I'm 3 weeks into quitting tobacco.

[Toz]

Congrats Trooper.I have been "clean" a month now.So far,so good as I have not snapped yet.The cravings are there,probably worse now than after the first week.I drink a lot more green tea after work and on my days off now.Also eating more and have put on the 20 pounds I lost when I started my new job a couple of years ago.

 

I quit smoking after 32 years in Nov.2002 and have probably dipped since around 1982 or so.Had to go back to the dentist last month and I knew he was going to tell me I needed to quit so I finished off my last can and haven't had any for the last month.With no patches and or drugs.Only the help of the Good Lord and my wife.

 

She quit cold turkey too.Smoked longer than I did and has been tobacco free for 12 years now.

 

One thing this has taught me though.I feel some real sympathy for people who get hooked on anything.Especially drugs and alcohol.I can't dream how much worse that is.

[MojoComics]

1. You can only quit if you WANT to quit. No Dr.'s advice, 'quit the easy way' books, or peer pressure can make you quit. EVERYONE knows smoking is horrible on one's health, and yet we do it; if someone thinks *words* are going to make a difference, they've never tried to quit.

 

That being said, here are some words to help you out! :laugh:

 

2. Keep busy and change your routine. Smoking is mainly fueled by our habitual nature, along with a dose of oral fixation. Waking up, grab a smoke. Start driving, grab a smoke. After a meal, grab a smoke. Change your routine; pop in a piece of gum, Jolly Rancher, mint, anything to 'trick' your habit into thinking nothing's changed. Well, not *anything*; this can be unhealthy if not done in moderation.

 

3. Reward yourself. Not sure where you reside, but I live in smoker central, and it's roughly $4.50 a pack. Set aside the money for something else as a reward for every pack you would've realistically bought during that time. Believe me, it adds up quick and gives you one concrete example as to the 'why'. Everyone can tell you it's bad for you (which you already know), but 'bad for you' is too ephemeral; money in your hand is something you can enjoy immediately.

 

Anyways, best of luck to you! :thumbsup:

[Korvac Saga]

I quit 8+years ago after smoking for 20 years. Very tough at first but gets easier over time. (thumbs u One of the best decisions I ever made. I never lecture anyone to quit but always offer lots of support to anyone who wants to quit. A horrible addiction with nothing but bad consequences.

[fastballspecial]

Keep that image in your mind of that guy singing using a voice box.

 

One of my bosses tries every year, but she cant cope with the stress in her life so she goes back to smoking every year. I feel so sorry for her. I hate tobacco companies nicotine is worse then crack just kills you slower.

 

You can do it.

 

[dupont2005]

Probably not what you want to hear but quitting smokes was incredibly easy for me. I only smoked for five or six years but I smoked ten to twenty cigarettes a day and went through phases when I would tear out the filters or roll my own. I decided I wasn't going to smoke anymore and just stopped forever.

[ajaxfarrell]

Hang in there !!! Let us know when you've made it a month.

 

You could maybe look into those nicotine lozenges ?

 

That's a good idea, putting money aside for each pack/can you would have bought.

 

Maybe when you have "smoking thoughts" you could drop and do 15 push-ups, to remind yourself how much healthier you'll eventually be ?

 

 

[Benjamin Grimm]

ha. I'd have been doing push ups all day when I quit.

[Whizzer]

I've been clean for over five years and it was the best thing I ever did. If you need motivation, find someone with smoking related advanced COPD to talk to, not fun.

 

What you are doing is the best thing you will ever do, not just for your own health, but for those around you, those who need you around for the long haul and your pocket.

 

I would imagine that your job/training would give you big reserves of stamina and fortitude, make that work for you.

 

Good luck man, stay with it and you'll never look back. (thumbs u

[Underground44]

Well done. As someone who has quit the habit for 3 years now I can tell you that it DOES get better everyday. The worst thing you can do is say to yourself "I'll just have one" Hang in there. You will be much happier and healthier (not to mention more cash for comic books )

Good luck!!! (thumbs u

[rabidwolf]

The first few months are the toughest. Keep it up man..Its one of the most important things you wil accomplish in your life. Its been over two years since I had a cigarette after 16 years of smoking.I never thought I would be able to quit but its doable.

 

You haveto focus on things that motivate you to quit. Every time you want a cigarette tel yourself its been three weeks, four weeks, two months, etc. If you have one now you will have to start over again.

Also nicorette was very helpful for me.

 

good luck bro.

[Thomas Nielsen]

Hmm, not sure how tobacco differs from smoking but if you are still climbing the walls after 3 weeks maybe cold turkey is not the way to go for you

 

But i would think that if you can do 3 weeks you should be in the clear. I only had real craving the first 24 hours, the rest was habits as someone else mentioned.

 

When you start obsession about a smoke, do something else, pop a piece of gum and go do some yard work or take out the trash. Go for a walk/run. Feed the dog. Anything to try and get you mind of the smokes.

 

Don't sit down and have a cup of coffee...(for me anyway, coffee = smoke)

 

 

Best of luck, hope you make it.

