Has anyone here successfully quit cigarettes?

[gordon gekko]

Any tips?

[pavyracer]

Any tips?

$6 a pack does not motivate you to quit? You can save $2000 a year and bet on sports if you currently smoke a pack per day.

[topgame85]

Nope it never works especially as a gambler I don't think a gambler can quit smoking until he quits gambling

[capitalist pig]

I quit May 9th 1997, after 20 years of smoking.I just put them down and never picked another one up, sure there was some discomfort for the 1st 3-5 days, but imagine the discomfort your going to feel once you get some sort of lung disease. Tips, keep away from people smoking, dont let people smoke in your house or car. Its really not that hard, its just something you have to really want to do, JMO.

later

[buztah]

I quit in 2000. Go cold turkey and don't hang out with smokers.

[gordon gekko]

$6 a pack does not motivate you to quit? You can save $2000 a year and bet on sports if you currently smoke a pack per day.

Pavy I live in south FL a pack only runs me $3.50.

[Nicky Santoro]

geico,


i have met over... no joke...... about 2,593 people in my life who have quit smoking...

of the 2,593 people who have quit for 1 day to 20 yrs.. ONLY 1 person has never gone back.. and that was because she got very sick and is very poor and can't afford to smoke.


IT IS VIRTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO QUIT SMOKING ONCE YOU ARE ADDICTED.


i know people who have quit for 6 yrs and would tell me they will never smoke another cig again, and i laugh at them and say.. yeah right... then i see them 2 yrs later smoking a cig.. i say, what happened. they say they tried, just impossible..


smoking is a horrible addiction that i pray i never take up.. i'll stick to being a degenerate gambler.. it's enough for me.

[gordon gekko]

I am going to try cap's way and go cold turkey soon damn this is going to be hard...

[capitalist pig]

I am going to try cap's way and go cold turkey soon damn this is going to be hard...

Man youll do fine, get rid of ashtrays, lighters, etc. anything thats going to make you think of smoking. The hardest part for me was learning to drink my morning coffee without them, but even that will go away.

The main thing is keep away from places where smoking is going on, your in FL like me, so you know that short of bars you cant smoke inside anywhere anyways. So keeping yourself away from people smoking for awhile shouldnt be that hard to do.

I chewed alot of gum the 1st month, just regular Juicy Fruit not the nicotine stuff and it helped alot. You will also notice a huge difference in the way you feel after a few months. No BS, I have to say that its the smartest decision that I ever made in my life, as far as things just relating to myself.

Good luck man.

later

[gordon gekko]

Thanks cap for the advice I am going to try and quit next week.

[buztah]

Funny you mention Juicy Fruit. I always had a big wad of the stuff in my mouth the first few weeks. I am, at this very moment, chewing 4 juicy fruit gums. I like the new packaging/bottles.

[pavyracer]

I agree. Cold turkey is the way to go. Chew gum or use a toothpick in place of cigarette till you get used to it.

Smokes were $3 a pack when I was in college 15 years ago so I thought they will be $6 by now.

[Willie Bee]

I am going to try cap's way and go cold turkey soon damn this is going to be hard...

I've been ciggy free for five years, five months, 15 days and about 14 hours. One of the hardest things I've ever done. And while I've managed not to have a cigarette in that span, I'm not nicotine free since I do enjoy a nice dip every now and then.

When I first gave them up this time, I used the gum for a couple of weeks and that helped. But I still have a craving for them from time to time. Good luck, and if it doesn't work this time don't give up on giving 'em up. I must've quit a dozen times over the 35 years or so that I smoked.

[Panic]

I know its cliche, but you really do have to want to quit. That is the biggest obstacle. I woke up one morning, looked at the half a pack of cigs on my dresser, and just said I'm sick of this sh!t. Just burnt out on it. I threw them away and never looked back. Never wanted one again. I smoked for 17 years and am now going on 3 and half years without one.

[Willie Bee]

Smokes were $3 a pack when I was in college 15 years ago so I thought they will be $6 by now.

I used to lift a smoke or two from my dad's Camel unfiltered packs when I was about 14; you could get three packs for a buck then and have change coming. When I was smoking my Marlboro's in high school, this is what you could get for $2:

• Two whoppers
• One large Coke
• One pack of Marlboro's from the machine (55¢ a pack out of the machines then)

[buztah]

I know its cliche, but you really do have to want to quit. That is the biggest obstacle. I woke up one morning, looked at the half a pack of cigs on my dresser, and just said I'm sick of this sh!t. Just burnt out on it. I threw them away and never looked back. Never wanted one again. I smoked for 17 years and am now going on 3 and half years without one.

