Quitting smoking...w/rant.

[Leadfoot281]

That tears it. I'm going to quit smoking. Any tips? Don't tell me to go cold turkey either. The only time that worked was in basic training and I don't think Sgt's. Miller, Denmen, and Acevedo have the time to follow me around all day and yell at me.

Has anyone successfully used hypnosis or these new drugs?

I'm so mad at Minnesota right now I'm willing to try anything. Minnesota recently passed a "freedom to breath" act which out-lawed smoking in "public" places. Yeah, right... The only "public place" that smoking got banned in was bars.

Normally I love smoking. Y'know, just cheerfully doing my part for The State. You see, after 9-11-01 our great tourism industry got hit hard. Minnesotas vast army of smokers were called upon in The States time of need and we dutifully paid $1/pack increase to help out. I proudly stepped up to the plate and puffed tough because my beloved State needed me. Had it not been for my heroic, and selfless actions, The State would have been auctioned off years ago. I'm a hero!

But now Minnesota thinks that people who want to go to a smokey bar are a bunch of health nuts. If you want to go to a bar, sit motionless on a bar stool all day long, pounding down shots, and eatting batter fried cheese curds, at least it shouldn't be smokey. That smoke is bad for you! :rolleyes:

Seat belt laws, anti-smoking laws...Where is it going to end? At least they don't have condom use laws. That has the possiblity of messing up people faster than second hand smoke ever did.(oops! I better not give them any ideas!)

Why hasn't The State lowered cig taxes now that tourism has returned to Minnesota? All I do is give, give, give. They just take, take, and take some more. It's like dating a chick that hates you. No respect I tell ya, no respect! Therefore Minnesota and I calling it quits. Gov. Tim Pawlentry, don't ask me to move your stuff either. We're through.

[offroadkarter]

Have you tried marajuana?

Just kidding, good to hear you want to quit since it kinda lowers your lifeline anyways.

[HwyCruiser]

Commit Lozenges provide a pretty good buzz. The cherry ones don't taste too bad either. I used them for a month and then went cold turkey after realizing how much I was spending on them.

[Motorhead350]

I like to chew gum. I have never smoked anything in my life nor will I ever try. I cannot say I understand where you are coming from, but I think I can understand a little. Gum works for me and I hardly have it anymore... maybe 3 times a week, but when I do it's usually piece after piece till half of my pack of extra is gone.

My suggestion is to limit yourself and do not think about it. Gum will work as a subsitiute and it worked for my dad. He went from 6 cigars a day to half, but he gave gum up and started smoking more. He smokes about 3 a day now, sometimes more if I drive him crazy. Thinking of going Straight Edge?

[Leadfoot281]

Dom, I've been "strait edge" for 9+ years now. I've done everything and quit everything. Can't seem to shake this smoking thing though. Drinking two+ pots of coffee every day is probably what's killing me.

I've never tried the Commit Lozenges. If it worked for you, I'm going to try it. I used the patch...for a while. Those things made my heart pound. They also turned my dreams into mind bending 8 hour halucinogenic nightmares.

I sometimes wish they'd go all the way and make tobacco illegal. They got rid of leaded gas and leaded paint. Asbestos is basically gone too. Every one agrees that smoking is bad....(except of course for the State, and Federal Government). They depend on it's tax income every bit as much as I depend on nicotine.

[CBT]

I did hypnosis with someone who wanted to go that route, I didn't take it seriously because I wasn't the one who wanted to do it. But when we walked out, I tossed my cigs in the trash. Because it actually worked! Then several months later I started back. Then a couple years ago I tried Zyban. Whoa. Talk about an experience. It was originally developed to help people lose weight but they noticed the smokers were quitting the cigs as well as quitting the Krispy Kremes. They also noticed it made people happier. It also has another side affect on roughly 1% of the people who take it. Raging sex drive. I was in that 1%. And I didn't need to be in the first place. Good times! Anyway, Zyban worked, after about 10 days my ciggs start to taste like crap but I wasn't thinking about smoking anyway. I took up smoking again on a very long drive to attend a funeral. Should have never started back. I have the 4mg mint flavored Commit lozenges, the box sits by the coffee so I see them each morning. One morning I will open the box. Good luck with your quitting, I hope you can do it.

