Quitting for the gajillionth time

[Chad]

Hey all, OMG I remember this group about a year ago when I joined and it was all of 10 people, ha!

So ummmm yeah, 1 year ago when I claimed I'd quit and here I am suckin down butts. I keep telling myself I'll quit "as soon as . . ." but something always comes up that prevents it. My current excuse: I work full time and I go to school part time and I'm stressed outta my mind. The most recent motivator to quit? I just paid $17 for 2 packs of cigarettes!!!*^%&%^# Of course I'd also like to lose the feeling that my lungs are bleeding when I hit up the gym.

So here's my problem, I've quit a several times and did it cold turkey each time. I would make it for a few months and then "scratch the itch" and spiral downward from there. My issue this time is that yes, my stress levels are thru the roof, so the nicotine withdrawal is gonna be rough. I'm wondering who's had luck with nicotine step down patches?

Thanks all!

[Brandy]

Hello Chad - I haven't tried nicotine patches, however I highly recommend the book: The Easyway to Stop Smoking by Allen Carr. It's a great book, and helps you realize that cigarettes don't help with stress, they actually help to cause it - you can even continue to smoke while reading it. Anyway, get the book! and good luck!

[mylastvice]

As for the patches, they irritate my skin however, Eclipse gum will keep your mouth busy and I suffer from headaches when I withdrawl, so I take 3 extra strength tylenol and drink lots of water. Good Luck.

[Bike Run Hike]

I quit on the 11th. April 11th. I need to know I am not alone. My circumstance is different than most. It's easer in some ways. I run. It's harder in some ways. There's no one to talk to. No one knows the athlete smokes. Duh...He'res my main thought. I don't want to be the ex smoker. They think about how they wish they had that cigarette. I don'twant to be the smoker, they think about when they will have that next cigarette. I want to be the non smoker. They don't think about smoking. If no one ever said to us, it's hard to quit, how hard would it be? What if they always told us it was easy, instead of hard? Would it be easy? Remember when you first smoked? It was HARD TO SMOKE! Smelly, cough, dizzy. I smelled that stupid black and mild and now I am thinking about it. I am NOT GOING TO SMOKE EVER AGAIN! I want to win that race! I want the big trophy. I want to breeze over the finish line easy, no wheezing. Am I annoying or what? I have a granddaughter. I want to see her grow up. I want her to not think it's okay to smoke. I told her I quit. She said. "Good NAN! I don't want you to smoke. She's running the one mile race in June. It's her first race. That will mean I have to run 4.11 miles, her 1 mile and my 3.11. That will be a first. A first for the two of us. Her first race, my first four mile race and WITHOUT THAT MONKEY>I want to be her mentor to NOT smoke. If I smoke, the likelihood of her smoking is 50%. Two smoker families children, most smoke... Chantix. It takes the thought away. I have smoked for 35 years. Whenever I quit in the past, I always thought about it. The Chantix takes the thought away. It really does. I run and bike and go to the gym. That hlps too. If you're at the gym, you can't smoke. I am living on the trails, the road, my bicycle and at the gym. That stupid Black and Mild. It won't win...not this time! Get the book "The Esy way to quit smoking" By Alan Carr. Get the CD by Kevin Trudeau stop smoking. They help too. If you don't get the book or the CD, at least try the Chantix. It takes about two and a half weeks to really block the thoughts.

[Bike Run Hike]

You don't need to add nicotine. You need to remove it. Try not to use it. Read my reply under your question.

[Bike Run Hike]

41 days today! Yes, I rock and so do you! It's my birthday Sunday. I will be 47!

[hothula]

I have had great luck with the patch and know it is the reason why I was able to quit. use them they make a ten crave feel like a 3. use them for the entire 3 months, stepping down, all the time on the patch will help you get used to not smoking. also allen carr's books are a great help for the head games a quit can pull.

[Reva Burke]

Dang Chad! I know how you feel I have been on an emotional rollercoaster myself so stressed and no where to turn except back to that ciggarette! I hate it! Why do we go back to it why not find another outlet? I believe that quiting is more then just quiting its literally changing our mind and how we think about things and finding different ways to deal with stress as well. Its hard but, atleast you can always remeber this one thing. " If you did it before you can do it again". Just make sure you use that analogy in a positive light! Oh and add me as a friend and read me blogs also feel free to give me advice too!

[Chad]

Actually I'm going on 2 1/2 months quit. Did it cold turkey "by accident." Got really sick for a week and the last thing I wanted to do was smoke. Then when I started to feel human again I realized I hadn't smoked for a week so just figured I'd keep it going since the hardest part was over. It's been a struggle at times and I had one slip early on but have been smoke free ever since. Still days when it's really hard, but the days when it's easy and feels great FAR outnumber the hard days.

[Cartel]

Chad I am going after my quit cold turkey also. I have had many slip ups , but my desire to smoke is decreasing. Just wanted to pat u on the back man, u r doing great & I hope to be posting a 2month streak some day. Enjoy your weekend. I'm out.