Stopped smoking tobacco a little over two weeks ago. I have been smoking for 43 years. The first 5 days was not an easy task. Not a cake walk now, but at least the physical addiction (withdrawls) have subsided. Now for the long hall of the habit. Took my dad over 15 years to totally lose the desire.
This would be easier if I wanted to quit. Just like with many things in this life, I have a limit on how much money I will spend on things. Sure, I can afford it -I simply refuse to pay it... >:( I have no smoking related health issues. (Well perhaps a couple - I have a wart on my hand that needs to come off, starting to look older, and have some gray patches on my head. I am sure there is a doctor out there somewhere that can connect these things to smoking.)
The state and federal government have gone crazy on how much they are taxing tobacco. Recently went up over a dollar per pack. It really angers me that they can single out select groups to overtax. Tobacco, alcohol, etc. Wonder what will be next. Dangerous foods like pork butt? ??? I seem to recall reading about some state mandating what cooking oils restaurants can use for food preparation.
Congrats WildCat! That's fantastic!
You will feel better for it. I currently am a smoker. :-[
I will say this though, I once quit for 6 years (Ya I know... Why the hell did you start!) and when I quit again I will never put my guard down.
Good luck and just keep slugging away one day at a time.
Mike
I quit cold turkey in 1996. Kept a carton under my seat. One day I pulled out the carton I had just purchased a few days and there were only two packs left. I said to myself, "Self", this is ridiculous! 2.5 packs day. I am going to quit. Took the cigarettes out of my pocket, put them in the carton with the two full packs, added my lighter and threw them in gas station trash can. It was quite some time before I stopped reaching for my pocket or missing a cigarette at times I usually smoked, after eating, completion of a task, etc., etc., etc.
Good luck my friend.
:)
Relax
Enjoy a ceegar ;D
(http://i123.photobucket.com/albums/o290/stlthy1/me.jpg)
;D ;D
nepas
That was mean NePas. :D That stogie is kind of like a teabag. ;D
I can take it though. I now enjoy just being around others that smoke. Love that aroma.
Thanks guys. I do not want to quit - I am simply stubborn. I have the will power. I quit for 12 months about 20 years ago on a bet. Collected my winnings and went back to smoking. If they repeal some of those taxes, or the price otherwise goes back to something more reasonable, I promise that I will go back to smoking. Not likely to happen though, so I guess you can call me a quitter. May have to shorten the table legs that my smoker sits on so I can take in a little more aroma. ::)
I'm glad you quit. Hang in there.
I have been dipping snuff since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I quit when I went through basic training but took it right back up when I got out of basic training. My wife says I'm a bear if I go without it and the Surgeon General has never shown a study where people have been harmed by second hand spit (actually, I don't spit). I wish I had what it takes to quit but I can only go through so many traumatic experiences at once. ;D
Wildcat,,
Gongrats on quitting, i know how hard this can be to do .. bear with it andyou will feel so much better and enjoy life so much more
Beef
Been trying to quit smoking myself. Here in British Columbia, cigarettes are not even advertised anymore, and when you go to buy them they are hidden under the counter. All the negative stigma makes a smoker feel like a second class citizen.
Its really hard to stop. Especially when you like to entertain friends around your Bradley Smoker while having a stogie and the adult beverages are flowing. You almost have to change your other habits first.
Quote from: Smoking Duck on April 02, 2009, 02:46:35 PM
been harmed by second hand spit (actually, I don't spit).
I gotta couple of good jokes here Marc but I think I will refrain ;D ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: Smoking Duck on April 02, 2009, 02:46:35 PM
I have been dipping snuff since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I quit when I went through basic training but took it right back up when I got out of basic training. My wife says I'm a bear if I go without it and the Surgeon General has never shown a study where people have been harmed by second hand spit (actually, I don't spit). I wish I had what it takes to quit but I can only go through so many traumatic experiences at once. ;D
Is that a regular grasshopper or a tiny grasshopper.........................grasshopper ;D
nepas
Congrats on the progress WildCat.
I was in line at the grocery store today behind someone buying a pack. $6.06US !!! !AYE!
I'm glad I quit several years ago.
I went through that "Enjoying other peoples smoke" phase.
Now I find it (the smell) completely repulsive.
I dipped and chewed when I was in high school. back when it wasn't a felony.
