another quiting smoking thread

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

i know there have been quite a few of these posted in the last five years, and i even posted one myself as i tried to quit 2 years back and failed 4 days into the attempt, but i did have a couple questions about quitting in the long term. plus its always great to read about other people who have done it.

i didnt want to waste anyone's time again, so this time around i waited a bit before making a thread like this. april 4th will make 6 months since i quit (5 without a single drag ... screwed up here and there during my first month). about 3 months into it i finally thought i had it beat completely. then out of no where there are cravings again. not intense nicotine carvings like when you first quit, but a fond remembrance of blissfully killing myself drag by drag. very fond. i even dreamed about smoking the past 3 nights. i also catch myself occasionally thinking, "meh ... its been so long now you could have a cigarette without becoming a full on smoker again." i know that's retarded, and that i eventually would be smoking on the regular again, but it doesn't stop me from thinking it sometimes. keep in mind i haven't had a beer or anything in 3 months either. plus i didn't quit drinking during the first 3 months i quit smoking and still managed.

so i was wondering ... is this normal .... just another phase of becoming a non smoker? the phase where you start to think you got it beat so well that you could be a casual smoker? if it is does it eventually go away?

it sucks .... i was finally at the point where i'd see someone smoking and i'd feel sorry for them instead of myself. now i'm looking at them with envy again. don't get me wrong .... i got a list about a mile long of reasons not to smoke ... but you only need one to quit quitting.

[Vash]

Understand this: all cigarrettes have been soaked in my urine for 6 months to one full year before they are allowed to be put on the market.

Food for thought.

[NeuroGrrrl]

i also catch myself occasionally thinking, "meh ... its been so long now you could have a cigarette without becoming a full on smoker again."

so i was wondering ... is this normal .... just another phase of becoming a non smoker? the phase where you start to think you got it beat so well that you could be a casual smoker? if it is does it eventually go away?


GDA: this is possibly the most classic example of "relapse behavior" there is. Thinking that due to a semi-lengthy period of abstinence from drug or alcohol, that "one won't hurt" and "I won't be back where I was before." It is absolutely normal to have these thoughts, most if not all addicts think along these lines early in their recovery. The trick, as you have figured out, is to NOT give in.

Hang in there!

[Becca]

It ain't stopped for me. I hate to say it, but I have actually stood out in the smoking area at work just to smell the smoke. :eek: Still break down and have one every once in a while, but the issue of having to wash all my cloths because they stink after even one cigarette keeps me from falling off the wagon completely.

I always enjoyed the taste of them. It was the smell they left afterward I never liked. Making myself wash everything uses to my lazier side to keep at it. I've heard that brushing your teath before smoking will make you dislike the taste, as well, when you doing consistantly over time. I am still working on this, but I don't usually have any toothpast with me when I cave. :rolleyes: :p

[Jhapa]

been there done that. i do not have a problem quiting, i have in the past just quit cold turkey for 2 to 3 years and pick it back up not because i was craving a cigarette but i missed smoking. currently i smoke but i am getting to a point that i probably will quit because not tasting good anymore. once i quit, will i pick it up again, don't know, depends if i could find some Mild Seven's(my favorite cigs.)

what are your choice of cigarettes? of course mine is Mild Seven's, but currently smoke Marlboro Ultra Lights/Lights.

this thread is just wrong........i think i am going out for a cigarette!

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

thank you vash and neuro.

becca .. not quite what i wanted to hear, but thanks for being honest and sharing.

jhapa ... your a dirty ho.

[Jhapa]

thank you vash and neuro.

becca .. not quite what i wanted to hear, but thanks for being honest and sharing.

jhapa ... your a dirty ho.

no, just keep at it, you'll get to a point that you won't even crave it or even dream about it. worst critic of smokers are ex-smoker. i probably need to quit, i kind a get winded during training, of course i am not 21 anymore either.

