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[Darklor01]

It's 2017, and we made resolution to quit smoking. So, here's the odd bits. I've stopped smoking a few times. Perhaps that's a better phrasing than quit since I only wound up starting again. To be clear, I feel I started again by random choice when being social, and then kept doing it because I liked it. I can literally not smoke whenever and not fiend for a puff. I've proved it to people who were skeptics multiple times which only proves my choice to smoke is stupid in terms of life choices, but meh, I liked it. I Only stopped completely when I went cold turkey, which, I'm doing again now.

My wife, ... well.. she can't stop herself from bumming smokes from people. She's on a wide array of medications making it near impossible for her to do patches or meds to quit. They make her ill. She hasn't tried Acupuncture, but, we really can't afford random treatments without insurance covering it. She's tried gum, and that didn't work. So far, she has limited her quitting to when she's at home with me it would seem since she kind of has zero choice and isn't running out to buy a pack frankly because I'm not.

I feel as long as I'm busy with work, games, etc, I don't feel any different than when I was smoking. No craving, no realization that life is any different, nothing. When I drive home, or after a meal, my brain knows what I would usually be doing and tries to remind me, but I just shake it off and move on. It's not quite all that easy, but that's the gist.

My wife however, is munching on food randomly, smoking when at work (three a day total), etc. I'm caught in between emotion on this because, well,... it's not easy to quit despite me being the oddball who isn't having issues so far. I want to be supportive at the same times as not being completely OK with her current progress internally. Like, I don't want her to think it is ultimately OK, but I don't want her to be thinking I feel she's failing or that letting both of us down. Catch 22.

She also knows that financially, we need to quit smoking. $300 or so U.S. per month in smokes can go to so many other things we need. $300.... Basically what.. a car payment, where I live that's almost 1/4 mortgage payment for my condo, over the course of a year a vacation..etc.

So GAF, have you smoked and quit? Was it hard for you? Advice on how I should deal with my wife's quitting status?

 

[HelloNewman]

I quit smoking by using a vaporizer and slowly going from 12% nicotine to 0% I kept vaping but eventually lost interest in it after I got weened off.

 

[Pastry]

Have you considered using ecigs to help quit?

I was a pack a day smoker for 6 years and quit with the help of an ecig. I slowly dropped the nicotine level until it was 0 and then slowly stopped using the ecig after that to get rid of the desire to inhale something.

 

[Walter White Walker]

I quit years ago. What worked for me was Nicorette Gum as it gave my mouth something to do instead of smoking.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

I quit smoking by using a vaporizer and slowly going from 12% nicotine to 0% I kept vaping but eventually lost interest in it after I got weened off.

This is exactly what I did.

 

[Darklor01]

Have you considered using ecigs to help quit?

I was a pack a day smoker for 6 years and quit with the help of an ecig. I slowly dropped the nicotine level until it was 0 and then slowly stopped using the ecig after that to get rid of the desire to inhale something.

Oh, thanks,.. I forgot.. She has tried e-cigs and "doesn't like it". Her whole family are smokers and have been her whole life. They claim they are quitting right now as well. No clue on that progress.

 

[theechrisfox]

Good luck to you both. It can definitely be done :] I used exercise, cold turkey, food, etc. to quit after 7 years on.

 

[whatevermort]

So, I've quit - or, as you say, stopped - three times. This time it's taken - mainly because of impending fatherhood - but each time was easier than the last. I think I learned more each time about what it takes. It's not the nicotine, really, you know that - it's the habit that's hardest to kick.

Anyway: first time, I cold turkeyed and then had gum etc when that was hellish. Stupid. Worked, but only because of other health pressures. As soon as I could, I was back smoking.

Second time: vaping (in the early days of it) which was utterly idiotic, as it wasn't getting nicotine or habit gone. (I'd argue both got worse - this was before there were nicotine variable amounts etc.) Then I cold turkeyed again, and it stuck for a while... until I had a few big nights out in a small space of time, and suddenly found myself with a packet of cigarettes in my bag and I was smoking again.

Third time, it's stuck. This time, I weaned with real cigarettes - much as the suggestions above are with vaping. I went from Marlboro lights to Marlboro silver blue (which are .2 mg of nicotine in each, so about 1/3 of a light) to silk cut silver (which are .1, so very weak indeed). As I took these steps down - over a month? Maybe six weeks? I started to cut out the habit cigarettes. So, cut out the first one of the day. The last one. The after lunch one. Suddenly I was smoking one or two .1mg nicotine cigarettes a day, and I realised I didn't really need them any more.

That might not work for you or your wife, but I honestly think, if she won't be able to quit any other way, why not try it? At the very worst, the weaker cigarettes have far less tar etc in them as well.

 

[Colonel Mustard]

Oh, thanks,.. I forgot.. She has tried e-cigs and "doesn't like it". Her whole family are smokers and have been her whole life. They claim they are quitting right now as well. No clue on that progress.

It is different at first and not quite the same, but you eventually get used to it. The first thing you notice after you start regularly using the ecig, is that regular cigarettes taste awful compared to what you're using. Once that happens, you just slowly step it down over time.

 

[AlphaDump]

Good for you.

If you get anxious, try chewing gum or mint toothpicks. Also try cleaning or some other task that gets your mind off of it.

 

[Shadybiz]

Buy her "Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking."

It's about $13 on Amazon. I read it and didn't have a puff for years. DID go back to it for a bit, admittedly, but easily dropped it again soon after.

 

[Spenny]

I did quit smoking but I'm not going to be much help here. I quit colt turkey by completely changing my group of friends. I stopped hanging out with smokers and I just stopped smoking within a couple days. I also had certain rules before quitting such as I didn't smoke at home which probably made it easier. I still smoke a few cigarettes a year such as when I'm at parties. If I get drunk I'll bum a smoke from somebody. Or just when I'm hanging out with old friends who smoke I'll go out with them. This usually only ads up to about 5-10 cigarettes a year.

Good luck to you and your wife.

 

[Osiris]

Day 11 for me (Got a head start before new year!)

On patches, teeth on edge, still too much nervous energy for my liking, but mentally in a good place with it, think I'll see it through this time

 

[snacknuts]

My father smoked for 40 years and the only thing that worked for him to quit was an injection he got about a year and a half ago. I can find out what it's called if you're interested (I think it was this), but he paid $300 for a one-time dose of this thing that basically functions as a vaccine (according to him). It's supposed to cause your body to create an immune response to nicotine. When white blood cells attach to the nicotine, the molecules become too large to pass through the blood/brain barrier and you don't get the satisfaction from the nicotine, so the desire to smoke goes away.

I honestly haven't looked into the science behind it, so it might be garbage, but he and my stepmom, who had smoked for probably 25-30 years, both went through it at the same time and neither of them have smoked since.

 

[Darklor01]

Good for you.

If you get anxious, try chewing gum or mint toothpicks. Also try cleaning or some other task that gets your mind off of it.

I'm actually reading everyone's response for ideas here, and like a lot of what I'm reading. Plus, reading other's experiences is pretty helpful .

As for me, I'm chewing standard gum to take the place of cigs, but have no issues other than my brain reminding me of what I would be doing after a meal, when bored at home, when stressed, or when driving. Once that's ignored, so far, so good. Stopped just like the last times I stopped. So, the gum works for me. Now that you mention Toothpicks, I think my wife was using those last time she tried to stop and it was semi-effective. I'll need to get some of those for her. Thank you.

Interesting various takes on Vaping or Vaporizer use. I know nothing about it and will need to research since my wife.. well.. I know she won't. She doesn't do anything to completion unless it's easy with just about anything.

 

[Phatosaurus]

I used to smoke 20 a day, tried stopping a few times too but always started again.

I got an ecig and tried that, haven't taken up cigs in over a year since.
I'd recommend getting something like a Innokin Coolfire 4, and starting with 6mg nicotine liquid, then weening yourself down to 3mg, 0mg and then stopping completely.

 

[drexplora]

id recommend the JUUL e-cig vape by pax.
Its the only vape that got me to stop cigs and not look back, pretty much instantly.

It's a very strong 50mg nicotine salt based e-juice, they claim it also contains benzoic acid like cig's do to help give the instant absorption that apparently gives you that instant rush when you smoke a cig.

Only issue is they haven't released weaker pods with less nicotine, and are pricey, but cigs aint cheap and health is dope.

I'm currently refilling my pods with 45mg Mr Saltee e-juice that is the first nicotine salt based e-juice I have found (its relatively new). I've got about 100 pods I saved and can get at least 1 refill with them until the atomizer craps out and the juice taste dry and toasted.

Good Luck.

EDIT: From what I've been told, cig's are at the 50mg nicotine mark which might explain partly why the JUUL worked so well for me.
Most other e-juices top out at 25mg which is probably a good thing if you plan on vaping indefinitely, but it was the strength I needed for a comparable buzz to cig's.
Every e-juice I tried before that (there weren't too many) just felt like nothing to me and could just puff puff puff.
With the JUUL you reach this point of satisfaction where you WANT to put the thing down a while, like a cig.

EDIT2: I quit cigs on Dec 31st last year on my birthday unplanned, and got my JUUL Jan 1st 2016 after a friend let me borrow his on my birthday and haven't looked back.
I wont lie I have smoked a handful of cigs spread out throughout the year but they don't have the pull they used to, and I can see them for what they are, nasty gross death sticks

Once again, good luck!

 

[Darklor01]

Buy her "Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking."

It's about $13 on Amazon. I read it and didn't have a puff for years. DID go back to it for a bit, admittedly, but easily dropped it again soon after.

Really??

 

[Viewt]

My girlfriend quit smoking a couple years ago. She was probably going through a pack every week and a half, sometimes every two weeks. She found it a lot easier to quit for good when she stopped taking smoke breaks to chat with work friends. Severing that social element is what ultimately made it easier to break free of the craving.

You say that your wife can't stop herself from bumming cigarettes, so it seems like she's a social smoker. The "bond" or whatever is probably more addictive to her than the cigarette itself, if you ask me.

Here's the best advice I can give you, though. As someone whose partner quit smoking, the best thing you can do for her is to remain supportive, but not pushy. Obviously you're going through this yourself, so it's more top-of-mind, but don't fall into any habits where you're policing her smoking or consistently asking her how it's going. Quitting only sticks if the smoker really wants to quit, and outside pressure usually just ends up reinforcing the behavior through deflection and defensiveness.

Anywho, good luck!

 

[LifEndz]

Smoked from the time I was 18 to 22. Quit when I got back to NYC and the price for cigarettes was almost as much as a dime bag of weed. Don't miss it. Now when I get around smokers and smell that putrid smell of cigarettes I almost get nauseous. Good luck to you and your wife on quitting, OP.

 

[Jackpot]

Remember that going cold turkey is the least successful method of quitting, so I'd recommend e-Cigs or something else to help with the oral fixation.

 

[Darklor01]

Day 11 for me (Got a head start before new year!)

On patches, teeth on edge, still too much nervous energy for my liking, but mentally in a good place with it, think I'll see it through this time

Gratz on day 11. Perhaps we need coins for this program

 

[Bko]

I quit smoking by using a vaporizer and slowly going from 12% nicotine to 0% I kept vaping but eventually lost interest in it after I got weened off.

This helps a lot. Being a social smoker sucks donkey ass, I know. I also used to smoke only half the cigarette while keeping the times I smoke at the same level as before, it helped me to reduce the amount of nicotine I need somehow.

 

[Cormano]

Took my wife a while, but its doable.

Good luck to both of you.

 

[Kill Your Masters]

I quit smoking by using a vaporizer and slowly going from 12% nicotine to 0% I kept vaping but eventually lost interest in it after I got weened off.

This helps! Quitting cold turkey a few times (lasting from months to years) made me nervous and irritated about small things in the first few weeks, vaping definitely takes the edge off.

 

[Darklor01]

Sounds like I really need to check into vaping, and ask my wife how she'd feel about it. Is Vaping expensive? The main goal for us is to quit for financial reasons.

 

[SuperÑ]

Start with these.

 

[Shadybiz]

Really??

For real. You wouldn't think a book could do that, but it did. The author used to smoke 5 packs a day, thought he'd never quit...couldn't quit. Had a few simple realizations, and went to 0. He shares those realizations in the book, which will take only a few hours to read. I quit the day I read it.

The day after was a New Years Eve party, at a house with a bunch of booze (I would always have a smoke with a drink), and where people were allowed to smoke inside. I got tanked...and didn't have a single craving, no edginess, nothing.

Check it out.

 

[Rymuth]

Good.

Hang in there, OP. Best of luck!

 

[iFirez]

I find it fascinating that people ever choose to smoke. I know full time and social smokers and it really confuses me. I've never even smoked in my entire life and never will, I just wonder what attracts people to doing it and how people get into it; so much so that I've stood outside of pubs and clubs and literally asked lots of people why they do it, not in a judgey way... I'm genuinely intrigued in why people choose to do it and what got them started.

 

[Darklor01]

Start with these.

$98 for 200 heat sticks without the actual device?

 

[Glix]

Quitting was the hardest thing I ever did. Was off for two years and then went back. I am now quitting again.

Its so hard.

The biggest thing I have found for me is to get off on the control. To enjoy the fact that I am in control, not the cigs.

@iFirez - at least for me, I started when I was 16 and would booze with older friends. They all smoked so I would smoke with them. There wasn't much thought about it, it wasn't a big decision where I weighed the impact, I was 16. Unfortunately I took to it like a fish takes to water, they are a "drug of choice" for me, I guess.

Only the beginning takes explanation. The rest is just because of addiction. Both the chemicals AND the act of smoking are highly addictive and quitting is extremely stressful and difficult.

 

[Phatosaurus]

I find it fascinating that people ever choose to smoke. I know full time and social smokers and it really confuses me. I've never even smoked in my entire life and never will, I just wonder what attracts people to doing it and how people get into it; so much so that I've stood outside of pubs and clubs and literally asked lots of people why they do it, not in a judgey way... I'm genuinely intrigued in why people choose to do it and what got them started.

Stress and being around people that smoke.

 

[Darklor01]

I find it fascinating that people ever choose to smoke. I know full time and social smokers and it really confuses me. I've never even smoked in my entire life and never will, I just wonder what attracts people to doing it and how people get into it; so much so that I've stood outside of pubs and clubs and literally asked lots of people why they do it, not in a judgey way... I'm genuinely intrigued in why people choose to do it and what got them started.

Stupidity mostly. I was young, hanging out with kids who smoked. I was trying to be one of the crowd in a new town. It's fun starting friendships based on bad habits and lies .... and then we grow up and realize how dumb we were when we knew everything.

 

[TheNefariousGamer]

Oh, thanks,.. I forgot.. She has tried e-cigs and "doesn't like it". Her whole family are smokers and have been her whole life. They claim they are quitting right now as well. No clue on that progress.

I just want to say that disposable eCigarettes (Vuse, Blu, MarkTen) and gas station vapes just are the worst, and if she's only tried those, she should try an actual vape rig before dismissing it entirely.

Also was intrigued by that JUUL thing someone else posted about, that might help.

 

[vainya]

If the social aspect of smoking is tripping your wife up maybe she should try herbal cigarettes. She can still go out to smoke at work like everyone else but she'll still be weaning herself off nicotine since they have none.

Someone on this forum suggested reading /r/stopsmoking/ That subreddit has helped me quit more than anything. It might help you two. Anyway, good luck.

 

[siddx]

Smoked for over 15 years. Quit many times. I quit cigs almost three years ago by using ecigs and then weaned myself down to 0mg and quit those a year ago.

I miss cigarettes every day. They were such a huge part of my life and tied to so many great memories. I did slip during the summer, but I tried to stick to cigars instead and I found going cold turkey at the end of the summer was much easier than the previous times I had quit. The itching, gnawing, and burning cravings lasted only a few days rather than several weeks.

The physical cravings aren't the tough part though, it's the letting go of a constant companion, something that kept you relaxed and accompanied you in so many things. From eating and drinking to driving and even just relaxing and listening to music. I miss it, I know it's terrible for me, I know how shitty I felt in the mornings, I know I'm healthier now. But I really miss it and suspect I always will.

 

[Viewt]

I find it fascinating that people ever choose to smoke. I know full time and social smokers and it really confuses me. I've never even smoked in my entire life and never will, I just wonder what attracts people to doing it and how people get into it; so much so that I've stood outside of pubs and clubs and literally asked lots of people why they do it, not in a judgey way... I'm genuinely intrigued in why people choose to do it and what got them started.

I'm not a smoker myself, but for whatever reason, most of the people I know are or were smokers. My dad smoked for 20-something years, all through my childhood. They all have a similar origin story - they started because someone offered them one, and being around a group/culture that was super friendly to smoking made it a bonding ritual. My girlfriend started when she was living in Korea, where everyone smokes and cigarettes are dirt cheap.

 

[ZOONAMI]

It is different at first and not quite the same, but you eventually get used to it. The first thing you notice after you start regularly using the ecig, is that regular cigarettes taste awful compared to what you're using. Once that happens, you just slowly step it down over time.

I have repeatedly tried e-cigs (decent $50+ ones) and they invariably stop working. Like the battery is charged but they don't work, multiple batteries, multiple tanks, cleaning the coils. They just stop working within 1-2 mos.

American spirit organic tobacco is actually less harsh on my throat as well.

I have stopped smoking cold turkey a few times for month + long periods but invariably I end up buying some spirits again. I guess the bright side is that I only smoke organic tobacco, so at least I'm not inhaling hundreds of chemical additives.

If I am smoking I'm smoking around a pack a week typically, but sometimes work stress will ramp that up to 2 packs a week and then I have to cut back.

It's hard to quit! It's the combo factor of the physical nicotine addiction and then actually liking the habit of it, the tangible feels beyond just the nicotine, while driving, how it tastes, the warm smoke, how awesome they are with coffee and beer, and yeah there's just something about driving and smoking too.

I know it's fucking stupid and expensive and bad for me, but it's fucking hard!

 

[Glix]

I have repeatedly tried e-cigs (decent $50+ ones) and they invariably stop working. Like the battery is charged but they don't work, multiple batteries, multiple tanks, cleaning the coils. They just stop working within 1-2 mos.

American spirit organic tobacco is actually less harsh on my throat as well.

I have stopped smoking cold turkey a few times for month + long periods but invariably I end up buying some spirits again. I guess the bright side is that I only smoke organic tobacco, so at least I'm not inhaling hundreds of chemical additives.

If I am smoking I'm smoking around a pack a week typically, but sometimes work stress will ramp that up to 2 packs a week and then I have to cut back.

It's hard to quit! It's the combo factor of the physical nicotine addiction and then actually liking the habit of it, the tangible feels beyond just the nicotine, while driving, how it tastes, the warm smoke, how awesome they are with coffee and beer, and yeah there's just something about driving and smoking too.

I know it's fucking stupid and expensive and bad for me, but it's fucking hard!

Dude, if you can keep it to a pack a week you are a lucky motherfucker.

While you should still quit, don't stress that much, a pack a week is not so bad at all.

I smoke 30-40 cigs a DAY. And if I have the day off and play Magic Online for a bunch of hours its even worse.

 

[TheNefariousGamer]

I find it fascinating that people ever choose to smoke. I know full time and social smokers and it really confuses me. I've never even smoked in my entire life and never will, I just wonder what attracts people to doing it and how people get into it; so much so that I've stood outside of pubs and clubs and literally asked lots of people why they do it, not in a judgey way... I'm genuinely intrigued in why people choose to do it and what got them started.

