finally gone and done it.

cannot describe the torture i am in. mentally, phisically, emotionally. everything people advise you to do just makes it WORSE!!and its all so extreme!! things like physical excersize. does it help.. NO it just makes it WORSE, drinking glasses of water.. does it help, NO it just makes it WORSE. eating healthy...they must be kidding. this is the hardest thing ive ever done, and ive been doing it for five days now. and how do i feel?? like sh*t!!! so far ive managed by trying to somehow fool the senses. this has involved vast quantities of chocolate. i've also discovered maple syrup. the real maple syrup you understand, not the maple flavored syrup, and im rambleing again arn't i . i'm going mad i tell you.

 

Umm.... what exactly have you done? Just eating healthy? You sound like somebody going through withdrawal.

 

What are you doing laurie? What you described reminds me of giving up smoking.....

 

you must have been here than...yes its the dreaded ciggies. i just want a ciggie. ill be good honest, just give me one . than i'll be ok....

 

My heart goes out to you hunnie! 5 days...that is so awesome!!! Forget what everyone says.....just go with the flow these first couple of weeks while you get the nicotine out of your system. Do whatever it takes (except smoke of course) and just take it minute by minute...you are doing so well

I wish my husband would quit. I'm ready to help him however he needs.

Go to the edge of the island and do some primal screaming out to the ocean if it helps

 

hubbies given it up too. we havnt killed each other yet, but jacob is driving me mad. have you ever watched a thirteen yr old boy do the washing uo? i just want to explode. after i have a ciggie of course. i just want to fill my lungs with smoke.

 

Oh yeah...I've watched a 13 year old boy wash up. You NEVER want to ask them to do it again...which is exactly why they do it that way, so you won't Ask him everyday...hehe...and while he does it you take a walk on the beach and fill your lungs with fresh air and feel real self righteous about not having that ciggie

Might be a good idea if you and hubby walk the beach in opposite directions for the first 2 weeks

 

Condolences and congratulations both. Hang in there laurieB!

 

Been six years now. It just gets easier. If you can go 5 days, you can go forever. Hang in there.

 

You guys gotta do it laurieB. You've already been a non-smoker for 5 days.

 

Stay with it, because you are laying the foundation for a healthy rest of your life. Sounds corny, but it is true. The extra inch or two around your middle will not kill you like the ciggies will. Food and air will taste better too.

Your clothes won't reek, nor will your breath.

It's been 15 years now, and I truly don't miss them.

Hang ten, girl. Good on ya.

 

Go Laurie, Go. And think of all the money you'll save!

 

Yeah! Saved money to buy us lot presents!!

Nah, keep going you sound like you're doing really well! Strong mind's win over everything else.

 

keep it up......it's been 13 years for me..........and here in Cal, there's talk of another tax @ per pack of $1.87, and they are all ready $5.25 per pack....keep it up......wobbles

 

Keep it up and remember all it takes is one and you will be smoking again,


SO JUST DONT LIGHT UP THAT FIRST ONE !!!!!


Good luck. http://forums.majorgeeks.com/images/smilies/smile.gif

 

Stick with it. Go somewhere private on a beach, point yourself towards Cairns and scream loudly. I will see if I can hear you. Seriously, go girl go, you're doing great. Bazza

 

good luck, my mom doesn't wanna quite but i keep telling her too. she has tried. went down about 3 weeks and then lit up... sad really. just hang in there...

 

As a smoker myself, I have the utmost respect for you laurie. Quitting is SO hard.
Other posts have given you some very good ideas on how to distract yourself. One thing I found when I tried to quit was carrying a water bottle around helped. Something in my hands, and water is good for you.

Keep up the good work. You are doing great. Wish I had the self will. I have heard the third week is the hardest.

Gal

 

It's so different for everyone. I find the initial giving up much easier than the long term. I gave up once for 5 years and fell back into it. Gave up again after 8 months smoking and been clean now for nearly 3 years. I finding it very difficult again now to resist the urge, but so far am I managing to. Wierd isn't it, addiction.

Laurie..this is day 6. Tomorrow will be one week!!! You are doing so well...it is very impressive. Big hugs

 

My uncle many years ago (at least 10) was hypnotized to quit. It took twice, but he says he has not had a craving since.
Has anyone else heard of this working? It is probably the only way I could quit. I enjoy my cigs, and is my one downfall.

