I need to stop smoking........

I really really need to stop smoking. I am having health issues that are related to years of smoking. I have tried three times before. Here is the thing. I am such a courageous woman and have done so many wonderful things in my life. I manage crisises like a champion and can organize and handle any social situation. But, when it comes to doing this for myself, I am terrified. Not of failing.........of the anquish giving up "my security" blanket. Only another smoker will understand the statement that it is "my best friend" and I always feel as if I am so abandon when I quit. I want and need that "thing". I have read so many sites and books and self help information. I know women often are more emotionally attached than men to cigarettes. I know for me, smoking has been with me since I was 20 and no matter the awful or good, it has always been there, waiting to give me pleasure and some calm. I also have not ever liked the person I was changing into after I quit. A grouch ! Bitter that I had to do this................angry that I had to quit. You know what I am saying. I see so many people who have quit and many say, "I really would like a cigarette right now." Anyone help here ? About the emotional dependence ? I don't have a strong support group and little family around. I am not good at "leaning" on others anyhow. And, the weight. Each time I gained 10 pounds right off and never ever lost them again. I already weigh too much.

Me TOO!

I quit at 25, then started again at 32 with a stern discussion with myself that I would quit again by the time I was 40.

Well, I'm 40 and boy do I not want to quit.

(I kept it at 1/2 a pack a day for most of the last eight years, but recently it's crept back up to a full pack).

No answers here, but I feel for you.

Oh yes, I have done my research. Tried gum and patches twice.
Once I took of the last off the patches, I started smoking again.
I am on antidepressant but I don't think that helps much !
Thanks for your empathy.

I smoked from age 12 to 35, for most of that time a pack a day, and one of the strongest brands on the market. I quit 5 years ago on Zyban (bupropion??). From two previous unaided attempts at quitting, the Zyban definitely took the edge off the suffering (except I was perpetually nauseous, hence no weight gain). And I also know from my past relapses that I can't ever touch another cigarette, or it's a quick slide down a slippery slope for me.

Our city just went smoke-free (in ALL public buildings) on July 1, and I would be a kind of social leper now if I still smoked. Outdoor smoking is downright nasty here for several months of the year. And there are a thousand other reasons that make me glad I quit, not the least of which was losing one of my dogs to lung cancer. :(

But..... I still miss my cigarettes! I miss having one in my hand. When I first quit, I didn't know how to take breaks, because I was missing that "stop and have a smoke" trigger. In times of stress, I miss my favourite "crutch". There are people that work in other offices in my building that I would never have met had we not been huddled outside smoking at coffee time.

Good luck to you!

Well, we need to quit too!! Joe and I have decided that we are going to quit when we return from London.

Perhaps we should all set a date and quit together. What do you think??

I quit 1 1/2 years ago.
I can't remeber when I started smoking, but I know that by the time I was 13 I was smoking about a pack a day. I was terrified to quit smoking because I can't remember my life before I was a smoker . . . literally!!
Everyone's experience with quiting is different, but mine was HORRIBLE!!!

Here is how I did it. I set a date weeks in advanced, so I had alot of time to prepare emotionally. The week before I quit I chain smoked (who am I kidding, I chained smoke all the time:rolleyes: ), then the night before the date I smoke my little lungs out. More importantly, I said goodbye to my best friends. For me, this was SO important because, like you, I really felt like they were my best friends. So, I actually verbally said goodbye to them. Then I quit. No patches, no gum. Cold turkey was the way for me. I did keep cigarettes around because I needed to feel like if I absoluetly had to, I could smoke, but that is just me.

Anyway, it was horrible. I was a total BI!@& I cried, I screamed (I mean I couldn't open my mouth without screaming, even when I tried to talk normally), I felt like I was going through withdrawal of crack not cigarettes! At first I thought F~ this! It's not worth it . . . either I am going to die from withdrawal or I'm going to die from smoking, so I am going to smoke. But then I miraculously realized that I was not going to die. The pain I was feeling was NOT going to kill me. So I held on to that. I kept reminding myself that I was not going to die if I didn't smoke the cigarette I wanted at that moment. Slowly, it got better. The pain subsided, I didn't feel like screaming all the time, and I wasn't acting like a she-devil all the time. BUT . . . I got REALLY depressed. A little more than a month after I quit I went on Wellbutrin (Zyban). I only stayed on it for about 3 months, but it did help. It made me dizzy for the first week or two, but other than that it was okay.

