I quit smoking cold turkey and it was easy...

reply to post by Truthseekereire


This is purely the alcohol weakening your obviously strong mental state. I get it too and its tough to fight after a 'few. - But then theres those times when you have a few beers in the winter and its freezing cold and raining hard and you see the guys go out you initially want to join them and smoke, but you fight it and a minute later you see them all out side, wet cold and miserable, and get a bit of a cruel laugh out of it - then the craving goers away

i say congrats man. i too am trying to give up smoking. however i am having a difficult time because i am also trying to stay clean off of drugs. they say not to quit both things at once, but my girlfriend doesnt smoke and it bothers her allergies. so i am going to give it a valiant effort..

good luck to you man.

I smoked for 15 years and must have 'given up' at least 20 times.

This coming July it will be 4 years since I have had a cigarette, and I hope to never touch one of those wretched things ever again. I've done plenty of stupid things in my lfe, but the only thing I really regret is taking up smoking.

Glad it has been easy for the OP.
For many of us, it is not.

I quit smoking cold turkey and it was easy

Congratulations for not smoking cold turkeys any more... They can't be good for you. That's a good step forward!

Now about those cigs...

Originally posted by Evanzsayz
reply to post by Whosthatgirl

 

There is nothing untrue of what I said, smoking is killing yourself do you agree? It's not like the cigarette has a mind of its own...

Breathing is killing yourself, digestion is killing yourself, every beat of your heart is a fraction of a second off your life span. That truck that drove past you the other day on that walk took minutes off your life, every sneeze extinguishes the last of weakened brain cells, removes weakened hairs from your nose extinguishing them, every time you bite down you're eroding the surface of your teeth. Everything you do is "killing" yourself if you want to think of it critically.

Yes smoking absolutely increases your chances of contracting lung and heart related illness, but many hardcore athletes put their bodies at risk as well. Life long runners, do develop heart disease, destroy their knees and backs.

I guess what I'm saying is even " good " things can kill you, regular old human activity can kill you.

I'm 100% proud of you for quitting smoking, I'm coming up to my quit day as well. Best of luck to you, it takes 30 days roughly to actually kick the habit so I'm proud you aren't experiencing any nicotine withdrawl, the first week is the hardest on that aspect. You did right by ridding yourself of all smoking accessories.

Keep it up, stay strong!

I also found it easy to quit smoking cold turkey.
unfortunately it was just as easy to start again.

reply to post by Evanzsayz


Never say you're a non smoker after just only 7 days. Not being pessimistic on you, just it will keep you from eating crow later. Just say'n.

reply to post by Evanzsayz


Raise your hand if you've "quit cold turkey" for 7 days before... Before I really stopped I "really" quit for 7 days maybe 5 years in a row. I wish you luck, but famous last words are often: it's cool, I'm in the clear...

Last year even after stopping for 3 years I had strong cravings on occasion.

I think I'm largely in the clear now because I am truly over smoking, but I will not allow myself to ever think I can 'just have one'. That would be lighting a fuse that cannot be extinguished.

Originally posted by Evanzsayz
So I have been smoke free for 7 days.

Tell me when you're smoke FREE 2 years.

Once you're a smoker you're a smoker FOR LIFE! I know guys that haven't smoked in 40 years and still get the occasional craving. You either die by it or live with it. It never completely goes away.

Someone who isn't me quit smoking cold turkey after 10 or so years of smoking( 1-2 packs a day ). This person took a certain psychedelic drug and while under it's influence, decided it was time to quit. They haven't smoked a single cigarette in almost 2 years.

Keep it up OP.

Im a smoker , have been for about 12 years also. I personally have no problem with it and the fact that the government wanted me to stop smoking so much actually pushed me more towards it.

Smokings something i enjoy so even if it is killing me id rather live a short life doing everything i enjoyed rather then a long life of "shoulda , woulda , couldas"

Originally posted by Whosthatgirl
I thought good for you, way to go until you said.....

" Smoking is if you actually think about it....suicide...because you are actually killing yourself willingly. So if you are a christian (I am not) and you smoke, just think what God will do to you when you die from smoking which would be suicide in his eyes. "

Now all I have to say is hmmmmmm...

First: Congrats. I know it can be hard to quit.
Second: By your logic, OP, will Christians who eat 'fatty' foods also be condemned in God's eyes for suicide?

Yes, nicotine is addictive. It causes physical side-effects from withdraws. However, the true withdraws symptoms are relatively minor.

98% of "symptoms" are mental. 2% are physical.

I smoked for 18+ years. I quit as well. It wasn't exactly cold-turkey. But, it was close. I used a disposable electronic cigarette for about a week and was done with cigarettes altogether.

I used that week to change my habits. Meaning, I did something other than go out for a "smoke break" at work. I chewed gum after a meal (some people find toothpicks soothing).

