Shameless help for quitting smoking

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
61

Tiburon Welcome to the group.

That makes 12 in our group including two SDMBers that signed up on the Live Journal community I started. I would put their names here but they didn’t post here so I will leave that up to them. 14 total on the Great August 2002 Smokeout!

If anyone can, sponsor a SDMBer to get on Live Journal that wants to join the community. A supplement for this thread, a little more intimate as well. If you don’t feel like posting it for all the SDMBers to see, I believe you can do a private post on LJ for just the community members to see. I will have to verify that.

That’s 12 people (plus those that recently stopped) that can support, encourage, listen and help.

< does happy jig >

We can do it together!

I think I have four invite codes on LJ so if you want to join, please email me with your SDMB name and let me know, I will be sure to send you a code.

Since this is so important to your life and your health I am willing to sacrifice them.

62

I haven’t smoked since Nov. 30, '98. I smoked for about four years, and was up to 1.5 - 2 packs a day, more during long parties. Woke up one day tired of having a bunch of slime and mucous in my throat, and decided to at least stop for two days (that’s the longest I’d previously been able to quit), just to clear things up a bit. The next day, my friend, not knowing yet, told me I looked ‘crazed’. After two days, I tried for five, then ten, and so on. Finally decided I wouldn’t smoke until I felt I had the willpower to only do it, say, once a week. Well, here I am. So, basically, I quit by not quitting, just postponing. Indefinitely. Can’t remember my last craving, though it happens every now and then. Did have ‘smoking dreams’ for a while, though. Very strange. I’d dream that I gave in and had a cigarette, and felt horrible for doing so. Great relief came when I woke up.

Never started eating a bunch, though I could’ve used the extra pounds. Did starting drinking a lot of water, though, which I do to this day.

As for advice, sorry. You quit when you quit. Congratulations to everyone who has, and good luck to all doing the smoke out thing!

63

I applaud you all.

I quit cold turkey recently. Haven’t had a puff since April 30. And I feel great.

My trick was to change the physical habits and resist the impulses that came with them. Once I rode out the first craving, I knew I could ride out the next, and the next…

And after a week, the cravings weren’t so bad, and after two weeks, they were almost not there, and now I’m done. No cravings at all.

This isn’t going to work for everyone, but it did for me. If it works for you, then good. Hey, whatever works, that’s what I say.

64

What about everyone setting a weekly/monthy goal for themselves?

Okay so the financial thing gets in the way but what if you put that money in a jar and at the end of the week/month you could go to your favorite store and slurge on something.

Be that a CD, a new set of sheets or a new shirt or outfit?

If you’d rather go further with it, you put equal to your daily smoking habit into a savings account and after three months you can buy whatever in the world you want?

< scribbling on a piece of paper >

After three months I would have $426.25 to either splurge or save. If I were to splurge, it would be…crap, I have no idea. Maybe a new monitor, or a few clothing items.

In either case, a financial outcome can help you a great deal. Maybe you have some debt that you NEED to pay off. Get rid of those credit cards. Smoking vs. debt, pay it off.

A friend of mine on LJ is building a charm bracelet for every so many pounds she loses. Women could build a charm bracelet for every week/month they stop.

Guys, you aren’t so easy. Maybe a new shirt or a new car poster, or, hell, what do you men like anyway? Women are so much easier in this category for me.

Anyhow, find a reward for yourself each day or week that you go without smoking. At least once every 7 days you do without smoking.

Daily would be the money you would have spent into a jar.

Weekly could be a new CD, game, whatever.

Monthly could be looking at your savings account and realizing you actually have some damn money.

On August 5, 2003 a friend told me he would give me $100 to quit smoking…I have the idea of spending that money on…huh.

I don’t know but it’s got to be better than my current financial situation so I will strive for the $100 on Aug 5th, 2003.

65

< has no control over her typos, she’s tired and it’s been a long day, mucho apologies to all. sheesh >

66

Yeah, duh, I forgot to mention that I squirreled away $5.00 every day. I figured I was a pack-a-day guy, and that’s what it averaged out to be.

I have already used that money to:

Finish paying off the special surprise rocking chair I gave my wife for our 20th anniversary…

Pay for my tattoo…

Something else that I don’t remember…

And I’ve got over $200 saved up for the first weekend in August, when we’re having the Doper RenFaire Fest. And I’ll continue to save, since I’d like to attend Fests in other cities. Instead of smoking, I’ll be smokin’!!