The purpose of my long drawn out story is this: the reason quiting cold turkey worked for me is that it was so awful that I know that if I start smoking again, I will have to smoke for the rest of my life because I am NEVER going through that again. That is what has kept me from lighting up thus far. I hope it continues to work.

Also, when I was planning on quiting, I told all of the people I knew I'd be spending time with (people at work especially). I tried to prepare them for the behavior I knew I was going to display. I think it helped them tolerate me and also have a little sympathy for the situation. Unless they have tried to quit something like this, people really don't realize how difficult and painful it is.

Like Savannah, I also miss smoking, but I am getting used to my life without cigarettes. And that is what matters. Don't expect that once you've truly kicked the habit you won't still miss it, but you can expect to form a new (healthier) habit of life without cigarettes.

As far as the weight gain thing goes . . . I was also worried about that, so I tried very hard not to eat a lot of crap. To help ease the oral fixation part of quiting I kept a big bottle of water with me at all times, and a big bag full of dried cranberries. Both worked great because the both cleanse and help detox the body.

Okay . . . I went on for maybe a little too long about all of this. So, with that I am going to say Good Luck! If you ever need support in this, feel free to PM me.

I quit 4 months ago. I used the patch, and now when I need something, I pop in a nicotine gum. It was hard. Very hard. I went through a mild depression, my metabolism slowed dramatically, and have gained ten pounds. I'm trying not to be too hard on myself because of that. And I will lose it. But right now, I'm still resolved to stay smoke free. I had smoked from the age of 15. Before I quit, I was up to almost two packs a day. It's not going to be easy, and yes, it's like losing a best friend, albiet a friend who is slowly killing you.

hopefully not to scare you, but my mother used to call cigarettes her friend also, they were a staple in her life. she could not quit and 59 she got small cell cancer and passed away. she loved to smoke, i think every picture of her had a cig in her hand, she was entirely addicted to smoking. quitting is extremely hard, thank God there are medications to help ease the craving and addiction, get all the help you can to make it easier in your transition, I wish you the best and I will say a prayer for you tonight that you master this, get all help you can even if a mild sedative will help the first week, its worth it, value your health.

I never smoked in my life. The tobbacco smoke makes me very sick. I get severe headaches and if stay in an area of concentrated smoke too long, I eventually vomit. Once, I smelled marijuna smoke and I thought I was going die, because I got far more sick. Well, at least I know I'll never trying smoking. :)
;)

Heah, Peachy ! Why don't you pick the date. I am ready to give it a try and I am going to do it cold turkey this time.
Do you know, I am "from" Texas ? Lubbock to be exact. Just moved to Phoenix 5 years ago. Where are you ?

Originally posted by Savannah
I smoked from age 12 to 35, for most of that time a pack a day, and one of the strongest brands on the market. I quit 5 years ago on Zyban (bupropion??). From two previous unaided attempts at quitting, the Zyban definitely took the edge off the suffering (except I was perpetually nauseous, hence no weight gain). And I also know from my past relapses that I can't ever touch another cigarette, or it's a quick slide down a slippery slope for me.

Our city just went smoke-free (in ALL public buildings) on July 1, and I would be a kind of social leper now if I still smoked. Outdoor smoking is downright nasty here for several months of the year. And there are a thousand other reasons that make me glad I quit, not the least of which was losing one of my dogs to lung cancer. :(

But..... I still miss my cigarettes! I miss having one in my hand. When I first quit, I didn't know how to take breaks, because I was missing that "stop and have a smoke" trigger. In times of stress, I miss my favourite "crutch". There are people that work in other offices in my building that I would never have met had we not been huddled outside smoking at coffee time.

Good luck to you!

AGE 12????????? How did you come about smoking at such a young age???

