Find something else to do. grab and carry a pen, pencil. Chew gum, eat lifesavers in the worst moments. Brush your teeth alot. Play the mind game of if I make it 1 hour, I'll go buy the cigarettes. Obviously, after the hour, you don't go buy them, its a mind patch. Once you go a few days you will realize its a mind f-n game. Seriously. I smoked from 12 years old until I was 35... I quit cold turkey no meds, no cigarette gums, patches none of it.
I can honestly say I was no treat to be around, but... its kinda expected. Good luck!
For me it was a minute to minute thing like mama22 says.
I LOVED smoking. LOVED EVERY PUFF. But I quit anyway. But everytime I smell a cig, I still want one. It's not crippling and I don't fall off the wagon, but so far for me that love has never gone away.
I smoked for 44 years. Quit a bunch of times. Last time was 8 years ago.
We went on a cruise! That helped. Around here, cigs were around $8/pk. So every day, I took $10 and put it away.
We started with a smoke-free house even before I quit, so the smell/stink wasn't here to keep me thinking about smoking. When I quit, I took all my clothes and washed them - every single thing. If you smoked in the house, clean it - walls, ceiling, carpets, furniture, closets and all your clothing - smoke permeates everything. Car, too.
Stay away from smokers - completely away - while you are quitting.
Be prepared for smoking nightmares. I kept dreaming I was smoking - pleasant enough until I set the house on fire.
Oh, limit your coffee and alcohol drinking - they are triggers. If you smoked while on the computer, stay away. Remove all ashtrays from everywhere.
If you REALLY want to quit, you will. But remember this. If you give in, the next time you want to quit, it will be twice as difficult. Think of your addictive center in the brain as a child. I want I want I want. If parent gives in, next time the I-wants will last longer until you give in.
My impetus to quit smoking: I used to get pneumonia yearly and bronchitis at least 6 times a year. I was starting to get short of breath - and my father died of emphysema - and smoked until the day he died. He suffocated. for 5 long years. Could not talk more than a word. at. a. time. so. he. could. gasp. for. air. in. be. tween. YES or no became a long sentence for him.
Do not quit because you are going to have a baby if it's just to get through the pregnancy. Quit because your baby doesn't deserve to grow up motherless. Quit because you deserve to live a healthy live without gasping for air or being sick all the time. Quit because dying of emphesema is horrible to watch. It must be worse to live with it.
I have no desire to ever smoke again. If the world were ending tomorrow, I would not light a cigarette. Smokers stink. They stink up people they are around. When I am with my still-smoking friends, I come home and wash my hair and my clothes go right into the washer. They make me stink. I do not let them put their coats in the closet when they visit - they stink up my closet. I hang their coats on the hooks on the basement stairway.
It. is. not. easy. to. quit. Every minute you are not smoking is to be cherished. Find things to do to keep your hands busy. Drink water non-stop. Have your nails done with the money you saved not buying cigarettes. Look at your fingers change color from yellow/stained. Look at your nails turning nice and clear. Clean your mirrors so you can see the lines in your face disappear. Keep busy. Call friends - oh wait, text them instead to keep your hands busy. BE places where smoking is not allowed.
Tell all your friends (non-smokers) that you are quitting and ask for their help/encouragement. One minute at a time. One hour -- one day. Every minute is one minute closer.
$5 per day for one day is $5; one week is $35. One summer month is $155. July 17 through Sept 17 is $310. That is enough for a cruise to the Bahamas or to Cozumel, Key West or Belize. It's enough for a new bed-in-a-bag, pick something!
Although I'm not a smoker, I totally understand. Everyone has their addictive behaviors... I definitely have mine. My mother died of lung cancer in 2010... She had just turned 63. I used to think smoking was gross, obviously bad for you and ridiculously expensive... Now I see people smoking and think... Wow, do you know you're holding a time bomb? I'm not trying to be preachy because you don't need that. I wish you good luck... It's going to be hard!
My FIL quit cold turkey after having a heart attack. He used to smoke after dinner so then after dinner, he munched on a carrot stick or two. Then he kept Werther's candies in his pockets and sucked on those all the time. He kept a pack of smokes in the fridge..............dunno why..........he just liked knowing they were there.
He had a couple more heart attacks then a fatal stroke so I guess he shoulda quit before his 60's. :surrender:
Good luck. My DH is a smoker too. I don't nag him at all............never ever. He knows he should quit........he has a stressful job and a long commute so I don't know if he'll be able to. It scares me.out:
Yeah I know that, just didn't know why he kept them after he quit. :9: He always kept his carton in there. DH never has though. :dunce: (not that I want to look at them..............mebbe cause he doesn't want the kids to be around them?)
I smoked for over 20 years, and had my last smoke 7 years ago.
It was hard. I was so sick, head aches, stomach aches..I let myself be sick for a month. I literally sat on the couch and watched tons of Buffy.
I also used quitnet.com as a support. I found that the more I learned about the withdrawal, the easier it was.
I was very motivated by the idea of preparing my body for childbirth. I knew I couldn't even think about having kids without kicking that habit, so I did it.
I also found it helpful to say "I am a smoker that just isn't practicing." It gave me power over the cigarettes. In fact, there was an online quit smoking program I did. I don't remember the name of it, but you should be able to find it at quitnet.
Around day 100, it got easier. After a year, there was no turning back, I was so done with those nasty things!
I still think about smokes occasionally, but for the most part, I love being a non-smoker!
I too loved smoking, every single cigarette. LOVED. I still crave them constantly, but haven't smoked for over 2 years. I would work on a puzzle and suck mints when I got the craving. To this day, I tell myself, I enjoy smoking but I enjoy breathing more. It is hard, but as a former 3 pack a day-er if I can do it you can too!
I quit cold turkey also, 25 years ago. I chewed on a lot of straws when other people were not around. I counted every day that I made it through. And I told myself after every day that if I light up I had to start counting from 0 again! Since every day in the beginning feels like a lifetime, I knew I did not want to start over again from 0! Good Luck...your going to feel a lot better!
I have a headache, am light headed, dizzy....I FEEL LIKE CRAP!!! I know these feelings will eventually pass. I am not willing to let these crappy feeling make me start over at zero though. I am very proud of this being day 2. Thanks for letting me vent! Hopefully these feelings will go away soon!!!!
OK. I don't really hate those people...................much!!!
I have tried and tried.
The last time I tried.......................I went from a 32" waist to 36" waist.
I had a fork in each hand.
I was miserable from the weight gain and from not smoking.
I made everyone else miserable.
I give everyone all the credit in the world for being able to stop.
Holy Crap Betsy....3 packs a day!!! I thought I was hardcore at a pack a day of marlboro reds!
Anyway, I quit the day Princess Diana died...however many years ago that was. I too still miss it but at the same time grossed out at the smell of it. I used the patch, didn't drink alcohol for awhile cause that was a trigger and had my now hubby as support who never smoked a day in his life---don't know if I could have done it without him!
When I was planning my wedding, I slipped and went back a little bit and man it sucked me right back in. I now know I can never ever have a cigarette again. I'm ok with that---really wish I could be one of those people that could have one smoke a night and that's it. But that's not gonna happen for me.
Just take each minute, day at a time like they said. The first couple of days are the hardest and you've come so far already. You should be really proud of yourself!!!!
out:
