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[lachesis]

...smoking.

Yup. I woke up, had my last one in the morning waiting for the bus -
and just decided to get on with it. I've been thinking about it for quite some time - for over a year to be honest... I was going to quit sooner or later, and I guess sooner is the better, right?

I've smoked since early 20's so, it's been like 10 years or so. I tried a couple of times and it wasn't successful. (I went about a week, and broke down.) I'm trying with a patch now to help me reduce the urge, but it's all in the mind, I know.
(I've been chewing gums like crazy - I just went through a whole pack withint 2 hours. )

Now I have to think of what to reward myself at the end of 8 week journey... perhaps, XBox360 would do, with a couple of Perfect Grade plamodels (or entire Zeta gundam HGUC series).

Wish me luck!
lachesis

 

[way more]

Good. After about a month you'll wonder why you ever started.

 

[jobber]

good luck with that....it's hard as hell to even think about quitting

 

[8bit]

Good luck! I've stopped and started a few times over the past 20 years(haven't smoked for about 2 years with a few exceptions for spliffs or cigars), but the first few days are the worst. Once you're through that you'll be good.
Just make sure the patches you're using don't exceed the level of nicoteen you're used to, and try not to keep them on overnight unless you want really fucked up dreams.

 

[OpinionatedCyborg]

Try placating your tobacco cravings with exercise. A lot of former drug addicts have found the "runner's high," obtained through 40 - 50 minutes of straight running, helped them replace a dangerous habit with a filthy one. Best of luck to ya!

 

[lachesis]

Thanks all. I'm kinda jumpy at the moment - didn't take too much sugar or anything - but it must be the effect of the patch... I smoke about 10 cigarettes every day, so I just started with "step 2" - and after 6 weeks, 2 weeks of ligher ones, and that shoud be it. Anyhow, my mother-in-law, who would be visiting us from overseas might find my behavior a bit abnormal.

Fucked up dream when I'm wearing patches? I've read about it in warning label - but it's really strange that the patches affect dreams. I guess I'll be finding out tonight.

Running for 40 min is pretty much impossible for me - as I'm a more of a spectator by birth. I walk about 30 blocks a day in the morning - but otherwise, I'm pretty in-active person. Thus, I am abit concerned about weight gains - that I just had a grilled chicken ceasar salad from my company cafeteria (which is not that great, mind you), and the chicken tasted great! I mean, I find grilled chicken breast pretty much tastes bland - and god, my taste buds are going wild...

lachesis

 

[ChrisReid]

Congratulations. Welcome to your second life.

 

[Brannon]

I've never smoked, but I did an experiment where I would put aside the cost of cigarettes every time my roommate bought a pack. 2 months later my money jars were kicking ass.

You should do this for yourself. You were just going to spend the money on smokes anyway so it's not like you're taking money away from yourself if you put it in a jar. Go ahead, do it. It's fun!

 

[8bit]

Fucked up dream when I'm wearing patches? I've read about it in warning label - but it's really strange that the patches affect dreams. I guess I'll be finding out tonight.

Your body isn't used to ingesting nicoteen while you're asleep, so it stimulates your brain while you're sleeping. It's strange.

 

[Azih]

Good for you dude.

 

[SHOCKIE]

fucked up dreams,i might get some patches for these fucked up dreams :lol

 

[Tedesco!]

This might sound stupid, but I quit smoking and I didn't even realize it until two weeks later. It was storming pretty hard one night, and I didn't feel like getting any smokes, so I figured I would wait until the next day. I never went out to get them, I guess I just forgot about it. I haven't had a cig since November.

 

[lachesis]

This might sound stupid, but I quit smoking and I didn't even realize it until two weeks later. It was storming pretty hard one night, and I didn't feel like getting any smokes, so I figured I would wait until the next day. I never went out to get them, I guess I just forgot about it. I haven't had a cig since November.

You are the lucky one, sir - that some of my friends are also the same way. One of them, an occasional social smoker now, who smoked alot in earlier, is not "addicted" in any means. I really envy his low-urge... If I were you, I would have drove/walked through the storm to get that cig.

lachesis

 

[Tedesco!]

Well, I should say that the beast does get fed every now and again, as I still have the occasional stogie. The trick is to find something else to do in place of smoking.

 

[mrkgoo]

Congrats, Lachesis...hope it goes well.

Now I don't smoke, so I don't even begin to understand what it's like to attempt to quit, but I suppose if your mental will is strong enough, you can override your urges, or attribut your behaviour to such changes - just don't rely on that as an excuse to behave oddly.

