bhsockerunner
02-28-2007, 12:43 PM
im a college student, and it has been really hard for me to cut down on cigs, especially during high stress times (which is pretty much all the time). Its even harder for me becuase my roomate and alot of my good friends smoke, as well as my sister and a good deal of my friends back home. However, i feel that the few people the really realize how hard it is are actually supporting me.
it's hard when im just sitting here, but i think that this board will really help, even if some friends don't want to. it has only been a week, and i quit cold turkey, im afraid with all these smokers around i will give in.
any advice?? =\
it's hard when im just sitting here, but i think that this board will really help, even if some friends don't want to. it has only been a week, and i quit cold turkey, im afraid with all these smokers around i will give in.
any advice?? =\
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mangojunky
02-28-2007, 12:50 PM
CONGRATS on deciding to be free from cigs! Cold turkey - that's tough...have you considered getting some nicotine gum or lozenges to get you through the tough cravings?
I would suggest that you sit down and write out all the reasons you don't want to smoke. Think about what your triggers are (stress, friends smoking) and decide how you will deal with those triggers that doesn't include smoking.
We have a great motto here..."smoking is not an option".
Let us know how you are doing and hang in there! You are stronger than you realize.
deb :angel:
I would suggest that you sit down and write out all the reasons you don't want to smoke. Think about what your triggers are (stress, friends smoking) and decide how you will deal with those triggers that doesn't include smoking.
We have a great motto here..."smoking is not an option".
Let us know how you are doing and hang in there! You are stronger than you realize.
deb :angel:
KConnolly
02-28-2007, 03:20 PM
Bhsockerunner,
Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking. It's a pretty destructive habit and quite expensive these days. I think the longer you review no smoking messages on this site and others, you will eventually see your friends and room mates in a different light. Nicotine addiction is one of the hardest to break away from. Sounds like you've made the break and your friends have not. They are current addicts and you are no longer a member of that group.
I know it may sound hard to do, but you're going to have to establish "boundaries" with the smokers you deal with so as to assure your quit. Such as "No Smoking in the Dorm Room", "Smoking Outside Only", etc.. You get the general idea. Considering roughly 75% of Americans no longer smoke, these ground rules should not be too much of a surprise. Besides, you met smoking friends when you smoked before, now make friends with some non-smokers. We're really not such a bad lot... :p
As for the stresses you feel from college, they probably won't go away. They do not go away after college either. You learn to manage them. Smoking will not make them easier to deal with. Rather it will add to your stress. When you quit smoking, you tend to calm down and mellow out a lot more too. So you have everything to gain by quiting.
Best of luck to you and please hang in there. By all means, do come back here often to chat with your new "No Smoking" pals.
Kevin__
Congratulations on your decision to quit smoking. It's a pretty destructive habit and quite expensive these days. I think the longer you review no smoking messages on this site and others, you will eventually see your friends and room mates in a different light. Nicotine addiction is one of the hardest to break away from. Sounds like you've made the break and your friends have not. They are current addicts and you are no longer a member of that group.
I know it may sound hard to do, but you're going to have to establish "boundaries" with the smokers you deal with so as to assure your quit. Such as "No Smoking in the Dorm Room", "Smoking Outside Only", etc.. You get the general idea. Considering roughly 75% of Americans no longer smoke, these ground rules should not be too much of a surprise. Besides, you met smoking friends when you smoked before, now make friends with some non-smokers. We're really not such a bad lot... :p
As for the stresses you feel from college, they probably won't go away. They do not go away after college either. You learn to manage them. Smoking will not make them easier to deal with. Rather it will add to your stress. When you quit smoking, you tend to calm down and mellow out a lot more too. So you have everything to gain by quiting.
Best of luck to you and please hang in there. By all means, do come back here often to chat with your new "No Smoking" pals.
Kevin__
tampaquit
02-28-2007, 06:40 PM
bhsoccerunner if you have made it a week so far, you are past the most difficult time! A huge congratulations to you for making the decision to quit now in your lifetime. You will have urges to smoke, desires for just one, but you need to STOP and THINK, why do I think I need this smoke? That was one of the things I really paid attention to prior to quitting. And you don't NEED it, you want it, or it is habit, or everyone else is doing it. Just keep on moving forward day by day, keep occupied, take a walk, study, drink water, whatever you have to do to keep from picking up a cig. GOOD LUCK and do keep coming back here as it has been very helpful for me. I am on day 6 of my quit.