Originally posted by manofmisteree
AGE 12????????? How did you come about smoking at such a young age???
Poor role models -- my parents were both smokers. And lack of resistance to peer pressure, because a lot of my friends were already smoking at that age. (okay, it wasn't a pack a day that early on -- maybe about 6 cigarettes a day)

But I'm 5'9" -- notice that it didn't exactly stunt my growth! :p

I smoked for about 30 years......Finally gave up a couple of years ago ......Went cold turkey an found it easy, although that is more cos I had a very good (in my veiw) reason an reward

The reason I actually gave up is a tad odd....... U see I like body jewellry and had really wanted to have my tongue pierced for years....... Anyway a friend (who also wanted to get his tongue pierced) an I were discussing peircings an quitting smoking when we decided to make a contest outta it....... First one to stay totally ciggie free for a whole week could go get their tongue pierced BUT if we ever smoked again we had to remove the stud ......

I have a tongue stud to this day, my friend still hasn't had his pierced LOL

Originally posted by meshunny
Heah, Peachy ! Why don't you pick the date. I am ready to give it a try and I am going to do it cold turkey this time.
Do you know, I am "from" Texas ? Lubbock to be exact. Just moved to Phoenix 5 years ago. Where are you ?

Well, for me, the date is going to be August 1st because we return from London on July 31st. Anyone who wants to hop on the wagon too, feel free. It may be easier with company. :D

We're in Dallas suburbia! :)

Okeee dokee. I will shoot for (said like a Texan, I think) Aug. 1.
If you change it at all, let me know. I think my email addy is available. Sounds like a weener to me !
I use to live in Irving and in Lewisville back in 1970-78.
Hope you have a wonderful trip !

Hi All,

Well, I quit smoking over 20 years ago, and started again about 3 years ago. I smoked for almost two years and successfully quit just over a year ago.

There is a website that you may find helpful....it is really a good tool and is free.

www.quitnet.com

They have message boards and buddies for support, but also lots of good info and hints. They also email you articles that are relevant to your stage of quitting at the appropriate times. And they'll email you a "progress report" too. It tells you how long (years, months, days, hours, seconds) you have been smoke free. How much money you have saved so far AND how much time you have added to your life by not smoking. All great motivators.

I also took Welbutrin and still take it and i did not use nicotine patches because in past attempts to quit, I would start again when I stepped the patches down to a certain point.

I have gained over 20 pounds, but allowed myself a year before I would begin working on that. So that's what I'm struggling with now, it's always something, isn't it? :p

Anyway, best of luck to all of you, quitting is the most loving thing you can do for your friends, family and yourself. :D

thanks for the encouragement and ideas. I am having a difficult time getting "up" for this. I am already on an antidepressant and tried Zyban/Wellbutron once and it wasn't good for me. *SIGH*
I have two weeks to prepare though. Thanks again.

Meshunny,

ATTITUDE is EVERYTHING!!!!

You don't sound very "up" for this, but you have to get there. Please visit that website, at least check it out. OK?

You CAN do this and planning ahead to stop on a certain date is the perfect thing to do. When we fail to plan, we plan to fail!

Right now, go write down ALL the reasons you can think of why you want to quit. Besides, health and costs, think of them all.
Not needing to go out in the middle of the night cause you're out of cigarettes. Not giving ANYMORE money to the stupid tobacco industry (which is heavily subsidized by our tax dollars, how stupid is that?) The Smell on your clothes, in your house, in your car. Your breath, yuck! Being able to climb stairs without practically passing out. Dig deep, think about all the ways smoking effects you and write them down.

And then post that list everywhere. Your bathroom mirror, by your computer screen, on your desk at work. In your car....you get the idea.

You need to not lose sight of WHY you want to do this.

Come on, buck up little camper....you will do great!:) :) :)

This is off the topic, but I wanted to post it. Meshunny and I are meeting each other today IRL in less than 2 hours. I am so excited! It's so great to know someone from Agelesslove who lives in the same city. She and I are both married to men who are quite a bit younger than we are. I'm really looking forward to this meeting!!

Thats great Whisper and Meshunny!!
Have a wonderful time together and let us know how it was!

<a href='http://www.smileycentral.com/?partner=ZSzeb008' target='_blank'><img src='http://smileys.smileycentral.com/cat/311v.gif' border=0></a>

http://www.enjoy.ne.jp/%7Etokutpk/HTML/Materials/Four_Season/Summer/July/pic/illust74.gif

You two, can you take pictures? And can you give each other a big hug and a big kiss for all of us?