[Ford Prefect]

GDA,

Those cravings will last your whole life. In September of 1999, I quit cold turkey from a pack/day habit. I haven't had a single drag since, but I still get cravings. It's strange being so far removed from it, but there are times where I'm like "I could really use a cigarette right now." I even dream about smoking still. In my dream I'll be smoking while thinking that I really shouldn't do it. I keep smoking anyway... I know that I could be a cigarette away from a full blown habit again, so I never give in to the temptation. Just stay strong.

[Reggie1]

I was a half pack/day smoker until I quit in December '98.

The first 10 months were the hardest for me. The same stuff happened to me about 6 months after quitting. That's when it was the hardest for me, because I struggled w/ the same stuff you are having. "One won't kill me, I won't become a full-blown smoker again." As dumb as it sounds, I also stuggled w/ being a nonsmoker. "Is this something I really want? It's not like I smoked that much, etc."

But I made it through. For me, the cravings became fewer and fewer, and easier to deal with every time they came. I would say it's only about once every 3 or 4 months I get any brief craving, and it's pretty easy to deal with. It's to the point now where I just kind of blow them off. To me they are more like a joke than something I have to stuggle with.

Stay strong, man. You can do it. And it does get easier.

[PangQuan]

You definately need to just hang in there.

Look at it like this. Compare it to your martial arts. You could stop practicing anytime you feel, and just sit around being a lazy fool. But you stick with it and sustain the speed. You COULD quit quitting and be a smoking fool. But you stick with it and sustain the speed.

I quit smoking several years ago, and It was **** hard. But now I am at the point that ciggarette smoke is discusting to me. It will get easier, but you must test yourself. Remember how bad they are for you. And remember this:

You better checkity check yourself, before you wreckity wreck yourself. One step at a time bro. You CAN do it.

[FatherDog]

Simple solution.

Tell your wife and daughter that every time they smell smoke on your clothes, they get a free shot at your nuts.

Problem: SOLVED.

[Jhapa]

Simple solution.

Tell your wife and daughter that every time they smell smoke on your clothes, they get a free shot at your nuts.

Problem: SOLVED.

free solution to vascetomy.

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

thanks everyone. it's good to see that a bunch of ya made it.

ford perfect ...
In my dream I'll be smoking while thinking that I really shouldn't do it. I keep smoking anyway

thats exactly what happens in my dreams.

reggie1 ....
As dumb as it sounds, I also stuggled w/ being a nonsmoker. "Is this something I really want? It's not like I smoked that much, etc."


that does sound awfully dumb, and i find myself doing the exact same thing. my reasoning is that if im just going to want one 5 years later anyway whats the point. on one level i know exactly what the point is ... but on another it sounds nice to ignore it sometimes.

[Reggie1]

my reasoning is that if im just going to want one 5 years later anyway whats the point.

That's exactly what I thought, too. But you can make it. Now, when I get cravings, it's more like nostaliga--remembering when I used to smoke--than any real threat to my quitting.

[PangQuan]

You want to know my secret on how i quit? Ill tell you.

I told myself that if I was so weak that I could not even give up a stupid cancer stick then I would never amount to anything with my MA. Getting that mentality through my skull helped alot, now when I think about smokers all I see are metally weak fools, with no will power.

This might not work for everyone, but ill tell you this. It is the truth.

[Gangsterfist]

Its all about will power, and I am an ex-smoker. I quit several times cold turkey. One time for 8 months, one time for 1.5 years, and another time for about 5 months. Started back up each time after that.

Now I can smoke 5 or 6 ciggarettes when Im out drinking and not smoke another cig no problem for days. I can basically smoke at will and quit at will. I know smoking is obviously bad for me, but when I am out with the guys shooting pool and such, and have a few drinks in me, I'll pick up a cig and smoke one.

The thing is I have conditioned my mind to controll my cravings. I know it sounds tough to do, but I do it. My friends who smoke get all crazy about it. They are mad that I can stop at will and not smoke for over a year and then pick it back up and then immediately quit for another year.

