Quitting smoking

[yamark]

Not sure if this has been covered any where. Frankly, I'm too on edge to search for it. Plus, typing this is helping me get through a craving.

First off, I am attempting the "cut back" method as suggested by my doc. I smoked 1.5 packs a day. I started Monday with a set time schedule my doc set out for me. Basically, I can smoke every 4 hours. 8AM, 12PM, 4PM, 8PM, 12AM. She actually suggested I start with 2 hours, I felt strong enough to try out 4. This method is supposed to teach yourself control and help you break habits such as a cig with coffee or a cig after dinner.

I'm doing well so far.

I chose to start this week because my band is on a 2 week holiday vacation. Something about playing music makes me want to smoke. So, without the band, it'll be easier.

But, I am worried about when we start up after the holidays. Anyone have a successful smoking cessation while in a band?

[sloasdaylight]

Originally Posted by yamark

Not sure if this has been covered any where. Frankly, I'm too on edge to search for it. Plus, typing this is helping me get through a craving.

First off, I am attempting the "cut back" method as suggested by my doc. I smoked 1.5 packs a day. I started Monday with a set time schedule my doc set out for me. Basically, I can smoke every 4 hours. 8AM, 12PM, 4PM, 8PM, 12AM. She actually suggested I start with 2 hours, I felt strong enough to try out 4. This method is supposed to teach yourself control and help you break habits such as a cig with coffee or a cig after dinner.

I'm doing well so far.

I chose to start this week because my band is on a 2 week holiday vacation. Something about playing music makes me want to smoke. So, without the band, it'll be easier.

But, I am worried about when we start up after the holidays. Anyone have a successful smoking cessation while in a band?

I have, and so has my singer, and its electronic cigarettes. They give you a different type of nicotine high, more gradual, but they work very well, at least for me.

The cool thing about e-smokes is they allow you to do pretty much everything the same, but at the same time allow you to not only reduce the nicotine level with each drag, but they also help to alieviate the random daily cravings. I'm the 3 months since I bought my first e-cig, I haven't had a smoke and reduced my nicotine consumption substantially, and I didn't buy them specifically to quit.

I would really look into them if you're interested in quitting.

[yamark]

I have the e-cig and a large pack of refills. But I only use it when I am dire. I don't want to drop one habit just to rely on another. But, the ecig sounds like a great idea to take to rehearsals.

Question about the ecig though....how many draws do you take off it? Do you smoke it like its a regular cig or just take 1-2 draws? I've only been taking one draw.

[rtslinger]

My son was put on Chantix and it worked. He had non of the scare warnings by The FDA in its warning stated that their families and doctors to closely watch for any changes in behavior or moods while using and after using Chantix.


He quit with it a few months and has not gone back. Started smoking in his teens 16 he quit at 22 he is 26

[yamark]

I did a "quit smoking" search on these forums. Lots to read.

Chantix scares the crap out of me. A friend of mine tried to burn his house down while he was sitting in the middle of it while on Chantix.

I am strong enough to quit without mind altering chemicals.

[Staccato]

Forget about today, tomorrow, or next week and cravings. Make the decision to add years to your life (or lung capacity when taking a breath). Then, cuss the idea every time you feel a craving, and don't do it! Turn on the TV, or loud music.

Note: Don't substitute eating for smoking, that would be trading one addiction for another.

[sloasdaylight]

Originally Posted by yamark

I have the e-cig and a large pack of refills. But I only use it when I am dire. I don't want to drop one habit just to rely on another. But, the ecig sounds like a great idea to take to rehearsals.

Question about the ecig though....how many draws do you take off it? Do you smoke it like its a regular cig or just take 1-2 draws? I've only been taking one draw.

I'll tell you this much, with the e cig you can do everything you normally do that you've mentally associated with smoking, drinking, driving, ( not together one would hope) playing music, etc. and slowly work your way off of nicotine, while at the same time not putting all those chemicals and carcinogens into your body that you get from smoking.

I used to smoke around half what you do, roughly 10 smokes predator, but occasionally more if I were going to a bar or a show or what have you, and after about 3 months of e cigs, I don't smoke in bars, rarely smoke at band practice, don't smoke in the car, I'm essentially off nicotine, and like I said, I didn't start smoking to quit.

