[Sudipto-S-Team]

Guys please stop posting these morbid pictures. You have obviously never smoked and have no idea. If morbidity cured smoking, then no doctor would ever smoke. Most of us are aware of the consequences of smoking and don't need lecture.
These images are certainly good for scaring off first timers from smoking but they can hardly stop a hardcore smoker. Those who have never smoked should not participate in these discussions. They have no clue. It's not like giving up sugar in your tea. This is a different ball game.

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by dev_kudle

Guys,

What do you do when you feel the urge?? When you are alone and feel the urge?? When you are alone and feel the urge and have cigarettes with you??

This advice comes under the tough-love heading. It is not meant to offend, but it is also meant to make you think. There is no cosy answer. Remember: I have been there too.

1. Don't have cigarettes with you. If you do, your 'intention' to give up is not real at all, it is a farce.

2. Live with it! What do you do when you have flu? When you have a cold? When you have a stomach ache?

Just live with it. You only feel this way because you smoked in the first place, having another cigarette now just makes it worse next time.

There is no good excuse for having that cigarette.

Your addiction is like a spoilt child. Let it scream and shout. It won't be fun for, but don't do the thing that all spoilt children rely on; don't give in.

No means No.


There is practical stuff to help with the pain, ranging from pine seeds through nicotine patches and gum, to specific drugs. Might be an idea to ask your doc for advise.

But... If you have a pack of cigarettes in your pocket, ask yourself: Are you really serious? Because that is the first step, and the first battle.

Good luck.

[cooldude1988765]

Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team

8. Remember one important thing - it is not that we love smoking. We just dislike the pangs of not smoking. That's why we smoke.

This is so true atleast in my case.

[Proxima]

Thad, Sudipto and the others- very good suggestions guys.

Steps to quitting (from a quitter)

1. You MUST want to quit. Pray about it.
2. When you realize that you want to quit, quit completely. Dont reduce. I dont think it works that way.
3. Don't quit when you don't want to quit. If you do, you will start it again in no time.
4. Don't go to places where you used to go to smoke for 2 weeks after quitting.
5. Don't meet your smoking friends as long as possible after quitting.
6. Try and stay at home as long as possible after quitting.
7. You WILL be very irritable for a few days. Tell your family (if possible) and they will gladly put up with your irritability. Being irritable is not a reason to start smoking again.
8. Dont ever smoke again.
9. Post your success story here.

All the best!

[Thad E Ginathom]

Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team

Guys please stop posting these morbid pictures. You have obviously never smoked and have no idea. If morbidity cured smoking, then no doctor would ever smoke. Most of us are aware of the consequences of smoking and don't need lecture.
These images are certainly good for scaring off first timers from smoking but they can hardly stop a hardcore smoker. Those who have never smoked should not participate in these discussions. They have no clue. It's not like giving up sugar in your tea. This is a different ball game.

Oh so true. I used to watch those TV programs... black lungs, cancer victims... used to reach for a cigarette afterwards..

We are even incapable, often, of knowing how much we make others suffer too. This is something that I have often wondered about --- that the most courteous, polite, caring and considerate person who smokes, thinks nothing of lighting up in public, even in restaurant (in the days it was allowed). I really wonder (even though I am not the most couteous, etc etc ) abuot how I used to do that!

[Proxima]

Originally Posted by Thad E Ginathom

1. Don't have cigarettes with you. If you do, your 'intention' to give up is not real at all, it is a farce.

.
.
.

But... If you have a pack of cigarettes in your pocket, ask yourself: Are you really serious? Because that is the first step, and the first battle.

Good luck.

Very true Thad. That's the main reason quitters dont succeed - they don't actually want to quit!

[vsh]

@dev kudle- leaving any habit is really painful. we have to control our mind and tune it properly. once your mind is ready nothing is impossible. why dont you go through some personality developemnt books? they really help. you can read "7 habits of highly effective people" by stephen r covey. it will help in your oveall developement and which in turn makes quitting smoking easier for you. i daily read few pages of these books which inspire and motivate. all the best.

[KITE RUNNER]

If one wants to quit smoking, be determined and quit suddenly, gradual reduction may not work many times.

Work out the decision as a group, can be helpful.

Whenever one gets the urge, think of your loved ones and how much your ill health is going to pain them.

Me myself was a smoker for more than 10 years and now off that deadly habit for the last 8 years.

If one is determined, nothing can stop him.

