Quitting smoking
 

Gonna try.

No, damn it. Gonna do it.

Tips, techniques, and words of encouragement are welcome.

This thread was useful, but six years old.

http://www.sonicyouth.com/gossip/sho...hlight=smoking

Yeah...I'm in the same boat too. I just started this week. On my previous attempts I found symbols' suggestion of taking a DEEP breath every time you get a craving very very helpful.

I quit twice.. first time lasted 14 months and it was hell and i mean that with no exaggeration. EVERY single day of those 14 months i fiended for cigarettes. It never declined. I started up again.

The second time i decided to gradually step down, i acclimated to becoming a non smoker. I gradually cut back a few cigarettes a day until i felt more comfortable smoking less. Then after few months i stopped buying packs and only smoked when i had access by bumming smokes from friends or buying a few singles. This got me used to smoking only when i could and not whenever i felt like it. Finally after almost a year of this i went from pack and half a day to 2 or 3 a day. So i just quit. That was August 2007...

To be sure the cravings NEVER go away, i can feel them right now even! You just learn to ignore them

Also straight up, weed helps. You get to get stoned and reduce the power of the cravings while having the added bonus of still getting to inhale smoke and so reduce the psychological cravings. When i started to cut back i matched it by smoking more joints.

Good to know. Breathing exercises and keeping pictures of fucked up lungs and mouths around are the only techniques I could think of.

Actually, there's a subtle, existential thing I was thinking of. Just tell myself, "I am not a smoker." When I get a craving, I will say, "But I do not smoke for I am not a smoker, so why do I want a cig? It is an irrational thought and can be dispensed with." Might help. I sort of doubt it.

Care to make it interesting? First one who smokes has to pay the other $25,000.


Funny, I was going to ask if it helped or hindered. It helps? Oh sweet mercy. I might have to pray to something.

I've tried the "cut down" method. Doesn't work with me. I learned I have an all-or-nothing personality. Moderation ain't my scene. So, starting tomorrow when I wake up, gonna rip that monkey off my back entirely.

My experience with all or nothing was horrific. Normally i go this way but smoking is such a different experience..

For me cutting back was a way to gradually acclimate and get increasingly used to smoking less.. otherwise the cravings become unbearable. Again when i quit the 1st time cold turkey i succeeded in not smoking, but the entire time psychologically i was still a smoker.

Like i said, the cravings will NEVER go away. Just know that. Its been almost 9 years since i smoked a cigarette and not a day goes by that i don't have a craving exactly the same as when i was a smoker. Its jusy psychologically i can adjust better to simply ignore them.

In a weird way, I'm looking forward to the mental challenge. Not sure I can keep it up for years, but I do like the idea that after a few days it's all in the head. I'm sure I'll be humbled, but I'd like to think I can outwit a fucking plant.

I'll wish you best. I read an article last week that showed how long the human body takes to fully remove all risks from regular smoking, and it basically says it takes 15 years for your body to fully return to the health of that of a non-smoker.

Hold on you missed my point entirely. ITS NOT JUST IN YOUR HEAD. For me and many people i asked about this the PHYSIOLOGICAL cravings last for ever. I'm having them right now. The psychological part is tuning them out hence why i recommended gradually cutting back so you develop the mind set tp be able to better cope with the cravings

And by the way if you could outwit the plant by force of will you wouldn't have become a regular smoker to begin with

Even worse the cancer causing genetic mutations are permanent. That damage is done and can never heal. Its why smoking is craps, you will either get cancer or not but nothing can minimize or reduce the risk

Cold turkey, go away somewhere where access to cigs is limited (like the country) and you don't have your regular daily routine.
Be mindful that your brain will try and trick you and tell you it's been x amount of time and so it must be OK to at least try just one cigarette, just a puff or two. Don't fall for this, or you'll be back to square one before you know it.
These are the mile stones that seemed significant to me when I quit.
1 day
3 days
2 weeks
1 month
<1 year (this was when I stopped carrying a lighter around, I forget exactly when)
1 year
2.5 years (this is how long it took me to shake off the desire to smoke when drinking)

It's really tough, but if you can quit smoking you're hardcore.
Also sometime after you quit and the battle is no longer present in your mind and is largely forgotten, you'll find yourself in some situation or other and remember that this was the sort of time that you would normally have lit a cig and what a distant feeling that now is. And when that happens you'll feel great.

Having said all this it took me 10 years of repeated attempts to finally quit, but now it been 5 years since I did.