[LAPetrarca]

Congrats! It's the best thing you can do for yourself! 12 years quit as of the first of this month myself.

I kind of did mine at the same time while the band was taking a break for the holidays but, I used the patch. With the band on break, it helped to avoid bars and clubs where the temptation to light up would be very strong.

I was determined to start the new millennium smoke-free so, once the band got started up again, it became sort of a personal challenge to resist lighting up.

After a while, it's done. No more urges and you start to notice how smokers smell like walking ashtrays.

Good luck!

[gttim]

I quit 19+ years ago. It took me a long time to quit for good. Once you quit taking nicotine in your body, the physical cravings will be gone after 7 days. Then it is all about mental cravings. Get completely off nicotine. Then just do anything else then smoke. After 7 days, when it is all mental, do not let yourself think about, or romance, a smoke.

Try to stay away from alcohol for a while. It is so easy to backslide when having a few beers, or drinks. Stay away from triggers. I used to always like having a smoke with morning coffee or while driving somewhere. I still had to drive, but I just tried to eat some fruit or drink something instead. Note when your cravings are, and how to avoid them.

I also suggest taking up some sport or activity you like. Something to keep you occupied.

[Jim Nazium]

I struggled with quitting for a while, but for me, the tipping point was realizing that smoking made me feel worse, not better. Once I admitted that to myself, it was over. It's been 25 years this September.

You will feel better.
You will look better.
You will smell better.
You will have more money.
You will live to see your kids get a few years older.

[stratovani]

It's been 5 1/2 years since I quit. Best thing I ever did, by far. One motivator for me was seeing old people toting oxygen tanks with them wherever they went. That's the ravages of emphysema, and I had reached the age where that was a distinct possibility in my future. Who wants to go through life tethered to an oxygen tank? That made quitting easier for me.

One thing that really pisses me off nowadays is seeing teenagers smoke. There's a small donut shop near our high school, and after school the kids congregate there to hang out and smoke before going home. I'm so tempted to go up to the school and tell them to do something about it. These kids think it's cool to smoke, and they'll live forever, but are they in for a surprise in the future!

[runmikeyrun]

Good for you! smoking is the #1 most preventable cause of death in the USA. Eating processed food/fast food is probably #2 lol.

I quit in 1996 at the ripe age of 19. I had smoked since I was 12. I used the cut back method as well. I didn't have any physical withdrawl symptoms, but putting down those last couple cigarettes and actually quitting was different.

The key is once you quit don't fool yourself into thinking you have one occasionally and not start back up. That is a lie. Don't have another one or you're start back up.

[yamark]

Added an extra hour to my time today just to see if I could do it. And I did it.

I exercise every day. I eat pretty healthy. Just found out I'm expecting a baby next August. Life couldn't be better.

I can't let cigs ruin it for me.

That said, i want one anyway!

[Chebass88]

I have done it completely cold-turkey. It is hell for the first week or so, but after that, not so much of a problem. The thing that is required above all is an iron resolve. No matter how good that second hand smoke smells, or how tasty it would be with a beer, or in the morning drive, just don't do it.

Alternatively, another technique that works for me is an really large bet. The way I approach it is that if I cave in & smoke, I owe the other person that money. So, say I make it for $1000 for no smoking for 6 months - if I smoke before then, I owe $1000 to my friend.

And no, it is not an impossible amount of money. It is the idea of making the consequence of smoking real - a $100 bet? Anyday - I make that in a gig. $1000? That's a significant additional mortgage payment - that is serious. Further, if you don't have that kind of money or don't want to pay it, DON'T ******* SMOKE!!!

I tried to make a bet with a guy in the office with weight loss - he doesn't want to pay, and keeps whining about how he is human. At some point, your mind has the strength to do what you want to do, or not. That's all there is to it.

[fjadams]

Getting sick and almost getting dead did it for me, although I'm not recommending it for anyone else.

Smoked for 42 years, from 9 to 51. In three days it'll be 9 years without one.

[tZer]

Originally Posted by yamark

Not sure if this has been covered any where. Frankly, I'm too on edge to search for it. Plus, typing this is helping me get through a craving.

First off, I am attempting the "cut back" method as suggested by my doc. I smoked 1.5 packs a day. I started Monday with a set time schedule my doc set out for me. Basically, I can smoke every 4 hours. 8AM, 12PM, 4PM, 8PM, 12AM. She actually suggested I start with 2 hours, I felt strong enough to try out 4. This method is supposed to teach yourself control and help you break habits such as a cig with coffee or a cig after dinner.

