Ex Smokers...

[NlghtJumper 0]

I know I need to quit soon, so I am wondering how you guys did it. Did you go cold turkey, patch it out, or lower the number you smoke everyday until you were able to quit all together? Or did you do something different? What is the best way?

A man will do anything for the right woman,
and when that woman destroys him,
that man will become a hunk of meat with the common sense of a rodeo clown! ~ Christopher Titus

[Broke 0]

I chain smoked two packs and then puked my guts out.

Divot your source for all things Hillbilly.
Anvil Brother 84
SCR 14192

[gravitational 0]

I quit cold turkey as I never really cared to smoke anyway. I will admit though that I will partake in a cigar or two each year for special ocassions.

------
Michael

[mjosparky 4]

Quote

I know I need to quit soon, so I am wondering how you guys did it. Did you go cold turkey, patch it out, or lower the number you smoke everyday until you were able to quit all together? Or did you do something different? What is the best way?

I smoked a pack and a half for over thirty years. In 1999 I was diagnosed with cancer and quit cold turkey. With the right motivation you can do anything.

My idea of a fair fight is clubbing baby seals

[Squeak 17]

1.5 to 2 packs per day, quit cold turkey, sort of
This is what I did.
1` [RED]STOP[/RED] BUYING THEM

2. your mates will, in short order stop giving you smokes when you bludge them.


3. you say I don't smoke when offered, NOT I'm giving up.

worked a charm for me

You are not now, nor will you ever be, good enough to not die in this sport (Sparky)
My Life ROCKS!
How's yours doing?

[bloody_trauma 2]

ok I'm gonna sqaure you away being that You are a service member and being that I am also an SM Who just happens to be a medic... The military has a wonderful healthcare system in place for just such a thing, so heres what you should do...

first find out if there is a smoking cessation class going on at your TMC/BAS, ask your medics they SHOULD know if not see below

1. get a DA689, write smoking cessation on it and have your 1sg sign it
2. get your butt to sickcall
3. when you get screened tell the medics that you're there for smoking cessation and that you'd like to start taking Zyban, or by its generic name buproprion

I'm on it right now and it works great, patches are shit they didnt do anything for me, I had already quit by the time i started using them anyways, i had quit for 4 months and then i nearly drowned in shit water and i started again but now i'm quitting again i fell of the bike but i'm getting right back on, feel free to PM if you have any questions or you can post them here for the benefit of all who care to gawk

Fly it like you stole it

[Pawl 0]

Cold turkey with the help of Zyban.
Only way I could do it.
DON'T cheat ...it's just not worth it.
I't's been 29 months now

"Africa is not for sissies"

[Zee 0]

Cold turkey - Stay away from bars and dare I say it, DROP ZONES until you feel that you can resist the temptation when someone else lights up.

Action©Sports

[dropdeded 0]

3. you say I don't smoke when offered, NOT I'm giving up.

=====================================

and say it to yourself.

I smoked for 25 years. "Tried" quiting a few times, that dont work. I quit cold turkey, yeah it sucked for awhile, probably no matter how its done you are still gonna want one. I wanted to smoke for quite awhile, hell still do sometimes, BUT I DONT SMOKE, Been about 3 years now. Good luck, and if your gonna quit, quit, dont fuck around with it.

dropdeded

------------------------------------------
The Dude Abides.
-

[Sky15 0]

I also used Zyban, wonderful stuff. Take it and KEEP smoking until the cigs taste bad, happens within about a week. Then quit. It makes it easier as you know if you smoke one you won't enjoy it, it's like you don't even get anything from it but a bad taste. And keep taking the Zyban for at lest 3 months!

That along with some hard candy, etc. for the hand/mouth fixation worked great for me. At the same time, my husband quit with NOTHING for help cold turkey after 30+ years of smoking!

The doc will do a blood test before you start to ensure you aren't prone to seizures I think.

Another good thing about Zyban, it's not nicotine. Which is good but it also means if you are still struggling you could put on a patch as well. I may have done that the first weekend at the dz, can't remember.

