Quitting Smoking. Easier Said Than Done?
Okay okay, I know all the health risks, and the “non-health” benefits that come from quitting smoking. I know to take it one day at a time and never give up. But it just isn’t that easy, I feel as though there are many on here ready to give a list of health benefits just to get answer points, who’ve probably never experienced the scary addiction to nicotine. I’m 21 years old and my boyfriend is 29, I’ve been smoking a pack a day for 6 years while he is going on about 13. Today is our second day, he has to quit because he is getting hand surgery and the success rate severly drops if you are a smoker, I’m going f**king crazy. I hate it, sometimes the cravings go away, other times I can’t get my mind off of it. We fight over anything. I’ve tried doing something else, I’ve started exercising again, drinking a lot of water, chewing sugarless gum. Cigarettes are (hopefully WERE) a huge part of my life. Everyone I know smokes, anybody who was in my situation have success stories?
14 Responses to “Quitting Smoking. Easier Said Than Done?”
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February 1st, 2010 at 1:08 pm
It was one of the hardest things I ever did. It has been 6 years now, I have gone through very stressfull times & I didnt go back thank god… every now & then I will pass buy someone smoking & just love the smoke smell other times I think it is just gross but I hope to never go back. they are way to expencive I dont want to risk getting ill… I need to live for myself & the children I brought into this world. Its not going to be easy but anything good for you really never is…. My prayers are with you for success.
February 1st, 2010 at 5:57 pm
You need to join a support group and get on the patch or gum or something.
February 1st, 2010 at 8:10 pm
I cured myself and I bet you can cure yourself too from this bad habit with this natural product I found out:http://www.squidoo.com/Nicocure-Quit-Smo…
February 1st, 2010 at 10:33 pm
Okey dokey, here is something people don’t normally tell you.
You don’t have to quit smoking to lead a reasonably healthy life.
You only start developing the major health defects of smoking on average after 20-pack-years. That is a pack a day for 20 years. There are others that are relatively immediate (such as cutting down on circulation because your blood vessels are constricted which is why your bf can seriously screw himself if he doesn’t quit during the period before and after his surgery), but they generally aren’t life threatening.
If you manage to scale yourself back and only smoke a few a day, to the point where you are only smoking a pack a week, you’ll be over a hundred before you are statistically likely to develop serious health issues from smoking. Everything in moderation.
Keep in mind though “statistically” is the key word there. The next smoke (if ever) you have could be the one to kick off the cancer cells in your lungs. Or it could even be the second hand smoke you get from hanging around your friends. But it isn’t likely. Life’s a big game of Russian roulette, and cigarettes are just one of the bullets in there. We all eat it some day so try not to stress your life away.
February 2nd, 2010 at 3:51 am
Julst like being addicted to anything else, it takes tremendous will poer and support from others to quit. You have to keep plugging away especially when the craving for tobacco gets most intense.
February 2nd, 2010 at 7:51 am
I just want to tell you that I for one totally understand and feel yoru frustration. I hope you are taking something to help you quit??? I would recommend the patch if you don’t already have something. There was a whole program on Oprah yesterday about how bad smoking is to quit. They actually said smoking was worse than a heroin addict. I have been struggled with this addiction for such a long time, I quit, went back, etc…I recently thought I could control it and just have a few. The truth is once the nicotine is in your system your brain/body keeps wanting more. The longer you are away from them the less you will crave one. I work for family and 2 other girls here smoke all day long. I go home everyday smelling of it, and that makes it hard too. But, it’s a life change, they are running your life. Don’t let the ciggs control you, and you can’t control it on your own. You need support, you and your bf should be helping each other. They also said it is very effective to use the tools to help you quit. I wish you much luck and know how frustrating and mind boggling it can be. But, it is a change for the better, you will live longer and healthier. You have so much time now to change your whole life. This is one of the hardest things you will ever do, but when its all said and done you will be so thankful and feel so empowered. Just think what you can do once you’ve conquered this!!! I seriously wish you all the best of luck and know how hard it is, just try and take it one day at a time. If it helps you think one hour at a time, you got through this hour now the next. I promise it gets easier the longer you have been away from it. The hardest part are the first few weeks:)
February 2nd, 2010 at 1:06 pm
What everybody needs professionals or take steps to quit???