I'm doing well so far.

I chose to start this week because my band is on a 2 week holiday vacation. Something about playing music makes me want to smoke. So, without the band, it'll be easier.

But, I am worried about when we start up after the holidays. Anyone have a successful smoking cessation while in a band?

Yep. Me. It can be done. I did it in a strange way that my dad invented. He too stopped smoking after over 40 years of pack a day plus smoking using his method - so there are at least 2 of us out there who have successfully used his 'method' to break the habit.

I had my last smoke somewhere around 1993 and have never gone back nor had even the slightest craving. As a matter of fact, the thought of smoking makes me feel 'green around the gills' - and being around too much smoke does the same thing.

You can do it! I am happy to share my dad's method if you are interested. PM me and I'll post it to you. It's weird - but it worked for me and him (and maybe a few other people he turned on to it).

[Ricnroll]

I smoked over a pack a day for about 17 years. I voluntarily spent tens of thousands of dollars on cigarettes.

In order to quit I had to recognize the addictive qualities of the nicotine. While trying several times to quit I found that my brain would rationalize putting more nicotine into my system in many plausible ways. My brain would tell me "it's OK if you borrow one from X, it'll just be one", or "it's OK if you buy a pack today, you can quit tomorrow". The scenarios that my brain would present were many and varied, they always made enough sense for me to keep feeding my body nicotine. I finally made the very simple conclusion that the only way to quit was to never put nicotine into my body ever again, under any circumstance. Sounds simple right? let me repeat.. The only way to quit is to never put nicotine into your body ever again, under any circumstance! It helped me finally realize that the voice* telling me to "just do this" or "just do that" was the addiction. Once I recognized it, I was in a much better position to prevent it's sabotage.

The actual quitting was easy. The unpleasant sensations of nicotine withdrawal are very minor, not much worse than feeling hungry (different than, but about the same intensity level in my experience). You don't have to have a high tolerance for pain, a little girl could make it through this without shedding a tear. Your body is not going to go into sweats and convulsions. All you have to deal with is a very minor unpleasant sensation for a short period of time. The desire to smoke presents itself, lasts a little while, then subsides and you forget about it until the next time. After the first few days both the intensity and frequency diminish. Every time the desire to smoke presents itself recognize it, tell yourself it will diminish in a short period of time and don't listen to your brain telling you any stories that "it'll be OK if you just...."

While you are going through this let your rational mind keep reminding you that your government is removing cash from your wallet every day through a very insidious scheme linked to your addiction.

When you get through it you are going to realize many more benefits than just having extra cash at the end of each month. Wait until you can taste a mango again or start sleeping more soundly or have extra cardiovascular capacity.

Good Luck, I probably could have articulated this better but I hope you get the gist.

If I can be of any help please let me know.

(*not an actual voice, just a figure of speech)

[basscooker]

switching smoking for eating is not a good idea, necessarily, but i have a middle-ground solution- research "negative calorie foods". these are fruits and veggies that require more calories to digest than they have in them to begin with. celery, apples, pineapples are a few, and i don't exactly think you can really do much damage to your body with those.

[yamark]

Thanks ricnroll. I am starting to realize exactly what you just said. My doc strongly urged the cut back method of smoking at very specific time intervals. This is done to change the psycho logic habits of smoking. I must say, its working very well. Only 3 days in and my habits have already changed. Going 4 hours without was so easy, I pushed it to five hours. This weekend will be a huge test for me with travelling and all that comes associated with this time of year. But ultimately, I have to smoke that last one sometime soon.

I beginning to say to myself mid fifth hour cigarette "This is totally not worth it." Cravings have become shorter and easier to fend off. I think part of it may be knowing that I can smoke in a few hours.

So Ricnroll, you are right. While my doc suggests continuing to smoke for 6 more weeks pushing the limits of my addiction to once every twelve hours, my body and mind is telling me it can be done sooner.

Basscooker, I ate damn near a pound of celery and carrots last night. The only food substitute I have made is atomic fireballs. Damn things take a craving away in 5 seconds flat.

[basscooker]

sorry! worked for me, thought i'd mention it.