Honestly...weed doesn't help me here. It does the exact opposite. I NEED a cigarette after I get high. It's just a routine(been on the routine for over 10 years!). I've been able to really cut back a lot here n now but like evllove....I too sometimes have an all or nothing attitude. Anyways....the one thing that always draws me back in was weed...and mainly at the bar too. Playing Street Fighter, drinking, and smoking up....sometimes you need a 'break'....and cigarettes provide exactly that. Anyways....this Friday I'm really sticking to it and not touching a tobacco product. I'll still smoke my weed n stuff...but this time I'll just have to go straight back to playing once I'm done.

Notice myself included all the cold turkey folks didn't succeed long term. Try cutting back first it worked for me. Will be nine years without a single cigarette this August.

Me too! Just a few hours away. I just threw out all the ashtrays and empty packs, etc.


Why did you still carry around a lighter? Security of some sort?


I appreciate that, and the cut-down method makes perfect rational sense, but I've tried that route recently and it didn't take. I get down to ten or so a day, then that number simply crawls back up. Down, up, down, up. That was my entire March. Fuck it.

I didn't mention that I want to quit mostly because I'm developing serious periodontal issues. Yeah, fucking gross. Pathetic. I can either keep smoking or I can keep my teeth. Not as strong a motivator as a newborn child or something, but it's pretty good.

And I cannot wait til I can say "I haven't had a cigarette in X years." Must be a great feeling.

The whole point of cutting down you will fail a few times, it is a pressure valve release. For me it was probably almost a year before i finally was comfortable quitting entirely. So if recently it didn't "work" that is kind of the point. It takes time and "cutting back" allows you to gradually take time. I mean hey, its your life but i personally am worried that if cold turkey doesn't work for you either you're just gonna keep smoking. So I'd like you and everyone to quit successfully. Do what works for you but trust me, it isn't and it won't ever be easy

Yeah, some sort of something.

I have (5 years so far) but then by the time I quit I only smoked about 5 cigs/day

....

Two and a half hours smoke free. This is easy. Tobacco's a pussy.

I actually think quitting cold turkey is goddamn insane. And quitting with the help of a patch, gum, inhaler, etc. often ends up being like the methadone maintenance program for nicotine addicts.

I quit smoking a pack a day a couple years ago, but damned if I don't still put on a 21mg patch every single day, and smoke at least one cigarette in the morning and one before bed. At least.

I've tried cold turkey. I think the longest I ever made it was one day, and that was mostly because I was extremely sick, and thinking about putting anything in my mouth made me vomit.

I hope to quit entirely by the end of 2016. As of now, I have it down so that nobody in my life except for my girlfriend and family knows that I smoke. I'm terribly ashamed of it. Things are not like they used to be. Taking a smoke break at work is just a terrible idea all around unless you're indispensable. I only smoke outside, at home, in my back yard, in my "smoking clothes" (which are disgusting). Because of this, I haven't had a cig for hours by the time I get to work, and my nose has already gone back to "normal," so I can smell the smokers across the goddamn room just like everyone else who doesn't smoke.

I'm not sure if I've achieved a kind of happy medium (I don't drink, and many non smokers do smoke when they drink, and most drinkers drink rather often), or if I'm just in denial. But whatever. 2/day is better than 20.

Advice? Don't ask me. I suck at this. My girlfriend was able to quit using an e-cig, "vaping," while if I suck on one of those things all I want to do is suck down a massive unfiltered rollie. But I will say this, the patch has been the only thing that's successfully decreased my smoking. Nothing else comes close. I love the patch. Prefer it to smoking actually.

I think I'm just a weakling. My father quit with cinnamon sticks, for Christ's sake. But my mother is like me. She used the patch for 10 years after her last cigarette, and only recently started cutting it into halves and then quarters.

Shrug.

^ how did he quit with cinnamon sticks?



YOU GOT THIS EVOLLOVE! BECAUSE I GOT THIS TOO!

depending on how much and how long you've been smoking, it takes 2-3 weeks for the acute cravings to cease.

having said that, being a smoker is like being catholic-- it never completely leaves you. i will always want to smoke. in emergencies, i still do.

but the only way to really kick it is cold turkey (even if you eventually rejoin the church). everythin else is faffing around pretending. cigarettes are super addictive so having them handy will make sure you don't quit. yes, you might need to reduce a bit at first but soon you will have to leap.

my own crucial technique was to breathe deeply when the cravings kicked. because cigarettes are both stimulating and calming, i induce physical calm with a series of deep breaths. for the stimulation, there's caffeine.

this is a tactical move, not a strategic one. you have to apply it on the spot.

as for larger strategies:

1) don't try to go on a diet at the same time, ha ha ha.

