HELP!...trying to quit smoking

[EXTRAPOLATER]

...cigarettes, that is.

I've been smoking them for about 18 years.
The price is now astronomical, here in Ontario, my throat is starting to get quite sore from it, I'm finding it harder to breathe, and I'm just sick and tired of smoking something that does absolutely nothing to improve my consciousness.

My willpower doesn't seem to be enough to get it done.
I drink a lot of coffee, too, which I think I'll have to cut down on if I'm going to pull it off.

Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[onetrickpony]

Read this link

http://www.madjacksports.com/forum/showthread.php?t=62363

Smoke free since 2002 because of it.

 

[EXTRAPOLATER]

excellent...thank you very much

I've read about half and see a number of good suggestions. I'm going to go over it again after some shut-eye.

I kind of figured that this subject might have been brought up in here before.

I, too, notice that I really seem to chain-smoke while following an event that I've got money on. I'm not sure that I want to take a break, though, at least not until the Series is over. Once it ends I might just stick to Saturday and Sunday football; at least that would leave me with less stress for Monday through Friday.

Coffee, too, is going to have to be cut back on.

I smoke a fair bit of ganja, and I can't see myself taking a break from it. I'm not sure if that will make things harder for me or, maybe, easier as at least I'll be doing some smoking. Maybe I'd be best to stop for the first few weeks, at least.

The rewards system sounds great, too. I could actually save enough money (costs me damn near $300 a month to smoke presently) over the next few months to maybe take a trip to MJ's Super Bowl party. I've never been to one but, having hung around here on and off over the past 6 years, I think that it would be totally cool to meet Jack and some of the members.

I'm smoking now, even as I type this.
I've been awake for about 15 hours and have smoked somewhere between 30-40 cigarettes.
Today it's kind of making me sick.
And yet, here I am puffing away.

I noticed some discussion, in the link, of people who have suffered greatly due to being heavy smokers. Coincidently, another tenant in the house that I'm in just DIED from lung cancer. True story. He really deteriorated over the last few months of his life, first spending a stretch in the hospital and then coming home where he actually had doctors and nurses visiting him on a daily (I think it was daily) basis (one great thing about Canada is our health-care system). I even heard him talk about how crappy he was feeling, of particular note is that he said that his mental faculties were really starting to fail. That part scares the shit out of me the most...I figure that when my mind goes that there will be really no point to living anymore.

Crap...I want to do this so bad.
My willpower/discipline has never really been my strength. It's going to be a struggle.

Thanks a lot, onetrickpony,
I think I might try to read over the link every day for the next little while, at least until I'm ready to commit to saving my damn life.

 

[Agent 0659]

Smoked a pack and a half a day for 11 years and quit cold turkey 4 years ago. You can't run from all the triggers, or the cigarettes. I kept an un-opened pack right in the console of my car. A lot of people try to hide from them and what they 'think' makes them smoke (triggers). You can't. Just get it through your head and do it. You absolutely will not believe the difference in your health.

It's been 4 years and I still want one all the time. Just the way it is.


GL!

 

[doochuk]

i will be having my 1 year anniversary on November 28th--wow that went quick(i smoked for 25 years )
and quit cold turkey--first 3 4 days is the physical withdrawls and after that it is all in your head----if you want it bad enough it can be done.Best of luck to you

 

[rusty]

Quit for 2months now cold turkey.It helped that my buddy of mine also did around the same time,plus a few who I work with also did.
GL!! Support is key IMO.

 

[JOSHNAUDI]

I also quit about 2 months ago. I'm on a drug called Chantix which really put an end to the craving and pleasure. Hard to believe that I don't crave a cigarette with morning coffee or after dinner. The drug costs about $120 for a 1 month period - still cheaper than smoking for me. My prescription was for 3 months. 3 months smoke free gives you a 50-50% on never smoking again. (chantix drug factoid)

2 pack a day - 10+ year guy

Good luck and god speed to becoming a non-smoker

 

[autt_4]

try chantrx a coworker of mine used this drug to quit. He had been a smoker for 35 years and quit in 1 week. You have to smoke the whole first week while you quit and after that you do not have the craving. You have to take the drug for 12 months and he is on his 3rd month a quit. Just a suggestion

 

[Agent 0659]

Just quit cold turkey. You don't need some drug as a crutch to lean on. It isn't the answer.