Good luck whatever you decide. It's tough but worth it. Can't believe it's been over 6 years now since we quit. I'll be pulling for ya!

[caspar 0]

its so painful reading this thread sitting at work dying for a cigarette knowing i need to quit.

"When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading."

[Slappie 9]

I quit 14 months ago. I used Zyban and the patch for the first month. Continued to take the Zyban for another 3 months. Wasn't easy, it's a lot of work and dedication on your part. The very first thing you need to figure out is if you WANT to quit. Without the want or desire, you'll fail every time.

Some of the things I kept in mind every time my brain told me it "needed" a cigarette was.

1. Don't empty and ashtray, have it full of butts and ashes. Keep it somewhere you can get to it when you want a smoke. Smell it frequently. That's what smokers smell like.

2. Try and remember after a Saturday night at the bar, the hacks and coughs you have the next morning.

3. How much better everything tastes. Now this is a caveat and can cause you to gain weight. Did for me but, since you're in the service. I think you should have some sort of physical activity. I'm very sedentary.

Pick a day in the future, set the date and stick to it. Figure out if you WANT to quit. You cannot do it for anyone but yourself. Don't try and say "well I quit for my wife, daughter/son etc.. etc.." you have to want to quit for yourself. If you try and use someone else as the reason, you'll only end up hating or holding it against that person for the cravings and the loss of the pleasures you derived from smoking.

ITS HARD be prepared ..


*edit to add*

After a year I can now safely smoke a cigar and not get massive cravings for a cigarette. I don't suggest trying to smoke a cigar for the first year. I have pretty good will power now against the cravings. So a cigar when out on the town enjoying some music & beer. Is "bad" but not nearly as bad as the 2 packs a day I was puffin for 21 years.

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[GARYC24 3]

I quit lots of times.
First of March I got sick, was in bed for 3 days, made an easy 3 days smoke-free, decided to continue not smoking, I'm 46 and this is the last time I will quit!
Never had 1 nicotine fit, craving at all!

[kirrz 0]

I have quit a few times on months at a go (the only reason I got back into it is because my boyfriend smokes and I don't have that much will power). The way is to go cold turkey and change the environment with which you associate smoking with. Clean up the area, maybe move stuff around, get rid of the ash trays etc

I have a mate who just quit, I was shocked because he was the biggest smoker I knew. He tried patches but didn't work.. he eventually got this puffer thing.. so everytime he feels like a ciggie he just puffs this nicotine thing and is fine..

Good luck & tell me how you did it!

[Slappie 9]

See that's what everyone told me.

"Change your environment and habits"

Well the only habit I was trying to get rid of was smoking. I wasn't giving up my morning coffee, my beer at the bar. I was only giving up smoking. So I never deviated from my routines. Never. The first morning I quit I drank a half pot of black coffee and went to work like normal. Hit the bar a few days later and had a few with friends for happy hour. Yes I wanted a smoke but I never associated smoking with this activities.

Hardest was driving. I always lit up when I got in the car.

So do what you feel will help. I didn't change anything except the fact I wasn't doing these things with a cigarette anymore.

"Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have found out the exact measure of injustice and wrong which will be imposed upon them."

[NlghtJumper 0]

Y'all are awesome. Thank you sooo much for all the great advice. It means a lot to me that so many of you are willin to help.

God, this is gonna suck...

A man will do anything for the right woman,
and when that woman destroys him,
that man will become a hunk of meat with the common sense of a rodeo clown! ~ Christopher Titus

[jtval 0]

I quit cold turkey.

I didn't use it often but I was given free patches.
the nicoderm ones. I used them a few times to see if it helped. the only thing it did was give me kick ass dreams.

everytime I felt the need for a smoke I did push-ups, sit-ups, or drank water.
it's all about taking your mindoff of your craving for a few minutes.

it'll be hard but if you really want to quit , you will

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[Jumpah 0]

Gradual reduction did not work with me or my friends. Cold turkey with an aid for the first few weeks worked best for us:

1) Start with a firm resolution to never smoke again. Not at a bar, or your wedding night, a bachelor party, or anything. Never. You have to agree that there are no celebrations so great as to allow you to top it off with a cigarette. I think this is the biggest hurdle to quitting...that you can never smoke again. I miss smoking outside in the winter. With this commitment the tempation isn't there to allow yourself a break.

