Who is Still Trying to Quit?
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free skin care · Fri Feb 24, 2006 6:08 pm

Hi Gals,

There were some old posts in which a few members talked about trying to quit smoking. This really brought me back. My heart always goes out to quitters in progress because I know from experience how hard it is! I had several attempts myself before I finally kicked those skin sabotaging puffers.

I was wondering how everyone is doing now - anyone have success stories to share or still courageously trying?

free skin care · Sat Feb 25, 2006 2:34 am

I am still trying.
If you have any words of wisdom they would be very thankfully received.

free skin care · Sat Feb 25, 2006 10:47 am

I'm proud to say I've been smoke-free for 4 months now Very Happy

! Its easier for me this time because I'm pregnant (due April 1st), but I still do crave it at times. Quitting is hard work and determination, I hope I can keep the quit after the baby is born! If anyone wants to see my reason for quitting, my son's webpage is:
http://www.babysonline.com/babies/l/littlemoosette
password: springbean
Very Happy

free skin care · Sat Feb 25, 2006 6:05 pm

Moosette, congratulations on both!

Did you quit cold turkey or use an aid?

Bushy, quitting smoking was the hardest thing I ever did! Ironically, that is what keeps me from relapsing, I couldn't go through it again.

I was smoking a pack a day easy for almost 10 years. I tried to quit several times with various methods like limiting myself to so many per day, smoking 1/2 a cig at a time, switching to ultralights. Then I tried the nicotine gum. The only problem with that was I was always thinking about the gum just as much, constantly wondering when I was going to get my next fix. Brick wall

I thought about it even more!

What finally worked for me was the patch. I loved it

- I could put it on for the day, it would release all my nicotine for me without even having to go outside or think about it, and I had amazingly incredible and lucid dreams like swimming with dolphins and cool things like that. I used the step down method but extended it so the weeks were even more than what was suggested, not moving to a lower dosage until I was ready so there was no pressure. I could have stayed on these as long as I wanted.

The harder part was finding other things to do besides eat. Laughing

A friend of mine suggested orange juice and that helped alot. I also took up knitting to keep my fingers busy and tennis to knock out my aggressions. I think a big part of success for me was separating the physical habit from the need for nicotine and dealing with each separately.

I am so envious of people who can start and stop smoking whenever they like. I was never like that. For people like me, quitting takes several trials and each one is valuable practice. I cannot delude myself by thinking I can ever have just one either. Now, I just walk behind other smokers and sweetly reminisce while being grateful that I can breathe again!

I would love to hear more about your experiences. I know if I can do it anyone can!

free skin care · Sat Feb 25, 2006 9:45 pm

Congrats Moosette!! PNW too!

I feel like Eeyore right now, doom and gloom with a rain cloud over my head. Crying or Very sad

I smoke, I hate it, but can't seem to even TRY and quit. I know what it feels like to want something bad enough, trust me on that one. I sometimes wonder when I'll want to quit smoking "bad enough"...? I cough ALOT all the time. I've smoked for 21 yrs. straight...uugh Crying or Very sad

Amazingly enough my skin doesn't look it, my friends can't believe it..they tell me "well you sure don't LOOK like you smoke." YET!

I watched my dad slowly die from smoking related complications, even though he had quit years before his death. He cringed at the fact I smoked. Crying or Very sad

I was his caretaker..so I know firsthand what a person goes through with cigarettes and dying..it's a horrible way to die. Ya think that would be enough for me to quit.........NOPE, call me an idiot. Sheesh this has opened up pandora's box. Confused

I applaud everyone who stops smoking or even attempts too...you have way more courage than I do Exclamation

Maybe sometime soon I'll be courageous and try, I always think about it. Smile

I really hate being addicted to such crap Exclamation

free skin care · Sun Feb 26, 2006 1:56 am

Pnw
I am glad that you were able to quit but I have tried just about everything except the patches only because I thought they would be just like the gum etc.
A couple of years ago I actually wanted to quit and used the gum and did not find it too hard. I gave up for about 6 months. I don't know why I started again, it just happened.
The hardest hill I have to overcome at the moment is that I know I should quit but I just can't find the same frame of mind I had a couple of years ago when I just decided I wanted to quit.
I have spoken to my doctor about it and she suggested a regime of reducing the number each week until I was rid of them but that has not worked either.
I think you have to want to quit to start with and then patches, gum will help.
Did you actually "want to quit" when you started the patches or did you use the patches to help you get in a frame of mind to "want to quit"?

free skin care · Sun Feb 26, 2006 8:39 am

I forgot to add that I quit cold turkey (maybe that explains the 40 pound weight gain so far in this pregnancy Embarassed

)...I just cut down to a point where I was wasting more cigarettes than smoking them, I felt so guilty everytime I puffed, I would put the cigarette out after a couple drags, to the point where I just didn't want them anymore.
Another thing that helped me to quit is that up here where I live in Ontario, Canada, smokes cost around 10 dollars a pack! A pack a day smoker can spend over $3500.00 a year on cigarettes! That could buy alot of nice skincare stuff Wink

!

free skin care · Sun Feb 26, 2006 12:33 pm

I truly believe from my own experience that the frame of mind of wanting or needing to quit must be there first, then the method helps to make the transition easier. That is what changed for me when I went from trying/failing repeatedly to finally doing it.

