Quitting smoking!!!!

[Stephen]

Originally Posted by jwz

As you know I "accidentally" smoked last friday while being drunk.

It might be too much for you all at once, but you never know, it might be a help........GIVE UP ALCOHOL mate

I did. It is brilliant. No sore heads. No talking sheet to your friends (as often as you used to) More money in you bank.

You also have the surreal position of watching what everyone looks like when they are drinking......and thinking to yourself.......was I like that once?

LOl Really.

You dont need to have a 'problem' with alcohol to give it up.

[Ree]

Originally Posted by jwz

*******by the way.. When I'm in a room where people smoke, and I possibly get a VERY small amount of nicotine into my lungs.. Does that affect my quit?
What does it do to me? And does it mean that I lie when saying that I'm nicotine-free?

Don't worry yourself about this. I don't think any of us can avoid completely the effect of second-hand smoke, unfortunately I chuckle when I find myself holding my breath as I walk past a cluster of smokers outside the entrance to the mall or my favorite restaurant. I probably inhale as much that is bad for me from general pollution in the air all around me.

Your intent is to be nicotine free and you are, to the best of your ability. That's what counts!

[jwz]

Ahh. Great. thanks all.

[Rose of Cairo]

Hey Jan! Problem? How are you doing?

Love to you.

[jwz]

Hi all.

I've been out of town, working as an electrician.

I've worked for 14 hours per day, this weekend included.

Without internet, I couldn't resist smoking. My colleague who went there with me is a smoker...

I feel so bad about this. It's amazing how ONE little cigarette can wreck everything again.

I don't want to smoke again.

The day after I smoked again, my lungs felt stiff and weird when I woke up.
And my stamina was REALLY low.

It's about time that I kick this bad habit for good.

I'm gonna smoke the last one in my pack while saying goodbye to my old friend, the cigarette, who has been tormenting my body and mind for so many years.

I'm sorry for letting you down. And not least for letting myself down.
Just as things were getting easier.

I will forgive myself and start over now. I will be a non-smoker again.
This time I will remember every single one of my failures.
Remember that one puff is all it takes.

I will post back when I've smoked that last cigarette.

Wish me luck. Oh.. no. No luck needed. Give me strength!

[{aspiring_to_clarity}]

Don't beat yourself up. Just start again. You can do it.

[jwz]

That's it.
I've smoked the last one.
This time I want it to last.

[Rose of Cairo]

Hey you... here's a hug for you : <<<hug>>>

I was thinking something like that, I had a bad feeling about you. I'm very glad you didn't disappear. Don't give up!

You didn't let us down. It's not for us that you're doing it. We have no expectations at you and we love you no matter how much you smoke!

Looks like you underestimated the adversary.

When I stopped smoking, I made the nicotine devil my personal enemy. I gave him a name and a face and fought him. It was WAR. For each possible case of craving, I had a written strategy. Never underestimate him, he's damn wicked!

(maybe the image of fighting a devil doesn't resonate with you, but I highly recommend to have written strategies for all dangerous situations!)

Now you know that spending a lot of time with a smoker far away from your support structure (the internet) is to avoid. Learn from your mistakes.

One puff is all it takes, yes. That will always be like this, all your life. Some people took one puff after 20 years and started again. That's just something you have to keep in mind. The thought "ah, now I'm strong enough, I can smoke just one" is just an excuse for smoking again, it's a trick from the nicotine devil!

Have you identified the situations that are particularly dangerous for you? I would say, sit down, take a pen and paper and write those situations down. Now what could you do in those situations to make sure you won't smoke? Write it down. Next time this situations occurs, you'll be prepared.

Hang in there! We believe in you

[Ninja]

My grandpa was a very heavy smoker. He didn't settle for sigarets... no, he went straight for the fat sigars and smoked for 55 years, starting when he was 12. At age 67, he lost a close friend to lungcancer and decided that it would be an insult to keep smoking. He quit cold turkey, not even using a patch. instead, he ate peppermint, and lots of it. He lost a tooth and gained ten kilos from eating all that peppermint, but it worked. He's now 78 and hasn't smoked since.

If he (nickname: "the chimney") can do it, so can you

[PerDev]

I have done it for 6 month successfully by replacing it with Tea - but due to extremly stress full situation of my life I have again started the same habit as i could not find any other strong alternative - Do let me know if you have better option

[PerDev]

Originally Posted by jwz

Hi everyone.

I've been staying a bit away from PD sites for a while now, because of my bad attempt to quit smoking about 3 months ago.

I'm not gonna take it anymore, so since yesterday 22:45 I've quit smoking.

"I have stopped nicotine for 13 hours, 54 minutes and 58 seconds (0 days).

I've not smoked 12 death sticks, and saved kr. 38,85.
I've saved 57 minutes of my life." -Quit Counter

I have done it for 6 month successfully by replacing it with Tea - but due to extremly stress full situation of my life I have again started the same habit as i could not find any other strong alternative - Do let me know if any of you have better option

[jwz]

Thank you everyone. (especially you, Rose).
Now I feel much better and stronger. This bad habit will have to go.

Regarding spending time away from internet with a smoking colleague..
It seems that I can't really avoid this. I will just have to find a way NOT to smoke in these situations.

The 'nicotine-devil' approach sounds pretty good to me. I will try that.

[drummbellina]

Keep going! Don't let those slip ups stop you, it will get easier just keep going. Be strong.

[CeciL]

Stick to it! I've been smoke free for 2 years and 4 months. I used the Quit counter and "Smoke Away" (gave me something to do). Once the 3 day detox is up it's all physiological. Which of course is the hardest part. There are times where I would still like to smoke, but it goes away very quickly. Especially if you distance yourself from other people smoking.

