I never thought I could do it. I've wanted to quit for a very long time, but was afraid of losing my friend the cigarette. After all, the cigarette was with me wherever I went; in the car, on the phone, and at the computer. How often did I get in my car and look in my purse to make sure I had my friend - the cigarettes with me. If they were not, back in the house I'd go, running late again. But I knew I was hurting myself and my pocketbook. So I kept praying not necessarily to quit, but praying for the DESIRE to quit.
You know what, it's working. I've been cigarette free for 2 months and 3 weeks now. I use the prescription Chantix which I am weaning myself off of, and I chew a lot of sugarless gum. But I think what really helped is that I changed my routine. When I was smoking, the first thing I'd do in the morning is pour a cup of coffee and light a cigarette. Then I'd go back to bed to watch the news, until it was time to shower and get ready for work.
Now, I sleep later, get out of bed and shower right away and leave for work. I don't allow myself enough time to drink coffee and smoke. After I eat, instead of lingering over a cigarette, I get right up from the table and do the dishes. I distract myself whenever the urge to have a cigarette hits. Prior to quitting smoking, during my lunch break I would hurry up and eat, so I could go spend the other half hour (even during the cold, cold winter and hot, hot summer) sitting in my car smoking. Now I stay in a nice air conditioned office, eat a leisurely lunch and read.
I've been a smoker since I was 16 years old and I'll soon be 60 years old. Besides, almost 3 years ago I watched as my precious, precious husband died of lung cancer. We were supposed to grow old together. So, just pray for the DESIRE to quit and don't be afraid to ask for help. I hardly miss the cigarettes at all now. I'm so proud of myself and so grateful to God, for the help to stick to it.
By Kathy from Sylvania, OH
Check out these tips.
Having grown up in a smoking household back in the day when it wasn't even thought of as bad, I started smoking as a teenager. Looking at my 50th birthday coming up, I thought quitting would be the best gift I could give myself.
I wrote this much of a list from the lung Dr's office. Several reasons to STOP SMOKING! This is what the tobacco companies put in cigarettes to keep people hooked...
March 27, 2008 marks my 16th anniversary of kicking a nasty 20-year, 2-plus pack a day nicotine habit. If you REALLY want to quit smoking, here is the key tip that helped me to do it: "KEEP QUITTING"
If you're trying to cut down on cigarettes in an effort to quit smoking, try locking them in the trunk of your car rather than keeping them on your person or in your house.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I must quit smoking for New Year. Could someone please help with suggestions. I have tried everything. Thanks.
By LISA MCGARRY from MS
Dear Lisa, all I can say is, throw them away, and decide what is more important, breathing, and life, or spending money to shorten your life. In 1997 my first husband died, after 39 1/2 years married. He had been a smoker for almost my whole life with him. At one point I decided (in frustration) "i must be missing something", and started smoking. That lasted several years.
When he died, I gave myself several months to "level out" emotionally, then my 2 1/2 pk a day habit stopped, cold! No patches, no "help", just got rid of them, and did not look back. Yes, I was smoking that much, and yes, I quit cold turkey. Life is much more valuable than the smell, staining, and lack of taste buds that come with smoking. I have now celebrated a few new milestones, a 71st birthday, 10th anniversary with a dear man I met on-line, and so much more. Life is good!
I smoked for 47 years and smoked 2 packs a day. I quit by using the patches. Started out with brand name and then tried the inexpensive ones from one of the drug stores in town. You could also go to Wal-Mart and try their gum. Drink lots of water and go for walks. I have been quit for almost 7-1/2 years and feel so much better. Good luck
The day you realize that all your smoking friends have died young is the day you know you have to quit.
I followed a program where you cut out more and more cigarettes over a month until you were down to one a day. Then you quit.
It is useful to know that if you crave a smoke, if you just live with the feeling for a few minutes, it fades away.
Once you have stopped smoking you can never touch a cigarette again or you will be back on a pack a day in no time.
I never thought I would be able to stop smoking but it has been 22 years now since I quit. But - I still want to smoke sometimes.
We are all with you - we want you to quit and be healthy.
I am trying to quit smoking. Any tips on how to control cravings for the cigarettes?. I am doing well on Wellbutrin to where I am down to 6 a day.
I am using candy to help with some. Does anyone have any tips as to how to cut back even more and stop smoking for good?I found that the hardest part of kicking the habit was satiating the craving for oral gratification. After three days of no smoking, the nicotine will have left your body, but the craving to suck lasts a lot longer.
If you buy a box of THIN (not standard) straws, and take a long gratifying sip of something thick (yummy doesn't hurt lol) liquid, that's half the battle. You can use small (1/4 - 1/2 cup) ice cream shakes, cream soup, ANYTHING that can be drawn through a straw that has texture causing you to use stronger than average suction) will help.
The more water you drink, the less cravings you have. I hope you aren't trying to quit chocolate or something else at the same time. Quitting cigarettes is enough for now.
Remind yourself the cravings will pass in just a few minutes and go on with your life. When you've quit for two weeks, you'll feel healthier and more determined.
After a month, you'll be able to look back and think it was so much easier than you are able to imagine on this end of the job.
Don't be surprised that cravings continue to come for years and years - they're easier and easier and easier to get through.
I smoked for over 21 years and have now been without them for 13 years and hardly ever give them a thought. I'll be praying for your success!
Many years ago, then-President Eisenhower had a heart attack and, subsequently, quit smoking. A few weeks later, after a reporter asked him if he thought he would ever start back to smoking again, Eisenhower replied, "Well, I can't guarantee you that I won't ever start back to smoking, but I can guarantee you that I'll never QUIT again!"
