smoking

**dirtythirty** · 11-16-2010 01:27 PM

I am not really sure what area to post this in....i am wanting to quit smoking, not just for myself and my health but those around me. not to mention that it freaking stinks and even i am repulsed by it! it disgusts me. i need some suggestions and help, i find i mostly do the majority on smoking on my drive to and from work (30 mins each way), and on my lunch break, but i dont take smoke breaks per se while i am at work. any former smokers have any advice???

**Beautiful Disaster** · 11-16-2010 02:10 PM

Ahhh.......smoking and driving. I used to long for it, couldn't imagine not lighting one up as soon as I got on the road, cranked the music up.....etc.

I quit. It's been quite some time..maybe like a year? What helped me? I went cold turkey. Why? Because I had tried other things like trying to "ween" myself off them slowly (didn't work....I ended up just playing games with myself and wasting my own time). I refused to pay the money for Chantix and was unaware of the long term side effects of it......so cold turkey it was. I threw a pack away, half way through it and said "DONE". The next morning, I started digging through the trash to find them....only to find I had thrown away something else on top of them that leaked into them. So there I was...without cigs.

The first couple weeks was the hardest. When I'd be driving or having my coffee and desperately wanting one, I'd find something else to do like call someone to chat. Once I got through those moments, I was fine. I started drinking lots of water. I even mix a little mint with mine to give it a little minty flavor (I loved menthols......). Sugar free gum, I kept it on hand. What I noticed is that when I'd crave a smoke and supress that craving, it would come back in the form of a food craving. Then I'd find myself hunting down change for the vending machine. Obviously, that's counterproductive replacing one bad habit with another. So I forced myself to chew a piece of sugar free gum instead.

What I noticed : First I noticed after a week or so I started having a itchy dry cough. That's from the "hairs" that are growing back in your lungs (that you've previously burnt away with smoke). It passes with some time. Then I noticed a feeling of euphoria. That's the only way to describe it. I felt "high", on top of the world. Then, I noticed tingling sort of burning in my hands and fingers. Smoking decreases your circulation (especially to your hands) immensely. This meant that I was finally getting good circulation in my hands again. I also noticed while working out I would sweat 10 x more than when I was a smoker. All the little things I noticed of my body saying "thank you!!" encouraged me even more to stay smoke free.

You can do it. Gotta set your mind to it. It's totally doable. It's mind over matter.

**stressed** · 11-16-2010 03:27 PM

I found that nicotine gum helped (at least it did for 3 weeks, until I stumbled upon a forgotten pack when I was cleaning...). You can also ask your doctor for advice. There are also nicotine sprays (taste awful). A friend recently quit smoking after 20+ years, by taking some kind of nicotine pills prescribed by the doctor.

First step is to want to quit, second step is replacing several habits you've connected with smoking with something else.

I never smoke in the car as it makes the car smoke terrible and I don't want any stains above my head... But I do smoke before and after driving :-/

**JustHormonious** · 11-16-2010 06:39 PM

It is just as Beautiful Disaster said, mind over matter. I smoked for 27 years and quit. I juiced a lot of fruits and veggies to help flush my system. Extra showers helped and I chewed on a toothpick for weeks. Good Luck!

**SidneyAlive** · 11-17-2010 03:52 AM

Gah, i've quit a hundred times, but something always happens and i go back to my crutch, the coffin nails, tried the gum and even that patch thing, nothing has worked for me...

**donnah77** · 11-19-2010 12:14 PM

I quit one month ago yesterday.
I promised myself when I turned 40 that I would quit well missed that by 10 years so 6 days before my 50th birthday I smoked my last cig. at work. Drove home and went right past the store that is when I said to myself I don't need them I can do this and haven't touched one since. I smoked for 35 years. The next day I did go a buy nicotine gum it takes the edge off and kept me from going bonkers on everyone. Not saying you don't have your moments you do but not as bad. I actually only used the gum for 4 days than nothing. I would take prezel breaks yes instead of cig. breaks I would go outside with my prezel rod and eat that this lasted about a week and just started breaking my habits. Its not easy and there are times you want to say is it worth it but yes it is. I can smell and taste again its been years. The smoke smells so bad I can't believe how bad it smells now. Put your mind to it and you can do.

**steevemartin1** · 08-04-2011 08:48 AM

Quitting is not the big task i think if you come to know why do you do smoking.Like i know that i do smoking when i am in tension.You should also know then you should get away from that reason.