Its just something that comes with will power.

[red5angel]

I've got an idea GDA. Let's do a reality series where you try to quit smoking. We won't tell you when it starts but basically, whenever you pick up a cigarrette, eye a cigarrette, or a cigarrette advertisement, or whenever I think you are thinking of smoking, I'll come from off screen and punch you. It will be not so random as our last idea, and will be even more riveting because now, it's not just a matter o when you will get hit, it will also be a matter of wil this radical new therapy actually help you quit smoking!?

[PangQuan]

lol Red. I bet you could market that. But you will need help, if you get alot of orders. I will help but I think Ill do kicks instead of punches. You could get headbutters, throwers, kickers, punchers, etc.. and see which method works best.

[Ming Yue]

I started young, smoked for 10 years, then quit cold turkey. I craved for a while but always got past it.

Now it's been years since I've had a cigarette, and I am completely neutral toward them. I don't like going to super smoky clubs or eating when there's smoke around me, but the occasional whiff of cig smoke doesn't bother me either way. I have no desire to smoke.

be resolved, you've made good progress so far.

:)

[Jhapa]

I don't like going to super smoky clubs or eating when there's smoke around me

even when i was smoking 1 pack or more a day, i never liked being in a smokey place, or eat while there is lot of smoke, i actually sit in nonsmoking section. i don't even like a lot of smoking the car either. i actually don't smoke in the car either. i actually act like a nonsmoker, with a smoking habit. only time i smoke is few at work and few at home, on the porch with the old lady, about 1/3 of a pack. been slowly cutting down last few months. i'll end up quitting soon, not enjoying as i used to.

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

I started young, smoked for 10 years

yeah thats something i didn't mention. i started very very young. sometimes i even lie about how young i started because when i tell people the truth they dont believe me .... they dont say anything, but i can see it in their expression.

the truth is i started smoking at 7 years old :( not a lot mind you ... but i dont think more than a day or two would go by without me having at least one. also, i didn't start inhaling until around 10 or 11, but the fact that i was puffin on them so early means that i have almost no memories as a non smoker.

by 12 i was smoking half a pack a day of camel non filters. switched to basics at 14 or 15 cause of the clinton tax i think and smoked those up until about 3 months before quitting when i switched to camel filters.

now i dont want a ****in pitty party or anything, but the reason i wrote all that is because i really think "it's only a matter of will power" is a little callous when it comes to a history like mine or worse. bottom line sure ... i cant argue it .... but for myself smoking wasn't something that i liked it was a part of who i am. it is a defining characteristic of mike seals/aka GunnedDownAtrocity. i know that i can redefine myself .... its going to take time and a lot of effort but yeah i know it can be done. i hope to some day be where ming yu is at.

my point is that i see a lot of people pass judgment on smokers after they quit. i'm not saying anyone here doesn't remember where they once were, but it is extremely common. a guy will smoke for a couple years durring college, quit, and then look at the guy whos been smoking twice as long as he's been alive like hes a piece of ****. i understand we should feel proud of ourselves for quitting, and if you pat yourself on the back by comparisson i can't blame you, but to seriously judge someone for doing what you were doing just a while back aint right.

[tug]

Started when I was 16, I am 34 now. Quit twice during that time, once for 6mos, the other for about 2mos. Presently smoking as we speak. But the first time I quit, I was miserable for about 2weeks, then it seemed to get better. Obviously it didn't take. Unfortunately, I still really enjoy my smokes, especially with a nice 12 year old scotch or an ice-age port, but I digress.

I don't believe the cravings/nostalgia/whatever you want to call it ever go away for anyone who has been a smoker. A good friend of mine's father has not smoked for about 30 years and he still tells me he gets cravings, so having said that - once a smoker, always a smoker. Even if you have successfully quit, it will stay with you forever in some form or fashion.