SanyBelle
02-28-2007, 11:16 PM
it has only been a week...Only a week? Only a week???? That is awesome! I am so proud of you bhsockerunner! You can and will do it! Congratulations! :blob_fire :blob_fire
Memaw649
03-01-2007, 01:47 AM
bhsockerunner,
Welcome!! And Congratulations!! One week smoke free is terrific!:blob_fire
And doing it cold turkey is even more awesome!! Wow!!
I love your determination!!
Listen to Deb, Kevin, tampaquit, Traveller, and all the other wonderful people on this site. They have all been through it. I'm going to suggest a web site for you to go to that has helped me a lot. smokefree.gov
It has wonderful suggestions on how to quit and how to handle cravings and other good information. There are 8 booklets that you can download to your computer and read when you get the time. The more you know about the effects of smoking the more likely you are to quit and to stay quit. So read as much as you can. The bookstores have some very good books on smoking cessation. Check them out.
Please come back here often and let us know how you are doing.
Good Luck to you!!
Memaw:wave:
Welcome!! And Congratulations!! One week smoke free is terrific!:blob_fire
And doing it cold turkey is even more awesome!! Wow!!
I love your determination!!
Listen to Deb, Kevin, tampaquit, Traveller, and all the other wonderful people on this site. They have all been through it. I'm going to suggest a web site for you to go to that has helped me a lot. smokefree.gov
It has wonderful suggestions on how to quit and how to handle cravings and other good information. There are 8 booklets that you can download to your computer and read when you get the time. The more you know about the effects of smoking the more likely you are to quit and to stay quit. So read as much as you can. The bookstores have some very good books on smoking cessation. Check them out.
Please come back here often and let us know how you are doing.
Good Luck to you!!
Memaw:wave:
wailana
03-01-2007, 02:35 AM
Welcome to the board. You're doing great, one week, wow!!:blob_fire Check out the literature on stopping smoking on the internet. Right now I'm reading a book from Allen Carr called "Easy Way to Stop Smoking." The more information you have the better prepared you are. Do you have a doctor? Maybe he/she can help you with the different smoking cessations available out there (Chantix, Wellbutrin, etc...).
Choosing to stop smoking takes a lot of strength and courage and you have that. Keep it up and keep visiting the message board. They are lot of supportive folks on here!
Wailana - Free and Healing for Twenty Days and 11 Hours, while extending my life expectancy 17 Hours, by avoiding the use of 205 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $53.03.
Choosing to stop smoking takes a lot of strength and courage and you have that. Keep it up and keep visiting the message board. They are lot of supportive folks on here!
Wailana - Free and Healing for Twenty Days and 11 Hours, while extending my life expectancy 17 Hours, by avoiding the use of 205 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $53.03.
bhsockerunner
03-05-2007, 03:56 PM
thank you all for your advice. it has been soo hard. my two best friends came up to visit me this weekend. my one friend smokes but has been trying to quit for awhile now.. (he smoked alot more than i did, and i feel bad). and my other friend doesn't smoke. they were both very happy for me that i had quit. i think this helped me alot!!
i feel like some of my friends are becoming more distant, i just wish that i could still stay good friends with them. i mean they are good people they just have a bad habit =[.
it feels like every day is so much longer now. but i feel so good about myself and im so thankful for all of your support.:wave:
i feel like some of my friends are becoming more distant, i just wish that i could still stay good friends with them. i mean they are good people they just have a bad habit =[.
it feels like every day is so much longer now. but i feel so good about myself and im so thankful for all of your support.:wave:
tampaquit
03-05-2007, 04:48 PM
bhsockerunner You are so awesome for doing what you are doing!!! And it's great your friends are supporting you too! Maybe you will be an inspiration for them to quit as well! As far as becoming distant from some of your friends, it might be a problem they have possibly wanting to quit, thinking they can't etc. I would really focus on YOU right now, YOUR quit, and YOUR life. Put your smoking in the past and move forward and good things will happen to you!:angel:
SanyBelle
03-05-2007, 06:43 PM
bhsockerunner, congratulations on quitting!!! I wish I had quit when I was in college instead of quitting 30 years later (OMG am I that old?? :dizzy: :D ) I have 2 friends that still smoke and I feel bad for them now because I know someday soon they will have to quit for health reasons and it will be hell for them. But they have stuck by me... your true friends will...
