Smoking, how did you quit ? - Page 9

vikings1 · 07-17-07, 11:09

actually after 2 weeks you quit but take for 3 months - 1 pill a day and cost me I think $25 a month

a.k.a. Patrick · 07-18-07, 06:16

My insurance wont cover it......

Setec Astronomy · 07-18-07, 06:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by a.k.a. Patrick

My insurance wont cover it......

Without getting up on a huge soapbox...that makes no sense. With all the potential extra liability the ins. co. has for a smoker, the amount of money you indicated seems like a drop in the bucket for them.

a.k.a. Patrick · 07-18-07, 09:04

And its only for a few months too Mike.....

jmillican · 07-18-07, 07:42

I went through a 3 week program to quit smoking and I haven't had one since 9/25/67. One thing you must know is that the chemical addiction is out of your blood after about 21 days. So, any urge to smoke after that period is all in your mind. Now the program.

Pick out a date 3 weeks in the future when you will be in a period of low stress. On day 1 quit smoking your favorite brand and tell yourself that you will never smoke that brand again. Start carrying some 3x5 cards on which you will write all the reasons why you want to quit--such as I don't want to have yellow fingers or I will be more sexually appealing as I won't smell so bad--and keep reading and writing these reasons all through the program. On day 1, do not have a cigarette for 1 hour after rising. Also, brush your teeth after each meal and do not smoke for 1 hour in an effort to disassociate smoking from eating. Also do not smoke for 1 hour before going to bed. Otherwise smoke however much you wish.

On the second week, change to the brand of cigarette you like the least and, otherwise, keep up brushing your teeth etc.

On the 3rd week, smoke the brand of least tar and nicotine. In my case I smoked cabbage leaf cigarettes which were available in 1967 because there were some thought the cancer-causing chemicals came from the interaction of the burning of cigarette paper and tobacco. (Cabbage leaf cigarettes have an acrid oder which reminded me of the smell found in a refuse dump where there was a slow burning fire. At night the flames would outline the rats which we would shoot.) I didn't make it through the 3rd day when I quit.

jtford95 · 07-19-07, 04:40

I quit cold turkey. Went back, and quit cold turkey again.

kpounds · 07-20-07, 03:56

I saved $20 and got a months supply of Chantix for $100 from Sams Club or Costco. (anyone can buy prescriptions there by Federal Law) Phizer has assistance programs where you can possibly get the drug for free based on income level. It requires a doctors prescription though. Phizer helpful answers

What I found after much confusion is you must REALLY, REALLY want to quit. There's varying degrees of "I want to quit" but when you get up to "I REALLY MUST quit!", then you're getting in the right ballpark. Reading up on different quitting methods to learn what was successful for others also helped. One site I learned alot from was cognitivequitting™ While I don't agree that the body 100% causes people do everything, their method has helped many people to quit fairly comfortably and is great at explaining the habit aspect of smoking...which in my opinion is about 70% of the problem. Once you understand the habit aspect, you'll have a much better chance of succeeding. CQ also has a Yahoo discussion group to help people learn their method.

Smoking is a 2 headed monster, Nicotine + Habit. Learn to handle both of them and you win. Everything you do now, you'll do better when you give up the cigs.

Holden_C04 · 03-29-08, 10:52

I started using the generic nicotine patches at Wal Mart/Shoppers Drug Mart using the program. I had some issues with depression during use of the first and most powerful dose of the drug and promptly replaced it with the 2nd patch on the scale.

Since then, it has been clear sailing and I just celebrated 6 months smoke-free. I get the urge occasionally to smoke but the smell now bothers me and I prefer to socialize with non-smokers now.

Jayhawker · 03-31-08, 07:51

I have stopped a few times but have always went back (not ready to quit) because I wanted to smoke. Been smoking for 18 years, about a 3/4 to one pack a day. I "QUIT" in FEB06 knowing I wanted to be their for my daughter as I grow older in life. There are times I still crave it but when I smell it on people it makes me happy I quit.

One thing I really never cared about was my health. I never really understood exactly what it was doing to me till after I quit. I know there is some permanent damage, but better late then never.

Here's one thing I never understood though. I have a few buddies who smoke weed on a daily basis, but they can't stomach a cigarette. That always blows my mind. They always say weed taste so good......It all taste like **** if you ask me.

You really have to want to quit and have support around you.

aabablusaan · 04-07-08, 08:22

I "accidentally" quit smoking on April 1, 2008 after 7 years of smoking 10 cigs a day. I was suffering from a bout with an ear infection AND an upper respiratory infection at the same time, and my fever, antibiotics, nasonex, and pseudovent left me so high that I forgot to smoke. It's been almost a week, and I haven't wanted one yet. Strange. I wasn't planning to quit either...it just happened!

ajbarnes · 04-14-08, 05:55

I'm still smoke free....going on 7 years now.

Eliot Ness · 04-14-08, 06:42

I had quit for 18 years and slowly started back up about 10 years ago after a divorce. It was like I had never quit........ I was still able to blow smoke rings and it almost felt natural to smoke again.

Then at Thanksgiving this year I came down with Legionnaires' pneumonia. I was in a hospital for almost 10 weeks, with about 11 of those in ICU and 8 of those on a ventilator. Before I went downhill and got stuck on the vent I had an elderly lady in the cubicle beside me in ICU. She was in for shortness-of-breath and I heard the doc fussing that she smokes 3 packs a day and has emphysema. I made my mind up right then that I never wanted to be in that situation and would try to never smoke again.

Smoking didn't cause my Legionnaires' pneumonia, but it sure didn't help it either. This is the slowest recovery I've ever been through, but my lungs are slowly getting better, and I'm happy to say that I've remained smoke free for about 5 months. The urge still hits me, but after being around so many with chronic lung disease in the hospital and rehab I never want to go through that because of smoking.

For all who want to quit I hope that you find the reason/s out there that will make you take the plunge.