2) you're gonna eat more so try to eat healthy (i know you're vegetarian but so are doritos)

3) you might have to take some vacation days to deal with the brutal shift in mood, concentration, etc., until your brain rewires itself.

4) might be good sto start a little exercise at the same time. the difficulty breathing will be a good reminder/inducement to stick to your plan. running or swimming will tax the shit out of your lungs and give you something to work for. and the endorphins and dopamine will compensate somewhat for the lost pleasures of tobacco.

5) there will be some trigger behaviors/situations that will make you want to smoke more. for me it was coffee (it's gold with a smoke) and drinking (i smoked a whole pack or more during a night of drinking). so you gotta be mindful iat those moments, but don't quit coffee at the same time because it will induce a black depression. eat a pastry instead (you will get fat, work on that later).

6) pain is mandatory but suffering is optional.

7) through all this remember the breathing thing. to me, it made all the difference in interrupting the addiction loop whenever it kicked. a craving is basically a minor anxiety attack that demands quelling.

eta: wellbutrin? if it's serious and you can't take a 3-week vacation. great to keep your dopamine UP. and your insurance might cover it. the antismoke version i think is labeled XL or something similar.

^ damn...nice to see you again ho.



I guess this is a bad time to quit smoking....I just entered a weight loss contest at work....

Funny, I just dropped a hundred bucks at the grocery store. But it's all organic. I'm still not getting the urge to pig out on shitty food.


I concur.

Everything was really useful, but I'm pretending this isn't true:


because I'm finding the chant "I am not a smoker, therefore I do not smoke" to be a help.

Also exercise. I took a walk in the park and met the charismatic leader of a group of kind, spiritual people. I spoke with them for quite a long time and came to understand the god Lugar is in eternal conflict with his adopted brother Phylic, and we humans are stuck in the middle. No wonder life is chaos! He convinced me to simplify my existence by giving away my possessions. To him. And build character by working on a farm. His. I know I haven't been myself today, but I really do feel I've found my life's purpose. Way to go, exercise!

Dood...yer just quitting smoking....not joining a cult.

Apparently he is doing both

thanks. you too.

yeah, smoking in large amounts helps to eat less

not that there aren't fat smokers, but most people who quit smoking add some pounds. it's not just the oral fixation thing but i think nicotine nausea suppresses hunger and who knows what else.



ha ha ha. american parks are magnets for the insane. not sure why. tell him you already sided with ahura mazda and your name isn't martha, macy, may or marlene.

about the exericse-- just don't get a heart attack or something. easy does it. you can't make exercise a habit if you get injured.

and if the chant works for you keep doing it by all means. you have to be ruthless in your decision, and identity is a powerful motivator.

Almost everyone who quite smoking gains weight. Same is true of just about every kind of addict there is. Except for maybe the "beer only" alcoholic... s/he tends to lose a bit of pudge.

I have to admit, I don't actually think I have it in me to quit completely. When things are going well, I feel less of a need to smoke, and usually come very close to quitting entirely. But when things inevitably get worse again (last time I was unemployed, for instance) I said fuck it and smoked all the time. When my grandmother died, same deal. When my mom got sick, I lit up. I don't think I'm a very stable person in general, so when things get bad in my life it's very easy for me to go back to old crutches.

Probably not a great sign.

Got to quit sev. There are two types of smokers. Those who quit. And those who die.

I used the patch & it worked for me, finally! It was really difficult, I was in a bad mood for weeks. It was the smartest thing I've ever done! One thing that helped me a lot was riding my bike, slowly rebuilding lungs & heart, plus keeps your mind focused on something else & helps mitigate the inevitable weight gain

If looking for motivation, go hang out at the entrance of a hospital near the parking lot. You will see numerous people who are undergoing various treatments dragging their IV poles outside so they can take a drag. Some have family members roll them out in their wheelchairs......people suffering cancer and undergoing treatment and are still doing all they can for another cigarette.

I'm blessed to have never suffered nicotine cravings. I applaud your efforts and trust that you will take care of you......Sonic Love!

because there is no place else to go. People are expendable in the US. Don't forget it. Human life has no value here.