Good luck!

Curious - why do people begin smoking in the first place? Is it all because of peers? Like not just pressure, but I can only see social justifications for smoking.

 

[Mercury Fred]

Good luck, man! I quit about four years ago after having smoked up to two packs a day for eight years. I was extremely addicted. If there's anyway to work some new exercise into your regime, that'll not only help even out your moods, but it will allow you to feel your body (especially your newly expanding lung capacity) in a way you probably haven't in years.

I rewarded myself with a few purchases but tried not to go overboard. Another tactic I used was to continue to take "smoke" breaks at work. I'd simply step outside and get some fresh air and clear my head in the time that I used to go out to have a cigarette.

 

[lachesis]

Congrats, Lachesis...hope it goes well.

Now I don't smoke, so I don't even begin to understand what it's like to attempt to quit, but I suppose if your mental will is strong enough, you can override your urges, or attribut your behaviour to such changes - just don't rely on that as an excuse to behave oddly.

Good luck!

Curious - why do people begin smoking in the first place? Is it all because of peers? Like not just pressure, but I can only see social justifications for smoking.

Thanks, mrkgoo.

It's actually easy to decide to quit smoking - because everyone knows that it's the right thing to do. Hard part is, to be 100% ready to do so and carrying it out.

Whenever I had a cig, then I used to think "this is bad for me and for the ones around me, especially my wife". However, there's always the other side of the mind asking for just one more. (like the angel and evil - in this case, weak mind comes into the play.)

Keeping strong will to stop the urge is the hardest part - because I forgive easily, and I'm not the hardest person to push myself, I'm afraid. At least I know that much - but I'm willing to give my best to stop this time for sure - and I contemplated on that for quite some time, so I hope I am mentally ready.

The reason I started smoking - I started actually pretty late in Junior in college, and mostly because of stress. A lot of school work, and sidejobs, and breaking up with my GF (who gave me the first cig.), etc - and I was a smoker by choice, not just by a peer pressure.

lachesis

 

[Pochacco]

Good luck.
In the last year, I have not smoked a single cigarette. It feels good.
Then again, I never smoked before so...

 

[GaimeGuy]

Choosing to stop smoking is great, but if you want to truly cure yourself, you have to stop using nicotine, period. Even without all the smoke and tar and stuff, nicotine is still a poison.

Then again, so is caffeine. *drinks some more slice*

 

[Cerebral Palsy]

Only quiters quit

 

[lachesis]

Choosing to stop smoking is great, but if you want to truly cure yourself, you have to stop using nicotine, period. Even without all the smoke and tar and stuff, nicotine is still a poison.

Then again, so is caffeine. *drinks some more slice*

Yes. I also thought about it too - but right now, getting the urge under control, and getting used to the lifestyle w/o cig is the first priority for me. I hope the patches aren't as addictive as the cigs itself, otherwise, I might get hooked to patchs! In 8 weeks, I WILL get rid of patches as instructed and go solo.

lachesis

 

[miyuru]

Right on lachesis.

I'm currently addicted to Ben & Jerry's Chunky Monkey. It's an expensive habit too.

I just finished a pint after rolling out of bed :lol

 

[siege]

What really sucks about quitting is how damn lousy you feel not having a cigarette. You seriously have to keep yourself occupied and exercise frequently or you will go insane.

I'm in the process of quitting myself right now and I feel awful. Mood swings, body fatigue, headaches, wanting to just pass out and go to sleep. I realize it's the best thing to do, but man is it hard.

Best of luck to you and anyone else who is trying to kick this shitty habit to the curb.

 

[GaimeGuy]

What really sucks about quitting is how damn lousy you feel not having a cigarette. You seriously have to keep yourself occupied and exercise frequently or you will go insane.

I'm in the process of quitting myself right now and I feel awful. Mood swings, body fatigue, headaches, wanting to just pass out and go to sleep. I realize it's the best thing to do, but man is it hard.

Best of luck to you and anyone else who is trying to kick this shitty habit to the curb.

Yeah, isn't nicotine wonderful?

 

[lachesis]

Someone should give the man who invents no tar, no chemical but just the taste of full blown cig, a nobel prize. In that case, I would smoke. It's all about the tar, tar, tar in my lungs... and it's a wonder that at this age and technology, they cannot come up with some sort of non-harzadous subsitute.

lachesis

 

[Warm Machine]

Very famous smoking executive quote:

"We don't smoke that shit, we just reserve the right to sell it to the young, the poor, the black, the stupid."

