A year ago, that as gone really quick.
Congratulations, Steve! I am now 2 weeks cigarette-free. I feel good, and am very proud of myself. Keith
Keep it up man. I used to smoke 2 packs a day and quit cold turkey. Feb. 21 will mark 14 years without a cigarette. The smoking urge goes away quickly if you put it out of your mind. The longer you go, the less frequent the urge.
I quit smoking for the third time last Friday. Still haven't had one as of today... and finally starting to get over the withdrawal and feel normal again.
Mike, I'm about 8-9 days further along than you. That first week was the toughest! I just kept telling myself "I no longer smoke cigarettes". I used the transdermal nicotine patches. They helped. Hang in there! Keith
Yea... the first week always sucks. I haven't been out to a bar yet either... and I'm trying to avoid it for at least a couple more weeks (that was what ruined it the last 2 times... one of the times I hadn't touched a cigarette in over 2 months when I got a few drinks in me and started up again). I've never tried the patch or anything like that... always went cold turkey (same with this time). Hopefully there won't be a next time, but if there is I'll probably be trying one of the aids available to help me quit. Hope you can stay away from it too... you're way too far along to waste the effort by starting again. It's all mental from this point forward.
Ehhh... you guys are giving me some food for thought (again). The last time sucked, but I was pretty much good to go after a week or two.
The tar ... yes. The amonia and trace amounts of cyanide ... no. There are a ton of chemicals in cigarettes that have no purpose other than to enhance the addiction and create the high/low sensations that they do. There are reasons Phillip Morris and the other cigarette companies have paid off the FDA to ensure that they don't have to print their ingredient list on each pack, as does every other ingestible product in the US. Bill in Brooklyn
Yes it is bannd in Ontario bars..But many places have outside patios which they cover and heat with those propane heater thingies. Some even have a smokers lounge which is a seperate room which is enclosed from the rest of the bar. Update on the smoking thing..well it seems I quit quiting. But I have cut down a lot. Instead of 3/4 of a pack per day I may smoke half a pack. But I'm slowly going to cut that down aswell...I hope this works
keep going at it tom...i'm sad to hear of your relapse. come on man, make those cigs go away!!! you are one of the god guys on this site and so many are rooting for you. steve, this is a great thread and you seem to hanging in there. keep the good threads coming. pcb
Well, I started smoking at 9 years old. Moved to a new town, all the kids were doing it, didnt matter that I had asthma. Figure a pack or more a day for 29 years smoking Ferrari's sponsor. Stepson calls em cowboy killers. I stopped smoking January 19th, 1997. I never started again. I had tried numerous times but never got past that first week, and to be honest, that is the key to making it, that 7th or 8th day. But really its deeper than that. I think you have to look in the mirror and ask yourself what you want. How do you want to live, how do you want to die. I suffered from chronic sinus infections and sneezing since I was 18, and mistakenly thought smoking helped mellow it out. My dad is almost blind from years in the service and a bunch of guys all smoking in a little building. He also has emphasema, needs oxygen at night. It ruins your teeth. It sucks the energy out of you by constricting all your blood vessels and makes your heart work harder. So, at almost 6'1", I struggled to weigh more than 160-165 for most of my adult life. Yeah, I gained weight alright. Hit almost 240 before I got it half a$$ under control. Now I hang around at 210-215#. But man, at 47 years old I feel better than I felt at 25. Ive gotten a lot stronger. I have a lot more energy. I am not cold anymore, just the opposite. I would be wearing long underwear in late October, and couldnt be outside 20 minutes before my hands and feet got cold. Now I seldom wear a jacket. I never sneeze, I am seldom sick, and then its short. I'll tell ya, eating is a bigger problem to control than ciggarettes ever were. The truth is though, that someone I cared about, I watched die in a hospital of leukemia. One of the last things I told her was that I had quit smoking, and of course, her death got me smoking again. But in time I felt I had to keep my word, and maybe thats why I made it. Maybe God gave me strength, I dont know. But to all of you, if not for yourselves, do it for those you love
I tried american spirits once and i swear, i thought there was weed in there, i got the only headrush. It was so bad i thought i was gonna fall down. I had to give the pack away. I asked the guy i gave them to and he said they were strong as **** too. Stay away from american spirits those are probably addictive too, lol
Guys all you who are trying all i can say is good luck and keep trying, giving up smoking is one of the hardest things that i have done but believe me a year on it is one of the best thing i have ever done, i am not going to put people who smoke down in anyway by saying the following, when i am out and about i can actually point to a person and say that he/she smokes with 100% accuracy, and the way to tell is by the smell of that person, it to me now is disgusting, if i am in a line at a checkout and the person in front is a smoker that smell is so strong to me that i have on occasion walked away, small things matter to me also like the fact that my fingers are pink and not yellow, my tounge is not coated with nicotine, my home does not smell like an ashtray neither does my car, food does taste better and fresh air is fresh air, there are 100's more i can list but wont here, i say again if you are trying i wish you all the best and if you have failed well dont give up trying you will also be a non smoker in the future. PS it also improved my sex life my wife does not have so many headaches now that i no longer smell like an ashtray PSS my Doctor reckons that i may live 10-20 years longer than when i was a smoker
Well done Steve, 15 years ago I was diagnosed with an ulcer, I was smoking 20 a day, drinking too much scotch / brandy and eating badly. I stopped smoking, cut out the dark spirits and improved my eating habits. Trouble is I now drink too much beer and vodka - seriously though I do feel much better for giving up the Cigs. Cheers M8 - see you on the other side
After cutting way back over the last couple of months, I decided on Sunday that I had enough of this albatross around my neck. The last two mornings/days have been pretty bad but the start of Day 3 (so far) has held some promise.. at least I felt slightly "normal" and have only had the inclination to put my fist through a wall once or twice. Porn is a good distraction.. I see where Steve's motivation comes from now!! Wish me luck!
Congrats on the decision, good luck They are showing a great commercial in the NY area right now: It is a close up of the pulmonary artery removed from a dead 30 year old smoker. The voice over explains that the smoke coats your arteries with a sticky substance, while the visual shows someone squeezing out a blockage of fat from the artery like toothpaste from the tube. It is completely disgusting and if you lack the motivation to quit, pretty convincing. It is easy to think about all the lung problems, but smoking is just as bad for your heart.