Will power is what you need. No offense to anyone that used something as I am glad to hear you quit.

Just quit!

 

[bear]

Get an attitude up....
Get seriously Mad as hell at the bastards who sell and profit from that which causes pollution, high insurance costs, high blood pressure, poor circulation, heart disease, emphysema and other respiratory problems, premature aging.......death......... etc etc.
AND THEY MAKE IT AS ADDICTIVE AS THEY CAN!
Now you know they've got you by the short hairs and its up to you to decide if you want to continue to submit and to keep getting your ass kicked.
Well, I agree that cold turkey works and is the best way (at least it was for me)............no substitute addictions or dependencies.....and no looking back!!!

After 40+ years smoking its been 6+ smoke free for me!!!
I've got many here to thank still ...for their help and support. GOOD LUCK

bear

 

[Bulldog lpb]

this is my thrid time around, sunday is the one month mark for me. first two times i quit i used zyban quit for over a year both times. cold turkey this time and i will not take another puff thinking i beat it, that's what got me the last two times !! imo , you must have the right mind set going in. like bear said GET MAD !!!!!!!!! GL

 

[cavy1]

try chantrx
it worked for me been about 5 months

 

[saint]

My coworker just started chantrix for about 2 weeks and she said it's been going really well.

 

[EXTRAPOLATER]

Thank you all very much for the contributions and support. I wish that I could tell you that I'm well on my way to pulling it off, but so far today I am still a smoker. I made only 8 cups of coffee today instead of the usual full-pot of 10, and I think that tomorrow I'll cut it back to 6, then next day 4, etc. I think that the caffeine really makes me smoke more. I've had 5 since waking up about 4 hours ago, so I'm on a slower pace than yesterday. Certainly not worth bragging about.

I'm going to try to do it on my own; I've never had much trust when it comes to doctors (I considered visiting a walk-in clinic and talking with the doc about some advice, and I still might do that if I fail on my own).

bear, you made some good points about getting an attitude up--getting mad at the companies that plague us with this shit. Mostly I've been getting mad at myself, but I don't know if that helps much.

I think that I am going to try to wean myself off them slowly, as opposed to going cold turkey. My main concern is the amount that I am smoking, though I would like to eventually stop altogether.

Thanks a lot for the responses.
Just knowing that some of you are pulling for me helps a lot.

 

[Dr. Fade]

Players Lights?

I love Canadian Players Lights. Personally, I chew Copenhagen, but I enjoy a smoke now and then. If they stopped making Copehagen, I would smoke Players Lights. The Canadian Players are different than the Players they sell in the States. :shrug: I would load up on a carton when I was in Vancouver because I liked Players so much- and I'm usually just the guy bummin a smoke every now and then. Cigs are bad news though. Try dipping- it doesn't F your respiratory system up (you know athlete.) I started chewing @ 15 and now @ 36 I basically have a chew in @ all waking hours- pretty pathetic. You're addicted to nicotine (most addictive substance known to man-worse than heroine.) I just want you to stay alive Extrap, I've been following your MLB plays for quite awhile. My advice is to start dipping and chew on a straw. You'll get your nic fix and if you don't like dipping, you'll probably quit it all.

Don't do anything that will change your capping. Let me know if you quit smoking so I can factor that into my analysis. It will effect your whole mojo. I know your puffin down lung darts like nobodys biz while capping. It's working. Just let me know if you do decide to quit. Thanks

 

[Dr. Fade]

By the way, my Dad smoked 3 packs (Vantage) a day and quit Cold Turkey. Road trips just sucked, driving in a fricken smoke bomb. You don't need any of that BS to quit- if you want to quit you will. It will be a bitch either way. Just let me know if you do- it will change your logic for a few months. GL

 

[EXTRAPOLATER]

thanks lot for the comments on my baseball 'capping, Dr.Fade; I put a tremendous amount of effort into it and I'm always looking for ways to improve upon it.

I'm actually smoking duMaurier extra-light king size.
I think that's what it's been for about 18 years straight now (started late, when I was 21; I actually never smoked and all my friends were smoking. I started smoking when I began dealing in the casinos in Calgary; you get a 15 or 20 minute break EVERY HOUR as a dealer and pretty much everybody there was smoking).