Keep it up, man, good on you and good luck!

(and PLEASE don't become one of those "ex-smokers" you so fondly referred to)

[Gangsterfist]

been smoking on and off for over 10 years GDA. Some of my friends cannot quit b/c they cannot get past their own addictive personalities. I hate to be a jerk and tell you its all about will power, but it is. I quit cold turkey after smoking for 8 years.

Technically the first ciggarette I ever smoked was at age 9 or so, but never started actually smoking more than one till about 12 or so, and once I hit about 14 I was a regular smoker. So our pasts are very similiar.

I feel your pain man. It sucks, but if you can go 2 weeks with out smoking you are over the hump, the rest of it is in your head. I think nicotine only stays in your system for about 1 to 2 days total. So anyting after a few days is psychological addiction and not physical addition. Unless you are an oral fixation type of person.

You can quit, you just need to will it. Talking about smoking right now kinda makes me want to light one up right now, but I am not going to.

[Becca]

yeah thats something i didn't mention. i started very very young. sometimes i even lie about how young i started because when i tell people the truth they dont believe me .... they dont say anything, but i can see it in their expression.

the truth is i started smoking at 7 years old :( not a lot mind you ... but i dont think more than a day or two would go by without me having at least one. also, i didn't start inhaling until around 10 or 11, but the fact that i was puffin on them so early means that i have almost no memories as a non smoker.


I believe you, man. I was 11 when I started regularly smoking, too. But I did know some who started as young as you did. If kids are around them, they inevetably try them. That's why I don't smoke what so ever around my kids, and made a point of letting them know were that smokers hack came from; pointed out how nasty it smelled. I actually found enlisting my oldest boy in my efforts to quit to be very helpfull.

[PangQuan]

Ok, youve had your pep talks. You quit, final. Dont smoke anymore or you suck.
Really man, you already quit, just stick with it. What would your sifu tell you?

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

my sifu would ***** slap me like that one guy in the video.

i think drinking last night for the first time in while without smoking actually helped too. i was thinking it would be hard like it was before, but to be honest i got to drunk to remember what smoking was.

[Ming Yue]

you went out drinking on your birthday and you didn't cave and light one up?


you're golden. you're good to go if you toughed that out.

:)

[Jhapa]

it has been one whole week since my last cigarette. don't really miss it. don't even crave it. lets see how long this will last.

[IronFist]

Can you substitute one addiction (a good one) for an old one (smoking)? I've heard people with addictive personalities can do this.

Get addicted to weightlifting or something instead. I dunno. Learn to play guitar or something if you don't already.

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

one year b1tches.

my ram arrived today as well. 1 year 1 gig of ram.

i was going to get 2 but i couldnt swing 160 with xmas coming up :(

[Ou Ji]

I started smoking around 13. Had cigs before that but didn't smoke regularly until 13. Every time I went over a pack a day I would cut back. I quit once for a few months to see if I could do it and it went well so I resumed my pack a day habit for a few more years.

I quit went I started training MA when I was about 21. I had a cig or 2 a few years afterwards but never resumed the habit. Haven't had one in a long long time now and I'm over 50.

I like to think that I control my body, not the other way around. Also, I've quit worse things than cigs. They're actually the easiest I think and I don't get any cravings at all.

Seems like the longer you go without the easier it gets. At least for me. Sugar was a tough one. I was a mad suger consumer when I was young up to about 30.

I used substitution for one of the worst addictions. Fortunately I wasn't too deep into that one so I was able to dampen the squeezing in the back of my brain with a less addicting substance.

Bottom line is pure will power. Just do it and don't look back.

[Mr Punch]

Can you substitute one addiction (a good one) for an old one (smoking)? I've heard people with addictive personalities can do this.

Get addicted to weightlifting or something instead. I dunno. Learn to play guitar or something if you don't already.my ram arrived today as well. 1 year 1 gig of ram.
So, you substituted smoking with interactive pr0n games...?!:D Do you ever leave the house? Congrats on your year. How's the health these days?

