advice on quitting smoking...

[Blue Skittles]

Hey everyone. I 'quit' smoking on the 22nd of June. By that, I mean I quit buying cigarettes. Before that, I had significantly cut back from smoking half a pack a day to smoking a quarter of a pack a day. Anyways, so I quit buying cigarettes. I am now smoking a new brand "OPC" - Other Peoples Cigarettes. My bf came into town the following weekend so i didn't smoke for 8 days straight but it was the weekend after that that I met some new people, we went out partying, and I ended up having a few cigarettes on each night. Still I made it through the day and then it was the Monday after that that I had one off my friend at the bar and then 3 days after that I got another one from a friend at work.

 

Anyways I'm having a tough time. I find when I get angry, stressed out, or emotional over something, I want a cigarette. I also have a long road trip coming up, I find road trips extremely boring and the only way i managed to drive all that distance by myself was to smoke cigarettes along the way. I don't know what I'm going to do this time, besides drive myself crazy.

 

Any advice from anyone whos gone through the pain of quitting smoking??

[coollady1957]

It is certainly difficult. I have quit smoking twice in my life and started back. I know I need to quit, but haven't had the will power yet.

[Scotcha]

I haven't had a ciggerette in several weeks now. I struggled just the same way you did, smoked OPC's.. I felt so guilty when I slipped too but the times I slipped slowly became further and further apart. Making a mistake doesn't mean you have to start smoking though.

 

For your long drive why not get one of those books on tape. Or maybe they have books on CD now. And lots of lollipops. I always found that having a lollipop helped with my cravings because of the same hand to mouth movements.

 

Best of luck to you!

[MI_Shell]

Don't worry if you have the odd smoke here and there it is all part of the journey to give them up. Persistence.

 

Try to be aware of the circumstances that encourage you to want to smoke, and try to develop other ways of releaseing those feelings, it could mean going outside looking at the stars and taking in deep long breathes or have a cup of tea. You definitely help yourself by avoiding situations where there are temptations.

 

I was a heavy smoker for over 10 years. I had to pray for the desire to go away.

[AwdreeHpburn]

Can I share a bit of my story?

 

I smoked for like 13 years. My husband is a has-never-smoked-non-smoker. When we first got together he tried to get me to quit by saying things about how bad for my health it was.

 

Well, I didn't care if it could kill me. I liked it and death, pi- shaw - that's not so bad.

 

But then he told me it made me smell bad.

 

I quit within weeks.

 

I have smoked a few cigarettes in the past ten years, (usually when out drinking with friends) but have never picked the habit back up.

 

My husband appealed to my self-conscious side rather than my health conscious side, since I don't care about my health....

 

Find what appeals to you but it does get easier. I think it will ALWAYS be there, the desire to smoke, but as it does with most things, Time makes it easier...

[HellFrost666]

My roomate quit about six months ago. He called the tabacco hotline. 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

 

It worked for him.

[itsallgrand]

Way to go Scotcha!

 

Ta_ree_saw, that's so funny that you posted that. I was just preparing to write about how what is helping me the most is smelling myself.

I am aware it sounds kind of weird, and might look kinda weird sometimes too.

But I like that I can smell the detergent in my clothes at the end of the day.

I like that my hands are looking prettier and don't smell.

 

It's the smell thing and the glooob in my mouth/teeth that I do not want. Whatever works, right? lol.

 

Find that thing that 'trumps' the craving or boredom reflex to accept a cig.

 

On that long car ride, I would probably stop a lot to move around. Think of something to do while driving even if it is in your head, or maybe find a friend to go too? Not sure, but you can do it.

[Ians Mommy]

I just "quit" smoking last weekend. Still, every couple days I get one from my sister and I just now got one like 10 minutes ago from my brother.

 

I found that it helps if I smoke one every couple days honestly. If you smoke one, you get really lightheaded from not having one and it sort of makes you not want another for awhile. I just had one so I probably won't even want one for a couple more days. It's weird.