Seeing the money grow (instead of literally going up in smoke) is a way big incentive. So, yeah, do that, too. You’ll be amazed in just a week or two, and it may actually help you stop. It’s something positive to fixate on, when the negative fixations are really jammin’ you.

67

peasea , I had smoking dreams, too! They were so real, and I had them almost every night for about a week. I woke up from some of them convinced I had actually smoked, I was looking around to see if I had any cigarettes! I even had that taste in my mouth for a while afterward. I was so relieved when I realized it was just a dream, and it helped me to see how much I really wanted to quit, I knew how bad I would feel if I started again.

My Dr. told me to drink fruit juice during those first few days to keep my sugar levels up, it helps with the irritability. Smoking is an appetite suppressant and also affects your sugar levels, so when you quit, your body has to learn to regulate itself normally again. Sometimes when you think you are crabby b/c you want a cigarette what you really need is something to eat. If you eat little bits through the day you can help yourself feel better and not gain as much weight. I didn’t gain any, btw.

I will be on vacation Aug. 5th but will be thinking of all of you and will check in to see how things are going when I get back.

68

First, I want to say that I think TechChick gets a big cyber slap on the back (punch in the arm? margarita?) for motivating me/us to do something we’ve been meaning to do anyway. ((claps))

I also want to say that when I told people my plan for August 5th my husband and boss have both decided to join us. YAY!

I figure if my husband and I both quit we will save about $10 a day. After a year that will be $3650. We could spend a hundred dollars a month on fun stuff (CD’s DVD’s THE SIMS!) with more than enough to go to Disneyworld for our two year anniversary! That would be a great motivation to ignore cravings.

69

Thanks for the nice welcome, techchick68. It really is a comittment, as you so aptly stated. For me it was very much a state of mind, a deliberate shift in focus. There are so many more reasons for you to quit in ratio to reasons not to quit, that if it were a purely rational thing there would be no issue and no difficulty.

I have a lot more to say, but I’m trying to keep my posts relatively short. And, again, different things work for different people. I’m glad to see so many responses; the more info/input/support you have to draw upon, the better your chances.

Of course you can do it. I don’t even know you and I know you can do it.:slight_smile:

70

Some extra suggestions:
Leafy veggies, eg spinach, lettuce, cabbage etc are supposed to be good for quitting smoking, by reducing cravings (lettuce also contains small amounts of selenium, which is the worst depleted of all minerals in which smokers are deficient).
My calculations are based on Canadian smokes, at $7.50 per pack, my smoking comes (barring stressful days) to $2640, and if I count the amount that I lose in wages because of smoking-related illnesses (cough, cold, dizziness, fainting spells, depression) figure I’ll be up $3000 or more if I quit…
Best ways to quit smoking I’ve ever heard:

  1. go to lots of movies instead of going to smoky bars or cafes… pack of smokes = $7, movie = $7.50… 50 cents a day to a new you!
  2. cinnamon sticks, bread sticks, cloves… nothing too sugary, dental surgery sucks
  3. (Canadian thing) try to keep the money in your jar in toonies. Easy to keep track of that way.
  4. Support groups like this one are great, but bear in mind that you’re at risk if someone else in the group drops out. We need lots of people so that no matter who drops out, the rest of us will keep going!

In case you didn’t guess, I plan to join your noble effort!

71

loupdebois

Welcome aboard the Good Ship Smokeout!

Whoohoooo…

Okay kiddies, 12 days left.

Don’t be nervous, you all, including myself can do this. I admit there is this part of me that is afraid of not having that stupid thing lit in my car, at my computer or where ever I am…but, that’s just my child wanting her binky.

