How did you quit smoking?

Discussion in 'Your Living Room' started by rondrums, Apr 24, 2014.

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  1. Intrepid

    Intrepid New Member

    Just quit. Make up your mind and get it done.
     
  2. rondrums

    rondrums Bilateral

    I quit back in the 80's, for nearly two years. I was sucking on a Velamint, driving home from my gig one night (I'm a drummer), and I thought about the fact that I didn't want a cig anymore. It was so cool, I actually laughed out loud. It was so great.

    Unfortunately, about a month after that, I was with somebody who smoked, and he offered me a cig. I thought, like an idiot, "What the hell. I'm no longer an addict." I took one, and it tasted like shit. I thought, "This proves that I'm done with cigs."

    The next day, I was buying a pack at the local 7-11 store. This is the most insidious addiction in the world.

    Bless all, and curse nicotine,
    Ron
     
  3. Vicki615

    Vicki615 New Member

    Me too Ron, Hope it works for us both! I received the book today and just starting chapter 1 I read through the forward, preface and introduction, I will keep you posted and please do the same. This should be interesting
     
  4. Vicki615

    Vicki615 New Member

    They say it is easier to get off heroin than cigarettes, but I curse the day I started and I was such an idiot, it made me throw up the first few but I was determined to smoke...talk about the stupidity :( but ofc I thought I would never get addicted and would be able to stop any time I want. 45 years later..............................SHEEESH
     
  5. rondrums

    rondrums Bilateral

    The guy is not a great writer, and he admits it. But he has a persuasive way with words. He repeats himself a lot, but I realized that is necessary to drive home his points. He has helped tens of thousands of people to quit for good. He has counseling centers all over the world.

    I'm procrastinating until I get all my semester grades turned in (I'm an English professor), but then I'm off school for the summer, and I'm setting a "quit" date. Starting the Stephen Spring thing is an additional incentive. He told me smoking was counter-productive to his treatment.

    Let me know what you think. We addicts need to support each other!

    Ron
     
  6. Vicki615

    Vicki615 New Member

    "Let me know what you think. We addicts need to support each other!"
    Will do!
     
  7. shartsoe

    shartsoe New Member

    You can do this! You're not alone!
     
  8. CarolineJ.

    CarolineJ. New Member

    Yes you can :)
     
  9. kevinb003

    kevinb003 New Member

    Ron,

    I quit cold turkey a little more than 15 years ago. I had tried the patch and nicotine gum and even hypnosis, but nothing seemed to work for me. That is until my little boy was diagnosed with Tuberous Sclerosis. I decided that day that I was an ex-smoker because I didn't want to continue to contribute second-hand smoke to his list of health problems. See, it boils down to state of mind. In your case, try to consider yourself an ex-smoker as part of your path to beating this monster. I can tell you it won't be easy--it's one of the hardest things I've ever done--but I can also tell you the rewards of that state of mind ("I'm an ex-smoker") are phenomenal. No more excuses and do this! As a musician brother I'm pulling for you!

    Take care,
    Kevin
     
  10. Intrepid

    Intrepid New Member

    Yep. Kevin's right. It's mostly mental. If you define yourself as an addict and talk about being addicted to nicotine, you simply reinforce that concept making it that much harder to break away from how you've pegged yourself.

    It's a terrible habit. It's an expensive one. It takes away so much from your overall health.You only have to make up your mind.
     
  11. Gustav123

    Gustav123 Life,enjoy it.

    First, I applaud you. I like to read this guys views on addiction/recovery. He is a contrarian of sorts but he has facts on his side.
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stanton-peele/this-is-how-people-quit-a_b_949826.html
     
  12. rondrums

    rondrums Bilateral

    Thanks, man.
     
  13. Imnoscientist

    Imnoscientist New Member

    I have to call bullshit on this whole idea that quitting is tough. That it's harder to kick nicotine than heroin. I'm not a conspiracy theorist but I do think it's part of the whole mythology built up around smoking. And I say that as someone who smoked for years and was damn good at it - I would happily chain smoke half a pack, no problems, without even noticing it.

    In this day and age it's smoking, not quitting, which is difficult. There is almost nowhere you can smoke. You're a social pariah. You have to plan your life around when you can get your next cigarette and if it's during work hours you'll be huddling outside in the rain half the time. At dinner parties you'll have to excuse yourself. On flights you'll have to stick a patch on. At the cinema you'll be sweating it out, waiting until you can go outside and have a smoke. Great! This will be sooooo hard to give up!

    As for the alleged physical cravings. Nicotine starts to leave your body after half an hour. If you can 'get through' the supposed 'agony' of that you'll be fine. Speaking as someone who is an ex smoker it is BARELY NOTICEABLE. It is nothing, for example compared to feeling very thirsty, or hungry, let alone vertigo or a bad flu. It is absolute BULLSHIT to say it is difficult. It is a habit and nothing more. A dirty, stinking, expensive, unhealthy, socially unacceptable, pathetic, inconvenient habit which is wearing you down.

    Don't set yourself a date like a condemned man - just chuck the dirty things away when you've had enough of them.
     
  14. rondrums

    rondrums Bilateral

    You sound like Alan Carr. And I agree!
     
  15. Donamo

    Donamo Guest

    And I call "bullshit" on the above! :) Maybe true for you (but I doubt it) and definitely not my experience or any others that I am aware of.
     
  16. Imnoscientist

    Imnoscientist New Member

    Possibly. But thousands of people do the 'Easy Way' program and find it ...easy. Like I did. If I were Ron I'd prefer to work on that assumption than the other way round.

    The human body doesn't need nicotine and all the other poisons in cigarettes. It's grateful to be rid of them.
     
  17. Intrepid

    Intrepid New Member

    Yeah, baby! I totally agree with you on this. So much of the difficulty lies in the stories we tell ourselves. I'm not saying it is an easy habit to kick but, as with anything else, you have to win that mental battle.
     
  18. shartsoe

    shartsoe New Member

    This is my exact story. Once I decided (mentally) that they were poison, I was (physically) ready to stop. And then it was easy. I became a bit of a zealot though, they say ex-smokers are the most repulsed by cigarette smoke. That was true for me.
     
  19. rondrums

    rondrums Bilateral

    Don, I couldn't help but laugh. How did you manage to quit? Or if you still smoke, tell me about it. It's no big crime.....
    Ron
     
  20. Donamo

    Donamo Guest

    I hear smoking shortens your memory - LOL - I was the third post on this thread my friend, way way back on page 1, almost 2 whole days ago :) . Essentially I locked myself in the basement for a few days. As little human contact as possible ( temper gets a bit short ;) ).

     

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