I don't know about a straw, but I think that a pen or pencil might work good for me. I'm kind of an aspiring writer so I'm thinking that anytime I get the craving I might try to pull out the pen and either stick it in my mouth or else, maybe, to carry around a small pad of paper then fits in a shirt pocket, and then to scribble down something when I get the craving.

I'll likely wait until baseball is done for '07, before giving it a serious go (though I really need to cut down IMMEDIATELY...my throat is getting real sore lately). I'm not sure how it might affect my handicapping. I've wondered how the ganja affects my handicapping, but I've been smoking it during the entire baseball season and it doesn't seem to have hurt. I've actually been out now since the start of the week (Monday), and haven't made a plum nickel since then...likely just a coincidence. Actually, I hit the NYGiants and Rockies on Monday. Since Tuesday I've done squat (push on the AL game #4 over). Not losing tons, just a few NHL losers.

Quitting before the 2008 baseball season would be phenomenal. I just find that I smoke a lot sitting in front of the computer, and I'm currently working on a book project that will mean a ton of time doing just that.

Chit...maybe some time in the hospital would help. I have a friend who was just in a fairly bad car accident and he spent a couple of weeks in the hospital. He hasn't touched a cigarette since. Someone else told me that being sick for a few weeks helped them stop. I don't know...I've just got to freakin' wake up and smell the coffee...start thinking about the things in life that make it worthwhile, and just decide that I DO actually want to maybe make it to my 50's. My parents are the most important people in my life and I should consider them, too; I would like to actually be around for their final years so that I can do whatever is possible to make those years more bearable.

My smoking appears to be selfish, along with all the other drawbacks that it offers.

 

[Dr. Fade]

Reload a sack of the Kind- BC stylie. Glad to hear you escaped Calgary. Don't quit until baseball is over. There is a new product out called Snus (sp?). Similar to chew, but spitting is not required. Basically for jonzers who can't smoke on planes etc.. Don't take it so serious, you could die walking across the street tomorrow :shrug: Like I said, my Dad smoked 3 packs a day for 30 years- he quit he's fine. My Grandfather smoked Pall Mall unfiltered's his whole life- he lived to 86 and didn't die from cigs. Live life enjoy. Cut down is 1st step. Just don't do it until mlb is complete.

 

[bear]

Extrapolator,
I love coffee!
I love beer!(although I don't drink much anymore)
Cigarettes go hand in hand ..with each (I don't miss cigarettes with them at all...NOW) didn't take long.
It's not the coffee !!!!!!!!!YOU ARE ADDICTED TO A POWERFUL DRUG!!!
It seems...You're not ready yet..We've been through the cutting back stuff. It does not work long term and does nothing to help the real problem. Let me tell you something! This can be OVER, FINISHED in a couple of weeks. Then its a matter of (Do I really want to stay off them) cuz if you sneak a cigarette (even one) you are back where you were. TRUST ME!
Ya gotta really want it and then suffer for a few days......THEN ITS DONE!!!!!!
OH! you'll get paid for it as well! I have more than $10,000 (number grows each day).......in addition to MUCH better health and quality of life thanks DIRECTLY to quitting. GL
There is no pleasure in smoking or smoke in your lungs..It's the Nicotine..The smoke brings BAD stuff! Good Luck!!

bear

 

[Agent 0659]

I see you making plenty of excuses for yourself already. Sorry to sound rude but it's the facts. And don't clutter up the forum with your whining if you aren't going to give this a serious go. Maybe I will just cut back slowly, YEA THAT ALWAYS WORKS!:mj07:


Maybe I need to get sick, etc. No, maybe you need to just put the fukcing things down and quit? I still drink coffee every morning and don't smoke, and that was my favorite smoke of the day. It's all in your mind. You have linked everything to go hand in hand with smoking. That's called addiction, and it's exactly what the tobacco companies strive for.

Rent the movie Insider, it helped motivate me. Also, try smoking those no nicotine cigs. I can't remember the name of them now but I started smoking them prior to quitting. They have 3 steps. Step 3 has no nicotine.

GL