I want to quit smoking...

I went and saw "Thank You For Smoking" yesterday and it made me want to quit. It's a great movie if you don't smoke, want to smoke, or want to quit, by the way--hilarious.

Anyway I have been thinking about it since I went and saw the Bodyworlds exhibit at the Great Lakes Science Center and there was a cross-section of a smoker's lung... I couldn't smoke all day after that but then I started again.

So, I'm trying to quit. Has anyone else? Any tips on what works, and what doesn't? I don't want to buy nicotine patches or be on anti-depressants. I smoke about 2 packs a week, lights, not that it really matters.

The fact that you want to, means you are half way, then just keep putting off having the next cig. Wait half an hour, them think well I'll have one after I've done >>>> then think well I can wait another half hour and soon you will have done a whole day. Carry on like that.

Good luck, you can do it

Anne

www.quitnet.com

It's a great site with a lot of support.

I was a social smoker and quit a few years ago. One thing that helped me was to start exercising. I would actually feel worse if I walked 2 miles then went out that night and had a cigerette then just smoking itself. I did start again about a year ago, but felt so horrible afterwards (not guilt, but more unhealthy) that I stopped

When I quit 2 years ago I tried just going cold turkey but it didn't happen, I just 'borrowed' cigarettes from everyone.
I had to buy 24 hour patches. They really worked, however they gave me very disturbing nightmares. I woke up in tears quite a few times. But it's well worth it if you are not smoking. I was gradually able to make one pack last me 2 weeks by cutting the patch in half.
You'll do fine I'm sure. You realise how disgusting it is once you don't smoke anymore.

Just don't buy another pack.. that's how my mom and my aunt did it.

"Just don't buy another pack.. that's how my mom and my aunt did it."

Oh how I wish it were that easy!!! I'm guessing by the "just" that you never smoked yourself? Good for you though.

I really want to quit. Hopefully that is halfway. I never have a problem with going for short periods of time (a weekend or a week, in December) as long as I know that I can smoke again. It seems weird to think about never doing it again... I guess thats why its a habit!
Deb, thanks for the link, I joined! Haven't been to the forums yet, but the other stuff is helpful.
Lunasmom, I can run a mile and come home and light a cig. Which is terrible. I'm not sure why that is, I know exercising works for a lot of people but it makes me want one.
Pombina, I know what you mean about realizing how disgusting it is. I never smoke when I'm sick, and my roommate and friend who's always here do, and the smell is terrible!

What about going to one of those laser therapy places? I don't really know what they do, but there an office that does that near where I work..and they gaurantee that you will stop smoking...

Wow, laser therapy sounds interesting... and terrifying. I will look into it. Doubt I can afford it though. Probably as I find how hard this is I'll end up looking for weirder and weirder things. Next step, hypnosis!

Do you smoke by habit? By that, I mean - have one in the morning, a couple at lunch, etc. Specific times that you plan on smoking during the day. I ask that because that's exactly what I did. I had a smoking schedule. LOL It took a while, but I decided which one to cut out and after I had cut that one (or two) for a week, I cut another one. Pretty soon I was down to just one or two a day.

The other thing I will tell you, if you choose to cut down to just one or two a day before you actually quit, is that it doesn't matter if you smoke one a day or 2 packs a day - actually quitting and taking that final step is HARD! Don't let anyone skoff at you saying that "You don't smoke that much, it should be easy for you." It isn't easy. You will be a major witch to everyone around you for a couple weeks. Warn them ahead of time, and hopefully they will support your decision. People around me did (I just quit in January after smoking for over 1/2 of my life).

Good luck! And just remember that if YOU really want to quit, then YOU have the power within yourself to do it, using whatever tools you need to.

Originally Posted by Zissou'sMom

Oh how I wish it were that easy!!! I'm guessing by the "just" that you never smoked yourself? Good for you though.

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I was a pack-a-day for a long time, and cold turkey is exactly what I did. Threw away everything related to smoking and never bought another pack. I do realize that this method isn't for everyone. You have to find the way that works for you.

Quitnet gives lots of good tips. If you sign up for their email service, you get anniversary emails that tell you how much money you have saved, how many cigarettes you have NOT smoked, etc. I found those to be pretty motivating.

Drink LOTS of water; it flushes your system. And remember, all you really have to do is get through one day at a time. If you have trouble with that 'forever' mindset, it's not that you are quitting, it's just that you aren't going to smoke 'today'.

Good luck, a great decision! Smoking is unhealthy, discusting and enviromentally bad.

I was a teenage smoker for about 4 years. I got a little outside help quitting: Kawasaki disease (my mom used to be a nurse and carried every possible infection home, perhaps that's why I'm rarely sick these days) made my throath and palms peel off pretty painfully. I absolutely couldn't smoke for a month, and never started again.

Not really helpful to others unless you can come up with some suitable viral infection.

Well, I'm always an after-dinner and while-drinking smoker (among other times). I've cut out the after-dinner awhile ago so that it won't be so hard cause that's when I really want one.
The one that will be hard is the before / after class one, because thats when I socialize with class friends and professors. It's gonna be hard to sit outside with people who are all smoking and not do it!!
I don't want to become the I quit, but can a bum one? person!

So far today I had one when I woke up and put it out cause it was gross, and thats it. So that's five hours down... Seems like a lot longer.

I've been trying to remember why I started. I was 14. Now I'm 21. If I hadn't started then I never would have!

When you quit you will be the winner and the rest will be the sod loosers

I commend you on an excellent decision. My only advice is don't lose your motivation. Most people tend to be gung ho for a short while then lose all interest. Remind yourself every day why it is such a horrible habit and the reasons you want to stay away from cigarettes. Make sure everyone around you knows you arent going to smoke anymore so they can stay positive for you, and help keep you on the right track. Good luck!!!

WAY TO GO!!!! You can do it if you decide to do it.

Smoking is a habit and people do not break habits, they replace them with other habits. My suggestion would be to find something else you enjoy doing and do that instead of smoking.

A lot of people will support you with this task if you ask them to, so good-luck. I know you can do this!

Actually, the only people I know very well all smoke, except my parents, who don't know I smoke and so it would be stupid to tell them I'm quitting. I don't think anyone's going to be negative about it, I just don't know how super supportive they'll be.
I don't know what other habit to replace it with... walking Zissou? already done that once today. Some people wash their hands? I do know that I've eaten about ten dum-dum suckers though.

Sanctie- I am totally the kind of person who does that! Perhaps though I'm losing interest in smoking? It takes less effort eventually to not smoke than to smoke! Probably somebody'll tell me I can't quit and then whaddya know, I'll have to be stubborn and do it for good!

Congrats on your decision! My lungs and I thank you! I don't have any tips cuz I'm a non-smoker myself, but I hear the lazer in the neck thing works....uh, I don't really understand how or why, but I heard from a friend that it does!

Wow! I guess the difference is though was I never exercised when I smoked. LOL.

A girl I worked with tried the laser therapy. It worked for 3 weeks for her, but then the 4th week she started back up again.

My brother quit cold turkey and was a poop-head the first month. He would actually follow his wife down the stairs to pick fights with her because he was quitting. Just a forwarning!

Find out if any of your friends are looking to quit too. I find I crave cigs less if I hang out with someone who has quit or doesn't smoke (yes you will basically always still have that craving - you just have to learn to control the urge is all). I admit that when one person I hung with after work smoked and the rest of didn't, I was fine. When some of the others started, or more that did came in, I was bumming them every so often.

Oh yeah, I guess I should have mentioned she just did it like a week before I talked to her and it had worked so far, but I don't know how it's going now. Oh, um, and she started eating a lot...