 

Didn't think i could just quit after 20 a day for 20 years but i could.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[lizards2]

it's best to compare things you waste money on to comics...before i buy something non-comic related i compute how many comics i could buy with that money (food, clothes & gas not included).

I was always like that as a kid, and diverted everything to comics. Now at 51, I've loosened up some, but I still dream of what I could have without all these house payments, food and utility bills...,

[lizards2]

Good luck man, I dip too, go thru about 3 tins a week. After about 24 hrs I feel like I want to physically just thrash everything and everyone I get so pissed.

 

Its not easy but It will go away. Dipping has so much more nicotine and chemicals, I think personally its harder to quit. But it is possible, don't cave in. I have quit before and never should have started again.

 

Congrats!

 

1st three weeks is the hardest so hang in there, you're almost home free!

 

On a side note, I'm 3 weeks into telling the wifey I quit smoking

 

If she catches me, I may have to trade some slabs for sleeping room on a boardies couch!

 

Been there too! Better to fess up than get caught months down the road! Because believe me, she will catch you.

 

Many years ago I lied to a girlfriend of mine about quitting. I legitimately quit for 2 days and I didn't have the balls to tell her I broke down and started again. When she caught me she cried. Not because I was smoking again, but because I lied to her. I felt like the worst dirtbag on the face of the earth.

 

Best come clean.

Don't these girls have a sense of smell? Or are they smokers too? :shrug: I can't imagine them not catching you just by the smell reek.

[Speedy-D]

And I'm still climbing up the walls. I used to dip, and sometimes smoke.

 

For those who have never been addicted....

 

Imagine having the most stressful day you can remember at work, and then on the way home you get a flat tire. You pull over and check the trunk, and wouldn't you know it there's the spare but no jack! You call six different people to come get you and it's the one day that not a single one is answering their phone. There's an auto-parts store 3 miles away so you start walking. About 2 miles into your trek a truck speeds by a puddle and splashes all over you. It's 32 degrees F outside. Etc....

 

That level of stress, of not being able to calm down is what it feels like when your body is craving nicotine. When you finally get your fix it feels like a big sigh. That day is over and you're in your PJ's in front of a crackling fire and your favorite show is on TV.

 

I need a #$#$%ing cigarette.

 

Good for you man. I had my last cigarette on August 17th last year, at 11:30 am. That's 241.93 days clean, 6,048.39 cigarettes not smoked, and $3,477.83 saved at NYC prices. A few things were helpful in getting started:

 

1. I had a couple friends who tried to quit with me. One failed, and the other had a brief relapse but is now going strong.

 

2. I got my wisdom tooth pulled, and the Dr. told me I couldn't do any sucking (no comments!!! ) for at least a couple days, or suffer the dreaded Dry Socket, which by all accounts is ridiculously painful. So I got a few free smokeless days.

 

3. I got an app for my phone (it's called Quit Now!). It tracks my progress, gives me stats about estimated health improvements, etc. It was pretty key for the first month or two.

 

All I can say is trust me, it gets easier. For the first couple months, I thought about smoking all the time. I had so many triggers, big and small. Forget about stress, just things like finishing a song on Rock Band or sitting down in front the computer were triggers. I also had smoking dreams, where I was smoking up a storm and it was the most wonderful thing ever. Ugh. Anyway, after a couple months, I had my very first day of not being triggered at all. 9 pm or so rolled around, and I realized I hadn't jonesed at all. It didn't last, but it was a turning point. Now, at practically 8 months, I pretty much never jones, and when I do it's very minor. I can breathe better, climb stairs better, sleep better, taste and smell better (a mixed blessing in NYC) ... just about everything is better.

 

I've had to quit a few nasty habits in my time, and I think smoking is the most insidious, because it's so pervasive. Happily, it doesn't have the same coolness factor it once did, but there's still some of that.

 

So good luck man. You'll be so much happier as a non-smoker!

[Speedy-D]

Good luck man, I dip too, go thru about 3 tins a week. After about 24 hrs I feel like I want to physically just thrash everything and everyone I get so pissed.

 

Its not easy but It will go away. Dipping has so much more nicotine and chemicals, I think personally its harder to quit. But it is possible, don't cave in. I have quit before and never should have started again.

 

Congrats!

 

1st three weeks is the hardest so hang in there, you're almost home free!

 

On a side note, I'm 3 weeks into telling the wifey I quit smoking

 

If she catches me, I may have to trade some slabs for sleeping room on a boardies couch!

 

Been there too! Better to fess up than get caught months down the road! Because believe me, she will catch you.

 

Many years ago I lied to a girlfriend of mine about quitting. I legitimately quit for 2 days and I didn't have the balls to tell her I broke down and started again. When she caught me she cried. Not because I was smoking again, but because I lied to her. I felt like the worst dirtbag on the face of the earth.

 

Best come clean.

Don't these girls have a sense of smell? Or are they smokers too? :shrug: I can't imagine them not catching you just by the smell reek.

