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Posts created by Ron

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 377

Cold Turkey

I see many people using nicotine replacements to quit smoking. I just read Allen Carr's book and he recommends not not use any substitutes, and that quitting on willpower alone sets you up for failure. Has anyone used this method to stop smoking. A lot of what he says makes sense to me but I am wondering if others found it as easy as he states in his book. It seems to me that the patches are just delaying the inevitable and the sooner you get the drug out of your system the better. Trying to decide which course of action to take.

Thanks,

Ron

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 377

Cold Turkey

Thanks for all the responses. I had not until now heard from anyone on the board going Cold Turkey. What I am getting from everyone that number one issue is to have it set in your mind that you want to quit and will do anything it takes to do so. Obviously I am not going to die from not having nicotine or not smoking so I will survive. I guess my biggest fear right now is thinking the days ahead are going to be very slow. The last days I've tried to cut back and I keep feeling this heat coming out of my body and I'm getting a sense that it is going to be a little uncomfortable to do this. I'm writing down every cigarette I'm smoking and frankly I haven't enjoyed any of them. I'm feeling withdrawal almost right after I'm smoking a cigarette and thinking how smoking does absolutely nothing for me. My tongue feels tingly, I'm sweating every time I take a smoke. What's good with all this noticing and documenting is what I thought about cigarettes is changing very quickly by paying attention. The other thing that I'm going to do is when I stop I am going to visualize every withdrawal I go through as starving off the Nicotine Monster. I'm going to say great, it's working, I'm getting rid of the nicotine. The stronger they come the stronger I'm going to starve them off. Anyway wish me well. I've got 7 left in my pack and a quit date not until Thursday. Not sure I want to buy another pack and drag this until Thursday. I almost think thinking about it is not helping me here. I want to know exactly what it's going to be like when I stop and I think the only way to know this is going to be to just do it and let whatever happens be ok.

Ron

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 377

Starting Early

Hello,

My name is Ron, I live in CA, USA and I have been thinking about stopping for a couple of months now. I bought Allen Carr's book when I read about a lot of people saying how easy it was for them to stop. And after reading it once It really got me going that I can do this. I since found this site and completed all the exercises. One thing I noticed is my preparation I think is helping me this time vs. trying to quit before. I always said on other quits that if I could just quit for 1 week or 2 or survive, then I would kick the habit. After that I'd be relieved and then fall into the trap of having one after a bad day. I'd say how I hated it and 1 month later I was smoking the same amount as before I quit. This time I understand that I'm stopping smoking because I really don't want another cigarette again. Therefore there is no 1 week or 2 weeks to to center on. I think with this attitude I will be better able to cope with what I'm sure will be lots of interesting twists and turns along the way.

I'm going Cold Turkey starting two days earlier than what I originally intended to do (which is today). The reason for the change was I ran out of my pack yesterday and with all my reading and getting ready for this I had no interest to buy another pack of nicotine sticks to over think my decision. I woke up at about 4am and just sat in bed. This was not normal for me because I normally jump out of bed and grab the next cig and head outdoors. When I did get out of bed at around 8am I got a little flash when I just realized I wasn't going to grab my first cig and walk outside. I'm sure I will be getting more of these in the days ahead. The main thing is I'm going to keep busy and every time I get a withdrawal I will say great I'm now a non smoker and those pains are the nicotine cells dying inside me. I can be uncomfortable a little for that. Secondly whatever happens in my day will be ok meaning I'm going to try to detach myself a little for the next few weeks and not overly attached to what happens around me.

I hope this time it sticks.

Ron

Thanks for all your support on going Cold Turkey. I was a little nervous about going that way until many said they did it that way without any problems and that attitude is everything.

