Team-BHP > Shifting gears


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Old 16th February 2009, 20:01   #256
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Originally Posted by Surprise View Post
After that period it's only the suicidal act which will bring back the smoking disease
I was in hospital once, and there was a guy who was getting over having half his lung removed because of cancer. They told me he still sneaked out for a smoke several times a day. It seemed like lunacy to me, but then, at stage I was still a smoker who had never seriously tried to give up.
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Old 16th February 2009, 21:09   #257
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Perhaps you read a sarcastic note in my post; it wasn't there! I sincerely wish you, and everybody else who is trying to stop, all the very best.
@Thad: My sincere apologies for reading something extra into your note that wasn't there. As I mentioned, I have been feeling horribly irritable, and don't find any relief from it. I know it will pass in a few days, but till then, medically speaking, my brain cells do need the occasional nicotine to let me get through the day - and I am using nicotine gum for the same. Your, and all other members', good wishes will go a long way in giving support to people like me in our endeavour to stop smoking.

No hard feelings please.
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Old 16th February 2009, 22:23   #258
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No hard feelings at all... I figured that the withdrawal irritability might have influenced your reading, and your reply. No problem.

Stick with it. I won't say that it can only get better --- that is true in the long term, in the short term there's going to be bad days.

I used to even dream about smoking! In fact, I remember in one dream, taking a cigarette, lighting it, and then thinking, "No!!! I don't do this any more!!!"

Even years later, I'd catch myself going out, thinking, keys... money... tobacco... ? Err, no?
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Old 17th February 2009, 09:58   #259
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108 hours without cigarettes

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No hard feelings at all... I figured that the withdrawal irritability might have influenced your reading, and your reply.
No hard feelings both ways . Just touching base with a 108-hour report. Can't sleep well at night, and feel terribly sleepy the whole day. Trying to combat the sleepiness with coffee, that's probably what's keeping me awake at night. Need a 24-hour break to set my body clock back on its feet. Will do that over the weekend.
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Old 17th February 2009, 10:22   #260
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SS-Traveller, stick to it, however irritating it might seem during the initial days. You CAN do it.
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Old 17th February 2009, 10:29   #261
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If I can hold off for the past 6 months. YOU CAN.

and was pointed out by thad_e_ginathom, its a daily struggle. But its a struggle we WIN everyday, everytime.
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Old 17th February 2009, 13:17   #262
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SS-Traveller... You are having a harder time of it than I did, it sounds very rough --- keep at it. I hate those people who say, "Oh! I just stopped, no problem"

My sleep patterns are all over the place even without trying to give anything up! I have always had a tendency to become nocturnal. Whilst it is not a health problem sleeping in the day instead of the night, it is a productivity problem; it is very hard to get stuff done! So if I'm not careful I'll be getting addicted to sleeping tablets next. I'm going to investigate melatonin as an alternative. Trouble is I like being up at night.

...
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Old 18th February 2009, 20:26   #263
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Touching base - 144 hours sans tobacco

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Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom View Post
I hate those people who say, "Oh! I just stopped, no problem"

Trouble is I like being up at night.

...
Dear Thad: This is absolutely NOT - I've also spent nights awake and find I enjoy the silence and solitude - with cigarettes for company! So the nights when I cannot sleep are not that enjoyable as they used to be.

Sharing your thoughts, and the support & encouragement from bblost, supremeBaleno and everyone else - thanks a ton for that... Only problem is - I have a departmental inspection at my college (I'm the HOD :( ) in 36 hours' time, and am starting to get a little frayed at the edges. But this time my guts tell me I can go through without getting pally with the sticks.

Might not log in for the next 2 days, but do send in your thoughts.

Last edited by SS-Traveller : 18th February 2009 at 20:32.
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Old 18th February 2009, 22:23   #264
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Oh, you do get used to the night hours being without the cigarettes.

Now you remind me, I remember that, "just one more cigarette before bed", but I hadn't thought of it for years.

