commitment or even a plan to quit.
In Dec. I had a dr. appt. for my blood pressure (which, as an aside, has improved in the short time w/o smoking (1 week, 3 days). Anyway, he asked about the smoking; told him I still was and hadn't really done anything about cutting down or quitting. He asked if I had ever tried quitting, I told him yes (patch, cold turkey, mad russian, hypnosis) and then he asked why I did those things. I told him I had motivated myself. The appt. ended with: here's an Rx for month one of Chantix, GET MOTIVATED. Call me if you go an entire day w/o smoking and I"ll get you the rest of the Rx.
So since Dec. I've given it a bit of thought but the main thing was my breathing just keeps getting worse and worse so after a couple more weeks of procrastinating about getting the Rx filled, I finally bit the bullet and started 2/2.
I am truly amazed at how my breathing has improved. I could feel the difference 1/2 way through day 1. Last night I did 2 loads of laundry (that's 2nd floor to basement and back) and I wasn't practically hyperventilating on any of the trips!
As everyone says, you need to find your own reason/motivation.
Good luck!
"I'm FREE"
In Dec. I had a dr. appt. for my blood pressure (which, as an aside, has improved in the short time w/o smoking (1 week, 3 days). Anyway, he asked about the smoking; told him I still was and hadn't really done anything about cutting down or quitting. He asked if I had ever tried quitting, I told him yes (patch, cold turkey, mad russian, hypnosis) and then he asked why I did those things. I told him I had motivated myself. The appt. ended with: here's an Rx for month one of Chantix, GET MOTIVATED. Call me if you go an entire day w/o smoking and I"ll get you the rest of the Rx.
So since Dec. I've given it a bit of thought but the main thing was my breathing just keeps getting worse and worse so after a couple more weeks of procrastinating about getting the Rx filled, I finally bit the bullet and started 2/2.
I am truly amazed at how my breathing has improved. I could feel the difference 1/2 way through day 1. Last night I did 2 loads of laundry (that's 2nd floor to basement and back) and I wasn't practically hyperventilating on any of the trips!
As everyone says, you need to find your own reason/motivation.
Good luck!
"I'm FREE"
SanyBelle
02-22-2007, 10:09 PM
I didn't have an AHA monent, I was in the hospital for a week for a non-smoking related reason so I thought I'd try to stay quit when I got home.... 9 months later still no AHA but so very glad to be a non-smoker! :D