Quote from: smokeitall on April 02, 2009, 03:23:28 PM
Quote from: Smoking Duck on April 02, 2009, 02:46:35 PM
been harmed by second hand spit (actually, I don't spit).
I gotta couple of good jokes here Marc but I think I will refrain ;D ;D ;D ;D
I know, I left myself open on that one but then I thought only the most depraved of individuals would think about this. At least I know my senses are still working ;D ;D ;D
Quote from: NePaSmoKer on April 02, 2009, 03:24:26 PM
Quote from: Smoking Duck on April 02, 2009, 02:46:35 PM
I have been dipping snuff since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I quit when I went through basic training but took it right back up when I got out of basic training. My wife says I'm a bear if I go without it and the Surgeon General has never shown a study where people have been harmed by second hand spit (actually, I don't spit). I wish I had what it takes to quit but I can only go through so many traumatic experiences at once. ;D
Is that a regular grasshopper or a tiny grasshopper.........................grasshopper ;D
nepas
The kind with wings ;) ;D Sensei
Congrats, Wildcat! Hang in there! Scott quit about 7 or 8 years ago. I told him to spend the money he used on cigarettes for whatever he wanted: KitchenAid mixer, anything else I wanted.....KIDDING!!!!!
June
Congrats cat man!!! Hang in there guy.
Stick to it....
"May the only smoke you see....be coming from the damper of your Bradley...!!! And smell like Burnt Pork!
Quote from: FLBentRider on April 02, 2009, 03:45:07 PM
Congrats on the progress WildCat.
I was in line at the grocery store today behind someone buying a pack. $6.06US !!! !AYE!
Sheesh, be glad you're not in NJ. I paid $7.85 yesterday. Friends that work in NYC are paying over $8 a pack. It's nuts. I'm currently gearing up to quit. Just started taking Chantix. If you want to quit, this is the best way to go. Stuff is unbelievable its scary. You take the drug for a week while you're still smoking and then after the 7th day stop. By the 3rd day or so cigarettes taste horrible and you really have no urge anymore. I used it once about 8 months ago and quit for 6 months but then had some personal stuff come up which put me right back on the butts.
Seriously though, talk to your doctor and get the stuff. It really does work.
Congrats on taking the steps to quit guys. I quit about 10 years ago after decades on smoking. It was truly the hardest thing I have ever done, but now it is the best thing I have ever done. Each day will become easier, but you have to fight the urge to relapse. Even on cigaretter will put you right back to square one and all that hard work will be for nothing. That is my inspiration to never smoke again. I never want to have to go through the tortures of quitting again. Good Luck.
Quote from: NewfieSmoker on April 03, 2009, 02:47:14 PM
Stick to it....
"May the only smoke you see....be coming from the damper of your Bradley...!!! And smell like Burnt Pork!
I second that!
Congrats on kicking the smoking habit Wildcat! You stick to it for the people you love.
Carolyn
Wildcat...
My wife and I quit smoking three and a half years ago. Although I prefer to reference it as 40 pounds ago. I've never regretted it for a moment.
Here are my thoughts.
I was a Marlboro red man. She was a Marlboro Light woman. We both had tried to quit a couple times in the past. No luck.
A health food acquaintance told us to switch to something that was 100% natural tobacco (and to quit Diet Coke before we quit smoking) and then use a patch. So, we WEANED over to Winstons (me W reds her W golds) because they are 100% tobacco with no additives (which I didn't realize until I made the switch) and we smoked them for a couple of months. Then we set the date to quit (Thanksgiving) and put on the patches after supper! Haven't smoked since. It was incredibly easy quitting compared to the past experiences.
I will tell anyone and everyone this until I hit the grave. The tobacco companies don't care if you are trying to quit or continue to smoke. They control the chemicals on both ends! And, because they know you are trying to quit (but can't because the patches, gum, etc... only control nicotine cravings) they know you'll be back again and again and again. They don't care what form you buy the nicotine in...just that you buy it.
So, long story short. Get on a tobacco only cigarette, get used to it, and put on the patch to quit. If you smoke anything other than 100% tobacco, you'll be Jones-ing more than one drug...and that ain't cool.
In any case, you should be proud you are doing what you are doing. You shouldn't be doing it for the money. You should be doing it because life is too great to be shortened by doing something intentionally stupid! And that's from a diehard ex-smoker.
Best wishes!