I think I eventually replaced with --- just one more check for new posts on my regular forums!!!
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Old 18th February 2009, 22:49   #265
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I eventually replaced with --- just one more check for new posts on my regular forums!!!
Yes... seems I'm getting into that "check for new posts" addiction too...
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Old 18th February 2009, 23:14   #266
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I used to smoke a lot but now I have reduced to daily one or two. No cigarette in week end... I really appreciate the Banning smoke on the public place. This ban helped me to reduce smoking. My office was at 6th floor and after banning I had to come to ground floor for smoke which I used to feel lazy.
1+ try to smell your fingure very closeyly after smoke. The smell is really bad which help to hate smoking
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Old 20th February 2009, 22:18   #267
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Eight days over - 2 cigarettes today

Slight setback over today - too stressed out to notice. There were a lot of things happening, departmental inspections et al, and someone offered one during the day - he didn't know I'd stopped.

And a second one later on...

Well, I haven't gone back to smoking, because I find the craving's reduced. And the taste of cigarettes was not as nice as it used to be.
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Old 20th February 2009, 23:20   #268
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Quote:
Well, I haven't gone back to smoking,
Quite: one cigarette might be a battle lost, but the war is still on!

I was remembering my last cigarette...

It was about ten days into my successful patch-assisted giving up, and I probably had not had any for about a week. I have never been much good at housework, and I suddenly recalled that there was an old cigarette under the sofa! Noticed, at some point, but not cleared away. The picture grew and grew in my mind, and I decided to smoke it.

Previous attempts to give up had always failed mid-evening. They lacked that absolute commitment, and I would get through the day, and then permit myself just one. If you don't smoke for a day, then that one cigarette is really powerful; it is like a drug; stars floated in front of my eyes!

It was horrible. The tobacco was completely dry, so it burnt too fast and too hot, like smoking fire.
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Old 21st February 2009, 21:03   #269
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Well... I used to be smoker. And a quitter too - I quit twice - first time for two years and the next about five years back .. and running

For me I had started doing 60 cigarettes a day. Went on this holiday, clicked over 600 snaps and every single one had a me with a cigarette in my hand. I knew that 'control', 'slowing down' , nicotine patch/gum methods would just not work with me. The ONLY one that works is a DARE! - I absolutely HATE to lose a bet! So I went and told the world I had quit - of course NO ONE including my watchman, office boy, milkman believed me capable of it. So I took on the world - took bets with everyone I came across! Set the date over a long holiday weekend. I smoked my last ciggy on a Friday eve, ensured I had absolutely NO cigarettes lying around anywhere (including the 'emergency' supplies), and woke up to a Cigarette free Saturday! I ensured I did not step out of the house for anything for the next three days - lest I give in to the craving! Three days of cold turkey.. the first day is BAD.. the second WORSE, the third is not so bad.. and by the end of the week I was okay.

Needless to say won all those bets as well. Believe me the feeling is GOOD!

The only downside... my taste buds came alive and I put on some crazy kilos (went from 73 to 116 kgs).

Bright side - I had a Lung Function test last week. The results show my lung capacity @ 114% despite being about 25 kgs overweight! That means my lungs are back to peak form!

One thing I leant from the whole exercise. How PERSONAL is your desire to quit? Unless you are doing it for YOURSELF you will never succeed! The battle is entirely in your head - I felt DISGUSTED with myself for allowing myself to become a slave to something like this. So long as failure is an option you will never succeed at quitting .. or staying quit! The day I erased that option I won!

Anyone needing any help - a la 'Smokers Anonymous' if you will - please PM me - I am willing to help in any way I can!
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Old 21st February 2009, 21:19   #270
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Great. Its stories like yous that help me stay on track.




Quote:
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The only downside... my taste buds came alive and I put on some crazy kilos (went from 73 to 116 kgs).

What I have read is that smoking kills hunger as it plays havoc with the sugar metabolism. So you actually feel HUNGER after a long time of having mistaken it as cig craving.

I quit smoking in Ramzan. So that put me at a NO SMOKE zone automatically.

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Please delete the same in that case.
It helps to get God on your side.
Muslim -> Ramzan.
Hindu -> Sabrimala.
Christian -> Lent (?)
and Sikh, well they aint allowed to smoke anyways.

How I wish religious heads who spread message of hate instead pass a ruling banning such a potentially fatal habit.

Just a goal you guys could work towards and decide to quit smoking on.
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