The biggest part is changing your habits and the way you think about cigarettes. Instead of thinking about how good one would taste, think about the way you smell after having a cigarette (and believe me ... this will be very noticeable once you're a former-smoker). Think about that friend you lost to cancer, rather than about how you "really need a cig".

Believe me. I want a cigarette all the time. But, I know I can't smoke one because once I do, it's over. I'll pick them right back up. It's the idea that once you "quit" you're ok to have just one while out with friends drinking or having coffee. NO. Don't! Once you've put them down ... leave them down.

I have a friend that smoked for 20 years. He had a tanker ( Yes, a huge tanker at Heil ) hit him in the forehead. It nearly killed him. He has steel mesh for a skull now. Anyway, he forgot that he smoked. Three years he was smoke free. 3am one morning he woke up and craved a smoke. Went to the store and bought a pack. He still smokes today.

My dad quit after 50 years of smoking by sipping lemon juice every time he craved a cigarette.

Originally posted by lobotomizemecapin

Originally posted by Evanzsayz
Title pretty much says it for itself, I've been a smoker for about 12 years. I would smoke about 12-15 cigarettes a day. Never knew why I smoked in the first place

I guess I was just being rebellious and just didn't care at the time I started (around highschool).

So I have been smoke free for 7 days. I know alot of people would be like that's not that long but I no longer have the cravings and I'm not going back. I've been trying to quit for a long time but never had any success. I would try by cutting down on my smoking, which never helped at all really I would just start right back up after a while. The electronic cigarette is a really good way to stop smoking for all you smokers but it still puts nicotine into your body, which can lead to heart problems.

My friends ask me how I quit cold turkey and I didn't really have an answer. I just told them that it's just a choice. When it comes down to it, it's all in your head (the addiction). So I told myself I was going to stop smoking right now, got the ash trays out of sight and threw everything away. Stay away from other smokers too by the way. Smoking is if you actually think about it....suicide...because you are actually killing yourself willingly. So if you are a christian (I am not) and you smoke, just think what God will do to you when you die from smoking which would be suicide in his eyes.

So to conclusion, yup I quit

and I urge everyone else to quit also. You only live once, why would you want to shorten your life? Ever since I quit my sense of smell has increased dramatically. You smokers just don't realize how bad you smell

The secret to quitting is you just have to choose not to smoke and alot of people will say well I get the cravings...yes they will be there but you just have to choose not to smoke and go out and do something keep your mind off it. Keep trying and you can crack the hold it has on you, you just have to want it bad enough.

you sound like the little boy whistling in the dark. (AA reference to attitude of drinkers that make such claims)

I have heard sooooooooooo many claim this and start smoking shortly (usually very shortly) after bragging like this.

recovering from addictive substances is a battle that goes on for years if not life

dont get a big head over such miniscule success

That was exactly what I thought. I've done the same thing in the past, and started back up. He sounds just like me except for the suicide part.

Quieting smoking is not that tough. All we need is continuous inspiration for quieting. We also have option of electronic cigarettes which can help us to quit smoking.

-----vapordelight -----

Quit smoking???

Everybody dies, I choose lung cancer.

I quit in 2 months using electronic cigarettes. They are the best alternative to save our lungs.

a reply to: Evanzsayz

Congrats on your decision and I wish you well.

I am closing in on 12 years without smoking. I had reduced my habit to half by waiting a little later each day before having that first one. By the time I was down to 15 or so a day I was ready to quit. And by ready I mean that I truly wanted to, for me, not to satisfy anyone else. I began in my teens and had my last puff in my mid 40's.

This was not my first attempt, previously I had quit for a period of 4 years and started up again. And another time was off of them for 2 years. It is not easy to remain a non-smoker and I still have cravings to this day, mostly when someone in the car ahead of me flicks their ash out the ~window~. I found that food tasted so much better when not smoking and I did gain a fair amount of weight (still working on that issue). sigh, this is not so easily done

I've learned that the main problem is with your subconscious, for example my subconscious still believes I enjoy smoking, and that is what causes smoking dreams. That's when you realize where the urges come from.. because smoking again and it being disgusting and feeling disgusting and not understanding why you could even consider a craving.

Yes, I can relate to the smoking dreams as I have woken from a deep sleep because in my dream I was smoking. Thankful that is was only a dream.

As for staying away from other smokers, my husband smokes and has for as long as I've known him. Even at work I would still go out with the smokers at break time as it did me good to get away from my desk even without the cigarette. I think this actually helped me work through the cravings.

Fortunately I was off of the smokes for a year before our province started to implement laws as to where you could smoke and the list is added to every year or so.

Here is a link to the by laws, which I am sure are not much different to those of many other regions:
Smoking By Laws

And for the poster who mentioned smoking in a car with children, YUP that is against the law and you can be fined. Pretty much you are now only allowed to smoke on your own property or far far way from the general public.

Good Luck to you and anyone else thinking of quitting, I'm on your side.

Namaste,
YogaGinns