[JMan]

Alrighty then - I quit in May of this year. I am not your average dumbass kid that started smoking at twelve, I started in my twenties (i.e. total dumbass!)! I had overcome all other vices in the past but had smoked for nearly twenty-five years without trying to quit . . . I just couldn't!

To make a long story short, I used Chantix and it is tremendous. You have to want to quit like me and this allows you to at a convenient time for you. You can take the stuff for 90 or 120 days but I only did it for 28 days. It just shuts down the urge to smoke and takes away the nicotine fits. The first week you take it you smoke normally. By the end of that week, the urge is gone. It's not a mind altering drug like Wellbutrin or Zyban, it blocks the receptors in your brain that are looking for nicotine.

http://www.chantix.com/content/Chantix_Branded_Homepage.jsp?s etShowOn=../content/Chantix_Branded_Homepage.jsp&setShowHighlightOn=../content/Chantix_Branded_Homepage.jsp

Hope that helps and best of luck in your quest!

JMan

[Blackened300a]

How about the fear of cancer??
My parents and my sister smoke almost 3 packs a day each.(Yeah its sickening)
About seven years ago, my mother had pain in her throat and had a hard time speaking and swallowing. The reason was because of polyps that formed on her throat. She had them removed successfully and lucky for her they were non-cancerous, about two years later against the doctors orders that she quit smoking, the polyps returned. This time even more painful. She had yet another painful surgery but was lucky yet again that the polyps were non-cancerous. The smoking continued about a week after the surgery.
Just last month, The polyps returned yet again! This time even more painful and bigger. She went into surgery the begining of the month and had them removed. This time the doctor informed her that one of the polyps had a brown color to it instead of the normal white and this can be a sign of throat cancer. They rushed a biopsy on the polyp and for five days my mother and my entire family sat in panic wondering how much her life is going to change because of this. Lucky for her once again, the tests proved non-cancerous but the scare of losing her life made her quit.
She was very lucky it was only a scare, had it been the real thing it would have been heart breaking to watch her go through this.
So far the week before her surgery and now over a week after her surgey shes been smoke free.
Shes happy about that and will never forget the terror of waiting to see what is going to happen.
I never tried smoking and never will so I cant relate to what the addicition is. I just know it smells horrid to be around a person who smokes and kissing a girl who smokes has to be the worlds nastiest experience.

Is smoking really worth it??

[Marauderjack]

You CANNOT quit until you are dedicated to quitting and REALLY want to......PERIOD!!!:shake: There are no "quick fixes" unless you really want to stop...then they (patch, etc.) are helpful to some degree??:cool:

My dear Mother passed away from mouth and throat cancer in 1974 and it took me another THREE YEARS to wake up and quit??:shake: Yes, she was a fairly heavy smoker!!:argue:

On the first "Great American Smoke Out" sponsored by the American Cancer Society in 1977.....I decided to stop for 24 hours.....then a day at a time until now??:confused:

November 15th this year marks 30 YEARS since I quit for good!!!:beer::beer: I stopped a week here and a week there but this was the REAL DEAL and I firmly believe I would not be here today "pecking" on this keyboard had I not quit!!!:shake:

GOOD LUCK in your efforts....it's tough but WORTH IT!!!;)

Marauderjack:burnout:

[Leadfoot281]

Thanks for the responses guys. Looks like I have a lot more options than I originally thought. I've picked the 31st as my quit date.

[jgc61sr2002]

My wife stopped smoking after 40 years with the perscription drug Phantix.:D
Good Luck you can't stop soon enough IMO.

