I agree with the cold turkey and occasionally have broken the rule so far but been pretty good about it. I usually smoke for pleasure vs for stress o we shall see. Cold turkey is rough. Most people who have quit tell me the same thing, a struggle for life. Is just something ill have to deal with. Oral fixation problems I figure low calorie snacks, straws, toothpicks, bottled water and other things. Just taking it slow and working toward a goal. I found since I made the rule, I have far less 10 min later cravings than I used to. Next decrease I am going to draft a list of things to do instead of smoking and try to focus on those whenever I have cravings.
I had a colleague about 15 years ago that said everytime she smelled a cigarette she wanted one, so I can see your concern. That said, when I knew her, she hadn't had a cigarette in 10 years. Good luck, BRR. If it were an easy thing to quit then the tobacco companies would be outta business. Hang tough.
Nicotine is terribly addictive, maybe for some people more than others. My grandfather quit smoking in 1974 and told me in around 2003 that if he lived to be 85 he would start smoking again because he still missed it. I quit smokeless tobacco (again) Thanksgiving weekend last year and still think about it on a daily basis. I am going to be 38 in a few days and since I was 17 I have done a stupid dance of smoking and chewing and quitting one to start the other. I hope I'm done with both this time. Why can't nicotine be healthy, good for you and cheap?
I think "a struggle" might be a little strong but it sounds like you enjoy smoking so that will always be an issue for you. There are a lot of smokers that are stuck with it mostly because of the addiction or because they think they need it to handle life's stressful moments. Those people can quit and the physical addiction is gone in 4 or 5 days and the desire to re-start is mostly gone within a few months. Some of them will go back to smoking when they lose a friend or loved one, or get fired etc. but they don't fantasize about it every day like you probably will. It's been more than a decade for me and I still dream of smoking, I still get a little jealous when I see the hero of a film light one up and I still think of them every time I smell a good cup of coffee. I didn't love every cigarette but I loved most of them and I'd be the first in line if they ever came out with a real smoke that didn't damage me or others. Despite what I've said though, quitting and then leaving them alone for good isn't all that hard. It's just that it will never be very far from your mind. Most of us that really enjoyed cigarettes also made the "I'll go back to smoking when the doctor tells me I have 6 months to live" kind of pledge so we always have something to look forward to. BTW, for the oral fixation, one of the props I used was real cigarettes and it worked well. Take a pack of your favorites and use a needle to pull about half of the tobacco out of the end. Then, roll up and tie the loose paper at the end so that when you take a drag there is still a little resistance. I'd go outside early in the morning with a cup of coffee and dark sunglasses and sit in the spa and "smoke" them and while it wasn't quite the same thing, it still allowed me to capture that feeling. Taking that deep morning drag and slowly exhaling worked wonders. If you don't have steam rising just make sure to close your eyes during the process. Steve
I smoked a pack a day for 25+ years. Haven't had one in almost 10... I'm afraid to admit this but I still chew about 10 pieces of Nicorette a day... I'm addicted to nicotine but at least I don't smoke... would light one up right now if I thought I could get away with it.
I like to think the nicotine is less of my problem than the smoking itself. Your reference is right. Everyone who I know that has quit whether its 6 months or 10 years still wants them whenever they smell them. I guess thats not too bad, ill get there, just a bitch all around. The gum is better than the smoking, Glad its going well. Tried to chew regular gum instead?
6 weeks without a cigarette today. I feel better, but I'm miserable. I want to see my grandkids graduate college though so I'll put up with it.
I have not had a real cigarette in about 6 months or so. I really enjoyed smoking but I didn't like smelling like an ashtray. I switched to an electronic cigarette. It is something I highly recommend to anyone who really wants to quit. I went to an ecig store on Dysart just north of Grand. I ended up spending about $120.00 on a starter kit with about a months worth of e-juice. You can get juice with different flavors and nicotine strengths. I now spend about $65.00 a month on juice and cartomizers. It's a big savings for me and I am no longer inhaling the tar and other nasty stuff in a real cig. There is no smell because it's not really smoke. Your inhaling a vapor. I hope this helps someone else and good luck quitting your analog cigs.
I have not chewed tobacco since Thanksgiving weekend. Tonight, I would really like a chew...badly. About three weeks ago I craved for a whole week. Don't understand it. Do you smokers still crave a cigarette? It's been months and I still struggle at times. I love the taste, I miss it. Why can't it be good for you dang it! lol
It's been several years for me and I still have occasional cravings for a cigarette. The feeling is no longer overpowering but not a week goes by that I don't find myself wishing they'd announce the creation of a consequence-free smoke. Steve
Just over 1 week smoke free. Glad I got some help from the state smoking cessation program, it's really helped and was pretty cheap.