My motivation was identical. Just tired of waking up with that god aweful taste in my mouth and tired of smelling like shit all the time from the smokes. One day I just said "phuck it!"

[pavyracer]

I used to lift a smoke or two from my dad's Camel unfiltered packs when I was about 14; you could get three packs for a buck then and have change coming. When I was smoking my Marlboro's in high school, this is what you could get for $2:

• Two whoppers
• One large Coke
• One pack of Marlboro's from the machine (55¢ a pack out of the machines then)

I guess inflation does not apply to cigarettes anymore Willie.

[gordon gekko]

I used to lift a smoke or two from my dad's Camel unfiltered packs when I was about 14; you could get three packs for a buck then and have change coming. When I was smoking my Marlboro's in high school, this is what you could get for $2:

• Two whoppers
• One large Coke
• One pack of Marlboro's from the machine (55¢ a pack out of the machines then)

Damn willie how old are you??

[Willie Bee]

Damn willie how old are you??

Old enough to know that cigarettes are bad, m'kay

[McBa1n]

I roll my own, only costs me about a buck a day, if that - 10 minutes invested. Haha, wrong place to say that - I plan on quitting. Just have to do it is all. Last time I tried I was sick for a month.

[potsie]

I quit chewing tobacco and smoking in March of '07...it sucked for about 3 months! There's no trick to it except for just doing it, or in this case just NOT doing it. You could use Chantix to help with withdrawals, but it will give you really messed up dreams. I went cold turkey after 4 days of Chantix. Good luck!

[accuscoresucks]

I quit chewing tobacco and smoking in March of '07...it sucked for about 3 months! There's no trick to it except for just doing it, or in this case just NOT doing it. You could use Chantix to help with withdrawals, but it will give you really messed up dreams. I went cold turkey after 4 days of Chantix. Good luck!

[englishmike]

Why quit? 100% of Non-smokers die.

[Dark Horse]

You have to understand the mind, and how it creates its own reality.

Whether it's a mood, emotion, or desire (or fear, belief, etc) , there is always an initial thought impulse, followed by a brief moment of decision. If at that instant you inject the thought with energy, by identifying with it, you have made it 'real'. Like a god, you created your own reality. But if you just watch the thought pass over the screen of your mind, like a neutral observer, it will come and go without ever becoming real.

That is stage one. Nip it in the bud, by doing nothing. Just observing.

Stage two is more challenging. What do we do after we have made the thought - in this case desire for a cigarette- real, by injecting it with energy? It is now controlling our mind. Do we fight back? No. This is not a physical opponent that can be slain. To fight back means to -negatively- give life to a mental opponent.

When the desire is beyond the initial thought impulse, into an energized state, we have to learn to drop it. Like a brick. This takes discipline, and is perhaps best practiced by simply going to sleep. In sleep we drop the thought of this world. It is no longer real to us. If, in the wakeful state, we can consciously practice this 'drop it' mechanism, that we are subconsciously taught every night in sleep, we are on our way to freedom.

Another way of 'ignoring' is to put your mind on something else, something that requires focus and creative thought, such as writing about something that interests you.

If you cannot break the habit, which is more deeply rooted than the desire, buy a pack of cigs. Fully enjoy everything about that first cigarette. Take your time to savor it. (Never, ever smoke anything nervously). You'll probably enjoy everything about this cigarette. Its flavor, its aroma, its little nicotine hit. There is just one condition to this approach. As soon as one cigarette doesn't taste good, or even tastes bad, you have to throw the rest of the pack away. (Pour water in it, and throw it in the trash). Whatever you do consciously, with full awareness, will not feed the subconscious habit. This last angle is a safety mechanism. Many people who stop smoking think it is all or nothing, so as soon as they smoke another cigarette they're back to smoking. It is not all or nothing, and your success is not measured by never lighting up again, but by your increasing control over the mind.

Don't decide to just overcome cigarettes. They're part of a larger equation. Instead, decide to conquer the mind, and to keep at it for the rest of your life.

[DarkLord_Rathi]

I quit after 15 years of smokeing. Just keep something in your mouth. It is more a mental thing. chew gum or suck on something.