2) Do not have a cig at the end of the night as a reward being smoke-free all day. You can't reward yourself with the object you are quitting.

3) Exercise and lots of water. Walk, run, stair master, something. Feel your lungs hurt. For me it was more emotional...I was horrified that I couldn't run 1/2 mile without being in mortal pain. Hire a trainer for a few sessions to get you started, or ask a gym-going friend to go with you the first few times.

4) Stoned wheat crackers as a snack...there is something gummy and chewy and dry about them that helps soak up that horrible clenching dry mouth feeling in your mouth when you are jonesing.

5) Get your friends and family to agree to help you, not isolate or make it harder. This may mean that they don't smoke in your house or car (or even THEIR car if you are riding with them...a true friend will do that for you), or that you can't go to the bar for a month until you are more under control.

6) Let your coworkers know. It'll help with any emotional symptoms you exibit, and it'll definitely keep you honest.

For me and most of my friends a nicotine patch for the first two weeks worked well. I smoked 1.5 packs a day so I used one patch for the first week and a patch that was half that strength for the next week.

7.5 years for me...good luck to you!

[Nenesanteago 0]

Cold Turky, did it 12 years ago. The best thing is to stay away from bars and smokers as well. I crave for almost a month after that i spure pleasure.

[lummy 4]

Quote

everytime I felt the need for a smoke I did push-ups, sit-ups, or drank water.
it's all about taking your mindoff of your craving for a few minutes.

Cold turkey as well and what I quoted was the key for me. Everytime I recognized the craving, I told myself that I'm an ex smoker now and the cravings were normal. It's been 5 years since I've smoked

I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. I promise not to TP Davis under canopy.. eat sushi, get smoochieTTK#1

[ChrisL 2]

Quote

I know I need to quit soon, so I am wondering how you guys did it. Did you go cold turkey, patch it out, or lower the number you smoke everyday until you were able to quit all together? Or did you do something different? What is the best way?

Cold Turkey. It was the best way for me.

That doesnt mean its the best way for everyone. For me it was the only way.

Smoked 2 packs (sometimes more) Marlboro Reds a day for almost 25 years
Quit cold turkey just over 5 yeas ago and never looked back.

I cant tell you how good it feels to not have that monkey on my back anymore...

__

My mighty steed

[jtval 0]

yep, I 've been smoke free since jump Number 2.

thats almost 7 years

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[popsjumper 2]

Congrats...ALL of you.
I get so happy to hear that people quit smoking.

My reality and yours are quite different.
I think we're all Bozos on this bus.
Falcon5232, SCS8170, SCSA353, POPS9398, DS239

[4201 0]

I've been cig free for 8 months. I'm 25. I started smoking when i was 12. smoked a pack a day since i was 17. I went cold turkey. That's what i would suggest. Got to give it up, take a few days off work to help with the stress factor, and forget you ever smoked in the first place. After 2 weeks things will get better as for the cravings. I still get a craving every now and again; but, for the most part, I am totally over them. In fact, when i smell one, it offends me for some reason.

[Chiquita 14]

I more or less quit cold turkey. I read a book that I found in the office at my old apartment complex. It is calledAllen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking. It talks a lot about dealing with the addiction and how to get over it. I found it to be a very good book. Three days from now will be 4 months for me & I have not had one craving. My boyfirend still smokes, as do quite a few friends. I never stopped doing anything or going to any of the places that I had a tendancy to smoke. Barnes & Noble online has it. There are 55 reviews on the book & it has a 5 star rating. You should check it out

One month after I quit I went to a boogie for 4 days & did not have any craving, even when I was drinking and partying. After that weekend I knew I was done for good.

The book is an easy read, but at the same time it wasn't. I had started to read it about 8 or so months prior and got about 3 chapters in and stopped reading. Then I just picked it up one day and read it all the way through, it took me a little while but I made it through it. Then about 2 wekks later I decided I was going to quit.

"Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity"