Help Ely Quit Smoking

[Eilonnwy]

Fr0d0, that's said. I'm sorry to hear about your workmate.

I've had both my lungs collapse when I was a child. Not fun.

[Cego_Colher]

All I can tell you El (pronounce that L not eel.) is more people who've had cancer. My grandfather had lung cancer and liver cancer. He died from complications from the lung cancer. My boyfriend's father died last year of a brain tumor. I'm not sure of details, but I'm pretty sure my boyfriend thinks it had something to do with him smoking/drinking. (–Regardless he died of cancer and "smoking is the leading cause of statistics.") He was... I don't know how old, but I think around 50 or so. My father needed to get a bypass- not a heart one, but somewhere near his stomach, I think he was 40 something. All three of them smoked and drank. Well, my father still drinks and he likes to eat a lot of red meat. I'm sure there are more in my family, but I can't think of any at the moment. Most of my family smokes or has smoked.

When my mom quit once she crewed gum– not gum with nicotine. But you bee a lot more when you crew gum that much.

uhm, have a poster I made a few years ago with butts I found on my college campus– not even in any of those outside ashtrays.


good luck!

[RachelSkates]

How is the battle going? You can do it! Every time you do not buy a pack, stash the money in a large jar that you can see (hide it!).

It may be hard the first couple of days but when you have a visual of all the cash, it helps after it begins to build up. And don't touch it for a year and you will be so amazed!

Good luck!

Stay online if you have to. When I get slammed, I just stay online and live in a parallel fake universe-----but it is a lot nicer than the parallel fake universe I left behind.

Quitting a bad habit also allows you to be as negative as you want and no one can dog you. :-)

[Shinylight]

My mum used hypnotism to stop smoking.

[theVOID]

So last night I had my last cigarette. I'm going it cold turkey because I don't want to then just be addicted to the gum or a patch. I'm definitely going through withdrawal, feeling shaky and all.

So guys, help me out. Tell me I'm doing a good job, remind me why smoking is so bad, especially for a lady like me with asthma, make jokes. Whatever, just something to get my mind of the fact I'd be going to a cigarette break right about now.

I just quit recently, after smoking for 5 years - It was surprisingly easy... The first few days i felt like rummaging through old pouches of tobacco or going and buying a pack, but after a week I was hardly thinking about it anymore - It's now been 3 months almost, and aside from smoking the odd pack when i'm pissed i don't think about smoking at all - The most important thing is will power, seeing pictures of fucked lungs or thinking about your health long term isn't going to help, you need to focus on the very moment that you feel like having a cig - and find some other stimuli to curb it.

When i was initially craving i did some push-ups, crunches, picked up my guitar or read something complicated that required my full attention, that seemed to distract me enough for the initial withdrawals.

The average craving only lasts 30 seconds, so if you can find a sure fire short-term distraction you will be fine.

A lot of people come up with psychologically significant events as a way to kick off the quitting - such as setting a time and date for your last smoke - Imho it's completely useless and gets you into a mind set where you will be Dependant on arbitrary dates, times and events in order to make you feel like you can achieve quitting.

Remember, a lot of the difficulty from quitting comes from the idea that quitting is difficult, it's a meme that has been massively exaggerated by some weak willed individuals that has unfortunately made quitting more difficult for everyone else by forming this over-inflated challenge.

[Oldandeasilyconfused]

My mum used hypnotism to stop smoking.

Good for you Ely.

I had my last cigarette on Jan 14 2003. I was smoking 70 a day. I quit cold turkey after trying a bunch of other things including patches,nicotine inhalers and pills. It was the hardest thing I've ever done.

I've never come across a guaranteed method to quit,I can only tell you what worked for me:

I decided I WANTED to quit,for myself,not to please anyone else and not because I thought I 'should'.

I made a committed decision to quit.

Then I stopped. The first week was hell. The desire but not the compulsion to smoke has lingered for years.For me it's after a meal or when I get stressed. I tell myself that if I have a cigarette I will throw up,which is probably true.

I tried hypnotherapy on the grounds that it couldn't hurt.It didn't really seem to help either.


I DID put on 25 pounds over the first two years; eating comfort foods,such as chocolate and simple carbohydrates. Eating fruit and exercise will help with that. Try walking.


Drinking a glass of water when I felt like a cigarette helped a bit.

The good news:

I recovered my senses of smell and taste.

My house,car,clothes and person no longer stink of stale tobacco,but I notice it on others. I can no longer even consider kissing a smoker.

Since I stopped smoking, I've saved over $50,000! That paid for a trip to England,my car, my PC,two plasma TV's,a new a/'c,my monthly internet fee, and a bunch of other things.

YES,it's hard,very. I have no idea if you will succeed this time. If you do ,wonderful! If yo do not,try not to beat yourself up about it,but try again as soon as you can.---TAKE ONE DAY AT A TIME

I won't wish you luck because I don't believe in luck. This is about focus,motivation, ,commitment,and willpower. I think overcoming an addiction is one of the most worthwhile and satisfying things can one accomplish. I wish you success.

[Eilonnwy]

70 a day?!

The worst I ever did was a pack a day, usually at conventions. Normally it's like a pack every 2.5 days. But 70? Holy shit.

[Dotard]

I average a pack and 1/2 to two packs a day. What? You wanna live forever?

My nephew passed away a couple years ago. Some kinda cancer that stopped his lungs from working and, like Frodo's story, affected his heart. He was 19 years old. Just married less than a year prior. Worked everyday, went to church on sundays and was the "good kid". He never smoked.

I sincerly wish you luck Ms. Eilo. It's easy to quit, I do it 30 to 40 times a day. It's maintaining the smoke free life that's the hard part.

[Eilonnwy]

I don't know about this average craving being 30 seconds. I am craving cigarettes practically every second.

This sucks really badly.

[Entropist]

I don't know about this average craving being 30 seconds. I am craving cigarettes practically every second.

This sucks really badly.

Hang in there.