June Quitters

[barbara42]

yea!!!!!!!!!!we got featured!!!!!!!!!!

[kmongoose]

well 3 hours in and I had a cigarette...mostly feel upset over my other destructive habit, picking at myself. My boyfriend commented last night about this bad habit and how I needed help for it. He always has my best interest at heart and wants to help, but I (extremely capitalized I) fell into my same routine of "why do I do this to myself" and "how can I possibly stop". Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep last night; just overly thinking about what terrible things I do. Does anyone else out there have problems regressing as fast as I do?

[stacie5]

kmongoose-  I have had a terrible time quitting, until this time.  I tried for months to quit and ended up smoking immediately after saying I was quitting.  You seriously have to want to and be ready to.  I havent really had the want to, okay I wanted to but didnt really want to quit.  I knew I should but didnt really want to quit.  I seriously cant afford to smoke anymore, we ended up spending money on cigarettes that really should have went for other things and I knew I had a serious addiction when I would forgo getting milk to buy a pack of cigarettes.  How dumb is that?  So I have went for 2 days now without a cigarette and I am so proud of myself!  I have never went this long without and it is way easier than I thought it would be.  I would freak out because I was out of cigarettes before and go straight out and buy some more, telling myself I would stretch them out and make them last.  Haha ya right!  Never happened.  So I have been without a cigarette for 48 1/2 hrs now and feel real good.  Im not having panic attacks because I dont have any cigarettes and my husband actually quit with me!  Didnt see that happening and we are not ready to kill each other!  Every so often I have a sudden pang of I want a cigarette, but it only lasts a minute or so and it goes away.  Only happening every few hours, so Im doing way better than I thought!  I think we make ourselves believe it will be way harder than it is.  Not saying its not hard, because it is, but not as hard as I had it in my head that it would be.  I thought it would be the end of the world but its not.

[kmongoose]

Stacie- wow that has been my problem every time I have tried to quit "do I want to"! This time is different and feels different. Although I haven't completey cut out cigarettes, the small steps I am taking now has definitely made me think that I CAN and WANT to. I can even get a decent sleep at night now!

One thing I have re-learned, besides life without cigarettes, is that you need to be honest with yourself and be truthful even though it may be hard. We can all do it!!!!

[monkeyandgrapes]

Hello,

My name Shea and I put down my cigs an hour ago. Today is my quit day. I am trying take things hour by hour......

[stacie5]

I have been cigarette free for 5 days now!!!  I am really proud of myself.  I feel pretty good, but today I seem to have more anxiety feelings than I have for a couple days.  It feels almost like the second day to me.  But I am holding out! 

kmongoose-  It took me about 2 to 3 weeks of what you seem to be doing before I finally stopped all together.  I kept going out and getting more, kidding myself that I could have them here and not smoke them.  You are better off than I was though because I smoked a pack a day.  No matter how many you smoke a day though it is really hard to get over the initial jump into quitting. 

monkeyandgrapes-  Welcome and hope you are doing good!  I also wanted to say I have a son named Shea.  This group seems to be a little slow, but I try to check in at least once a day.  Hopefully it will get more active so we can support each other quitting:)  I guess I figure if I start talking maybe everyone else will start too. 

[greg45]

I had my last cigarette Friday night, day 4.  There are a lot of expressions and exercises in the AA program that help with smoking.  "Move a muscle, change a thought" is helping me.  Everytime I think about smoking I find something to do, I am married with 4 kids, there is always something to do!  Work is the hardest for me, I smoked like a furnace here.  Chantix seems to be working pretty good.  I just try to stay busy and kep a lid on "The Rage".  I tried explaining the rage to my wife, it is like there is anger just lingering, I have quit before, it will pass.  I just have to pray and stay busy.  Good luck everyone, it is worth it.  I will have saved $32 at the end of the day today.  Philip Morris can kiss my butt, I have severed my slavery to their cigs!!

[George-Martin]

I am back to stop- I had quit for about 7 months and started up again. I am sick of smoking and want to quit once and for all!

I was helped alot before from this forum and look forward to getting this done again.

Thanks

[monarck76]

I promised my boyfriend I would quit for his birthday, I have not smoked for 2 full days... Really can't wait until it starts getting easier.  It's not even 10 am yet and I have consumed over 60 mini tootsie rolls, and I have about 60 left in the bag I brought to work. 

I tried the niccotine gum and I HATE it.  It irritates my stomach and my throat...and makes my jaw hurt from chewing it all day.  Definitely hope the Tootsie Rolls work. 😞  So cranky and grouchy today.

[monkeyandgrapes]

UGGG! I really blew it! I ended up smoking on the 14th (my quit date, and I have been smoking ever since. I am reschedualing my day to Saturday the 19th. I will be relaxing on vacation, and maybe I can get some days under my belt in a new environment.

I pose this question to all of you who have managed to quit so far (even if you have only been nic-free for a few days: What are the most effective strategies in warding off cravings?

Thanks in advance for your replies...

   Shea

[stacie5]

Shea-  What has worked for me is 2 things, I am taking Bupropion and also sucking on alot of hard candy.  I was a menthol smoker so I have alot of peppermint, spearmint.  I swear I have a huge bowl full of candy on top of the two flavors I have I also have cinnomon, jolly ranchers, butterscotch and lifesavers.  Lots of candy!  I figure its better than eating all the time which is what Im sure I would have been doing.  Also if you like to read it helps alot to get your mind off of not smoking.  Keep busy!

Today is my 1 wk anniversary of being cigarette free!!!!!!