[FreeFall]

it's a habit and just like any habit that has to be enough motivation to want change from the person with the habit. If you want to quit bad enough you can. I would suggest replacing it with something else. When you get stressed normally thats when people smoke, maybe you choose to chew gum instead. Or go play a sport?

[choking]

You have to understand the mind, and how it creates its own reality.

Whether it's a mood, emotion, or desire (or fear, belief, etc) , there is always an initial thought impulse, followed by a brief moment of decision. If at that instant you inject the thought with energy, by identifying with it, you have made it 'real'. Like a god, you created your own reality. But if you just watch the thought pass over the screen of your mind, like a neutral observer, it will come and go without ever becoming real.

That is stage one. Nip it in the bud, by doing nothing. Just observing.

Stage two is more challenging. What do we do after we have made the thought - in this case desire for a cigarette- real, by injecting it with energy? It is now controlling our mind. Do we fight back? No. This is not a physical opponent that can be slain. To fight back means to -negatively- give life to a mental opponent.

When the desire is beyond the initial thought impulse, into an energized state, we have to learn to drop it. Like a brick. This takes discipline, and is perhaps best practiced by simply going to sleep. In sleep we drop the thought of this world. It is no longer real to us. If, in the wakeful state, we can consciously practice this 'drop it' mechanism, that we are subconsciously taught every night in sleep, we are on our way to freedom.

Another way of 'ignoring' is to put your mind on something else, something that requires focus and creative thought, such as writing about something that interests you.

If you cannot break the habit, which is more deeply rooted than the desire, buy a pack of cigs. Fully enjoy everything about that first cigarette. Take your time to savor it. (Never, ever smoke anything nervously). You'll probably enjoy everything about this cigarette. Its flavor, its aroma, its little nicotine hit. There is just one condition to this approach. As soon as one cigarette doesn't taste good, or even tastes bad, you have to throw the rest of the pack away. (Pour water in it, and throw it in the trash). Whatever you do consciously, with full awareness, will not feed the subconscious habit. This last angle is a safety mechanism. Many people who stop smoking think it is all or nothing, so as soon as they smoke another cigarette they're back to smoking. It is not all or nothing, and your success is not measured by never lighting up again, but by your increasing control over the mind.

Don't decide to just overcome cigarettes. They're part of a larger equation. Instead, decide to conquer the mind, and to keep at it for the rest of your life.

Very zen-like post.

I smoked a pack a day for about 2 years then I started dating this chick who doesn't like me smoking. So I made a choice, deep-inside, to not smoke around her. It was hard at first but I trained myself to go long periods of time without a smoke. Sometimes its a week, sometimes its a weekend. I haven't quit but I have cut down alot. Maybe 2 packs a week.. which is quite an improvement over a pack a day. Anyways, just hook up with a woman whos bitching puts the fear of god into you, you'll quit.

[accuscoresucks]

[MonkeyF0cker]

I smoked a pack a day for about 5 years then quit cold turkey when I was sick. I slept A LOT. I'm talking 16-18 hours a day for the first four days. When I was awake, I'd go play basketball, go for a walk, or eat, eat, and eat some more. It really messed with my head for a while. I was light-headed for nearly two months afterward and actually saw a doctor about it because at that point I wasn't sure it was related. While the doctor couldn't figure it out, it turned out it had really messed up my sinuses. One day, from the back of my head all the way to my nasal passage, everything finally drained. It was the best feeling ever. However, after returning to school 2 1/5 years later, I started smoking again. I've been smoking for 7 years again now but after reading this thread, I've decided to go cold turkey again today. Let's see if I still have the will...

[thearkitekt]

Smoke Up Johnny!

[sickler]

I quit a year ago using the nicotine inhaler. I still use it and don't plan on giving it up anytime soon. Haven't had a single craving for a ciggy (of course I'm still getting a nic fix....3 cartridges/day)...

[Marigold HD]

Where I live....there is no smoking in public places anymore.....No restaunts, pubs, clubs etc. I now hear you will not be able to smoke in your car soon. Its getting worse and worse every day....Oh and also, smokes run about $8.50 a pack....UNREAL

[Illusion]

I have tried a few times, but nothing has ever worked.

[Brock Landers]

Never started, so its a non issue for me. I may be one of the bigger Avoid NON Smokers you'll ever meet. The Shit disgusts me