Gal

 

Hang in there laurieB !!!! I quit 19 years ago, and I don't even think about cigarettes anymore - they smell so bad to me now. One method that might help is to get a bottle full of cigarette butts in a jar, and open and smell them everytime you feel the urge - it makes you want to be sick. Wear a rubber band and snap yourself - hard - everytime you even think about smoking - it helps too.

If you make it 2 weeks I'll send you $100 - for real. But your son and husband have to verify it . It gets much easier after 2 weeks.

 

eating chocolate sounds so much easier slider!! this is torture all by itself. i have no need to add to it lol. day six. i decided to give up chocolate on day seven and maybe take up yoga. i tried to do some stretches, but i think ive put my back out. i want a ciggerette.

 

Oh, the agony. I've just quit too. It's been thirteen days, but I don't think I can make it. I need some incentive...

 

I'll send you a jar of cigarette butts.

 

LOL I prefer Slider's other incentive...

 

That's how I quit 15+ years ago. Went to a single group hypnosis session and seriously concentrated on what he said to the group. Haven't had a cig or the URGE for one ever since. There was a group in California - 1-800-4habits ---- I called the number and they scheduled me with their next visit to Houston. They came once a month to a hotel ballroom on the Southwest Freeway and did the fatties at 6pm and the puffers at 8. I threw a gold dunhill butane lighter out the window along with my pack of smokes on the way home. Have NEVER had another smoke.

Went to a family birthday party 4 days after ---- at a local Mex. restaurant and we sat at the bar with 4-5 layers of people behind us -- all of whom were smoking, heavily. Sat there an hour having marguaritas and never even got the urge for a smoke. Weird...... have also been through some SERIOUS stressfull times since ------ no desire for backsliding at all.

Try it, it may work for you. Sure did for me.

 

day seven. got thru last night with the help of two large bowls of hagen daz. woke up with tummy ache at 3am. no more chocolate now. (Halloween hasn't helped, or has helped depending on how you look at it.) today is the first day i feel kinda confident about it. although i still want a ciggie, i don't want it screaming bad. i too have given up several times before and 'slipped' back into it. why one would go thru all this and then start again is beyond me. this time im determined tho. my bones hurt (possibly tossing and turning, possibly withdrawal). have taken a painkiller. doing a lot of catch up housework. have....to....keep...busy....

 

CONGRATULATIONS LAURIE!!!

You made your first week! That's totally awesome!! *hugs*

 

I also enjoy my cigs. But, my excuse is, that I enjoy the smoking aspect. I've smoked cigars (nicotine? nope...?) with a brandy, and still smoked ciggies afterwords. I'ave tasted many cigs from american, to russian, to japanese (imported?).

Just like my beer. Alcohol is also a hard thing to get rid of. Especially if you drink and smoke. That beer in your hand makes you WANT a cig in your hand also.

I've also tried quitting. Didn't smoke for a month. Thought, I was cured. But, also, I didn't drink for a month, until I went to a party. I said, hey, one beer, won't kill me. Well, it did(so to speak). One beer, two beers, three beers, MUST HAVE A SMOKE!

On a side note. Being on the patch, and smoking at the same time. What a rush!

I guess I'm not being helpful here.


http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1859508,00.html

 

That, basically, is what got me through it. I was not going to waste all that effort. Keep it up. It gets easier fairly quickly now.

 

thefool...i know what you mean by smoking and drinking, but i kinda got that covered.

 

something else, has anyone else noticed that you immediately get ill when you give up? this has happened to me before. i have spent the day throwing up, (i thopught it was OD on the candy...but its not.) i am coughing more, my chest feels tight, my throat is sore, i think i've got a cold. bruce is home from work and jacobs back from school, so its a bit more encoragement. its hard to be by myself and not to give in. i have been drinking tea all day. suposed to be an anti-something or other. all that means is ive spent the day having to wee every five mins!!

 

Yep, tea is an anti-oxidant, and will help flush your system of impurities, so it's probably a wise move.

 

You can Doooooooo it.




MY wife & I quit last Aug 13, my Bday

 

Being physically sick can be a symptom of withdrawal. All the coughing, tight chest, sore throat is part of your body's natural healing process to rid itself of all the phlegm caused by the nicotine (and other nasty things like tar) now it has the opportunity. This will pass very quickly and then you are through that stage and your body can start the deeper, longer-term healing process

 

Go Laurie!