Not like I care or anything... but it would be comforting to hear from someone who's been through a lot worse health troubles than my minor glitch of not being able to breathe right now...

BTW, not surprisingly, after having been a heavy smoker for just a couple of years between 17-19 (I started when I was 14/15) and then smoking very little from 24-27ish then even less from then till this health condition (maybe down to only 5 cigs a week), I have now not smoked for over a month.

Of course the fact that I get a violent allergic reaction to cigarette smoke, a coughing fit and lose the ability to breathe at all or without extreme pain and hard work for about five minutes has somewhat detracted from my own kudos! :D

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

thanks for askin about the health thing. it's a little weird, but its less than a year after a bone marrow transplant and i've actually never been better. and its not like i was some couch potato before ... i worked out constantly but didn't take care of myself in other ways.

im even more active than before and i dont think i've ever had more wind. between helping adora with her gymnastics/cheering, teaching her ma basics (the mma guys will love to hear that she can do a perfect rear naked), doing the basics myself, biking, walking, showing off, playing in the back yard, working on the house, lifting (just started god i ****ing missed it), etc, i move about as much as im still and im rarely out of breath.

i also eat really healthy now which is something i would have never done otherwise. i eat a ton of fruit and salad. a ton of it. my salads are as manly as you can get for a salad and i actually had to cut back on them a little when i started pooping green (use spinach instead of lettuce).

the only vice i have left is beer and to some degree coffee which is a new vice. i drank coffee before, but i never actually felt the effects of caffine. for some reason thats changed and i kinda like it. i dont drink more than a cup or two a day, but i definately look forward to it. beer has been moderated to 2 or 3 beers 5 nights a week. i tried cutting back to just weekends, but then id just binge drink so i said screw it and let myself have my couple beers at the end of the day.

all my checkups have went great and the only thing that sucks is my one year checkup at john hopkins, the one where ill finally feel safe that the cancer is really gone, falls on friday the ****ing 13th. gda could have it no other way. provided that everything stays gone cancer and the bone marrow transplant is the best thing that could have ever happened to me. i really try not to take things for granted anymore and im at least aware of it when i do. im a better father and a better person and i've finally learned that no matter how far i've come ill always look back 5 years later and think that i was a know it all ****in moron.

lots of blabbing = im doing awesome and thanks for askin.

if the thread hasn't been purged ill ressurect it when i hit year 2 for sure.

[Mel]

Being a noob, I hadn't seen this thread before. Congratulations GDA. How are your cravings now? I smoked very heavily (2.5 packs a day) for a few years. I quit when I was 20. That was 21 years ago. I used to get horrible cravings--and WEIRD dreams, like smoking 10 cigarettes at once or smoking a 3-foot long cigarette. Crazy. Every once in a while, I'll still have a dream that I'm smoking--and I'm really ****ed off at myself in the dream for doing it. Then I wake up and go "whew!" Every five years or so, I buy a pack of herbal cigarettes--no nicotine. I'll smoke a couple. And then I'll say, "Wow, this is really gross." But such is the power of nicotine that even after 21 years, it tries to lull me like a virgin again--not constantly like in the beginning, but every so often. Fortunately, in 21 years, I have not had ANY nicotine.

Oh, and the cancer, didn't know about that either of course. Hope you do well GDA.