Just going to chuck my personal experience into this subject and say I started smoking entirely because of curiosity plus working at a gas station where I was just surrounded by cigarettes. Most of my co-workers smoked, I paid a lot of attention to who would buy what brand, there's just a whole culture about it. Plus, it helped me be a lot faster as a cashier there compared to a non-smoker trying to find a customer's cigarettes (need to emphasize: not worth it not worth it it's just a convenience store job).

 

[Darklor01]

If the social aspect of smoking is tripping your wife up maybe she should try herbal cigarettes. She can still go out to smoke at work like everyone else but she'll still be weaning herself off nicotine since they have none.

Someone on this forum suggested reading /r/stopsmoking/ That subreddit has helped me quit more than anything. It might help you two. Anyway, good luck.

Social aspect was what got me started. We actually don't get to go out much due to financial situations to be honest so social situations for her are limited to work like you mention. I think she maybe viewing weaning off as success when in actuality it might be a crutch like, "I'm only smoking three a day, so .. we're good, .. I'll cut down more soon".. and keep it like that. We'll see though. Been down this road a few times.

 

[cereal_killerxx]

I quit smoking back in 2009 at the age of 24. It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. I locked myself in my room for 2 weeks straight. I slept a lot and ate lots of hard candy/bubble gum. The first week was miserable. I had flu light symptoms from the withdrawal and I screamed at everyone that came near me. It was rough.

 

[d9b]

I quit smoking by using a vaporizer and slowly going from 12% nicotine to 0% I kept vaping but eventually lost interest in it after I got weened off.

This.

 

[Skellig Gra]

OP, can't force anyone to quit smoking, they need to truly want to do it. I quit cold turkey but I realize I'm an outlier. The vaping suggestion others have made seems rather practical.

I find it fascinating that people ever choose to smoke. I know full time and social smokers and it really confuses me. I've never even smoked in my entire life and never will, I just wonder what attracts people to doing it and how people get into it; so much so that I've stood outside of pubs and clubs and literally asked lots of people why they do it, not in a judgey way... I'm genuinely intrigued in why people choose to do it and what got them started.

It makes you feel good and alters your state of mind, same reason people use any other drug. People have been doing it since before modern times so its not some new societal construct.

 

[billeh]

Off cigs for nearly three years thanks to ecigs.

12, to 6, to 3 mg nic juice, painless.

 

[ratcliffja]

As much as I hate the sudden surge of vape shops worldwide, I'm glad that e-cigarettes exist for stuff like this. Good luck to both of you and congratulations on making a great decision for your future health.

 

[Rektash]

I went from smoking 1 1/2 packs a day to vaping 18mg/ml nicotine liquid. Did that for about a year and then quit cold turkey ~ 4 years ago. The first 3-4 weeks are pretty bad but everything after that is managable as far as the cravings go.

Honestly, everyones path to quitting cigarettes is different. At the end of the day you won't be able to make it without absolute resolve to never touch a cigarette again.

It's always worth trying though!

 

[NandoGip]

She needs to remove herself from situations that will lead to smoking, and she needs to get a hobby at home to make her forget about smoking.

I was in her situation, smoking at work, but not at home. Once I moved and got a new job, I pretty much got into your situation.

I developed new habits at work and at home and cigarettes were just left in the past with all my other routines.

 

[TheNefariousGamer]

It is different at first and not quite the same, but you eventually get used to it. The first thing you notice after you start regularly using the ecig, is that regular cigarettes taste awful compared to what you're using. Once that happens, you just slowly step it down over time.

Cannot really emphasize this enough. Cigarettes now consistently make me nearly vomit, and occasionally make me actually vomit. It's really a strong effect and a very good deterrent from switching back, even if they don't feel quite the same.

I have repeatedly tried e-cigs (decent $50+ ones) and they invariably stop working. Like the battery is charged but they don't work, multiple batteries, multiple tanks, cleaning the coils. They just stop working within 1-2 mos.

What the heck kind of conditions are you putting these through? I'd say my old vape is in really rough shape from being in my pocket for like the 6 months I used it, and I only stopped using it because everything started getting stuck together and I couldn't get the tank off anymore.

I believe your experience, but there's gotta be something making those break.