Smoke Free, day 2
- Thread starter jacksdad
- Start date
jmick
Active Member
Way to go! I quit cold turkey 2 years ago and I know how difficult it can be. I found that doing little things to get out of my routine really helped…I usually smoked at certain times of the day, at certain points on my drive to and from work. I took different routes to and from work, drank a lot of water to help flush my system (instead of getting up for a smoke I’d get up and pour a glass of water). I tried to keep as busy as possible and made an effort to avoid stressful situations. I also never cheated, the first 4-5 days are very hard but once you get past the first week it’s much easier.
It’s really amazing how addictive cigs can be. It’s been almost 2 years and I still have dreams about smoking and I still crave it—it’s not a strong urge but it’s still there.
It’s really amazing how addictive cigs can be. It’s been almost 2 years and I still have dreams about smoking and I still crave it—it’s not a strong urge but it’s still there.
jacksdad
Member
Jmick:
Thanks for the tips! I did a good job of keeping myself busy yesterday around the house, but today at work has been brutal! I used to go outside for a smoke every hour or so and I caught myslef a few times heading that way for no reason!!! Went out at lunch time and got some bananas and cranberry juice, both of which I heard are good to surpress cravings!!
Bob
Thanks for the tips! I did a good job of keeping myself busy yesterday around the house, but today at work has been brutal! I used to go outside for a smoke every hour or so and I caught myslef a few times heading that way for no reason!!! Went out at lunch time and got some bananas and cranberry juice, both of which I heard are good to surpress cravings!!
Bob
bs21
Member
i have tried quitting before....unsuccesfully, just didn't want to ......but as soon as this semester is over i'm gonna try again because i just don't have the money for it...i've been smoking for 6 yrs. so hopefully it won't be to hard. last time though gum really helped. the $.25 for a pack of gum sure beats the almost $5 for cigs.
schneidts
Active Member
Congratulations!! The hardest step is building up the courage and desire to go through with it. I quit in Oct of 2002...and I won't lie, it was hard as hell. I had a driving job where I worked long nights at the time, and it was definitely challenging to alter my lifestyle. I will say that I found my body needed the familiar little things like rolling the window down for 5 minutes every hour or so and taking a few minutes to go outside, etc...I chewed on cloves (the ones you put on ham) to replace my "habit" during breaks...and I think that helped some. I don't know if you drink coffee, but for me, I had to drink alot more for the first couple weeks to replace the stimulant I wasn't getting anymore. The only thing I can add is just drink lots and lots of water to try to speed up the detox and withdrawl, and if you feel like you absolutely have to have one, run in place for a few minutes if you can...it helps. Good Luck and keep up the awesome work!
tome
Member
I dont know if this would help but... a family member of mine went cold turkey and she rolled up a peice of white paper about the size of the cigaratte. Then whenever she felt a craving she would pretend she was smoking with the paper(when all she was doing was putting the paper to her mouth) and it fought off the craving or at lease helped. Well anyway Good Luck.
alaredsox
Member
Ok as a smoker of well over 12 years and a quitter for 2 of those, I maybe can shed some helpful light on the situation.
First of all - Despite what everyone says, quitting cold turkey is extremely harmful psychologically. You have just created an empty chasm where you once had a comfort buffer (i.e the cigs). Find something immediately to substitute that void, both psychologically and physically. Someone on here mentioned cloves. Another idea is to use cinnamon sticks. You can even cut them to the same size as a cig, giving you the physical comfort and the oral habit of smoking.
Second - The cravings will ALWAYS be there. The biggest obstacle with this is that you have probably associated smoking (consciously or subconsciously) as a reward for something. That has always been my thing. I let myself have a smoke for getting something done. You may also have certain memories associated with smoking. Its important to think of the context of the memory and not why the cig was in your hands. Its also important to reward yourself with something new that you really enjoy and mix it up to keep it rewarding. We all know how long that same pack of gum stays enticing.
Another thing you may want to consider are certain medications out there that are designed as mild anti-depressants. The one that pops up the most often is Wellbutrin. Even if you have no signs of depression, doctors frequently perscribe this medication to patients who are trying to quit smoking as they block certain brain transmissions that originate craving. This was my only saving grace when I quit.
Finally - NO about of badgering, guilt, propaganda, horror stories, or brow-beating will ever result in a successful cessation of nicotene. The smoker in question has to WANT to quit on their own accord for it to be successful. In addition, those around the smoker who is quitting must show constant outward support.
This addiction is far worse than crack, cocaine or heroin and the mental effects often last a lifetime even after years without a cigarette. NOTICE: I said the ADDICTION is worse NOT the drug.
Best of luck to you and congratulations for taking this step. I hope to be in the club soon!
If anyone is curious why I started again, I was forced into a very stressful and LONG situation where smoking was a much more desirable crime than what I could have done. And while I could have quit after that situation was resolved I met my wife who is a smoker and that is just an impossibility(quitting while your spouse continues). I'm waiting on her to WANT to quit.
First of all - Despite what everyone says, quitting cold turkey is extremely harmful psychologically. You have just created an empty chasm where you once had a comfort buffer (i.e the cigs). Find something immediately to substitute that void, both psychologically and physically. Someone on here mentioned cloves. Another idea is to use cinnamon sticks. You can even cut them to the same size as a cig, giving you the physical comfort and the oral habit of smoking.
Second - The cravings will ALWAYS be there. The biggest obstacle with this is that you have probably associated smoking (consciously or subconsciously) as a reward for something. That has always been my thing. I let myself have a smoke for getting something done. You may also have certain memories associated with smoking. Its important to think of the context of the memory and not why the cig was in your hands. Its also important to reward yourself with something new that you really enjoy and mix it up to keep it rewarding. We all know how long that same pack of gum stays enticing.
Another thing you may want to consider are certain medications out there that are designed as mild anti-depressants. The one that pops up the most often is Wellbutrin. Even if you have no signs of depression, doctors frequently perscribe this medication to patients who are trying to quit smoking as they block certain brain transmissions that originate craving. This was my only saving grace when I quit.
Finally - NO about of badgering, guilt, propaganda, horror stories, or brow-beating will ever result in a successful cessation of nicotene. The smoker in question has to WANT to quit on their own accord for it to be successful. In addition, those around the smoker who is quitting must show constant outward support.
This addiction is far worse than crack, cocaine or heroin and the mental effects often last a lifetime even after years without a cigarette. NOTICE: I said the ADDICTION is worse NOT the drug.
Best of luck to you and congratulations for taking this step. I hope to be in the club soon!
If anyone is curious why I started again, I was forced into a very stressful and LONG situation where smoking was a much more desirable crime than what I could have done. And while I could have quit after that situation was resolved I met my wife who is a smoker and that is just an impossibility(quitting while your spouse continues). I'm waiting on her to WANT to quit.