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

thanks mel and im doing fine. i had hodgekins lymphoma so in the absolute worst case scenario where it would come back in the next 2 years i should still have plenty of time to get adora off to college which is good enough for me. obviously thats not what im hoping for, but it helps to think that no matter what i shouldn't be dippin out on her while shes still a kid.

as far as cravings go they are actually pretty rare. at first i really missed just going out and sitting on the porch for a couple minutes here and there. that is until i decided why dont i just go sit on the porch with a beer/coffee/tea/my ***** i was worried it would make me miss cigerettes more, but it acutally helped. i still go out on the porch while my friends smoke and every now and then ill have a mild craving while drinking, one of those i havent smoked in so long one wouldnt hurt type deals, but it passes quickly and that's that.

while i am proud of myself i do have to admit i have had a bit more motivation to quit than most people. i didnt quit during the first rounds of chemo and radiation, but when i was one of the 10% who needed to follow up with a bone marrow translpant i figured thats a good sign its time to quit. if just being a father and setting an example and the sheer money that goes into the habbit isn't enough to make ya want to quit a 4 month trip out of town to completely reset your immune system should do the trick just fine.

[FatherDog]

Glad you're in good health, GDA.

[IronFist]

Cheers, GDA. :D

[fa_jing]

Fuc(k you GDA.





















(J/K)

:eek: :D

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

:(

http://cms.psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20031205-000003.html

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

running a search for something else i found this thread and thought i'd bump it cause im so awesome.

almost 2 years ... not a drag.

also i didnt mention it before but suzi quit with me. she hasnt had a single drag since either.

we rule.

[jethro]

I still can't quit smoking, err, I guess I haven't tried either. Working out evry night was getting easier for me for a while but now I push myself to the limit every night and cougth up some sich ass shlt. But I always make it. Imagine what I could do if I neevr did that stuff. :(

[Chief Fox]

I still can't quit smoking, err, I guess I haven't tried either. Working out evry night was getting easier for me for a while but now I push myself to the limit every night and cougth up some sich ass shlt. But I always make it. Imagine what I could do if I neevr did that stuff. :(
You'd be a super stud like me. Never smoked, never will. I rule!

[The Willow Sword]

Glad that you are doing well GDA. We have had our differences in the past but i whole heartedly respect you for your courage and surviving the cancer. As for your Smoking? Well i smoked all through my teens and when i hit 20 i quit. i quit cold turkey and i think the main thing that helped me to quit was what i supplemented in to my body after the nicotine went away( 3 days is how long nicotine stays in your system after you stop smoking) I loaded up on the vitamin C to aid in repair of my lungs and immune system. i did start to drink coffee and tea( the caffiene). the studies show NOW that coffee in moderate amounts is good for you, just like wine and beer and butter and all those things that they all thought were terrible poisons.
Of course you seem to be eating healthy so you are giving your bod what it needs to repair itself. I also took lots of red ginseng which helped me tremedously. the rest was trying to break that ingram pattern of taking a cigarrete out of the pack lighting it up and taking a drag. Its amazing that when you do something over and over and over again how so engrained it can become within your psyche( now if more people trained like that in martial arts eh?) anyway the point is that trying to break that pattern is a challenge, but not more so challenging than say, doing 100 push ups straight without letting up).

So you just supplement your energy levels with vitamin C and red ginseng, Eat right, replace the "going through the motions" of smoking a cigarrette and replacing them with something else. that tacked onto the "will" that everyone is talking about and you will be fine and tobacco free.

Peace,TWS

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

thanks willow .... we did have our differences, but you were an adversary i have always enjoyed. i looked forward to arguing with you on the interweb. though i would have never admitted it in the past i always thought you were the type of guy id enjoy getting drunk with just to debate everything you're not supposed to debate. i dont mean any offence in saying your sentiments caught me a little off guard, but i really do appreciate it man. cheers.

[Pork Chop]

Great job GDA. :) I think you're a lot stronger person than I am.

I've never really been one of those everyday smokers- for a month max, but anything longer than smoking daily for week at a time was rare, much more of a weekend thing.

I don't drink that often either- i've had a few months mixed in of binge drinking every weekend, but in general it's pretty rare that i drink more than once a month.

My big issue is when I'm stressed out, when I'm hurt, when I'm angry, when I'm depressed, or when I just want to cheer up; I'll smoke and often binge drink.