Look I’ve smoked for a very long time,,and I eventually got tired of it,,,,,,Mentally and physically….
If U don’t wanna truely quit,,,you wont
If U do then U will.
Thats all there is too it…
February 2nd, 2010 at 2:43 pm
Like all addictions, quitting is very difficult. And like all adictions, before you make any attempts on quitting, you first need to make a decision that you really want to quit. Because quitting half-heartedly will never work.
Then you have to ease off cigarettes slowly. If you’re used to smoking 1 pack a day, cut it down by half one week, then half again the next and so on until you ease off it completely. Unless you have tremendous will-power, you will only go nuts (and drive everyone around you nuts) if you quit cold turkey.
Go to your family doctor for information on other nicotine therapy aids that will benefit you. If the patch and the gum doesn’t work for you, there are nicotine inhalers available that “mimic” a cigarette (thereby psychologically tricking your brain by going through the usual oral fixation habits of having a cigarette between your fingers and in your lips without smoking an actual cigarette).
And if you’re the practical type of person… this also helps… calculate the amount of money you spend per pack of cigarette per day, per week, per month, per year. Realizing how much money you burn that you could have otherwise used to spend on that very nice pair of shoes or saved for a trip to the Dominican Republic that you always wanted to take is a good motivator.
Good luck.
February 2nd, 2010 at 6:54 pm
hang in there, the first five days are the worst. I used Chantix to quit after forty years smoking, the med helps, but the cravings were killer. Getting out and exercising is a great idea, keeps you out of each other’s way so you don’t fight as much and helps clear the nicotine out of your system quicker.
February 3rd, 2010 at 1:15 am
it’s easy i do it all the time
February 3rd, 2010 at 3:59 am
Sorry to hear that but yes easier said than done i have a friend shes been to the hospital coz of her lung problem the doctor told her to quit but she didnt ,after 2 months shes been admitted to the hospital again hard to breath and the doctor warn her this time if she dont quit she will die, she stop for a while and then i found out that shes smoking again so that saying is true ,when i ask her why you start smoking again she told me i will die eventually so be it.
February 3rd, 2010 at 6:46 am
Honestly I have never smoked a cigarette in my life but BOTH of my parents have been smokers since long before I was born. Every so often we’ll hear the “Oh we’re going to quit, seriously this time” speech but we all know it’s not true. They’ll try to quit, become seriously moody and hard to live with, and end up giving in and smoking a freaking cigarette again.
Not quite the success story you were looking for, I know, but there was a purpose. Show more will power than they do, PLEASE. Quitting isn’t going to be easy. You’re not going to feel right, you’ll be a little moody and irritable, but hang in there. In a month or so when you’ve finally broken the addiction and have your life back you’ll realize how good you really feel without the nicotine in your system.
If you need some help, rather than trying to do it cold turkey there are a few things out there… nicotine patches, the gum, and even a pill called Chantrix. The pills slowly block the receptors in your brain that find nicotine appealing. You’ll continue to smoke while on the pill but each time you do, you’ll find it more and more appauling until finally you just can’t stand having the cigarette in your mouth. You’ll continue taking the pill for a bit after that just to make sure you don’t revert back to cigarettes once you’ve stopped the pill, but after that you should be good.
Also, keep exercising, do anything that will keep your mind off of the cravings. Change your routines, so that places/times when you would commonly have a cigarette aren’t so prevelent anymore.
The fighting is normal, and will continue to happen until you break the addiciton. Hang in there though, you can do it!
February 3rd, 2010 at 7:16 am
i smoked wayyyyyyyy longer then that and the patch worked for me!!!!!!!!!
February 3rd, 2010 at 12:30 pm
Dr. Oz was on Oprah yesterday with a four step plan to help. There are steps you need to take prior to quitting, and there are tools you need to help you. Go to Oprah.com and read about what Dr. Oz has there to help smokers. Chantix is one thing he recommends, but it goes beyond this. There is much more you can look into as far as getting help. Good luck to both of you.