[Motorhead350]

Thanks for the responses guys. Looks like I have a lot more options than I originally thought. I've picked the 31st as my quit date.

That's my birthday... so it's my gift to you. ;) John you can do it!

[whoskal]

I quit smoking by Biking........A lot of the reason why people smoke (other than the nicotine) is the stimulation it gives them in the lungs...running and biking worked for me.....remember it usually takes people several tries to quit.....don't give up!!!! it took me quit a few tries.... smoking is stupid...you pay a company to kill yourself...I cant believe I ever started....oh well .. live and learn....Good Luck!!

[whoskal]

Ohhhhh.. and think of all the cool $h!t you will be able to buy with the money you'll save!!!!

[SMOKE]

I currently smoke, but was "sucessful" in quitting for a number of years a while back. I went back because I was weak and haven't got back to being "quit" yet due to another vice/habit that is taking more of a priority right now to resolve. In time, I'll crush this smoking thing, but:

Setting a quit date is important. Share it with everyone you know. I used my birthday.

Do something symbolic (I balled up a new pack of smokes, and threw them in a dumpster at work). Doesn't have to be elaborate, it's for yourself.

Don't convince yourself it's okay to have a cigar every now and then (my deal with myself at the time). No tobacco anymore in any situation.

Watch the mental part of the addiction. There are products to help curb the craving...but the mental part? If you are like me, you catch yourself in the car marking off highway signs or exits or other landmarks which coincide with when you start/end a smoke. Be aware of this and you may be able to start picking your addiction apart.

You may be like me if you find yourself looking for a quick walk to the back of the building for a smoke and perhaps a clear thought, and think that's the only way to get motivated at work. Try just going for the walk.

People, places and things are your biggest hurdle. Knocking the "habit" includes knocking the triggers as well. A big effort in distracting yourself is required, and you need a positive attitude because change is hard and your mind and it's craving has a vested interest in the past (as a smoker), and will throw everything it has at you to convince yourself to light up again. An unchanged man will smoke again.

There are nicotine "anonymous" groups out there. Your doctor may be able to point you in the right direction as well. Don't have a regular doctor? Go to a local hospital and try to dig up some literature, they also tend to host "support" meetings for smokers trying to quit. Getting plugged into to others with the same goal is helpful.

No magic wand here, just some kind words of support and I hope you get some traction on this. Your rant is justified and don't stop asking for help.

-Jonathan

[Dr Caleb]

^^ I echo what they all say,

I'm a part time quitter too, didn't start smoking till after I left home after university. Then I realized living with 2 smokers had me addicted - all my life. I quit for weeks at a time, currently on day 3 of cold turkey. And I want one so bad right now I'd kill everyone on this block to have one. Even after both my parents died from smoking, I still find quitting very tough.

BUT: I know that not having a cig won't hurt me, but having a cig will hurt me. If someone gave me a pill that would make me feel lousy now, but kill me in 10 years - would I take it? Cigarettes are a depressant, the first one you had made you feel good - and everyone after that has made you feel 'normal'. That's the trap - you smoke to feel 'normal' for 15 minutes at a time.

You have to quit for your own reasons. Be they health, monetary, hygene - whatever. Like others have said, pick your date and do it. You need to have your own reasons to quit. And never ever think you can 'just have one' at some point in the future.

You can never ever again have that filthy stuff. And you are better off without it.

[Leadfoot281]

What really sucks about all this is convenience stores. Everyone I walk into has cigs surrounding the cashier, on the counter, etc. Lame.

I suppose I could just pay at the pump, but where am I gonna get my newspapers, coffee, and potato chips? We still don't have a grocery store in town since the flood. The nearest grocery store is 27 miles each way. Talk about conveinant...sheesh.

Healthwise, I don't feel like I've been too affected by it, yet. I can still run 2 miles in under 13 minutes. My last bike tour (64 miles, a metric 'century') I did in 3 hours flat. And that was on my low geared Bontrager mountain bike. Heck, I'm probably in better shape than a lot of people that don't smoke.