Every time you want to light up a cigarette, think about how hard it was to quit in the first place and don't put yourself into a position of having to quit again!
Tips to help someone quit smoking. Post your ideas.
Quitting smoking is the toughest thing I ever experienced. I discovered that every time I wanted a cigarette, I replaced it with anything flavored with cinnamon. Red Hots candy worked for me and many others. Cinnamon gum helps.
There's something about cinnamon that shocks you out of the craving for a while. After the first dreadful seven days it gets so much easier. Avoid being around anyone who smokes for that first seven days. Tell yourself continuously that THIS IS NOT A NEGOTIABLE DEAL. Because after all, you don't want to go through it twice. This is ten times easier than it sounds, I promise.
By Ardis Ilene Barnes
A friend of ours collected all his old butts, put them in a coffee can with water and let them steep. Every time he had a craving, he opened up the can and took a big whiff.
I'm sure it made him feel nauseated, but it was a real deterrent to lighting up.
If you are a woman, get the book "How Women Can Finally Quit Smoking". I smoked over 2 packs a day for 22 years. I had tried everything but failed until I read that book. One trick I used was to drink all the water I could from a sports bottle with a pop-up top that you suck. That helped the oral craving. I quit 9 years ago and am still drinking water out of my "sippy bottle". Remember: the more you quit, the better you get at it. Eventually it will work. Good luck.
I have a total of 9 days smoke free, but I have been crying at the drop of the hat. Is it normal to go thru this? I feel depressed and unmotivated. Please help! Thanks.
By Debby
Yes this is normal. It is just a side effect of being without the drug. If you explain to your family, friends and colleagues that you might cry at any time, they will understand.
Now you are over the worst, make sure that you never have a cigarette again.
Are you by any chance using Chantix? If so, it is known to cause depression and can even make you suicidal. Perhaps you're one that can't use it if you are using it. I used it to quit smoking (1 year ago last April), but it didn't bother me other than the crazy dreams.
I did wean myself off the Chantix once I felt I had a good hold of not smoking. I also used nicotine lozenges. I'm smoke free for 1 year and almost 5 months and it's the best thing I did. I was also on Weight Watchers and lost 52 lbs. Unfortunately I lost my job and gained back about 20. I hope to lose that soon since I found a new job which I start on Monday. Good luck to you. You can do it.
I'm 33 and quit smoking for a just over a month. I smoked for like 15 years. I stopped because I was heading towards 2 packets a day. I did quit in the past for 7 months straight. It was no hassle.
However this time around, from the time I quit, I wake up every morning, like before sunrise feeling like I have got a fever. I feel like I'm heated up inside, my body temp feels normal to me, yet I can feel extra warmth in my hands.
I'm easily staying away from cigarettes. I can be next to a lit cigarette and it doesn't bother me. It's just this fever thing that worries me.
Other than that I feel my health is plenty much better. This time around I will not smoke again because I realised how much better my health is without smoking.
By Vikash
I believe you are receiving Divine Help. That is how the Lord healed me. I was burning inside but when others smoked around me I wasn't affected by it. I smoked for 33 years and tried for 32 years and 364 days to quit. I couldn't do it on my own, but with Divine intervention I have been smoke free for 16 years now; Thank God.
I'm on about my fourth day of giving up smoking and I have started to experience weakness and numbness in my groin and lower back. Is this normal when going cold turkey?
I am not a doctor and suggest you see one, but my guess is that it could be withdrawls from tar build up. I know when I quit cold turkey on colas I would get headaches and dizzy.
I think you should see your GP - I quit in June and while I did have headache, dizziness, irritability, and some intestinal upset, it wasn't anything like you describe.
Your symptoms don't sound like any nicotine withdrawal I've ever heard of - please see a GP and update us as to if it was withdrawal or something else. Your recent stopping smoking and these symptoms appearing are probably not connected and the timing is just coincidence.
Does anyone know where we can find Nicotrol Inhalers either online or at a retail store? I quit smoking and I would like to use the Nicotrol INHALER - not the gum, but I don't feel like visiting the Doctor to get the Nicotrol Inhaler through prescription.
Any help is appreciated, I want to quit these darn cigarettes, too.I don't know that you can get them at a local store without a dr's prescription.
Here's a link:
www.nicotrol.com/
Have you by chance tried the nicotine patachs? They do not require a prescription and depending upon how much you smoke, they can be cheaper than cigarettes. I was a 2 pack a day smoker for 28 years. I used the patch program and have been successful for almost one year. I did, however, wear each "step" a few weeks longer than the manufacturer recommends, only because I wanted to taper down slower. At first, I felt some of the same side effects like fatigue, but it all subsided within a week. Good luck!
Has anyone used No Addiction Powder by Teleone to quit smoking?
By Nasim B.
This is a page about curbing junk food cravings when quitting smoking. Quitting a habit like smoking is frequently accompanied by substitute cravings for high calorie snacks.
This is a page about health issues after quitting smoking.Many people experience issues with their health in the months after quitting cigarettes.
This page is about using electronic cigarettes to quit smoking. When you have finally made the decision to leave cigarettes behind, there are aids that can make it easier to accomplish.
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
I need to stop smoking. I have tried with no results. Any suggestions that really work?
OK everyone, the end of January I'm quitting smoking. I start taking classes where they provide nicotine patches, but I could use some input. Has anyone out there used the patches?