The past week has been one of the worst for all of that stuff. I'll admit, I broke down the first night: had a sixer and blew through a pack of newports- I was basically in shock.

The thing is, the pain didn't go away, it got worse. All of the issues got worse. I couldn't smoke and drink in the middle of my ongoing issues, so i was forced to take deep breaths and calm myself down to make the pain go away.

I think it's worked better than smoking ever had and it's bleeding out to other areas of my life- not losing my temper, not so stressed out, not being so down on myself, not feeling so bored, not feeling that i gotta do something crazy to "party". Actually, it kind of reminds me of the revalation that i feel much better when I get enough veggies in my diet.

I find myself eager to commit to cutting it and drinking out of my life.
I'm learning to cope without the self destruction.

So here's to all of us sticking to our guns and living life. Keep it up! :cool:

[Li Kao]

Grats GDA on making it to year 2!

I recently quit myself after having smoked for almost 10 years -- one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, but I already feel great. I was one of those people who was ashamed of my smoking -- my sifu knew I smoked and when he occasionally could smell it on my clothes or breath, he would give me hell and I would feel like I was letting him (and more importantly, myself) down.

Both of my parents smoked when I was younger, as did my brothers. There was a time in my teens when the whole family was smoking. My parents had quit for years and picked it back up -- it always worried me a bit that I would never be able to kick the habit because of something my mother told me. She had quit for a period of 7 years, and one night gave in and indulged herself. She said that it seemed to her like she had never quit, the cravings came back that fast, and it took her several years before she quit again.

I was the last one in my family to quit, and what it took for me was my mom going through breast cancer. She had a dual mastectomy and is a survivor, but going through that really hit me hard. My mother does have a genetic predisposition to cancer (her father passed away from it when she was 14) and who is to say how much her smoking was a factor in her own disease, but obviously something like that will make you reevaluate your choices and lifestyle. I wish I could have quit before going through a traumatic event like that, but I guess for me it took something life-changing to realize how short life can be and how I had taken my health for granted.

I feel grateful to have gotten over such an adictive habit, and I feel like mustering up the willpower and fighting the impulses have affected me positively in other areas of my life too -- I have decided to pursue my Master's degree again after years of putting it on hold and working in a career that has paid the bills but doesn't fulfill me mentally. Quitting smoking seems to have been a catalyst for me to address the other areas in my life that I was complacent in -- I'm eating better than ever, I go to the gym 5x a week faithfully, sleep has improved, and I even curtailed my social drinking which was close to getting out of hand too.

To anyone who is trying to quit and just hasn't been able to -- never give up and keep focused on the benefits of quitting -- heck, at the prices of smokes these days, it's just on a financial basis to justify not quitting. One thing I did which helped was to save a percentage of the money I would have spent on cigarettes and then use that to periodically reward myself with something fun -- in my case, I took a vacation to London. Other than the obvious health benefits, it is a psychological boost to have a reward like that for your "good behavior".

I will never look down on smokers anymore, as I think it's a bit hypocritical considering I once smoked like a fiend, but neither will I ever stop giving friends and family encouragement to quit.

*Wow, this was kind of a sappy post after re-reading it, sorry for the length too*

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

dont be sorry ... this is the thread for that post.

youre not the only one with a few paragraphs.

[Mel]

Excellent news, GDA. You know I have a weak spot for you. ;) It has been just over 22 years since I quit. Still think about it sometimes. Won't go back, though.

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

22 years ... **** ... this is what i like to hear.

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

little over 2 years.

how is everyone else doing?