I haven't taken anything heavier than an asprin in 9 years. Nontheless I'm gonna hit this with every thing available.

[Vortex]

I quit in 2000 after 20 years at 2 packs a day. I had quit before but relapsed after a few weeks or months. Let me tell you you are not addicted to the nicotine or the smoke. You are addicted to "smoking", ie lighting up and all that. I just told myself one day I'd never touch another cigarette. The first 3-4 days were tough but that passes and I havent touched one in over seven years now.

[LordVader]

My wife stopped smoking after 40 years with the perscription drug Phantix.:D
Good Luck you can't stop soon enough IMO.

Same for my wife with this prescription, but I believe it's called Chantix. As for me I went cold turkey a little over twenty years ago and have never looked back. Do it, you will feel so much better and your clothes won't smell and have those little burn marks.

[SID210SA]

Sorry I cant offer any advice on how to quit smoking because, you see, I quit cold turkey....

I remember that is was a place called Blue Bonnet Palace...kind of a cowboy hang out/bar/bull riding ring. Indoors place....I went with a few friends of mine and I was sick at the time...cough, sneezing, running nose....but I felt well enough to go out...I was 16 at the time and that is when I had my first cigerette.
I went thru a variety of packs, started out with Marlboro reds, med, camels, menthols, lights, and ultra lights by the time I was thinking about quiting.
I remember it pretty clearly. It was December 24, 2000. I was getting ready to fly with my then girlfriend to see her parents for the hollidays. That was the day I picked to quit smoking. The ironic part is that I was sick the same way I was when I started.

I never smoked in my house or my car. I didnt want my clothes or my car smelling. And I felt so much better after I quit, I wouldnt be out of breath after a flight of stairs, food really did taste better, best of all I had so much more money in my pocket....I found better things to spend it on....such as a new car instead of the pack and a half a day habit.

[dreydin]

i quit about 3 weeks ago and have made it through the hardest part! drinking around friends and i didnt lite one up! =D good luck man!

[offroadkarter]

The sooner you quit, the sooner your body starts to recover and heal itself

[Aren Jay]

The funny thing is all the old people who smoke. My Grand Parents at least 3 of the 4 smoked. They all lived to be in their 80's. My Dad never ever smoked, he lived to be 75. I think if you smoke you are more likely to get cancer if you are one of those people who are going to get cancer. And if you are not one of those likely to get cancer people, you won't.

Mind you my Grand Father who smoked for 60 years was told by his doctor to stop and he did. Grand ma still smoked sitting right next to him but he just stopped. Cold turkey can be done. If you can do it.

I don't smoke but I have "cured" for 3 years one of the guys at College of smoking. We locked him in a room, took all his cigarettes piled them up and lit the whole works on fire. Filled the room with so much smoke we thought for sure we were going to set off the smoke alarm. He pounded on the door for us to let him out and we eventually did, he got really sick for a couple days and never ever wanted to smoke again, for 3 years. He eventuially started up again. He didn't let us "cure" him again.

The patch works or the gum, just don't stop your routine for smoking. Still go out into the rain and freeze with the other losers (smokers) only take the gum and chew it instead of smoking. Offer the others some too as you would a cigarette. Eventually you will not want to go outside to chew your gum, then you switch to the patch and soon your fixed.

[Leadfoot281]

i quit about 3 weeks ago and have made it through the hardest part! drinking around friends and i didnt lite one up! =D good luck man!

Congrats! :beer: Hopefully I'll be able to say the same thing next month.

Diabolical1 CC, My "co-workers" are cattle. They don't smoke but I have seem 'em chew...

[MM03MOK]

Good luck, John! Addictions are a hard thing to overcome. I know you can do it.

[OneBADLsE]

Never quit smoking....











Tires that is ;)




No but seriously. Think of how many mods you could do to the MM if you take that money and just quit.