I Have Decided to STOP Smoking!!!

annericebowl

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After about 10 years of smoking, I have decided to STOP smoking. I am not quitting because I am not a quitter. Besides, every time I have quit something, I have always regretted it and tucked tail and crawled back to it. When I have stopped something, it's for good.

At the time of this posting, I have gone the first 54 hours without a cigarette.

I stopped cold turkey. I smoked the last cig out of the carton that I had. I forced myself to smoke the last 2 packs out of the carton until I made myself sick from tobacco and other nastiness.

I really want to stop this time because my SO says it makes him sad and upset every time he's seen me smoke, and he wants me to be healthy so we can have a longer life together (awwwww lol).

So! Wish me luck!
 

white cat lover

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You can DO IT!!!!!

If you've got a craving we're here.

I know you can do this & it is so much better for you!!!
 
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annericebowl

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Then I will be posting so much that it'll make your eyeballs fall out.


I have been giving myself tasks to do around the apartment, and everything is so clean that I am worried that I will scrub off the dry wall. My daughter is sick and whining alot, which isn't helping my nerves--which means I have been really trying to fight off the nicotine demons. I'm glad there was an ice storm today because that meant I couldn't get to a store to buy smokes.
 

rachelh1018

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You GO girl!! You can do it!!
You're immune system will thank you, and you will be much healthier!!
 

crazyforinfo

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WTG
! You have more will power than I do. Cold turkey is the best way.

You can do it! The first 72 hours are the worst.
 
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annericebowl

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Well, I woke up this morning feeling pretty good. My skin has decided to stay on my body instead of trying to crawl away. I don't feel my hands and eyes twitching like they were doing yesterday. The back of my tongue feels more relaxed than it used to--part of my cigarette cravings was that I would start to salivate from thinking about the taste of cigarettes. Overall, I feel darn good this morning. I am hoping the worst of the withdrawals is over, but we'll see when 5 and 6 PM come around, which is when I was having the worst cravings. I broke out into a sweat yesterday evening, and yesterday afternoon when a friend of mine was over, I was stuttering and slurring my speech and talking 100 miles an hour, and I was nearly seeing double--I had told her that I was seeing one and a half of everything.

To any of you that have never had a cigarette, please don't ever pick one up. Stopping smoking has been the toughest thing for me to accomplish, and I have gotten myself through an illicit drug addiction without the help of a rehab. For those of you who have stopped smoking, keep it up!!!
 
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annericebowl

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Originally Posted by Crazyforinfo

WTG
! You have more will power than I do. Cold turkey is the best way.

You can do it! The first 72 hours are the worst.
I have tried to "wean" myself off of cigarettes, and boy, what a joke that was!!! LOL

My grandfather, who smoked over a pack a day, quit cold turkey about 25 years ago by chewing toothpicks. Now you can tell where he's been because he leaves a trail of chewed toothpicks behind. lol
 
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annericebowl

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Originally Posted by rachelh1018

You GO girl!! You can do it!!
You're immune system will thank you, and you will be much healthier!!
I have been fighting a sinus infection for about a week now. I can already feel it clearing up much faster.

I was just starting to get what I think was a smoker's cough, and I was getting sick all the time.

I just hope that I saved my voice in time because I remember hearing myself in a recording and noticed it was getting scratchy and a little hoarse sounding.
 

callista

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Whooo! Go for it! I've been there--not with smoking, but with something else--and what helped me: Remember, if you mess up you can just go right back to not smoking. One mess-up is not a failure! (Also, it could take a long time. My particular problem took three years to shake and I still get temptations. But it's worth it.)
 

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well done!!!
i quit over 3 years ago and was the best thing i ever did. After a few days without a cigarette you notice things you couldnt before when you smoked. such as foods taste different and you can smell more things.
all in all its making you better!

Well done and keep it up! x
 
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annericebowl

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Originally Posted by Mimosa

Keep it up ! Good for you and your kitties !
http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn2623.html
Thanks for the article!
I wasn't smoking indoors because I also have a 5 year-old daughter. When she was a baby, I would wait to go outside for a smoke. Before I went outside, I changed clothes and pulled my hair back. When I was finished, I changed back into the clothes I had on before I went outside, washed my face, arms, and hands, and let down my hair.