Thanks for the encouragement and recommendations. I am positive that I will be able to do this Cold Turkey. I am very strong minded and extremely stubborn. For many, to quit smoking is a big health advantage. I do not think so for myself. I simply have a limit that I will pay for ANYTHING. It is not a matter of whether or not I can afford it. I can. I simply made a final decision that I am not going to pay an extra dollar per pack.
Never underestimate the power of stubborn.
;D
hope you are still no smoke
seemore
Sodak,
What you say is interesting. Where do you get real cigarettes and what does diet coke have to do with it. I have a daughter who has tried to stop smoking with poor results.
Brad
Yeppers - still not smoking. The urges can be strong at times, but otherwise not really that difficult. Anyone can stop if they truely make a final decision to do so. You must truely want to quit for whatever reason and then just do it. Any other approach simply makes it so difficult that most will fail.
Good job bud. I know you don't need the encouragement, but keep it going man. I got your back.
Quote from: Wildcat on April 24, 2009, 06:26:49 AM
Yeppers - still not smoking. The urges can be strong at times, but otherwise not really that difficult. Anyone can stop if they truely make a final decision to do so. You must truely want to quit for whatever reason and then just do it. Any other approach simply makes it so difficult that most will fail.
You can complete this, you just have to want to.
In 1993 I booked an archery Mule deer hunt in Wyoming. The outfitter said we would be hiking at around 5-8000 ft. I decided to quit for the hunt and never went back. Quit anyway you want but quit.
Congrats again!
Wildcat
What a coincidence...... I was just going to check and see how you are doing. Sounds like you have it licked. Congratulations my friend. keep up the good work.
Nathan
Thanks guys. I have always been strong willed and it has always paid off in the long run.
By my quick calculations Your up to 5 weeks. Congrats there Wildcat.
5 weeks you got it licked. Don't give yourself a reason to go back it's not worth it.
I'll bet you food tastes better now...
Quote from: Roadking on April 25, 2009, 12:13:06 PM
5 weeks you got it licked. Don't give yourself a reason to go back it's not worth it.
I'll bet you food tastes better now...
Strange you should mention that. Some foods taste better and some taste worse. May have to start making my own loaf bread. No longer like the brands we have here. :P
I quit 5 years ago after being a victim to tobacco for 34 years. I quit cold turkey and found it easy to do once I learned how to quit and stay quit. It is one of the best things that I have ever done.
You need to learn how to quit which will help take away the urge to continuously poison yourself by inhaling hot toxic gases from burning leaves rolled up in paper.
Do the free quit smoking on line course and it will make quitting so much easier. No need for any patches, pills or other dumb gimmicks. Do the course and it will help take away the psychological mind games that smokers play with themselves that makes it hard to give it up.
Say NOPE, Not One Puff Ever and you will never fall back into the trap of tobacco.
Do this course to get free.
http://www.quitsmokingonline.com/
Read Allen Carr's book on line.
http://www.opposingdigits.com/ebooks/Easy.Way.To.Stop.Smoking.pdf
Good info here too.
http://whyquit.com/
A quit meter to keep track of your stats.
http://www.quitmeter.com/index.php
Good forum for support while quitting.
http://forums.quitnet.com/aspBanjo/Message_List.asp?Conference_ID=10&Forum_ID=8&r=192927
Stages of a quit.
http://xsle0.tripod.com/HELP/STAGESofaQUIT.html
Your doing awesome WildCat! ;)
Don't look back... Full steam ahead as a none smoker.
Thanks for posting those links Geofite. I'm currently smoking but have quit as long as 6 years in the past. I too found it easier to go cold turkey and there is no question I "will" do it again. I made the mistake of having a cigar at a party and before I knew it I was back at cigarettes. For me, as I'm sure for most smokers who have tried to quit, I literally can't get away with a puff with out starting again. Kinda like any other addiction. I'm bull headed as well and I know when I quit again it will be for good.
Keep up the good work WildCat and like I said don't look back, just forward as a nonsmoker. Your family will thank you and remember... we're part of your family. ;)
Mike
Thanks all. I played golf today with a doctor today that smoked a pipe. Love the smell of a good pipe. Always have. Tried smoking a pipe about 10 years ago. Not my cup of tea. Does not taste like it smells, pain in the butt to keep lit, bitter juice always hitting the tongue :P. Do love the smell though- almost as good as smelling butt cooking in the BS.
Way to go Wildcat!
Keep up the good work cat man. :)