[qiphlow]

started in 1987, cuz it felt neat! quickly worked up to 2 packs a day, eventually evened out at 1 pack a day. at the end, was only smoking about 6 cigs/day. got a flu in 1999 and didn't smoke for 4 days cuz they tasted nasty and figured, why not quit? i was also feeling like smoking was a sort of roadblock to my meditation/taiji practice. anyway, since then i have had exactly one drag off of a cigarette in 2000 or so--tasted like $HIT. here's the funny part: as a smoker, i never smoked in dreams. as a non-smoker, i occasionally smoke in dreams. i don't miss weed, either, but i do miss taking ecstasy! but back on topic: my successful attempt at quitting cigarettes happened after about 6 tries in 12 years--the longest i had quit previously was only 2 weeks!

[Pork Chop]

Got 3 months under my belt earlier this year.
I don't know what's wrong with me.
I'm not a daily smoker and never have been.
I'll get a ridiculous craving about once every few weekends- sometimes once a month, other times much longer.
The craving usually comes in response to an emotionally traumatic event- like seeing my grandfather in the hospital, thinking he might go any minute; or a particularly lonely evening.
I guess I use it as a coping mechanism.
I'd like to think it's better than going out and getting drunk instead; but I'm kinda getting tired of always going back to that well.
zoloft was kinda helping for a bit, but now not so much & i'm getting tired of taking it.
not sure what i should do.
guess i'll keep trying.

[BoulderDawg]

Maybe here in Colorado we just live a healther life style. I know of no one in our school that actually smokes. I'm sure there are a few but these few would not dare light up anywhere near the place!:cool:

[Pork Chop]

we got coaches who light up behind the gym with the big back door open...
the smell wafts into the gym and even tho i have a smoking past, when you're working out, it'll still make you nauseous...

popular east coast mma fighter dwayne "diesel" shelton smokes before every fight- he's a freak though, competing in MMA, muay thai, and grappling all in a single weekend.

as long as i keep it real infrequent, it doesn't mess with my performance much but i'd definitely rather not do it all.

[Reggie1]

Next month will be 7 years for me.

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

3rd year ... not a drag

[golden arhat]

my friends dad had something that really helped
when he was quitting he bought a fake cigarette like u can get from fun fairs and such and when he felt the need to smoke again he just puffed on that

no nicotine but it was that lips could feel a cigarette that helped

like that guy said
nicotine only stays with you for a couple of days

after that its all psychological

so you possibly could replace smoking with another activity like sucking a lolipop or something




i smoked for a while when i was about 10 aswel but then my mum found out and that was the end of that hahah

i used to be a heavy drinker aswell and i used goin out and getting smashed with my friends was the usual
and i still smoked marijuana pretty regular up until about 6 months ago

when i made the descision to become straight edge

and now i dont drink smoke or do drugs
i dont know why but i dont feel any longing for my old habits to coem back

i just made a clean break

maybe i'm just weird

[bodhitree]

four years for me, i quit using this thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23711)

my how stupid i was

[GunnedDownAtrocity]

four years for me, i quit using this thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23711)

my how stupid i was

lmao ... did you see my last post on the thread?

man i forgot that i tried to quit for adora's birthday. i felt like a real piece of **** when i ended up smoking again 3 days later. got it right few months later though.

[bodhitree]

lmao ... did you see my last post on the thread?

man i forgot that i tried to quit for adora's birthday. i felt like a real piece of **** when i ended up smoking again 3 days later. got it right few months later though.

that's funny man

oh, and, man, how ****ing stupid did I used to be

[Lucas]

I smoked for over 10 years.


One day I was standing there with about 3 or 4 friends and we were all smoking cigs.

It was at that point I felt how much damage my lungs had taken over the years of abuse I had given them. I could fully feel how awful the smoking was for me.


It was at that point I realized the only way to quit smoking is by truly wanting it.


I went and bought one of those patch things, the three step kind.

I started with the second step patch for about a week, then realized the only good I was actually getting out of the **** thing was the super lucid dreams.

Threw the patch out and found out just wanting it was enough to help me quit.


1 month after I quit smoking I tried a cig just to check myself. I found it utterly repulsive and couldnt even handle smoking it, I had to put it out.

Havnt had one since.

edit: that was 5 years ago