A few of my friends smoke and have tried to quit. One managed it and the other 2 are still hooked. Its a tough slog sometimes. It sucks for them sometimes as they'll go for about a month and then something really stressfull hits and they go back on.

My mother and father both quit simultaneously in the mid 80s. It was probably pretty hard for them as smoking was no where near as looked down on then as it is today.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Someone should give the man who invents no tar, no chemical but just the taste of full blown cig, a nobel prize. In that case, I would smoke. It's all about the tar, tar, tar in my lungs... and it's a wonder that at this age and technology, they cannot come up with some sort of non-harzadous subsitute.

lachesis

Uh, the tar is what gives the cigarette its taste, silly. :lol

 

[lachesis]

I see. That's why low-tar cigs tastes terrible.

Anyhow, full 24 hours went by w/o a cig. I had some of my smoking friends coming over my place to play some Winning Eleven LE last night - and while I had occasional urges, but it seems like the patch is really helping me out. (Not too sure whether it's working physically, but at least I can put my hand on my shoulder where the patch is and keep reminding me). Perhaps when the full 8 week is over, I might just put some ben-gay pad on my shoulder for just reminder when an urge strikes.

I did wear the patch at night, but not much happened except I dreamed about Simpsons characters duking out in bowling tourney at a rainy golf course. (Don't ask me, I have no idea - and I haven't even watched Simpsons in few months, nor am I the biggest fan either). Wasn't too vivid, though.

lachesis

 

[Cauliflower of Love]

Hmmm, someone on another forum posted a "i stopped smoking" thing. odd

 

[Cool]

Congratulations! You are now no longer a pawn in the corporate agenda of cigarette companies of making their millions off of killing and harming naive Americans.

 

[Kiriku]

Great decision! Granted, I've never smoked a cigarette in my life, but I've seen how hard it can be to stop. I really respect people who can handle that. Keep at it, don't give up!

 

[Pachinko]

I've never smoked in my life and don't intend to start, mostly becuase the smoke itself makes me feel like throwing up and I hate the smell of the shit.

Unfortunatly for me a bunch of my friends are smokers, about 3 weeks ago 2 of them tried to quite , 1 was hardcore into quitting and threw a full pack of smokes out the window , the other a closer friend was just trying to quit to support the other guy, he lasted not even a day becuase his coworker gave him 4 smokes every day that whole week and that sunday he wound up buying a pack for himself. Thanks to using nicotine gum he is actually smoking more now then he was before he tried to quit. It's quite a sad state of affairs, the worst part is that he doesn't seem to care, thinking he'll just try again later.

 

[GaimeGuy]

I've never smoked in my life and don't intend to start, mostly becuase the smoke itself makes me feel like throwing up and I hate the smell of the shit.

Unfortunatly for me a bunch of my friends are smokers, about 3 weeks ago 2 of them tried to quite , 1 was hardcore into quitting and threw a full pack of smokes out the window , the other a closer friend was just trying to quit to support the other guy, he lasted not even a day becuase his coworker gave him 4 smokes every day that whole week and that sunday he wound up buying a pack for himself. Thanks to using nicotine gum he is actually smoking more now then he was before he tried to quit. It's quite a sad state of affairs, the worst part is that he doesn't seem to care, thinking he'll just try again later.

I'm sure he does care: The problem is, it's so fucking hard to quit, the nicotine just has that effect. Once you start using nicotine, when you stop, your body completely feels like shit. That's what nicotine does to you.

 

[lachesis]

Well, it takes multiple tries for most people, according to the instruction booklet I've read in that patch. One thing though - quiting smoking is does not happen overnight for most people. Some people do get up, and just say "fuck this shit, I quit" - but have they thought of quitting it considerably? I'm pretty sure they have. For me, I've contemplated on it for quite some time - almost a couple of years after my marriage.

I've tried twice to quit smoking, and it wasn't successful. 1st one was with my friends, which ended up that we were all waiting for others to break down and smoke again - wrong initiative. Lasted one week and I just won the bet..for lasting the longest. I didn't have the biggest desire to quit then. 2nd time, I picked the period when I was under severe stress. Wrong timing. It didn't even last a couple day. It's been a couple years since, and I've been thinking over my failure and contemplated more on it - so I'm giving another go on my quest for quitting it.

lachesis