How to live life without cigarettes? (smoke, sleep, pain, deal)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I smoked for twenty years... Yikes!!
I made the decision that I did not need, or want them in my life anymore, and I quit, 4 months ago.
I will not lie...I still have cravings, but when I do,I tell myself that I can get through this. I usually take at least three or more very deep breaths, then I will walk away from what I am doing at the present time, and do something else, and the craving passes.
I also tell myself that this is something I want, really bad, and I look at it as a fight with the devil.... I will win!
Congratulations, and good luck!!!!
I quit smoking for a month. Quit cold turkey from a pack a day. I have to say it was the most miserable month of my life. My cravings never subsided. I work a call center job where I get yelled and and cursed at all day. Cigarettes help me deal with it and I perform much better at work when I smoke. I relapsed last week and am back up to 10 cigarettes a day. I am going to try again tomorrow to quit. Question is, I am not sure how to cope with it. I know the habit is disgusting and unhealthy, and I know the risks. If it wasn't for societal pressure I would not quit. However, being in my mid-20s it is very unfashionable at my age to smoke and people look down on me for it, so I have no choice but to quit. Is there any advice on how to deal with it? How do I make myself "want" to quit?
P.S. Never smokers please don't tell me how stupid the habit is and that its easy to quit.
This is what worked for me and I have been smoke free for many, many years after smoking for a long time: Acupuncture and hypnosis. The acupuncture is great - my practitioner put metal clips in both ears and that supposedly releases endorphins or something . . . so cravings are cut.
My work had a person come in to do hypnosis for people who wanted to stop smoking. I had them do a custom session and tape for me in which they told me how absolutely great I was going to feel and that I would never want to smoke again.
I had one week of slight discomfort - nothing terrible, just very mild and transient cravings, then poof, I was free!
Never looked back.
Think how much money you will save and how fresh your breath and skin and clothes will be!
I smoked for twenty years... Yikes!!
I made the decision that I did not need, or want them in my life anymore, and I quit, 4 months ago.
I will not lie...I still have cravings, but when I do,I tell myself that I can get through this. I usually take at least three or more very deep breaths, then I will walk away from what I am doing at the present time, and do something else, and the craving passes.
I also tell myself that this is something I want, really bad, and I look at it as a fight with the devil.... I will win!
Congratulations, and good luck!!!!
I fought that devil over 3 years ago, cold turkey after 30 years. It was sooo worth it. I am free of it at last and will never smoke again.
For me, the first few weeks were the worst, the first few months were tolerable. But after a year it gets so much easier. Now after 3 years I have no desire whatsoever.
Try electronic cigarettes. I smoked for 40 years before stopping in April 2009 using them. Even with subsequent stressors (death of my father, etc) I managed to keep away from real cigarettes.
Not only do you get the 'hand to mouth' motion of smoking, but you inhale nicotine-vapor (the vapor is the same stuff they use in fog machines and the like). You can't quite do smokerings, but it is very close to the real thing.
I smoked tobacco for 35 years before stopping in April 2010. I didn't want to quit either but it was an accident! For me, quitting smoking was a side effect of Vaping. It's great that you can choose the nicotine strength too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by myrc60
This is what I've been doing since the end of August 2010. I don't remember the exact date either and I think this maybe a subconsious plus. The smoke an e-cig creates is cleaner so it is different and it can take some adjusting to but for me it works and can work for you too. Go to E-Cigarette Forum for more information on this cleaner alternative to stinky cigarette smoke.
This is THE SOURCE of Vaping Information. If I didn't start reading ECF, I'd still be smoking for sure.
Quote:
Originally Posted by myrc60
Don't even consider buying locally; most of the offerings are only teasers. Check out the link I posted; study the site for a few days, weeks, months and then decide your course of action. I studied the site for a minimum of 6 months before I ordered anything. There is a lot of information there and you will find me there too under the same name. PM me here or there or join and post in the New Members Forum. People are very helpful on the site.
So true! Don't buy from a mall kiosk and don't order free trials. I read ECF for months before I took the plunge too. I would highly recommend it to anyone interested in electronic cigarettes.
I'm really interested in the e-cigs, however, there is a lot of info and very confusing and I'm wondering how much they cost to start up and where can you get them? Can you buy locally or is it all "online"?
Any dealer you find locally is purchasing the electronic cigarettes from this source:
It is the Chinese manufacturer/dealer. I buy from Heaven's Gifts all the time. Quick shipping (sometimes held up for a day or two in customs, but otherwise usually about 8 business days). They are having a Christmas sale right now.