My buddy pulled this too. He lied to his wife about it forever. He would just blame the smell on me or other friends. She kinda believed him, kinda didn't. Eventually she went through his bag, found his pack of cigarettes, and flipped on him, mostly for lying about it for so long.

[USArmyParatrooper]

Good luck man, I dip too, go thru about 3 tins a week. After about 24 hrs I feel like I want to physically just thrash everything and everyone I get so pissed.

 

Its not easy but It will go away. Dipping has so much more nicotine and chemicals, I think personally its harder to quit. But it is possible, don't cave in. I have quit before and never should have started again.

 

Congrats!

 

1st three weeks is the hardest so hang in there, you're almost home free!

 

On a side note, I'm 3 weeks into telling the wifey I quit smoking

 

If she catches me, I may have to trade some slabs for sleeping room on a boardies couch!

 

Been there too! Better to fess up than get caught months down the road! Because believe me, she will catch you.

 

Many years ago I lied to a girlfriend of mine about quitting. I legitimately quit for 2 days and I didn't have the balls to tell her I broke down and started again. When she caught me she cried. Not because I was smoking again, but because I lied to her. I felt like the worst dirtbag on the face of the earth.

 

Best come clean.

Don't these girls have a sense of smell? Or are they smokers too? :shrug: I can't imagine them not catching you just by the smell reek.

 

That's how she caught me, and it took a week or so. When I knew I would see her I would brush my teeth and wash my hands.

[lizards2]

Good luck man, I dip too, go thru about 3 tins a week. After about 24 hrs I feel like I want to physically just thrash everything and everyone I get so pissed.

 

Its not easy but It will go away. Dipping has so much more nicotine and chemicals, I think personally its harder to quit. But it is possible, don't cave in. I have quit before and never should have started again.

 

Congrats!

 

1st three weeks is the hardest so hang in there, you're almost home free!

 

On a side note, I'm 3 weeks into telling the wifey I quit smoking

 

If she catches me, I may have to trade some slabs for sleeping room on a boardies couch!

 

Been there too! Better to fess up than get caught months down the road! Because believe me, she will catch you.

 

Many years ago I lied to a girlfriend of mine about quitting. I legitimately quit for 2 days and I didn't have the balls to tell her I broke down and started again. When she caught me she cried. Not because I was smoking again, but because I lied to her. I felt like the worst dirtbag on the face of the earth.

 

Best come clean.

Don't these girls have a sense of smell? Or are they smokers too? :shrug: I can't imagine them not catching you just by the smell reek.

 

That's how she caught me, and it took a week or so. When I knew I would see her I would brush my teeth and wash my hands.

That's not enough, because it is in your hair and on your clothes. You cannot fool anyone unless they don't have a sense of smell, and/or are smokers themselves. The reek pervades.

[DiceX]

I smoked for 25 years. I hated what it was doing to me, but I honestly liked smoking. It was a very satisfying thing for me.

 

Almost 5 years ago I stopped by using the patch. I was amazed at how easy it was for me to quit. I know people that it didn't work for, but it really did make it easy for me. I had used it once before with the same results, the difference this time is I will never say to myself that I can smoke "just one,"

 

I've known several people that tried the gum but after a few days they were addicted to cigarettes AND the gum, so I can't recommend it.

 

The bottom line is that nothing is going to work unless you WANT to quit, and if you've gone 3 weeks cold turkey, your desire is unquestionable. I'd say buy a box of the lowest dosage nicotine patches to see I that takes the edge off. Don't use them any longer than two weeks.

 

Congrats on making it this long. It takes a lot of willpower but he benefit of being without that ball and chain makes it worth the effort.

You can do it and you will thank yourself afterwards.

[ThreeSeas]

My wife smoked from her childhood up to when our second child was born. She quit during the first pregnancy but started right up afterwards. She slowed down a bit for the second pregnancy but did not quit during that period.

 

I think what really got my wife to thinking about quiting was when we went to her family reunion and then she realized that no one in her immediate family who smoked lived to be 60. Her dad died of cancer in his 30's, her mom died of throat cancer at 57, we heard many stories of other relatives of hers that were hard smokers/partyers all dying young. I spoke to many of the old timers there and none of them smoked. Something about her family genes not being likable to smoking. Up to the reunion she had not had much contact with her family so all of the smoking/drinking and dying young stuff kind of effected her. We even got to meet her 90-something grandfather whom we never even knew was still alive.

 

Anyways my wife used to smoke Basic cig's and then to try stopping she first switched to natural American Indian made Cigs and after a month or two on them she stopped altogether. She has not smoked since 1999. She told me that the Indian cigs did not have the nicotine adjustments/manipulation like regular commercial cigs so once on them for a while it made it easier to quit.

 

Hang in there Paratrooper, it will get easier.

[bronzejunkie]

Keep it up-- I'm 3 years without a cigarette. You're about to exit the worst part of it, it'll get better. I used nicotine gum for a long while and it was the only thing that would help, eventually I got rid of that as well.