[k_nitin_r]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

That reminds me... Sometimes I used to roll up a piece of paper (like a handy till receipt) and suck on it for a while!

I had been a roll-your-own man. By the time I actually gave up, my lungs were in no state to accept that unadulterated, unfiltered smoke, but still I continued to miss the whole experience, the whole craft of rolling!

You may miss the rolling but with all the pollution we see in the cities today, you certainly won't be missing the smoke. It's now petrol/diesel/LPG/CNG smoke instead of tobacco smoke. Trading one thing for another.

BTW, did not having a lighter/match in your pocket/car make you less likely to smoke or was there always a helpful bystander around to lend one?

[Thad E Ginathom]

I always carried a lighter. Particularly necessary for the roll-up smoker, as they do not continue to burn when put on the ash tray. Oh dear! I should be banned for giving hints for smoking in the giving up thread!

They are such useful things, anyway. Even today we keep one in the kitchen to light the oil lamp during power cuts! They are also less susceptible to damp than matches, and dry out more easily if they do get wet.

Also, up until a few years ago, standard equipment in most British cars was an actual cigarette lighter, and not just the socket for one

[Urban_Nomad]

Its too damn hard

Nobody said it was going to be easy, but does it really have to be that difficult?

I joined my new employer yesterday. I met my manager and a few others. after a few minutes of idle chit chat, my manager announced - "lets go for a smoke". I just nodded and walked along. I guess after years of responding to this question with and affirmative, it was the natural thing for me to do. Him, me and a couple of other guys walked over to the friendly neighborhood "khokha" (aka tapri) and I was asked what my brand was. I responded with a - "I dont smoke, trying to quit". What follwed were a series of questions like "how long has it been" and "dont you go nuts everytime you see someone smoke" etc etc.

See, here's the problem. I quit smoking on the 15th Sep. Its been more than 15 days now. Should it not be getting easier. That whiff of smoke is so so tempting. I am tired of these "I almost lit up" or "I REALLY REALLY wanted to smoke" moments. Every time someone lights up around me, I have a mini tsunami of sorts in my head. I am getting weary of this battle. Its boring.

@ Thad - Sir, I do not consider myself a "non smoker" yet. I have cravings that are on steriods. I will consider myself a non smoker only when I am around cigarettes and not freaking out in my head ............ or refusing a cigarette would be as natural as refusing to jump off a cliff (not to be confused with bungee).

As of today, I dont feel too good. Dont know if I can keep this up. I really want to though.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Two weeks... No, that is nowhere near enough. You are still in the first few days (...of the rest of your life, as those self-help books would say! They're right!).

Cravings or no cravings: do consider yourself a non-smoker. You are not "trying to give up," you have given up. Nicotine plays games with the mind, and it is very good at it: you have to be better and stronger.

How hard is it? There is no answer to that. Some people suffer, some people really suffer, others don't find much of a problem. I thought it was really hard at the time, but, looking back on it, was it really? As I've said, so many times: it is the absolute decision to do it that counts.

[bblost]

Urban: hang in there.
The first month is tougher than the next one.
The first 3 months are going to be tougher than the next 3 months.
The first decade is going to be tougher than the next one.

Just remember that one puff is all its going to take to get you back into the fold of smoking.

Don't give in. The past 15 days must have been hell. You are alive and well, get inspired by yourself. If you could do it for these 15 days, you can do it for the next 15. When you have done it for the 30 days, you can do it for the next 30.

All the best brother.

[Thad E Ginathom]

The first decade is going to be tougher than the next one.

Don't frighten the poor guy too much!

[bblost]

Thad: To be honest, I am very scared that I will return to smoking. Its a battle every time. I always fall back upon my days of success to will myself against lighting up and cancering myself.

[Thad E Ginathom]

I can understand that. Although I don't feel any temptation or compulsion to smoke, I believe that just one today would be twenty tomorrow... and the next day... and the next...

Any tobacco product, in any form could get me back on that treadmill. Nicotine addiction is no less serious than other substances.

The answer to be being scared that you will is knowing that you won't, but that doesn't mean that we don't need to keep our guard up, even after decades.

Fear, mind you, can be a positive thing. It was a major health issue that made me give up: I was scared, and put it to good use.

(It turned out to be nothing to do with smoking, but I didn't find that out for another year or two, and I wasn't going to give up the giving up then! )

[ch.nathan]

Successfully completed 2 weeks today!!
Have also stopped using Nicotine chewing gums.

But my biggest challenge coming-up this weekend. Going to my native place and meeting all smoker-friends.. Watch this space!!

[Urban_Nomad]

Originally Posted by ch.nathan

Successfully completed 2 weeks today!!
Have also stopped using Nicotine chewing gums.

But my biggest challenge coming-up this weekend. Going to my native place and meeting all smoker-friends.. Watch this space!!

Watching eagerly. Stay strong and you will sail through. I have been in a similar situation on more than one occasion but as Bblost and Thad put it so well, it gets easier with time.

You get through this weekend and I promise you, you will never look back.

Thad / bblost - thanks again for your support. I feel like such a whiny child every time I read my posts on this thread. Glad to report that all is well and I am the smoke free streak continues.

Btw, apologies for the delayed response. Had a lot of "settling down" to do in my new job, 1st week and all.

[Thad E Ginathom]

New job, eh?

Like I said... There is never a good time to give up smoking!

[maddy42]

Urban: Same boat as i want to clarify i have been in your boat many times and if you go through the thread i have posted before!!

Sept 28th was the day i quit. Smoking on a daily basis is not harming me but when i drink!! The temptation was too strong that i did give in the for a drag! But really felt like a stupid fool to have given in to my craving!

My mode now is to use nice strong gum. It lasts really long and is nice, When i feel like smoking i chew. I am chewing away like 10 a day. It may be bad but nothing as bad as smoking.

PS: You may notice smokers everywhere now. This is a sign by the evil nicotine but you can do it. Same with me

[deky]

I keep telling myself, if I dont stop smoking

- Dhiraj you would get cancer
- Dhiraj your kid is a passive smoker
- Dhiraj your lungs and health in general are going for a toss
- Dhiraj look at your teeth
- Dhiraj you have no stamina
- dhiraj you are loosing weight (yes I am underweight)
- spending 40k a year on smokes is too expensive

But none of the above work, I quite for a day but when I wake up the next day I am back to my Mild's packet a day.

So now I have decided not to tell myself any of the above. I will just have to have the WILL for not smoking. I have realized that any reason of not smoking wont work till I myself dont have the will to stop it.

So hopefully this is it folks!!!

I KNOW I CAN DO IT!!!!

[suhaas307]

Alright, so it has been a couple of days since I've stopped smoking. I do get the urge to smoke, especially after meals, and while in the loo (I beg your pardon for that graphic image) But I've resisted.

I am always around smokers. And today was no different. Some of my college-mates are smokers, and I was with them while they were smoking. It was hard. But I hung in there.

I realized that I was a slave to it. I'm no one's slave! I will never be anyone's slave! Take that!

[Statement]

OK, earlier in the thread I had mentioned, that you can keep the nicotine chewing gum with you, in case you get the cravings. I TAKE BACK MY WORDS. Never do that, because it looks like am getting addicted to the gum . Am not joking