Have fun!

We had fun! Meshunny (Mary) is really a cool lady! She is really fun to be with. I thought about taking a camera, but I knew that I'd end up having to have my picture taken, too. I hate having my picture taken. Jeremy practically had to drag me to the photographer to have pictures taken last April. It's something that I try to avoid at all costs. I think maybe my hatred of it came from years of being forced to pose for pictures as a child model - I detested it then and still do to this day.

I am so happy that I have one of the ladies from Agelesslove living near me. I think it's great when the members get to meet each other in person. I wish that I could travel all over the place and meet more of you........oh well.....maybe some day.

Jason used to live in Arizona, he loves that place! I have seen some pictures of the place he lived, bordering the desert, it looked gorgeous!

I'm happy you had a good time, but the pictures, hmm, we'll have to send a spy next time! ;)

GAWD ... PLEASE FORGIVE FOR THE LONG POST ... I didn't realize it was so long .... Sorry.

I try to share when I see this nasty, nasty habit come up and how to quit. Everything doesn't work for everyone, but the more suggestions you can gather, the better the chance of succeeding i suppose.

I smoked from when I was very young as well until about 15+ years ago. The last few years I smoked not one, not two, but three packs per day, and many times a fourth if i went out. That was a lot by any standards.

Anyway, my kids got after me when they were younger to stop. I didn't want to, I liked smoking as much as everyone else who has posted here, but decided to try. Well that's exactly what I did, I half heartedly tried several times until ... I discovered I was "trying" for nothing. BECAUSE I was trying without the real desire to get it done. It was a great epiphany to me.

My "trying" consisted of things like purchasing just one pack at a time when it was very cold outside (lived in CT at the time), purchasing cigaretts I didn't prefer, like menthol or Camels (ugh), or others that I truly didn't prefer. I would get up and go out in the freezing cold at 10 or 11 at night to get another pack of cigaretts. I tried everything I could think of.

At the time I worked at the University of Connecticut Health Center, a working/teaching hospital. They had many seminars for the employees. One was how to quit smoking. I know some will recoil on this, but it was Green Seminars who presented the hypnosis seminar. And it worked. It was absolutely amazing actually.

The first thing I realized afterwards was that I really had to WANT to give it up. It took me two years after I began "trying" to realize that if I didn't want to it wasn't going to work. So I went into the seminar saying to myself that I was going to do whatever it took ... participate to the maximum ... and I did. They asked us to do some crazy things like lift this arm up and move over that way, etc. He talked to us for about 1/2 hour and then said go out and have your last cigarette. I said yeah, sure, right, but I did what he said. We all had three cigarettes out there which is really almost not finishing one before beginning another for the ten minute break, lol. And, it was winter, freezing and we all stood there holding our cigarettes.

After we got back, he told us to do some other things, and truthfully, I didn't feel like anything had happened, but it had. I was done. I didn't want another cigarette after that night and haven't since actually. It's still quite amazing to me to this day.

But the side effects. Yes there were some. I never realized how really addictive nicotine really is ... it really grabbed ahold of me and didn't want to let go. I am a Gemini, and I only say that because all my life I have been very used to (it would be foreign to me to be any other way) do many things all at the same time. Almost directly after I gave up smoking I began to have this problem. I couldn't bring one thought into my mind and hold it. Now for someone like me who is used to thinking 5-10 things all at the same time, this was like ... I was in outter space. I would go to ask my boss (who was a nurse so he totally understood what was going on with me and supported me fully) what he wanted me to do, and no sooner than I would turn around to walk out of the door and the thought would have totally left me. I would have to ask again. I would go into the living room to ask my kids what they wanted for supper and before I began back to the kitchen I would have forgotten what they said as well. It was really very scarey to me ... but my boss assured me it was the drug leaving my body and I would have to endure it for a while.

Well, "the while" lasted almost 2 months!!! I was just about to commit myself when the cloud finally began to lift and I could THINK AGAIN. I had no idea this drug could do such things to me. This sis avery very powerful drug ... I did not give it the respect I should have ... After I began to come out of it, it was better, but like something that someone else said was the reason they would never go back to smoking, my reason is I will NEVER lose my mind and manner of thinking like that again. Never. I hated every moment I could not think the thoughts I do and so quickly and easily. I always felt I learned what having alhziemers (sp) is now ... and I don't want to deal with it ever again, even when I AM old ... it won't be that that gets me, lol.