A little exercise for everyone:

Write down all the pros and cons of smoking.

ie:

Cons =

I stink.
Middle of winter I have to stand outside with my other smoker friends freezing my ass off while my non-smoking coworkers stay warm and dry just to get my fix.
I wake up coughing.
Yellow teeth.
Bad breath, I have to spend more money on gum to hide my dragon breath from those around me.
Running up a flight of stairs is nearly impossible.
Too add to my finances I have to buy a shitload of lighters, half of which I lose.
My lips are wrinkly, in fact I am looking older than I should.
My car has a constant film of smoke making it difficult to see at night.
My family members breathe in my smoke.
My hair only smells like that fantastic shampoo for only 10 minutes.
I have heart disease/high blood pressure/diabetes in my family.

etc…

Those are just some examples but I couldn’t come up with one pro to smoking but it might be wise to pinpoint those times of the day when you reach for your smoke the most. Things like, right after your meal, with your coffee, etc…

Starting today, if you can, hold off for 20 minutes after those trigger points before you smoke one.

If you drink coffee every day and always smoke with it, I suggest starting out with a cup of tea first. There are some awesome teas out there.

When you first get up, commit to yourself to drink a large glass of water before you have your smoke.

After a meal, if you can, take a 15 minute easy walk leaving the smokes behind.

I smoke a lot at my computer. I told myself today that I would only smoke one every hour. I put some straws near my monitor and I pull one out, cut it up smaller and chew on it. This keeps my mouth occupied for the hour.

288 hours and 10 minutes before I am smoke free!

72

^5 to your husband and boss joining us, that’s great! Nothing like real life support to help you! I wish I had the same real life support but my family kind of when “ho hum” about it, except for my older brother. He was psyched and wants me to join him and his son in hockey!

As for the Disney World trip, what a fantastic goal! Both you and your hubby can each put $5 in a jar every day then at the end of the month, take it together to the bank and put it into a savings account. Seeing all those five dollar bills in a jar (a clear one) sure would keep your motivation going and when you start the next month, it’s like a game to get it back up to the $300! Tell the bank person the first month what you are doing, and why you are bringing all this cash. They will get a kick out of it and you will be the talk of the bank every month.

73

When I quit (and sometimes even still, after a year) I told just about anyone who would listen. Of course, my parents and the rest of my family, friends, and co-workers—but also cashiers, bank tellers, wait-staff, people standing in line near me at stores/supermarkets, etc. Every one of them was supportive, positive, and very happy for me. Words of encouragement were rampant from all sides, even (and possibly especially) from current smokers.

I talked to myself a lot (mostly silently). It helped keep me focused. But I did also talk a lot to other people, particularly ex-smokers. However, anyone who will listen to you will do.

techchick68: Listing the pros and cons of smoking is a great psych-up. I’ll bet you can come up with even more cons to add to that list (in addition to the physical are the psychological and emotional). Once you stop, you won’t feel like this :smack: anymore—well, at least not for smoking…

Good luck to all of you.

74

Congratulations to those who are quitting! I’m not a smoker, never have been, but I know how hard it is to quit. You guys are doing yourself a great favor. If anyone needs a sponsor, I’d be happy to volunteer.

One more pro, Techie: Romance. I know a number of people (myself included) who wouldn’t date someone who smokes. I just couldn’t spend a lot of time around - let alone kiss - someone who smells of cigarettes.

75

That’s more of a con for me. Know anyone who’ll date a borderline schizophrenic with a constant erection? :smiley:

76

A very timely thread. Count me in too, please. I’ll need to go back and read all the posts, but from what I’ve seen so far, I exhibit all of the addictive behavoirs described, and suffer all the results.
My doctor wrote a prescription for me for Wellbutrin, which I understand is equivalent to Zyban, so I’ll probably give that a shot. I’ve stopped before for as long as four years, but I somehow always seem to end up starting again. Maybe this will be for good. Good luck to everyone.

77

I thought this was amusing, and thought I’d share it with the soon to be non-smokers in this thread:

:smiley:

78

Um…help! Are you guys all at LJ?

I totally forgot today was the quitting day - I haven’t smoked at all today, I just didn’t know my last cigarette was my last. :slight_smile:

Um…where are we goin’ for support cause this kid needs some Smokah’s Anon.

Tibs.

79

Okay, I’m a goofball - I found the LiveJournal page.

Anyone want to spot me a code?

Sorry I am a day late and a dollar short. I’m a mess!

Tibs.

80

Tiburon, jump in here: http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?threadid=127774

And check your email soon okay?

14 hours, 37 minutes and 16 seconds. 24 cigarettes not smoked, saving $3.05. Life saved: 2 hours, 0 minutes.