My decision.

jamjar11 · July 2010

I have decided... to quit smoking.

I have been smoking for 14 years. Right now I smoke a pack of Marlboro Reds a day. The crappy part is that I really love smoking. Seriously, I do. I love it. Its like one of my favorite things in life. But, ya know. To make things worse... I love drinking. And smoking. Together. Oi.

I think it's time, though. I suppose it feels somewhat symbolic, starting a new chapter of my life and all. Plus, I can think of nothing less glamorous to do in my huge expensive wedding dress than sneak off to the smoking area once an hour.

My boss also smokes at about the same rate and frequency as I do, which makes it even harder. I am thinking of quitting at the end of August while she goes to a conference for a week.

Any advice from ex-smokers? I'm a little afraid of the monster I will become.

[Deleted User] · July 2010

I don't have any advice for ya bc I have never smoked. But I will say kudos to you for taking the first step. Stick with it!

[Deleted User] · July 2010

Good for you for quitting.

I don't smoke, but I did make my husband quit when we first got together. It was hard for him, but he said the biggest thing was keeping his hands and mouth busy. He chewed a lot of gum and always had some kind of project going so he could stay busy whenever he got a craving.

When my mom quit, she quit cold turkey and said it was easier than trying to wean herself off of them. DH tried both ways and ultimately stopped buying them altogether and instead bummed them off friends. Eventually his friends stopped handing them out, so he had no choice but to not smoke.

Midgetth · July 2010

I'm not a smoker but my sister in law is. She tried once using the patch. It ended up making her really sick & it even left a permanent mark on her. My FI's buddy who he works with has successfully stopped smoking. And his dad (their boss) smokes about 4 packs a day & his wife smokes. He got the chewing gum & did fantastic with it. My sister just stopped cold. Finished her last pack & that was it

flyjawn · July 2010

congrats!

i've never been a smoker so i can't give you any first hand advice but i think it's a great thing to quit.

everyone is different, some people can just stop - some people need a lot of help. do whatever you need to do and good luck!

ehathewa · July 2010

Best of luck to you!

Cattm42 · July 2010

Carrot sticks
Candy Canes
Celery sticks
Keep things on hand that you can pick up and put in your mouth that won't add a bunch to your hips...LOL
When I quit 4 1/2 years ago it was around Christmas time, so during what had been my smoke break I would take a candy cane and go hang out with my smoker frineds. It made the transition easier. I also found that if you make the desicion to never buy a pack again it make it harder to smoke them...when I first quit I wouldn't get gas anywhere I couldn't pay at the pump. The urge to buy a pack of smokes while paying for gas was very strong.
You can do this and you will find things to replace the nasty smoking habit, yes I really like(d) smoking, I just refuse to let it control me.

It is not easy, I will never smoke again, because I refuse to go through quitting again.

Edit to add: Congrats on loving yourself enough to want to take care of yourself

Sarahtobeengaged · July 2010

first off congrats to you!! I quit nine months ago. I myself found coffee at first was one way to curb the smoking urge. But then I started feeling to hyper from replacing coffee with the cigs.

I was never a hevy smoker but the coffee still didn't quite help. I eventually ate apples and bye the time i got up to get the apple and eat it the urge to smoke was gone. My new habit was apples and heck it's good for you too! gl

MISSCOURTNEY20 · July 2010

I have never been a smoker but I do want to say Congrats!!

I am sure that this is a very big step for you. Just keep thinking of how great you will feel on your wedding day doing all of that dancing and being able to breathe!

NillaWafer10 · July 2010

Good Luck! It can be a challenge, but you can do it! I think one of the most important things is finding out whether your smoking is just a habit or a nicotine addiction. That can help determine if you need any help quitting. The quiz below is pretty generic. I have seen much better ones (more thorough) out there.

http://www.cancer.org/Healthy/ToolsandCalculators/Quizzes/app/smoking-habits-quiz

I have heard that Chantix is an amazing drug. It's expensive, but well worth the cost. Wellbutrin/Zyban also works well, and it is much cheaper.

http://www.chantix.com/

http://quitsmoking.about.com/od/zybanwellbutrin/Bupropion_as_a_Quit_Aid_Zyban_Wellbutrin_.htm

Also important, changing up your routine. Most people associate certain activities with lighting up. Take your coffee break at a different time of day, carpool with someone to work, and plan exercise during your toughest craving times.

Hope that helps!

heatherw1725 · July 2010

Congrats on the decision to quit smoking!

I am an ex-smoker I woke up one morning and just said I dont want to smoke anymore and threw my pack of cigs away and never looked back. I did get the nicorette gum just in case the cravings were too strong but I only chewed maybe 3 or 4 pieces. You just have to keep telling yourself you can do it and you will!