[Mi10]

Heyo bros,

If you ask people the reason for smoking, 80% of them will point out releasing tension/stress or relaxation of mind as a reason

If you thought that its all a humbug, your wrong. If had thought that yes, its true then again you are wrong.

Confusing isn't it? OK, i am spilling it.

Smoking does not help you reduce ur tension/stress/anxiety etc..Its the air which you inhale along with the Smoke. Try this, wheh even you feel stressed out, go out to some outdoor place and breath deeply (like the way you smoke) inhale lots of air, keep it in ytour lungs and then exhale out. You ll notice that it relaxes your brain.

The science part of it is, whenever, you think for a prolonged time / or occupy your mind with same stale stuff for long periods, you neurons in the brain go into a state of spasm. This decreses their ability to actually communicate fully. All your Headaches / Tensions is becaue of this.

Whenever you Deep breathe Fresh Air (more precisely Oxygen), It actually cools of these neurons. They tend to come out of thier spasm and continue working normally.

When you smoke, you tend to suck in increased levels of air+smoke. While what you feel is just 25% of gains, the rest 75% is harmful to your body. So why smoke when there is better way of reducing stress/tension.

Hope this helps to people who point out to "reducing stress" as s reason for smoking

P.S: I am no doctor, I have experienced myself on the above said (and a few articles complemented my experience)

[Thad E Ginathom]

I feel evangelical today , so let me repeat about the giving-up pains...

You feel lousy because you smoked, not because you are giving up.

Another cigarette, in the long term, just means more feeling lousy!


<Cross-posted>

Mi10, smoking tobacco does give a short term relief from tension and anxiety, but, in the long term it causes even more of it.

This is my experience: I think it is also scientifically true. One of our doc members to comment, please?

[shajufx]

I am not here to give a lecture, but I have started smoking lightly late 1996 and it was stopped and restarted atleast 10 times upto 2006. Each time there was a total stop (with much struggle offcourse), there would be someone expecting a company shortly which would end up buying the packet itself.

There was a time I had 20 smokes a day (always Marlboro lights) continued with heavy smokers' company in the work place. My Director used to have 40 to 60 a day that too Dunhills (the harder one). I knew nothing is going to change until there is a total change in lifestyle itself.

I left that place of smokers, came to a different place. Although the habit continued in a light way, everything came to a stand still and total good bye, when I started visiting the GYM. You can not club up smoking and working out by any chance. So, from 2007 till date (going to be 3 years), I dont have the urge. I might have smoked less than 5 times in this 3 years time, but not with the usual urge. I dont even know what is the price of popular brands now.

So, my suggestion would be: Start working out. Be regular to your GYM. It will not only tone up your body, but also give you the best appetite, better taste for food and giving up all these hardcore habits that are living with you for years.

[sdp1975]

Apart from gym , yoga may be a good deterrent. Of course, you need the time off from work and family life for these.

[spadival]

Originally Posted by Sudipto-S-Team

These images are certainly good for scaring off first timers from smoking but they can hardly stop a hardcore smoker. Those who have never smoked should not participate in these discussions.

I don't know what you are trying to say there. Are you saying we should wait until the first timers become hardcore smokers and then try to get them to stop smoking???

On one hand, you say that these pics will scare off first time smoker and on the other hand, you say don't post those pics. If the pics scares off the first timers, isn't that half the job done?? i.e. stop the first timers from becoming hardcore smokers.

As far as hardcore smokers go, wish you all the best in getting the other half of the job done.

[cooldude1988765]

Originally Posted by shajufx

You can not club up smoking and working out by any chance.

I dont agree. I go to the hym, i still smoke worst part is i smoke one just before and one right after my workout. But i definately reduced smoking once i started working out. Used to smoke 20-25 cigs before now i cut down to 4-6. 1 pack easily lasts 4-5 days.
I tried quitting atleast 3 times in the last year maximum i lasted was 1 month :(

[shajufx]

So, you must be one of the rarest species among humans I know of. Majority of my Gym companions used to be heavy smokers, but none of them smoke now (ocassionaly having a puff is different from regular addicted smoking, because one is without the urge and other is with), purely because a smoker usually pants while handling weights. Medically because your lungs are not clean to take a full breath.

Ideally you should throw that ciggy out of the window and have a protein drink before and after workout. I doubt if you can really feel a 100% freshness after a good workout. Just my thoughts from personal experience.