I used Welbutrin, which kicked in conveniently right after a really nasty cold that kept me from smoking anyway. It was a lot easier than I had imagined, especially after smoking nearly 2 packs a day for 10+ years.

On occassion, when I am drinking now, I will have a drag off of someone's smoke, or if I'm really craving one I'll smoke the shittiest, cheapest cigar money can buy. But it's been nearly two years since I quit. That shit worked good, but I felt a little crazy for a couple of days when I stopped taking it.....

I've been smoking almost half my life now, and I desperately want to quit. The problem is, what am I going to do during those times when I was smoking? If anyone has any advice regarding this, let me know. Good tips, I'll look into exercising...

Troll?

Don wrote:I've been smoking almost half my life now, and I desperately want to quit. The problem is, what am I going to do during those times when I was smoking? If anyone has any advice regarding this, let me know. Good tips, I'll look into exercising...

chew on something. i used to like stuff like toothpicks, or stirring straws like you might get in a cup of coffee or a mixed drink. also, another good one, if you can handle it, is to fake-smoke an unlit cigarette. to actually hold it, and put it to your mouth, and take imaginary drags. works well on two levels. first of all, you're not forcing yourself to kick the chemical and physical addictions at the same time. second of all, unless you've got "i don't give a fuck" of steel, you're gonna worry about looking silly. that's a perfect time to analyze how it works out that it looks less silly if you're actually doing the exact same thing, only adding in the inhaling of poisons that make you weak and/or dead.

the patch can work, too. my dad smoked for like 30 years or something, over a pack a day of marlboro reds. then he got himself on the patch, and didn't even make it all the way through. he found the patch so annoying that he quit the patch. he didn't go back to cigarettes. he just disliked the patch enough that he quit IT, too.

really it all boils down to this, and i've been told this by other people who've smoked for a long time and then quit as well: you will quit when you are ready. if you're not ready, you won't quit. if you are ready, you will. it's basically 100% mental, in that if you truly want to do it, you will. otherwise you won't.

the worst part is, and i've seen this in a lot of people, certain social situations can become unbearable as an ex-smoker. i know plenty of people who quit and can still go out to bars and it's all good. but i know other folks who, as a part of quitting, became totally unable to go out to smoke-filled bars anymore. just hated it.

i wonder if chicago's next or what? no smoking in LA. no smoking in NYC. chicago's third biggest, right?

"really it all boils down to this, and i've been told this by other people who've smoked for a long time and then quit as well: you will quit when you are ready. if you're not ready, you won't quit. if you are ready, you will. it's basically 100% mental, in that if you truly want to do it, you will. otherwise you won't. "

agreed - i got quite bullied into quitting by my girlfriend and i resented her for ages for making me quit. i hated giving up smoking so much that for a while i wished she sould die so that i could smoke again
heh, we're all cool now though

I've only ever quit once, it lasted a few months. I just smoked a lot one night while I was drinking, and the next day just didnt smoke. And the day after and the day after and so on.

Someone I know is in the process of quiting. For a while he let himself have one only every hour. Then after a day or two, one every 2 hours. Then one every 3 and so on.

I havent tried it, but that sounds like it could work. At the very least you'd cut down a lot (if you're a heavy smoker)

Had a friend who quit by smoking more marijuana instead of cigs.

Hope that helps

Smoking was a hobby to me... Smoking provided comfort and solace from whatever problem i was unable to cope with (i also found that when i had toothache smoking would ease the pain)
I enjoyed smoking, i didn't want to stop. That was until i worked out that i spent an astonishig amount of cash on cigarettes, £2598.00 a year give or take the odd pack.

As of the 7th of January I no longer smoke. I am a non smoker!

I will not lie, it is not easy. I went cold turkey and acording to those i hold dear, I made there life hell. I alegedly had some mighty mood swings (tho' personally i don't believe them, their just trying to make me feel bad)
Finding something to replace smoking is the problem. Masturbation is often frowned appon in public, Biscuits don't last long enough, excersize is to much like hard work.... You just have to find your own thing.

Good luck, you will feel so much better for it, not to mention the bulging sack of cash you will have left at the end of the month.

Christ, thanks a lot, folks!

I'm buying some nicotine gum after work today. I've got 7 cigs left on this, "my last pack." Then the gum.

Someone said this earlier, but it should be repeated: this is the best message board! I can't claim to be familiar with many others, true, but this one is really great.

1000 Thanks Yous, tusen takk, danke,

Ike in Michigan

I quit smoking on nov 20th 1999. it was one of the best things i ever did. I did enjoy smoking quite a bit, mind you, and it took a year or so to realize the importance of quitting.
the way I quit smoking was cold turkey. I had some help in the form of starlight mints. I hate menthol cigarettes and if I was chewing minty gum I would wait until the minty taste was gone before I smoked. therefore when I had an urge i would pop a mint.
think of quitting as this: it only takes a few days to kick the physical habit. those miserable days will cease to be as bad as more time passes. I look back as,"that sucked," but was way worth it.
what gets me is the people who beat the physical habit and go back out of boredom. I would rather only go through that once.
also- to control your smoking, ease off the drinky drinky for a few weeks. that is the quickest way back to cancerville. maybe just practice having a beer or two a night without a cig before that big friday boozefest.