[noopster]

Milestone sharing time: 2 years completed cigarette free!

I no longer feel the urge but it's a very slippery slope because there are times when the most natural thing in the world seems to be to light one up. For example as I type this it's beautiful outside, with an overcast sky, cool breeze blowing and a mild drizzle happening. It's a dangerous time!

Someone asked me last night why I gave up such a satisfying habit and I replied that it was the best choice I ever made.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by AbhishekB86

Thad how could you summarize the whole psychological reasoning in just a few words? Very true. Thank you!

Because I've been there! Also, because after one gives up, you can see the psychological tricks that nicotine plays on smokers as clear as day. They talk "good reasons why today is a bad day to give up," you'll see bovine excrement.

The psychological battle is the toughest of all. it is like trying to fight a parasite that controls your head! Alien films have nothing on tobacco!

Shankar I was talking to an ex smoker today. He said he did not miss smoking or 'just one' because 'just one' is never one since they travel in packs. He went to say that the day I realize smokes do absolutely nothing is when I'll be free forever. I think I'll pay heed to what he said. Made a lot of sense.

Travel in packs --- I like that!

The trouble with some of that reasoning is that it is not really true: smokes do not do "nothing at all." Especially when one has not smoked for days, one cigarette is like a powerful drug, which is, of course, why one smokes the next one.

Routine smoking, like many addictions, just keeps one feeling normal.

I installed a computer system in one particular office. Half the times I looked for the boss, she was nowhere to be seen. Her staff actually liked her and were concerned about her. Eventually they confided that, when she disappeared, she was in the toilet with a bottle. This was an alcoholic? I never saw her drunk, just normal. Her staff told me, "you should see her if she doesn't drink." One of my early lessons on the nature of addiction, and there were still a few years to go before I quit smoking.

...I fail myself around day 20- 30 when I forget about all the misery I suffered to reach that stage and think one is acceptable.

which takes the misery back to square one.

During my early days of being a non-smoker, I figured this out:

You don't feel lousy because you're not smoking: you feel lousy because you did smoke.

Nicotine addiction will try hard to stop a smoker from understanding that.

[bblost]

Thai Health Promotion Foundation- Smoking Kid - YouTube

[Thad E Ginathom]

"When you smoke you suffer from lung cancer, emphysema and strokes..."

I'm afraid that, when I did smoke, all the health warnings, and all the TV programs with the pictures of tar-encrusted lungs, used to make me reach for a cigarette.

Only my own personal bad health made me change. I can say it's better to quit before you get there. Others may have the wisdom to listen: I didn't.

(by the way, my health is fine now, and in the end, the serious chest problem I had turned out not to be caused by smoking. But smoking certainly didn't do it any good, and I wasn't about to undo all that giving-up hard work by taking it up again!)

[AbhishekB86]

Hey I have delayed my quit till tomorrow and the reasons are:

1. Junkie thinking gets me everytime. I decided its better to prepare myself for *that* day before I quit and gloat.
2. Id rather have the blood sugar issues on a weekend than on a chaotic working day.

I don't need rocket science to figure its harming me. Apart from smelling like a ash tray the *ahem* cough and the need to light another qualifies us as addicts and no, it certainly isn't a habit.

Freedom awaits me tomorrow day end and even if someone was to steal my car tomorrow I wouldn't light one.

Thanks to you guys for sharing your experiences.

[travelwriter]

Can someone please elaborate the 'cold turkey' method?

Thanks

[shankar.balan]

Ive just come out of an important surgery for nasal polyposis today. Caused by pollution, bad air quality, heavy smoking, pollen etc.
I am recovering at home wearing a mask, for the next few days.

I have been told in no uncertain terms by my doc, that smoking is a thing of the past, for me in my delicate condition of nasal balance.
It took me this long and this much pain and inconvenience to learn! I am not going back there again.
My pipe collection shall remain in the curio cabinet and much as I shall miss those fine cigars, I dont want to take any more chances!
I hope I hold my resolve!

Don't take me wrong, I don't want to preach, but if anyone plans to quit, the time is NOW. Don't go through what I have done and learn it the hard way.

[AbhishekB86]

Hi.

There's nothing to the cold turkey method. Well to keep it simple (because it is simple) it's stopping smoking without any aids or help. Stopping smoking without reducing the number you smoke or quit smoking aids such as nicotine gum or patches.

Why is it the best method? Well all of my one week study on the subject says that gradual reduction has a low success rate because you're on withdrawal stage without stopping the use of nicotine and hence you treasure every smoke more.

When you use patches or gum, you are still injecting nicotine into your system. So while you're not exaling or inhaling any smoke you're still subjecting your body to the addiction to the substance in this case nicotine.

So basically you're suddenly refraining from all sort of nicotine products. Be it smokes or chew and dip or patches.

You *may* experience withdrawal symptoms but once you understand that every smoke causes withdrawal, and its the only reason you light another smoke, it becomes easier.

In my previous attempt, I saw the withdrawal symptoms for what they were but I also saw how much health I gained within 48 hours.

I could breathe better in about 10 hours.

Here's a link you might want to read. I would strongly recommend you this website for the journey ahead.

Joel's Library - Quitting Methods: is cold turkey the only way to quit?

I am quitting tomorrow at 6 pm. I hope you quit soon too.

Best of Luck!

Originally Posted by travelwriter

Can someone please elaborate the 'cold turkey' method?

Thanks

[AbhishekB86]

Since I'm trying to educate myself as much as I can before I quit tomorrow, I am coming across brilliant material. In case, just in case it helps someone.

Quit Smoking Advice - Allen Carr - YouTube

[born_free]

I had been a smoker in college days, and during that time had quit once .