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 377

Starting Early

Thanks all for your support. My first day went pretty well considering. My biggest obstacle was these quick flashes of "ok now I'm going to have a smoke" followed by me saying to myself, "what are you doing, you have quit smoking". They were like that after lunch, after I came back from a walk (ironic), and many during the evening. Last night was tough because I could not sleep. I went to bed at 10pm, woke up at 12am and thought oh my god how am I going to get through the evening. I ended up waking up again at 3am and finally got up at 7am. I felt like my eyes were shot and I thought to myself ok this is going to be a challenge.. let's just hang in there. One thing I used to say was how time flies everyday. Now I realize I guess it does when you constantly tune out to have a smoke. Now that I've stopped smoking for a day I can no longer say that. I wouldn't call it fun right now but I'm listening to others and hanging in tough.

Ron

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 6/17/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 1
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 18
Amount Saved: $4.50
Life Gained:
Days: 0 Hrs: 5 Mins: 11 Seconds: 40

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 377

Starting Early

Things are looking better for me. Yesterday for about 3 hours I felt like a non smoker it was a nice feeling. I took a hike at park and went double my distance that I normally go. In fact I remembered one time in the past I had gone to the same location and when I arrived I had forgot to grab my cigarettes. I told myself that I could only hike for 30 minutes because I was in a panic I'd not survive longer. Yesterday I had no such feeling and felt proud that day two seemed better. I did pass out falling to sleep on the couch at lunch and it felt like I was in a coma coming out. I also didn't sleep well last night. I only drink decaf coffee and so I think it must just be the processing of nicotine out of my system. This morning I felt pretty lousy but I just kind of breath in and out and I start to feel better. My next thing I'm looking for is some class or something physical to keep my day going. I seem to be vulnerable around 5-7pm so maybe do it then. I still feel a void and need to find something for a substitute to my old habit.

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 6/17/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 2
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 36
Amount Saved: $9.00
Life Gained:
Days: 0 Hrs: 8 Mins: 50 Seconds: 22

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 377

Starting Early

Thanks for the suggestions for alternates. I bought some running shoes the other day so that will be part of my exercise. I also want to try Yoga. There is a place that offers a month of different classes that is pretty reasonable. I just noticed especially today that unless I change to other things to fill the void I'm going to get depressed that I'm missing something by not smoking. This whole thing is one one hand kind of exciting and on the other a little scary. It's just kind of strange to think I go from puffing away and thinking how great that was to this person who is saying he's now a non smoker and now trying to fit in the other parts to make everything work.

Thanks to everyone. I sure hope this all works out. I know I have much more ahead of me. I hope I can stay strong and face each challenge as it comes.

Ron

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 6/17/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 2
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 36
Amount Saved: $9.00
Life Gained:
Days: 0 Hrs: 10 Mins: 24 Seconds: 4

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 377

Day six

Crik,

I'm a little behind you but glad to see others starting out like me on the boards. When I first signed up I didn't see any new quitters so I'm glad to see some now. I love everyones help on these boards, especially the longterm quitters. It sure makes a difference in my approach. By now I know I'd be feeling much more sorry for myself if I didn't get all the good support around here.

Must be nice to finish up Hell Week soon.

Ron

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 6/17/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 2
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 36
Amount Saved: $9.00
Life Gained:
Days: 0 Hrs: 10 Mins: 28 Seconds: 53

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 377

Help

Crik,

You just finished Hell Week. I would love to be in your position, you should be celebrating.

Take a walk immediately for 1/2 hour and just enjoy how nice it is to have nicotine out of your system. See all the birds enjoying the moment right now in your backyard and notice how they don't worry about anything because there is nothing to fret about. It's the same with you.

Drink lot's of water.

Remember why you quit and go back and look at your list. Why would it have changed at this moment. Is it more likely you have some feelings that are coming up that you can just address and see them vs. using nicotine to block them out. Unfortunately they are still there and will not go away until they are observed. This could be a big breakthrough for you and smoking again is just going to hide the issue that will need to be looked at a later date.