The other thing I want to mention is the weight. I did gain 10 lbs, but the seminar person and my boss also said that is very normal. That it is your body adjusting to not having the drug and that it takes a bit of time to get rid of. Nothing to worry about. I tried almost eating nothing but salads at that time and nothing worked ... not exercise, not eating like a rabbit ... nothing but time. In about a year to the day actually, the weight just dropped off.

But I CAN tell you some of the great benefits of giving up smoking. First my skin began to look better than it had even when I was younger and still looks good now. My voice changed and for anyone who has ever heard me speak on the phone, changed from a raspy sort to a much younger sounding woman. I could taste things I had not before, and the best of all, I actually had more energy than I had before, if you can believe that (and I've always had a lot to begin with even with smoking).

All in all I've switched everything I do over the years to natural everything. I don't take any synthetic drugs, and try to take care of myself with vitamins and holistic type medicinal necessities ... it's a good way to go ...

I wish you all the best in your quest. But don't try to give it up if you dont' really want to. You will only be setting yourself up for failure. But if you do decide you really want to, give yourself some time to figure out the right way for YOU. It's not the easiest, but it can be done. I figured after I quit that if I can do it ... must be that everyone else can as well ... you just gotta wanna as an old Italian boss used to say to me ...

Hugs you all,

princessdy

Originally posted by Maria
Jason used to live in Arizona, he loves that place! I have seen some pictures of the place he lived, bordering the desert, it looked gorgeous!

I'm happy you had a good time, but the pictures, hmm, we'll have to send a spy next time! ;) LOL!

I hadn't read this thread before now, but realize it that since it's a health issue, it ought to be moved to Health Chat.

If you all do attempt to stop smoking together as a group, how about posting a new thread down in Health Chat and keep each other posted on your progress?

Good luck everyone!

Mel, the Ageless papparazzi will be on their way next time. I'll personally pay them if necessary!!

And Dyan, what a brave woman you are! I have worked in the past (I don't really like adults, but I had to work with them for a while...;)) and I know how difficult it is to stop smoking. We all know, don't we? It's a hard thing. I have friends that are so careful about the way they look and they know that smoke together with sun are the worse enemies of their skin... and still they can't stop!

I'm very glad for you!

I quit smoking a year ago....On January 1, 2003... I have never picked another one up again.. and I feel WONDERFUL....

I did the patch and it worked.. but you also have to be strong.. it doesn't kill every urge just helps you... Put a Picture of your children in front of your pack of cigarettes.... that should give you the BIGGEST incentive of all.. If not for you for them.... Just focus on the goal and reach it..... when you have a terrible urge for a cig and you have the patch on stick a lollipop in your mouth .... My mom did that....

Good Luck

tell us how it goes!!

I will make this one short. I forgot to tell you what I did in order to replace the oral addiction. Ready? Lol. Well I use large paper clips. That's right. I started "handling" (and that would mean in whatever way it helped) large paper clips when I was on the phone or even walking around. I thought them better than food.

I still have a large paper clip around most of the time even after all this time. Not sure what purpose it provides at this point. Maybe it just replaced the other habit, but it's easier to manage clips than cigarettes. I know, kinda crazy, but it worked for me.

princessdy :D

What can I say to that, original solutions to original people! Whatever works for you is a good thing!

I lost a friend three years ago to emphysema. He had had cancer in one lung and had lost it. He had emphysema going on in the other lung, and still, he couldn't stop smoking.

He smoked until the last day he died in the hospital, hiding from the personal, with the help of a friend. It didn't matter anymore anyway. He said he would feel better after a cigarette, and he would say that with the oxygen bottle hanging from his hand.

What made me really angry was to know that his doctor used to tell him, oh I know how difficult it is to stop, I myself never succeeded. And that in a way as if there were nothing we could do about it... but there was something, and that could have saved his life.

Just a Noob here.. but if you did manage to quit smoking Meshunny I am sure that your partner would support you :D