I've quit several times, never permanently. I've already bought the patches to start my own attempt, but haven't drawn the line and jumped quite yet.

Interestingly enough, I asked my oncologist if quitting now would make any difference, and he said that for what I have, it really wouldn't, although if (when?) I get to the point of needing chemotherapy, improved oxygen from improved breathing/lungs would be beneficial to THAT. So I plan to quit before chemo is necessary.

You can be my role model.

 

You go! I managed to quit after over 20 years of smoking - I used the Nicotine gum, and then gradually weaned myself off of it. Come Dec 2, it will be three years since I had a cig. Trust me, if I can do it, YOU can to!!! Like I've said somewhere here before, I've got the willpower of a monkey with a cupcake!!
Best of luck to you!!!!!!!

 

Hang in there. Just think, if you can make it through this, you can do anything. You'll come out of this such a strong person.



-Steve

 

Just got me thinking....do monkeys like cupcakes then

 

Stay away from people who smoke. I hav'ent smoked in 33 years, but I could go for a kool right now. You will probably always crave a smoke.

 

I have to disagree. I smoked a pack a day for 25 years and quit 6 years ago, and while I occasionally miss them, I never crave for them, and haven't done for at least 5 of the last 6 years.
Different people will experience different things, of course.

 

OOoo sound like fun....

G.T. 'You can be my role model'.

well at least quitting would take your mind of things. in truth it becomes a rather amusing study in addiction and human behavior. there is no such thing as pain, or fear, only physical and psychological sensations.

by the way, be careful about following any example of mine. for instance, at one point i was wondering whether it was possible to induce some sort of hyper-glycemic reaction to all that chocolate. my body isn't used to that amount of over-indulgence. it was fun for the week i did it, but im not sure i can recommend it.


eating healthy

since starting this on the 1st i have been drinking vitamin water, or watered down juice in stead of plain water. and consciously sipping it until the urge passes (which it doesn't )

feel loads better today. still drinking tea. with raw sugar.
for breakfast (9.00 and i was up at 6.00) had a grilled whole wheat sandwich....
slice of bread piled high with ham with apple sauce, grilled until the apple sauce is bubbling, bubbling hot,
another slice of bread piled high with potato and blue cheese salad, some fresh ground pepper, grilled until it looks and smell done.,
tipped together gently,

yummy

I think im going to swap white wine for red. its supposed to be better for you and i like it every bit as much

ive decided to take eating healthy to a level of previously unknown self indulgence.

thank you to everybody for all the encouragement. it really does help.

much aloha

 

How about a swift kick in the ass if you start up again ??

 

I still have an occasional craving, but it is **very** rare - maybe once a year, when under some excessive stress. ( A recent death of a friend brought a craving on - but it passed quickly). I literally do not think about cigarettes any more at all. For a while after I quit, I would dream about smoking (in my sleep, I mean !).

And I recommend that anyone using gum or patches to make sure they get off them as soon as possible - some people have chewed the gum for 8 - 10 years. The patches are easier. Cold turkey is the hardest, but the best way, as you are not still utilizing nicotine. However, if patches or gum help, go for it. It is much easier to quit the gum or patches due to the much lower levels of nicotine.

 

It's that old anti-oxidant and free-radical scavenger thing again. There much higher levels of tannins and other anti-oxidants in red wine than white. In fact, as a rule, the deeper and darker red the wine is, the higher the level of anti-oxidants, etc. Port anyone?

Good luck, and stay strong, Laurie.

 

Hiya, Laurie! You don't know me, but good luck with quitting!! Sounds like you have a pretty good handle on things!! A few years ago, I quit for 3 months. I figured I could have just one and I'd be ok... That was my downfall!! When I did quit, I was prescribed Wellbutrin (same thing as Zyban, cept my insurance covers the Wellbutrin) and that worked. You can smoke for the 1st 2 weeks that you take it and then you have to stop. I made it a week and everytime I so much as even SMELLED a ciggy, I thought I was going to puke! I did good. Til I had that one... Grrr.. Anyway... Great job! Keep it up!!! I wish you all the best in your quitting!!!

 

day 16. still struggling, still determined. i am decorating my bed room. nearly finished and dont know what i will do when ive finished lol (insert manical laughter). i have overworked myself and hurt everywhere. good way of taking my mind off of my distress was to place my whole body in distress. smart thinking lol.

bedroom is gonna look cool tho. i am good at this. i will post a pic when ive finished.