Quitting smoking for my daughter.

I have been a smoker for about 15 years. I have tried to quit many times, but I have never lasted more than a day. Yesterday I asked my daughter what she wanted for her birthday, she looked at me and said I want you to stop putting those things in your mouth, mommy says they are bad for people. I just about started to cry. I told her if thats what she wants then that is what I will do. Today is my 3rd day without a cigarette. I have to say the first day was not that hard, but yesterday and today have been really bad. I almost caved in and bought a pack but i did not. Luckily I have not felt the urge to yell or scream or have any anger symptoms, but the withdrawl symptoms I am experiencing are shakes, inability to sit still, and strangely enough I have had the hiccups alot. My friend works at a sunflower seed factory and has hooked me up with a bunch of seeds.

I have also been trying to do some simple exercises when I feel the urge to smoke. Pushups, go for a walk...stuff like that. I have heard that after 3 days the withdrawl begins to improve, I am hoping that is the case. Its funny how a 5 year old can come along and make you do things that you never thought you could. I have also opened up a savings account for my daughter, and I am making daily deposits into it in the amount of money I would spend on cigarettes.

Anyway I just wanted to get this off my chest, it has felt a little theraputic for me. I also want to say to others that smoke and have tried or want to quit, that it is hard but it can be done. Thanks for reading. I will update this thread every few days with some progress notes.

Good luck to you! Hope you get there.

If it all does become too much. Consider e-cigs

reply to post by lcbjr1979


I applaud you for the goal. I have tried and even posted a thread about it. I haven't quit entirely but have cut 75% at least.

Look at this thread and it may help in your efforts.

www.abovetopsecret.com...

Good Luck!

reply to post by lcbjr1979


Good for you. Hopefully you can keep it up. I can guarantee this, the craving do get less after the 3rd day. Well actually the cravings begin to get further apart. The key for me was to change my routine. Instead of smoking after a meal, I would go for a walk, or have a cup of coffee.

Keep it up!!

reply to post by jude11


Wow that is quite the thread. I am gonna bookmark it, I may need it down the road. Thanks for putting it together.

I had my final doses of nicotine in any form on April 15, 2010. I timed it that way when I realized it was coming so close anyway. Why not have that special day carry a positive meaning as well? Anyway, I know everyone has their schemes or scams for stopping smoking...I'll just make this real quick. It took me a combination of BOTH Zyban (Welbutrin) and the patches taken together. The Zyban eliminates the psychological withdrawals entirely and they did the first time I tried them as well. What made the difference was the patches to eliminate the physical entirely. Together it made for a painless process I'm still shocked by. I sure wish I'd experimented with that combination years sooner.

reply to post by ParanoidMike


Yeah I have had to at least try and change some things in my routine. After meals and driving were the two times where I would always light up. I have been trying to walk more and drive less in the past few days so I dont have that trigger. After meals I have also like you done some exercises and it helps the craving pass. I have noticed that it takes about 10 -15 minutes for the craving to pass which is not that long so I have been able to exercise through it. Right now the hardest part of the day is when I wake up, I would always light up as soon as I got out of bed. I have just been sitting in my room for about 20 minutes after I wake up and do some deep breathing and talk myself out of buying a pack. The added motivation of my daughter i think is going to make the difference in me succeeding.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


That was going to be my plan eventually. I had used chantix in the past and i thought I was going to die on that stuff. I have heard very good things about zyban, glad it worked out for you. How long were you a smoker before you quit?

good job champ

keep reminding your self that you have way more power then a ciggerette ..

you will come to a point and laugh that ciggerettes had such power over you


till then keep a bottle of hot sauce with you


take a shot of it couple times a day when u feel the urge for a smoke

make sure its supery spicy don't chicken out punk


keep some gum with you


drink lots of water


don'\t think about titties

reply to post by lcbjr1979


Congradulations!...you are doing a wonderful thing not only for your daughter...but all the people who love you....as well as yourself of course.

I absolutely love the fact that you started a savings account for your daughter....and the money you would have spent on cigarettes...goes into that account...that is awesome!

reply to post by seedofchucky


LOL those are some of the best tips I have heard in a long time. I will take all those to heart.

reply to post by caladonea


In all fairness it was my wifes idea to do that with the money, i am not sure I would have thought about it on my own. I probably would have just found something else to spend the money on. I calculated that I spent $2000 a year on cigarettes. I could'nt believe it when I saw that number. All in all in my life time smoking I have probably spent close to 25 grand on smokes. How sad is that.

First off, good for you! Will save your health, money, and daughter's peace of mind. Kudos!

Currently, I am a smoker but have quit for an extended period of time twice. And I had a similar experience...day 1, the perseverence outweighs the craving and it isn't so bad. Day 2 and 3, can be rough. But the craving and constant need to preoccupy myself steadily declined after day 3.

Some things that help...toothpicks (my personal favorite) , hard candies, gum, mints...anything to hold/have in your mouth. It is a habitual habit as well, so substituting cigarettes for something seemed to work for me.

I've had friends that quit for years and still crave cigarettes, personally...I found no urge after about 3 weeks, and was tremendously easier after those first couple of days. Keep with it...and again, Congrats! Utmost respect.

I think if you do decide to go cold turkey and ever have an urge grab a electronic cigarette, with no nicotine so you don't get hooked that again... You can use it for emergencies and it wouldn't affect your child's health or bother them.... Good luck with the stuggle...

Originally posted by lcbjr1979
reply to post by caladonea

 

In all fairness it was my wifes idea to do that with the money, i am not sure I would have thought about it on my own. I probably would have just found something else to spend the money on. I calculated that I spent $2000 a year on cigarettes. I could'nt believe it when I saw that number. All in all in my life time smoking I have probably spent close to 25 grand on smokes. How sad is that.

Regardless of whose idea it was....the fact is...you are doing it.....just think...what a wonderful college fund this will be.

reply to post by lcbjr1979


Congratulations! It is a hard goal to accomplish and you are already well on your way! If it gets hard ( and I know from experience) just think of all the extra time in your life you will have with your daughter! That sure helped me!

If you ever find your self holding another box of death sticks just look at the warning label and think about all the crap that is in them. Why would you pay a company to take years off your life? Smoke some pot, its safe.

reply to post by sabbathcrazy


I wouldn't say substituting cigarettes for marijuana is the best advice...maybe i'm wrong.

reply to post by lcbjr1979

I had tried Chantix myself. When it first hit the market I think I was one of the first to sign up with my doctor. The side effects were vicious and dangerous. I kept control as I'd been expecting something different by the warnings even the first bottles had..but WOW... I recall it as waking hours of high anxiety and hostility coupled with nights full of technocolor dreaming of wild things. Quite a drug.... Shortly after that they announced the outright ban for Chantix with transportation workers (Which I was at the time). I could see a trucker who wasn't expecting the side effects and so didn't understand them to just run right over someone on the highway out of sheer spite. Scary what they put out.... Anyway...

I started when I was 13 and quit at 36 so...23 years, give or take... I'd also just watched my father pass from a very sudden and unforseen onset of aggressive lung cancer, so the motivation was there in abundance. The combination of the two made it a very easy process though. I have no doubt I would have quit years sooner had I thought to try them this way, years sooner.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000

When I was taking chantix I had the most vivid nightmares I have ever had in my life. I was legitamately scared to death at times and would wake up screaming. It got to a point where I was affraid to go to sleep lol. I am glad I got off of that stuff.