‘cold turkey’ is a mugs game, no one need to that. So many aids nowadays to make it unnecessary.
Unless, of course, you are subconsciously setting your self up to fail …
I stopped smoking cold turkey. Now I just smoke pork and beef.
I quit 8 weeks ago today! I did use and still do take Chantix. I know the weird feeling and it is a chemical imbalance from not smoking. I can tell you it does get easier each day. Those first few weeks are the worst.
Stick with it, Buttercup. 25 years for me now and not the slightest craving even when around smokers. You can make it.
One trick is to replace one habit with another. The father of a friend of mine quit smoking before I met him. He did it by getting a bunch of hot cinnamon candies. Whenever he had the urge for a cigarette, he popped an Atomic Fireball instead. The end result was that he was addicted to Atomic Fireballs instead, but he could live with that.
In 2001, I was newly unemployed, but still managed to scrape together the funds for a pack a day. Then one evening when I went out to the back patio to light up, five-year old Kayla came out to me, put her hands on my knees, and said “Daddy, why do you want to die?”
Put 'em down, and haven’t looked back.
ETA: I still WANT one constantly; don’t get me wrong…
Sheesh, nicotine is addictive. I’ve been cigarette free for 17 years. Quit soon after my eldest was born. Dang, the craving to fire up took at least 6 months to go away. I credit not hanging out in my hang out bar (in china where one could smoke). 4 beers in and I’d be smoking. 6 months to really get over the hump, but daymmm, if some days I don’t feel like having a smoke. I just make sure I don’t.
cold turkey works for some people, and like me it make take a few tries but hang tough.
Yeah I’ve been cigarette free for 16 years and like you I quit cold turkey but it took a few tries to finally ‘stick’. Also like you, I removed myself from bars, etc for several months.
Ooh, zombie thread!
Quick question for anyone who used the patch: Did you have any side effects?
Yes, I’m a smoker as in 10-or-less-a-day.
My foot surgery back in July took a few unseen left turns, so the recovery has been long, arduous, and painful. The most troubling aspect is that my surgically broken metatarsals have yet to make new bone, so I’m currently held together with surgical hardware and ligaments.
My doctor, as does all doctors, blames my smoking on my slow recovery. I was told that if I don’t quit, I’m probably going to looking at more surgery and possibly a bone graft.
I don’t fault her. I know smoking and surgery aren’t bedfellows.
She convinced me to try the lowest dose of the patch, which I’m now wearing.
OMG, I must be really a lightweight smoking-wise because…I’ve never felt so sick in my life. I have no appetite because of the nausea. I’m irritable and restless, so much so that my husband’s refusing to speak with me at the moment. My head feels like it’s zooming toward Jupiter. I’m ready to jump out of my skin and run screaming down the street.
Then I remembered this was exactly why I was taken off both Chantix and Zyban (aka Wellbutrin) the last couple of times I tried quitting. Ditto the nicotine gum. Even the lowest dose of that sent me into orbit.
Is any of this unusual? Or is it indeed typical side effects?
I just quit, hmmm based on how many boxes of patches I went through, 6 weeks ago. This was my first week with no patch. Still get the occasional urge to go get a smoke, but not too bad and not that often. So, that’s good.
As to side effects, the only thing I had was some slight skin irritation at the patch spot. What you’re describing sounds like a nicotine high. I used to get them if I smoked waaay too many on a road trip. Maybe your patch dose is too high.
I know it says all over them “never cut these, you could die! Blah blah blah”, but I cut the step 1’s in half to make step 2’s. Maybe cut the 3’s in half? And, nope, the cutting had no impact on the skin irritation.
You are truly blessed.
I finally quit when I started vaping. I lowered the nicotine level every time I bought more drops for my e-cig. It took a few months, but I finally was able to just put the e-cig pipe down and I did not miss it. I tried cold turkey a few times in the past, but this time I wanted to stop sucking on a nicotine delivery device. I just wish I had done it a couple of decades ago.
It’s the lowest dose they make, the 5-7mg one.
I ended up taking it off maybe 2 hours before I went to bed. Tried having one and couldn’t finish it because I thought I was going to explode. I drank 2 large glasses of water afterward. This morning I don’t feel any worse for wear. I don’t smoke in the morning, so I’ll try it again around noontime, which is when I usually my first of the day.
For all those quitting smoking, stick with it. It’s well worth it. 25-1/2 years smoke-free next month for me. The cravings do stop after a while. Being around smokers now does not induce a desire to smoke, but now I notice the horrid smell I must have had. Blechh. And the money you’ll save! I can’t believe people pay the prices they do today for a pack of smokes.
For quite some time, I was dependent on gumballs. I don’t think the sugar was great for me, but it helped.
Whatever it takes, eh.
fwiw, ‘cold turkey’ is surely a subconscious way to set yourself up to fail ‘gee I tried real hard but in the end didn’t make it this time’’ i.e. the hero almost beat the odds but didn’t.
It’s bullshit and cowardly.