Smoking sucks but since we're all going to die horribly anyway in the next 20 years, I'm not sure its worth getting too worried about. Besides the fact that Fukushima has been dumping raidation into the environment for 5 years now, and now plans a massive tritium dump (The amount of tritium considered for potential release would be about 3.4 peta becquerels.) Also, it turns out natural gas is worse for the environment than burning coal could ever be because the whole system leaks at a rate of about 3-5% which is more devastating for the ozone layer and climate change. 3-5% (this is just a corporate estimate, it is certainly much greater) of all natural gas whether frakked or harvested otherwise leaks into the environment.

Also, its just a matter of time before some GMO goes wild from some big pharma lab. What was that live virus that was shipped in the vaccine a couple years ago and was only caught by accident thanks to an overachieving researcher.

Hang out in an ICU ward at your local hospital then get back to us about if you still think smoking is worth the risk.

I just woke up to Day 5 smoke-free. Day 2 was harder than day 1, but I have to say, this is a lot easier than I thought it would be. I'm not sure why this is so, and I'm waiting for it to really start sucking, but so far I seem to have the upper hand. I'm as shocked as anyone.

Some observations:

--Everyone's path is different. What works for me might not for others. My secret? A bit of pot, tons of food, breathing exercises and repeating over and over, "I am not a smoker. I don't smoke." But I can see how this could be a recipe for failure for someone else.

So if Evolghost has fallen, no shame. It's just that the right method has yet to be discovered.

--A history of depression, anxiety and mild psychosis has been a great help. There's no withdrawal symptom that has been at all surprising. "Yeah, yeah. Been there. Felt that. What else you got? Because right now you're boring me."

--A craving is an event. It has a beginning, middle and end. It's not a permanent state of being. And they really don't last very long.

--Coffee is a major trigger. Need to cut down. That'll suck a lot. Man, I love coffee. Mornings in general are the most difficult part of the day.

--Reading is a trigger! That caught me off guard. But now that I think about it, I always used to read with an ashtray, lighter, and some cigs by my side. Reading makes me want to smoke more than driving does. Crazy.

--I'm getting too confident, and I need to watch out for the "Well, I got this under control, so I can have just one" type of thinking.

But then, I'm not a smoker. I do not smoke. So why would I even want one?

A friend of mine who was also seeking to quit smoking switched to decaf. That worked for him, but mostly because what started as a need for an AM stimulant for him turned into a love of the taste of coffee. Like you said, everyone has their own path, but it might work for you as well.

As a complete aside: this same friend is the attorney who sued the band Suede on behalf of his client, a lounge singer with the same name. So any fans of the band on this board can feel free to hate him. He won't give a rat's ass :) :fuckyou:

congrats on the progress and finding what works for you.

yes it gets easier as days go by but remember the acute phase of your withdrawal is still in progress. people used to say 3 weeks. i had it last only 2 weeks. for some it might be more.

i also forgot to post this the other day: chewing gum, because it's actually a repetitive exercise, increases serotonin in the brain. if you have dental issues this might be a problem, but if a sugarless gum is something you can handle, it might be a good substitution for things like reading and driving, actually.

eg

http://www.livescience.com/17520-che...rformance.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...rtness-10.html

plus, if you need the caffeine as a drug without the smoke trigger, there's caffeinated gum for a one-stop stimulant shop.

I think it's funny that the first caffeine gum I came across advertised itself as "military grade." I just need to get my bowels moving, not march to Berlin.

Anyway, I haven't even wept one time. If this is as bad as it gets, I think I've got it under control. I have no way to explain my ease, and I'm sure I sound very obnoxious to anyone who's ever tried to slay this dragon. The last time I tried to quit was about a decade ago, and I came close to slashing my wrists. I have no idea what sort of maturity I acquired since then. Wish I did so I could sell it to others.

coffee was THE choice beverage of the carnage known as the american civil war, so i'm not in the least surprised about caffeine gum on apache helicopters.

also in israel everyone drinks coffee all the time-- perpetual war requires perpetual alertness. chik-chak, chik-chak!

did you ever read "food of the gods"? terence mckenna argued that coffee and sugar fueled modern capitalism and the industrial era. i believed him, still do.

I could go for a big ass cup right noW!

Hah! I get this. Indeed, one of the main reasons I continue to smoke, even if it's only 2/day, is to maintain some control over my metabolism. I hate public bathrooms, so it's easy for me to go all day without smoking. But after dinner, when I'm home, I feel like a boss when I can literally bully my colon into doing its thing.

But I've been smoking for so long that I'm pretty goddamn sure cancer is somewhere in my future. I don't want that. I really fucking don't. And I want to quit for good.

Maybe I need to join a support group or something.