Good luck!

jamjar11 · July 2010

Thanks for all the support, guys, and the advice! I'm excited but also nervous about it. I have a high level of nicotine addiction so I know I should expect some withdrawal symptoms. I should probably talk to my doctor and see what she recommends for me. I don't really want to flip out and stab an old lady for paying me $4.54 in change.

Thanks for the info, NillaWafer. I had no idea Wellbutrin can help. I tried Wellbutrin once for a couple of months for depression and didn't see any change, but I also didn't notice any side effects so it might be something to try.

My mom tried Chantix because she smokes even more than I do, and even at $150 a month its still cheaper than buying cigarettes. She said it made her feel awful. Nauseated and sleepless and having really bad nightmares. I'm afraid of the patch because I've heard similar stories about them. I could try gum, maybe... but I did a study of nicotine gum at the UofA where I basically had to not smoke for 12 hours then try the gum to see if I felt better. It gave me the worst heartburn I've ever had in my life, like excruciating! It took my mind off wanting to smoke, but only because of the severe pain I was in.

Thanks again for all the help and advice from all of you! Wish me luck! I'll be sure to let you all know when I'm smoke free!

kpwedkk · July 2010

Congratulations on your desire to quit smoking. I'm not a smoker, but you've got 100% of my support. If you have gripes, or have tough days, come talk to us, we'll help you through it!!

esample · July 2010

Congratulations on a great decision! My stepdad used Chantix to quit. It worked well for him (he smoked heavily for about 40 years), but I do recall the doctor also prescribing sleep aids. Talk to your doctor to see what he/she recommends. Even if you decide 'cold turkey' is the way to go, at least you'll know you've explored all your options. Good luck!

Srbageldog · July 2010

My FI smokes and has tried to quit a couple times. He started by switching the type of cigarettes he buys (he smokes Marlboro Lights 72- they are smaller cigarettes). He usually smokes half of one, then finishes it the next time he feels like smoking. He had gotten to where he was maybe only smoking one cigarette a day for a while but then sh*t happened and he got stressed out and started smoking more again. My advice to you is try not to get stressed out, try to remain calm and avoid situations which may cause stress. I've given my FI a time limit on his smoking- he has until the age of 35 to quit (he's almost 31). I figure that's a big enough time frame for him to successfully quit his bad habit (he also enjoys smoking, but he does want to quit eventually.)

You mentioned you like to drink as well (as do I lol)... just be careful not to use drinking as a coping mechanism when you quit smoking. I know this is a bit different, but I overcame an eating disorder (which is very much an addiction) and I turned to alcohol as a means to self medicate... not a good idea! Just stay strong, avoid stress and you should be fine. The fact that you even have the desire to quit means you have the will and the strength to do it! Congrats, and good luck!

ErinGoBragh77 · July 2010

It is hard, but totally worth it! I was just like you- I LOVED smoking.

I used Chantix to quit, and last Thursday was my 3-year anniversary of quitting. You can do it too!

NickDanielleB · July 2010

I quit 3 years ago. I'm not gonna lie, it was hard. But so rewarding. The habit that was hardest to break was driving without smoking. So I got a bic pen, took the ink out and cut the empty straw to the size of a cig. I would pull that out and just put it in my hand. Eventually I just started chewing on it, but strangely it helped me break the habit of needing a cig in my hand while driving.

Good luck!

gottahavashorti · July 2010

I've never been a smoker, but good luck! A lot of my former co-workers smoked, and occasionally someone would quit. I appreciated knowing they were trying to quit since they were sometimes more snappy than usual because of the nicotine withdrawal and not because I was doing something wrong or because they were just being cranky for no reason.

jamjar11 · July 2010

LOL I'm often cranky, snappy, stressed out, anxious, and bitchy for no good reason. So this should be fun.

I wonder if its worth taking a few days off? I get most irritated and stressed out at work. And I'm a retail manager, so I can't exactly avoid the things that stress me out, because its pretty much my job to be stressed out and be nice to people who annoy the crap out of me.

I should probably just play it safe and find a straight jacket and padded room somewhere.

catemeg · July 2010

I see you're in Tucson... if you can afford it, take a few days off and check yourself into a spa in Scottsdale. It will be a nice treat, and the relaxation and spa treatments will make the process a little less stressful. It's the off-season right now, so you'd probably get some awesome discounts.

Are you going to use gum or patches or anything? I've heard it can be quite useful. Also, things to munch on like carrot sticks, lollipops, anything for that oral fixation.

My decision.

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