People think that smokers are dumb. We are/were not dumb, but we are addicted. We know what these things do to us. We know what it looks like to others. We know how it smells and how bad it is for our health. We've seen the "smokers lung" on Oprah. That's what * spam alert * is. Even knowing we are doing this to ourselves is usually not enough to make us quit. But we keep trying. Lifeplyr01 you are not alone and I congratulate you on being concerned when many are not!

For every individual the reason to quit is very personal. I think it has something to do with an internal desire to reach a higher plane, become a "better" person in the eyes of someone special, achieve a higher physical level, etc. These are positive goals. It is not about wanting to get away from the cigs, it is about wanting to achieve something we cannot while we use them. It's about determining and choosing to be and do the opposite for an even greater reward. And for that we need a good reason. I am just babbling away with what little I know. It's good to get lots of veiws and input. But I think this is the key.

I hit rock bottom when I couldn't breathe during a spell of bronchitis. That's when I realized how seriously addicted I was. It made me think about quitting again and I began to think about what life as a nonsmoker would be like. But changing it came when I began to envision my life before smoking, when I was very active and athletic and then picturing where I was going. I wanted a lifestyle where I was hiking, biking, skiing, etc., and was far from it. But that wasn't it. I also envisioned the kind of guys I was meeting and what my options would be in the future as far as dating and married life. Shock

I wanted a healthy, good looking, environmentally friendly, positive attitude man in my life but he sure as heck wasn't going to want me! So that became my goal. And I simply could not do both, so I chose the one that was worth more to me, something I thought I deserved. It's weird, but I didn't think my own healthiness was a good enough reward. It only became a reward of worth when I thought of what other wonderful things I could achieve if I chose it. And yes, I married a wonderful man and we are very healthy together now.

Sorry this is so long, I have a hard time describing things sometimes. I'd love to hear others stories.

free skin care · Tue Feb 28, 2006 12:41 pm

Moosette, I so wish I could have cut down like you did, I have not been pregnant, but I imagine it would have given me the motivation to quit if I hadn't done it for marriage first. You are awesome! Keep up the battle and God bless your little baby!

Quote:

Did you actually "want to quit" when you started the patches or did you use the patches to help you get in a frame of mind to "want to quit"?

Bushy, what a great question!

In trying to remember the process of quitting I had a thought. Isn't it alot like dieting? I mean, alot of people go on diets over and over to lose a few pounds here and there, and they succeed long enough to meet the short term goal only to relapse and gain it back again. That to me is alot like quitting. Instead of cutting out the chocolate cake it's the nicotine. The nutritionists say that you shouldn't diet, but you should change how you look at what you eat and change your eating habits for good. That takes a definite change in frame of mind. And a big part of weight loss programs is motivation...looking at how it will change your life and wanting that more than the cake helps you stay on track until you've replaced it for good. You have to be able to tell your body no, then reinforce it with a method that helps you win! As for me, none of the other methods worked besides the patch because I had to get it OFF my mind as much as possible. Rather than controlling it every second of the day, my mind was free to work on how to fill all the extra time.

free skin care · Wed Mar 01, 2006 2:12 am

I still don't have the courage to begin quitting... Mad

free skin care · Wed Mar 01, 2006 11:49 am

It can seem overwhelming to consider it if you don't know what to expect or if you think you may lose friends. Actually, cigarettes were my best friend for a while....it's tough saying goodbye.

free skin care · Thu Mar 09, 2006 9:50 am

i have been quitting for hm... maybe a year.
It was hard trying to quit. Everytime I saw people smoking(even now after I quit) I just wanted to run to him/her and bump a cigg from him/her.
I had to quit tho, because a year ago, they found this lump in my breast. And from the momnet I found out til the ultrasound appt day (which prob about 4 days), I was scared to death.....
And the doc said that the fact that I was smoking increase the chance of breast cancer (is this even true?)
It turned out to be nothing (not cancerous), but It got me thinking... man... I could have a breast cancer....

free skin care · Thu Mar 09, 2006 12:03 pm

Oh, how scary, roadtonowhere! So glad to hear you are ok!!!!

I do believe that smoking and cancers go together when you are on birth control for sure. My doc says this.