Even if I didn't have my daughter, I wouldn't smoke indoors. It makes the home yucky, nasty, and gross feeling to me.
 
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annericebowl

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Originally Posted by Callista

Whooo! Go for it! I've been there--not with smoking, but with something else--and what helped me: Remember, if you mess up you can just go right back to not smoking. One mess-up is not a failure! (Also, it could take a long time. My particular problem took three years to shake and I still get temptations. But it's worth it.)
I've tried to stop smoking before, and messed it up because I told myself I couldn't handle it. This time, I have told myself that it's no longer a choice to stop, but a necessity that I stop for many reasons.
 
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annericebowl

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Originally Posted by steffie

well done!!!
i quit over 3 years ago and was the best thing i ever did. After a few days without a cigarette you notice things you couldnt before when you smoked. such as foods taste different and you can smell more things.
all in all its making you better!

Well done and keep it up! x
Thanks steffie!

I have already noticed a change in my energy level. I got so much done yesterday it was scary, but it felt so good because it would have taken me 2 days to do everything that I did.
 

goldenkitty45

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Congrats. Quitting cold turkey is very hard (this from my DH who quit many times before I met him). He says to tell you how to really stop if you don't succeed with doing cold turkey. This is how he did it (permanently).

Start about 15 mins before you normally wake up. If you get up at 5am in the morning : the first day you have no cig between 4:45 to 5am. The second day 4:45 to 5:05. The 3rd day, no cig beforee 4:45 to 5:10.....etc.

Add 5 mins between cigs each day. In addition to that, the day ends at midnite - so no cig during that time, then during the first week from the time you put the last cig out, the first cig you have 20 mins between the next one (easy to quit for 20 mins). The second week, there is 25 mins between each cig. The third week there is 30 mins between each cig, etc.

This makes you aware of when you have one and helps to replace the cig with something good for you
 

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Way to go!!! I'm very proud of you!

You might want to consider talking to your doctor about getting a prescription for Chantix. The hospital that I work at is going completely smoke free on 1/1/08, and many people that I work with have had HUGE success stopping smoking with Chantix.

http://www.chantex.info/chentix_works.htm

Keep up the good work! I know you'll have lots of us cheering for you!
 
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annericebowl

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Okay, just finished breakfast, and now I am getting a nicotine craving. I had French toast made from D'Italiano Light sandwhich bread, organic eggs, 2% milk, Parkay spray butter, and Aunt Jemima's sugar free syrup with coffee with cream and sugar to drink. I think the combination of the syrup and the coffee have kicked in the nicotine craving. Just trying to keep my hands busy right now, so sorry for the rambling and excessive details.

I may have to cut out sugary foods and/or coffee. But I can't thrive without coffee! I will have to find more things to do, and learn how to focus.

I have heard of the method GoldenKitty45 mentioned. I tried that a few years ago, and it helped to get me from 10 to 4 cigs a day. I just couldn't seem to get to 0 a day. That's what I was talking about when I said that I tried to wean myself off of cigs. Totally didn't work for me.

Pookie-poo, I have heard of that med, but I couldn't remember the name of it. Thanks! I will look into, although I really hate taking meds for anything.
 

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Originally Posted by Pookie-poo

Way to go!!! I'm very proud of you!

You might want to consider talking to your doctor about getting a prescription for Chantix. The hospital that I work at is going completely smoke free on 1/1/08, and many people that I work with have had HUGE success stopping smoking with Chantix.

http://www.chantex.info/chentix_works.htm

Keep up the good work! I know you'll have lots of us cheering for you!
My mom and dad recently quit smoking about 6 months ago, after about 50 years of being smokers. They used Chantix and wouldn't have been able to quit if it weren't for that miracle drug!
 

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Alright!!! Good for you!!! I've tried many times and haven't been able to yet. I have even tried Chantix.
 
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annericebowl

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Okay, so any of you that have stopped smoking ever experience mood swings after stopping? I just cussed out the ex, got into a good mood from talking to a friend of mine, and then when I hung up the phone, I had to stop myself from crying in front of my daughter. No, it's not that time of the month for me, so don't even go there.

ETA: And yes, I am verrrrrrrrrrrrrry tempted to grab a pack while I make a run to the grocery store here in a few minutes.
 
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