Good luck and let us know how you are doing!!! :blob_fire :blob_fire
Good luck and let us know how you are doing!!! :blob_fire :blob_fire
Nevada Lady
03-05-2007, 10:47 PM
im a college student, and it has been really hard for me to cut down on cigs, especially during high stress times (which is pretty much all the time). Its even harder for me becuase my roomate and alot of my good friends smoke, as well as my sister and a good deal of my friends back home. However, i feel that the few people the really realize how hard it is are actually supporting me.
it's hard when im just sitting here, but i think that this board will really help, even if some friends don't want to. it has only been a week, and i quit cold turkey, im afraid with all these smokers around i will give in.
any advice?? =\
Hang tight kiddo you have your whole wonderful life in front of you, don't destroy your health with cigs, trust me, it's not worth it. Good Luck!:)
it's hard when im just sitting here, but i think that this board will really help, even if some friends don't want to. it has only been a week, and i quit cold turkey, im afraid with all these smokers around i will give in.
any advice?? =\
Hang tight kiddo you have your whole wonderful life in front of you, don't destroy your health with cigs, trust me, it's not worth it. Good Luck!:)
Memaw649
03-06-2007, 02:48 AM
bhsockerunner,
I know it's been hard. But anyone that can do it cold turkey has my admiration!! What an inspiration you are to the people who are not on NRT or Chantix!! I'm so glad your friends came up to see you.
I don't know what to tell you about your other friends. You are still the same person you were, you just don't smoke any more!! Maybe they will eventually see that. I hope so. And if they don't...they weren't much of a friend.
I too wished I would have quit in my 20's. It would have been so much easier then. The cigarette companies weren't putting extra nicotine in them then to keep you addicted.
I've got a grandson that graduated from Miss. State this year. A couple of years back he and his friends started smoking stinking cigars!! Thank the good Lord that he stopped that foolishness before he became addicted. I told him I'd pull his toe nails out if he didn't!! That would feel good compared to nicotine withdrawal! Of course, I don't know that for certain...but he stopped.
Good Luck to you!! We're here for you if you need us!
Memaw
I know it's been hard. But anyone that can do it cold turkey has my admiration!! What an inspiration you are to the people who are not on NRT or Chantix!! I'm so glad your friends came up to see you.
I don't know what to tell you about your other friends. You are still the same person you were, you just don't smoke any more!! Maybe they will eventually see that. I hope so. And if they don't...they weren't much of a friend.
I too wished I would have quit in my 20's. It would have been so much easier then. The cigarette companies weren't putting extra nicotine in them then to keep you addicted.
I've got a grandson that graduated from Miss. State this year. A couple of years back he and his friends started smoking stinking cigars!! Thank the good Lord that he stopped that foolishness before he became addicted. I told him I'd pull his toe nails out if he didn't!! That would feel good compared to nicotine withdrawal! Of course, I don't know that for certain...but he stopped.
Good Luck to you!! We're here for you if you need us!
Memaw
Memaw649
03-06-2007, 04:35 AM
Hi Nevada Lady!!
I see you're new here. Welcome to you. Glad you could join us.
Where are you in your quit? How are you quitting? How long did you smoke?
Tell us a little about your addiction. We're a friendly bunch! We want to help in any way we can. There are people here in every stage of quitting. We understand what it means to quit.
Come on back and join in the fellowship!!
Memaw
I see you're new here. Welcome to you. Glad you could join us.
Where are you in your quit? How are you quitting? How long did you smoke?
Tell us a little about your addiction. We're a friendly bunch! We want to help in any way we can. There are people here in every stage of quitting. We understand what it means to quit.
Come on back and join in the fellowship!!
Memaw
bhsockerunner
05-17-2007, 12:18 PM
i know it has been a LONG time since i have been on here. I'm not gonna lie, it has been a very bumpy road!! I have noticed that the worst time for me now is when I'm alone and have nothing to do.... it's just so hard to stay still it's like my whole body is still itching for nicotine.
My roomate left the other day, and alot of people are going home so it makes it easier to resist.
for anyone quitting cold turkey, it's around the 2 week mark you have to look out for. that's about the time i felt like i was literally dieing. the more you give in though, the more you be upset with yourself.
anyways, so far i'v been doing pretty good, and i have a boyfriend who doesn't smoke so life has been alot more bareable lately. :D
My roomate left the other day, and alot of people are going home so it makes it easier to resist.
for anyone quitting cold turkey, it's around the 2 week mark you have to look out for. that's about the time i felt like i was literally dieing. the more you give in though, the more you be upset with yourself.
anyways, so far i'v been doing pretty good, and i have a boyfriend who doesn't smoke so life has been alot more bareable lately. :D