Quiting smoking?!?!?

[MattH]

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@haulingthescoreup wrote:
One huge problem is that your brain has linked two independent activites --working at the computer and smoking --almost inseparably. The association between the two is almost irresistible.

Can you move your home office, at least temporarily, to an area that is not so strongly associated with smoking?

And the other problem, one that no one really wants to deal with, is that nicotine is a highly addictive compound, and almost without a doubt, you are physically addicted, as well as psychologically dependent, on it. This is generally what kills the cold turkey folks --the withdrawal is just too much to deal with.

This is what the patch, etc is all about --it's doing a drug taper to allow your body to adjust. And it's all very nice to try to be heroic and refuse to use tapers, but your physical brain is generally a whole lot tougher and more stubborn than your intellectual brain. My feeling is that it's a sign of intelligence to use every crutch that you can find.

In the end, for the serious tobacco users, I don't think that behavioral therapy or chemical assistance alone is adequate. I think you have to do both. So go grab the pills/ patches/ whatever they've got, and try some behavior modification and a support group, and keep bashing at it. It takes most folks multiple attempts to break through.

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Well said.  And if OP manages to quit smoking tobacco by using a nicotine product (patch, gum, or whatever) but cannot kick the nicotine habit, well using a pure nicotine product is still a lot safer than smoking because many of the toxic effects of tobacco come from other components.  Nicotine ain't good for a person, but smoke is lots worse.

[Junejer]

I have never smoked (allergic to the smoke and it just didn't appeal to me), but I did used to chew tobacco. I started out with Redman, when I was playing baseball. That escalated to skoal and then copenhagen, all while playing baseball. Before I knew it, I was "dipping" all the time, baseball or not. Nicotine is highly addictive. I had that habit going for about two or three years in total. Yuck!

I am not sure how true it is, but I have heard that copenhagen contains tiny glass particles. If it's not true, the inside of my mouth couldn't tell. Also, most people have a little flap that connects the inside of the bottom lip to the gums. Well mine used to be fairly pronounced. After copenhagen got through with it, there's about half of it left.

I did quit cold turkey, but boy was it difficult. Every time I thought about taking a dip, I would look at the inside of my bottom lip in the mirror. When I saw what it did to me, it was enough for me to break the habit.

Best wishes to all of you that are in the process of breaking the habit.

[haulingthescoreup]

That reminded me: all chewers (and smokers), former and current, should let their dentists know, so that you can be thoroughly checked for oral cancers when you do your twice-yearly dental visit.

You'd be amazed how many oral cancers are first picked up by dentists or oral hygienists, rather than by medical providers.

[Guardian]

Agreed, mouth, throat and lungs. All need to be checked. Knock on wood, I was lucky and got clean bill of health after that but my doctor said that some damage shows up much later and could still be connected even though you quit. So I am crossing my fingers I skate on this but you never know.

[JBoswell]

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There is one thing that I always do, that people seem to like.  I whip out my calculator, and ask, "How much is a pack of cigarettes?  $4?  Let's see...$4 x 365.  That's $1460 a year.  What would you like to do with $1460?"   Never fails to get at least a smile and an acknowledgement of the financial burden of smoking.

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 $4?! yea, I wish. I live in NY, try $7. So... $2555 per year *yikes!* I need to quit. That's disgusting.

[nothingman02]

I hear ya! I used to buy them for a little over 6 bucks Upstate 3 years back. Since ive moved here to AL, its really cheap. Even now at 4 and a half bucks. Trying to quit nevertheless..

Message Edited by nothingman02 on 04-12-2009 05:38 PM

[Junejer]

I was checking out at walgreens the other night and noticed that a carton of cancer sticks was $56 or something. Man, when I was a kid, my dad used to make me go on his cig runs at the corner store. He would give me $1.00 and make me pick up two packs at a time ($0.50 each).

[dizbuster]

An update on the quiting smoking project. I set my target date for April 1st. It has been going a little rough for me. I started before April smoking around a pack and a half to two packs a day. I have been successful at reducing my smoking to half a pack a day at this point.

I have not used any patches or gums or anything up to this point. The only thing that I have been doing is telling myself to wait a little bit longer to have a smoke. When I start to crave another one I tell myself to wait just a little bit longer and many times I will forget about having a cigerette for a few extra hours. This has helped me go from 30 or 40 cigerettes a day down to about 10.

I do believe that I can keep this up for some time and get used to the reduced amount of cigerettes. I will then eliminate one cigerette at a time until I can eventually get down to NONE! I don't know if this approach will work or not but I am going to give it my best effert and see where it leads.

I really do appreciate all the comments and tips everyone has left on my post. I really didn't expect to recieve so many replies ( I should have known better though, MyFico team are the best). Thanks everyone and I will continue to keep pluging away.

eta: Cigerettes just went up in my state. ( Wastington State) I believe a carton of name brand smokes (Marlboro, Camel) are about $75.00 now. That is insane!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Guardian]

This is a valid method and has worked for many. Just keep up with it and you will get there. In the meantime remember that when you are trying to delay, avoid anything with caffeine in it, as it will make it harder, try juice and water, you'll be surprised how much it will lower the craving.

[fused]

One pack of Cigs costs more than $8 in some stores in Hawaii.