I recommend the Joy eGo. The starter kit is selling right now for $52.20. Also buy some 'empty' (as opposed to pre-loaded) cartridges from Heaven's Gift. You will then simply squeeze your e-liquid into the foam of the cartridge.
I do not buy my e-liquid from China, however. I buy from two USA manufacturers:
From Johnson Creek you can buy the 'sampler' pack that has different flavors.
PG versus VG: Lots of discussion on the e-cigarette forums about which liquid is 'best' for you. The VG is a Vegetable Glycerine while PG is Propylene Glycol.
Johnson Creek has both types. Some, like me, feel that the PG is a bit harsher on your lungs for long term usage (although nothing like real cigarette smoke!). I switched, after a year, from PG to VG (the Red Oak line at Johnson Creek) and feel like my lungs are very 'clean' now.
Try the Mareado flavor from Johnson Creek. Excellent flavor with good 'throat hit' and good vapor.
If you like the Joy eGo (I love it) you will want to buy extra batteries and atomizers (which now come in different colors). I usually keep four or five by my side since you don't want to 'burn out' an atomizer too quick by repeated puffs.
Oh, Heaven's Gift now has these funkly little plastic things (90 cents for 4) that you fit over the button on the eGo for travelling purposes (keeps the button from accidentally being pressed and hence turning on the atomizer/heater).
Heaven's Gift has several different types of e-cigarettes, as well as 'pipes' and cigars. I have tried most of the cigarettes, and finally settled on the eGo.
This might be extreme for you but it worked for me. First start smoking the cheapy cigarettes. They taste terrible but do it. Also start a cardio regime, bicycle, running,join a gym, whatever it is you can do. Immediately following your cardio regime, try to smoke a cigarette. This is kind of an extreme form of aversion therapy, but it worked for me.
Also pay attention to the lung cancer ads, or actually volunteer to help lung cancer patients if you can. All of this helped me quit for 3 years now
Also realize that it only takes 1 to start the habit again.
While both legalsea and wannabee both posted information, I'll add by saying I went to ECF and read the information for 2 weeks, verifying everything with medical information.
I was looking for an alternative to smoking in the house, quitting was not my objective.
By the third week, I had ordered my first kit and two small bottles of e-juice.
By the end of that first month I had left smoking behind me, there wasn't a single side-effect of chewing someone's head off, tearing the fridge door off to forage, no climbing the walls or chewing pencils
The prices and vendors quoted above is nothing compared to whats available, literally thousands of vendors, both in and outside of the USA.
If you see any e-cig kits available for over 65.00, please look elsewhere, the normal range is 35 / 45.00
Every piece of advice on this thread is worth trying. I have 40 months today after trying zillions of times to stop during my 40 years as a smoker. What did it for me was falling on my face trying every way known to man.
Then Chantix worked like a charm. I promote nothing, if you don't stop trying you will do it, sooner or
later because you can find something that works for you. Many people on this thread found what works for them, use their suggestions and something will click for you, too. Nicotene has no power in my life today and for people like me thats a miracle.
Every piece of advice on this thread is worth trying. I have 40 months today after trying zillions of times to stop during my 40 years as a smoker. What did it for me was falling on my face trying every way known to man.
Then Chantix worked like a charm. I promote nothing, if you don't stop trying you will do it, sooner or
later because you can find something that works for you. Many people on this thread found what works for them, use their suggestions and something will click for you, too. Nicotene has no power in my life today and for people like me thats a miracle.
That's the miracle for me too. Being FREE. It's an emancipation, no longer a slave to cigarettes.
It'll be 12 years for me in September. I still cannot believe I actually did it. I quit with my sister, it was her fourth try, my first, both of us were successful. Quitting with someone else really helps. On the worst days, I didn't cheat because I would have been letting my sister down. She said the same thing.
I used Wellbutrin and the patch (though used the patch for only three weeks, dropping a level every week, instead of every six weeks)
I cried almost constantly for the first month. And I mean I cried. I felt like I'd lost my best friend.
I gave my up afternoon coca-cola habit and lost 10 pounds.
The cravings did not leave me for seven years, but I did not give in to them. I dreamed about smoking for years, but when the cravings finally stopped in the 7th year, the dreams stopped too.
I had plenty of trauma in my life during the early years after I first quit. I did not turn to cigarettes, thank goodness.
The advice in the post I quoted above is excellent. Keep trying. If it doesn't work this time, it may work the next. Never give up the fight to become free of the slavery of nicotine addiction and the cigarette habit. It's totally worth it.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.