Remember if you take a puff of a cigarette it's going to taste like it did when you first started smoking (horrible) but the nicotine receptors will have been woken up saying it's party time. When they say party time there is no way you will survive that unless you start like you did over a week ago, hell week squared. You will realize how bad it tastes and how you never needed it but it will be too late because tomorrow it will nag you again like it's doing now. Don't fall for the trap, you just got out of that horrible trap.

Just Don't do it.

Ron

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 6/17/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 5
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 90
Amount Saved: $22.50
Life Gained:
Days: 0 Hrs: 20 Mins: 55 Seconds: 58

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 377

Starting Early

Just wanted to let everyone know I survived Hell Week and wanted everyone to know that It seemed to be a very long

week full of ups and downs and changes in between. Every minute became my focus and so this last week felt to be the longest in quite some time. I kept thinking to myself did I really only quit for only a week with what all I've gone through.

Some of the highlights were:

1) Got to enjoy my taste a little better without that tingly feeling from nicotine coming out of my taste buds (yuk).

2) No more flashes of heat that I experienced the days up to and right after the quit.

3) Was able to get into an exercise program of walking, running, and yoga. Every time I did the Yoga I realized how important it was to have a good breath to sustain myself and it's now one of the strongest reasons I've observed that I don't need any more smoke down my lungs.

4)I went to a yoga class followed by a meditation class. Both were 1 1/2 hrs and 3 hours respectively. I realized after doing both of those together and not wanting a cigarette that I have come a long way from a week ago. I also know that my smoking would probably have prevented me from the meditation class because I would have been so wanting a cigarette that I would have left and avoided it all together. One of the reasons I wanted to quit smoking was to do what I want to do without having to be reliant on the nicotine addiction. That day proved that things have changed.

5) The best part of the last week was the interaction of people working with me on getting better. Because I am reaching out more doing different activities, I find that there are many people who have been very helpful in reaching out in return to help me. During all the Yoga classes for example people would help me in my dire attempt to move parts of my body I have disowned since I was a kid. They don't know that I was once a smoker but I'm seeing how being free of the nic. weed created a separateness from the world that was a lonely experience. I am now able be more of my true nature and to reach out and be more of a part of the world instead of closing myself off and wondering where the specialness of life was at. My habit had closed me off from it and it was all because of my own actions of choosing to let nicotine control my life.

Thanks for all the support of the members here. People like Moss, Karren, DL, ICL (happy 2mo), Astrofan, and many others who have offered great wisdom to understand the feelings I had when I began my quit this last week.

Now on to the next week to see what that will have in store for me, hopefully Heck will be easier than Hell!

Ron

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 6/17/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 7
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 126
Amount Saved: $31.50
Life Gained:
Days: 1 Hrs: 2 Mins: 28 Seconds: 12

15 years ago 0 +0 / -0 377

Starting Early

Thanks for the heads up Beckylynn. I was feeling so good this morning and wrote my little success and since then I've been having cravings all day today. I was going to do some exercise but I've done so much of it the whole week I'm starting to get burned out. I'm now starting to feel a little uneasy that I'm not over this thing and I better keep a heads up that's there is much more ahead. It's amazing how your attitude can change so quickly. I think for me every time I reach a goal like one week I then have a sort of a little letdown afterwards. It's like I want a easy quick reward for my success which leads one back to thinking of smoking which was always my reward for everything I did in my life. I think yesterday was such a good ending to my week of stopping smoking that I'm having a little of a setback today. Anyway I'll move this conversation to the other boards in my next message because I'm sure I'm going to need more support going forward. But overall I am very happy with my success so far and I think my attitude has really improved on this quit. One day at a time.. breath in and breath out.. drink drink drink H20...AHHHHHHH....

Thanks all.

Ron

My Milage:

My Quit Date: 6/17/2008
Smoke-Free Days: 7
Cigarettes Not Smoked: 126
Amount Saved: $31.50
Life Gained:
Days: 1 Hrs: 3 Mins: 40 Seconds: 36

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