Maybe try some cardio exercise or meditation versus smoking that cigarette when the urge comes. You need to replace that habit with something you choose first or something bad will come along and do it for you. (Another cig, food, pop, drugs)

[Rose of Cairo]

Originally Posted by jwz

Regarding spending time away from internet with a smoking colleague..
It seems that I can't really avoid this. I will just have to find a way NOT to smoke in these situations.

Sorry for repeating myself, but again, write it down, and practice with visualizations. That's how I did it and it's great.

Imagine the situation (you far away from every computer, your smoking colleague in front of you, maybe even offering you a cigarette...) now imagine what you could do in this situation instead of smoking. For me, it was 1. drink a small bottle of water and 2. go the stairs up and down again. Choose something healthy that you don't dislike and that keeps you busy for 2-3 minutes, since this is about how long the attacks last. Write it down!

Then visualize: in a moment when you have no craving, imagine the situation, the smoking colleague, the offered cigarette, your craving... everything, and then do this action you have chosen. But really do it. Drink the water and go the stairs, or whatever it is you chose for yourself. Repeat as often as needed to burn it deeply into your brain.

Next time you'll be in this situation, you'll just get up, drink the water and climb the stairs, and be saved.

Do this for every dangerous situation. You're done!

Well at least that's how I did it. It was very, very helpful. Hope it may help you too.

[Kryptik]

Smoking is an addiction. Any addiction is hard to quit. I greatly admire anyone who quits, just as I admire you for not giving up, to continue trying to reach your goal. To be completely smoke free will be tough, and it'll take a while, but you'll succeed. I know you will.

Just keep on fighting, this will get easier and easier over time. And just think of all the positive changes this will make in your life! You'll save money, be healthier, and be able to enjoy so many more things.

I wish you the greatest of luck! Keep it up!!!

[JorgeHTQH]

Please tell me, what are you doing to quit, or better yet, how did you prpare yourself to quit.... I am at this moment, May 5 2008 trying to quit .

I made up my own 12 day program where i gradually cut down on soking but I keep messing up in the morning, in the afternoon and in the night.. and at this point it is crucial that I quit.

I tried cold turkey last friday and failed within 2 hours. Please tell me, how did you do this? because if I can make it for 3 days then I can remain a non smoker for life...

thanks
j o r g e

[Iamsuperman]

I wish you the best and hope you find it in yourself to pull through this!

[GuildOfAbundance]

Congrats to you JWZ for availing yourself of this forum and its wonderful people for the kind of support you needed while focusing on doing more constructive things with your time than smoking.

To all who desire to turn their attention to something other than sucking on a paper stick of poisonous fumes: Place your focus on WHAT YOU WANT and not on WHAT YOU DON'T WANT! Instead of repeating, like a mantra, "I don't want to smoke", say instead, "I want to BREEEEATH!" "I want freeeedom!" (Saying "I want to quit smoking" is still focusing on the act of smoking.) "I want to keep more of my money." "I want to smell better for my co-workers and friends." Etcetera, etcetera.

Ask yourself, "What is it that I really want that smoking is holding me back from having?" Then, desire that thing like you've never desired anything else before! And forget all about smoking because now your desire for that special thing or someone (?) will be so powerful, so much stronger than your desire to fill your lungs with choking carbon monoxide targuck.

You hold the power!

In February 2005, my sweetheart bought me a didgeridoo for Christmas. (It's probably one of the most difficult wind intruments in the world to play as it requires mastery of circular breathing.)

Anyway, at the time, I smoked about a half a pack a day. That didn't help my learning the didj at all. It certainly didn't allow me to figure out the circular breathing thing.

The more I picked up the didj, the more I fell in love with it and the more I desired to learn how to play it properly. Cigarettes were my greatest obstacle but I knew they would have to go otherwise I would always remain a mediocre didj player. And that thought didn't appeal to me.

To make this short, my desire to play the didj overuled my desire to smoke and I broke free from bondage in September 2006 after 14 years. Now I can do the circular breathing. Ironically, I replaced sucking on a small stick with blowing on a big one.

How funny is that!

But the former stick harmed my lungs while the didj stick has repared them and made them stronger than they have ever been in my entire life.

I can now play continuously - when I get into the right meditative state - for a little over 30 minutes, doing what I prefer to call switch breathing instead of circular breathing because circular makes it sound like I'm breathing both in and out at the same time, which isn't the case.

It's just switching from lungs to stored air in the cheeks being pushed through the didj tube or whatever. Can't really explaing it.

Okay, so I like to talk!! My sweety (Rayvin darling) got me the didj for a reason you know. It keeps me from talking so much, I think. Anyway, I am so grateful to Rayvin for loving me enough for her to care about my health. . .

If you need anyone to lean on while you go through this very difficult time, whoever you may be, we're here for YOU! We appreciate YOU and bow to the divine in YOU - Namaste!

Love & Light,
Rob & Rayvin Nyte

[LoraleighV]

Wow! What a great bunch of supporters you have here, Jan. Mind if I add my two cents worth?

You can do it! Just consider each time you quit and start again not as failing but as practicing. I smoked a pack a day and practiced quitting smoking for YEARS. I just quit cold turkey and I've now been nicotine free since January 7th of this year.

We're all in this together, so you can count on my support - no matter what.

[hkalchemy]

You might want to consider quitting drinking too - doesn't this make you less inhibited and want to smoke more?

[bobo]

Keep us posted! I have quit two times myself, been smokefree for three years now. Have some resouses in my sig if you need inspiration.
good luck!