Hostel mates use to say that I got good marks, assuming that smoking helped me to stay awake and concentrate more.
This was of course not true, I proved them wrong by quitting smoking and getting even better marks.

For 3 years I was not smoking except for two times which I still remember clearly I had smoked due to sudden changes in mood.

Then job happened, and one Ciggie was enough to get me hooked again .
I use to smoke full pack of Navy Cut a day, and had become addicted.

I hated myself for that, whenever I use to hang around with friends, I could not control my urge. It was difficult to be in situation when I could not smoke for sufficient duration.

This continued for two years and one fine day I quit cold turkey, threw away full pack of cigarettes.
Its four years since I quit, and I am happy to say, never touched that thing again.

Believe me it was not easy, for one full week I suffered from withdrawal symptoms. Suffered from stomach aches, trembling fingers, mood swings, restlessness etc.

For first few days could not even type properly on keyboard, thankfully work pressure was not much and that helped a lot.

For me it took at least 3 months to realize that I have overcome my addiction for good.

Even today once in while, I dream of having started the smoking again , but happy that its just a dream. The hellish experiences I went through , keeps me away from the temptation of one last smoke

[bblost]

Originally Posted by travelwriter

Can someone please elaborate the 'cold turkey' method?

Thanks

Stop without any planning.

It was Ramzan.
I am accompanied by my father-in-law to the mosque for Taraweh prayers. These prayers in the late evening. I had been fasting the whole day.

That week I had been reading and seeing stuff about smoking.
A news article about how residual smoke is radioactive and can harm children.
A video on how smoking causes your arteries to harden.
A fatwa that if you smoke...you cannot read Namaz without a bath. As you are dirty.

I parked my car, dropped off my father-in-law at the mosque entrance. Took out a smoke. Had a long look at it and left it in the car.

I have not smoked since that night.

[carbookie]

Originally Posted by AbhishekB86

Since I'm trying to educate myself as much as I can before I quit tomorrow, I am coming across brilliant material. In case, just in case it helps someone.

Quit Smoking Advice - Allen Carr - YouTube

I had quit after reading the book by allen carr. 550 days later, still clean.

[ankan.m.blr]

Today completed 9 months of smoke free life. My cigarette habit was more than 13 years ; started just after I completed schools and before I joined college. I used to smoke beedis/pipes/cigars - whatever I could lay my hand on. September 2011; had a bitter fight with my wife regarding my smoking and induced nuisances; specially the tobacco-breath and irritating dry cough. Decided to stop smoking that day and have not touched the death stick since then. Surprisingly, I did not ever have the urge to smoke after I quit. after 6-7 months, now I can feel the benefits of quitting smoking inside my body. increase in stamina & concentration, daily bouts of headaches - gone !

[noopster]

Originally Posted by AbhishekB86

Hey I have delayed my quit till tomorrow and the reasons are:
(...)

The reasons are irrelevant Abhishek. When you make a choice it has to be NOW. If you feel the need to delay it till tomorrow, you are not ready to make the choice. Sorry to be blunt.

Edit: Just elaborating on this point with a rather over-the-top example: say you are agnostic and a friend has been working on you to convert you to a religion that he professes. If you say, "I see now that your religion will lead me to salvation, and here is what I will do: convert after X days/months/years when I need it most", he will call your bluff and tell you to think about it some more and tell him when you are really ready. Same goes for smoking, if you ask me.

I don't need rocket science to figure its harming me. Apart from smelling like a ash tray the *ahem* cough and the need to light another qualifies us as addicts and no, it certainly isn't a habit.

It seems to me you are still rationalising why you need to stop smoking. That's good but it will not help you to stay quit. Once you realise that it a CHOICE you are making that empowers you, you will quit.

Originally Posted by travelwriter

Can someone please elaborate the 'cold turkey' method?

Other members have already pitched in so here is my $0.02: it is not only the best way to quit, it is the ONLY way to quit. Cold turkey means you are exorcising the beast completely without allowing another beast in. It all boild down to me thinking "I NEEED cigarettes or something else to make up for the cigarettes". Well, you don't!

[am1m]

Started smoking in 1998. Quit in September 2005. Tried quitting a few times before that, by reducing the number of cigarettes a day (at the time I quit, I was averaging a pack of Wills a day and two packs a day on weekends), by alternating smoking days with smoke free ones, but what finally worked was just quitting completely one fine day. Dunno what prompted me to quit on that particular day, but it just worked. Maybe trying to quit multiple times just led up to it.

Perhaps what also works is identifying what makes you reach out for a smoke most often. In my case, I figured that what made me smoke more, was when I was out with friends, not stress, or the workday or anything like that. So, for the first 3 months, I either didn't go out, or met my friends only at no-smoking zones. Seemed to have worked. After about 6 months, I was able to go out to the same places without feeling a strong urge to smoke.

Another psychological snippet: I often wondered what made me smoke Wills when most of my buddies used to smoke Gold Flake at the time. Years later, it hit me, that was the brand my dad used to smoke, before he quit. He quit when I was a little kid, but somehow that brand stayed in my head, so much so, that I took it up when I started smoking almost 10 years later. Smoking dads, please note the effect your habit has on your sons.

Now, after almost 7 no smoking years (the same number of years that I used to smoke), I can't even handle secondary smoke well.

Funny thing is, after about 4 smoke-free years, I thought the urge would never surface again. But one morning, stopped by a field to watch the Sunrise, after a night long drive to Pondicherry, I was very tempted to grab the smoke my friend was having. Fortunately I didn't; didn't want to throw away all those years.

Good luck to all those trying to quit, I know it's hard, but I also know that it's the best decision you'll make for your life and the lives of those around you.