I had to become a hermit for a while when I quit, no bars, no smoker friends, no quarters in my pocket to bum cigs. Are you still cig free so far?

free skin care · Thu Mar 09, 2006 9:07 pm

yes.. i am cig free now....
but still now, from time to time, if i see ppl smoking, i really just want to take a deep breath and hope i can taste the cigg.... Laughing

but yeah... i guess the consequences are just too big.....
how bout you pnw.....are you cigg free?

free skin care · Fri Mar 10, 2006 12:57 am

I might finally have a method to quit. I discussed the problem with my doctor again today and now she tells me there is a tablet I can take. It is a 7 week course, I can still smoke for the first 3 or 4 days but she said it has a 95% success rate. I have the prescription but I have to visit the doctor every 2 weeks while I am taking the tablets so I won't be starting for 3 weeks as I am going on holidays in a weeks time for two weeks so I will start when I return.

free skin care · Fri Mar 10, 2006 1:28 am

bushy: have fun on your holiday, and good luck on the program.... Very Happy

free skin care · Fri Mar 10, 2006 7:07 am

Bushy,

What kind of tablet did your doc prescribe? A few years back I tried Zyban which is a Rx pill and it made me sick as a dog to my stomach. I'd be interested in knowing what your doc gave you. Have a great time on your holiday!!

free skin care · Fri Mar 10, 2006 11:01 am

Wow that pill sounds cool! how is it supposed to work? Is it like an anti-anxiety? I still thought the patch was cool cuz I was getting my nicotine on a regular basis and cutting down when I felt like it. It was awesome to cut out the smoke part that was killing my lungs and still get the nico. That's the part that gets to you if you cut down too fast. If you do it really slowly and incrementally you hardly notice it and you get time to adjust your lifestyle. Yes, since I quit I haven't had one toke. It was so much work to quit I swore I'd never do it again. Plus I married a nonsmoker and he would not tolerate it. Smoke free at least 6 years now. Still walk behind smokers and enjoy it, still get a craving occasionally but very mild and easy to blow off. Doesn't bother me too much at bars. Don't think I'd have enough willpower to have a friend who smoked, though. The best part is that I inspired my brothers to quit too!

free skin care · Sat Mar 11, 2006 8:42 pm

The tablet is called Zybax. I have never heard of Zyban but it sounds like it may be a derivative of it. I wasn't told that it would make me sick. It is supposed to totally remove the craving for nicotine which is why you can smoke for the first few days. The doctor said in most cases, the craving was gone by the third day.

free skin care · Sat Mar 11, 2006 10:09 pm

Zyban is the US has the same active ingredient as Wellbutrin (an antidepressant). Apparently this type of antidepressant helps people quit smoking--but not sure it eliminates the craving after 3 days. Don't know if it's the same thing as your doc prescribed. I'll google Zybax and see what it is, thanks for letting us know Exclamation

free skin care · Sun Mar 12, 2006 6:01 pm

Ok I googled Zybax...seems as though it is a cleaning agent/product of some sort hmm

Do you know what the ingredients are in the Zybax..maybe that would help shed some light. Smile

free skin care · Sun Mar 12, 2006 7:18 pm

A good friend of mine quit recently. I noticed that he had replaced the cigarettes with toothpicks so I gave him a pack of these:

He said they really helped him. They are toothpicks flavored with tea tree oil. I guess it was just the diversion he needed. He was afraid he was going to gain weight but this gave him something without calories to put in his mouth that he could also fiddle with and keep his hands busy too. You can get them at health food stores.

free skin care · Mon Mar 13, 2006 7:04 am

Freefall~ those toothpicks remind me of when I was a kid we used to take cinnamon oil and soak toothpicks in it over night. The next day we had these yummy flavored toothpicks Very Happy

It was our way of making candy..lol

Glad the picks work for your friend, it's a great idea for those of us who need "oral gratification." Shock

free skin care · Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:34 am

Found out yesterday that my hairstylist has been on the patch for 13 days, both she and her hubby. I am so thrilled for her Exclamation

I got to thinking well heck, if she can go through this (being a bit**, gaining weight, etc etc) and still manage 13 smoke free days, well what the heck so can I. So I went to Wally World and bought the patch and candy and gum. I am going to give this a shot this Satuday (Ironically I had just bought cigs before seeing her). She managed to give me a great tip on how to handle the hand to mouth fixation. Put a rubber band around your wrist and pull on it when/if you get an urge to smoke. I mentioned the tooth pick thing to her and she liked that idea Smile

She isn't aware that I am going to do this, but will let her know at some point in the future. Thank you all for your input and insight, it has been extremely helpful. Very Happy

Please wish me luck, this will probably be the hardest venture of my life. Yikes Exclamation

free skin care · Tue Mar 14, 2006 10:02 am

WooooHooooo! Lifeplyr, so glad you found your inspiration! You probably already bought your nicotine but just wanted to mention not to kid yourself about how much you need to begin with. You shouldn't feel lacking in your replacement. Go for the big guns and get the most to feel physically comfortable. I do think, however, I remember you shouldn't add gum to the patch routine. Don't remember why. In the first stage of the patch, the idea is to get used to giving your hands and mind something else to do and try not to stay idle. I smoked at least 1 pack per day so I started off with the highest dosage patch. Then, instead of "counting the days" to switch, I just decided to switch when I felt in my heart I was ready. I always went past the deadline a week or so before stepping down.
Goodluck!!!

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