TheNeek,
Congratulations on your decision to quit and welcome to the SSC.
Quitting is about a lifestyle change. Friends you had (smokers), habits you developed, places you went, are all affected by this. Quitting is a new lease on life. As such you must learn how to fill the void left when you quit and you need to realize that what worked before, in terms of dealing with situations, will probably not work now.
Co-workers and smoking friends are usually jealous, unsure, and generally upset when they lose one of their fellow nicotine addicts. They can't stop, so they tend to try and sabotoge a new quitters quit. Misery loves company and smokers are the most miserable of the bunch.
The trick to your new, smoke free, life is not to let it stand out like a sore thumb. You will still do everything you did before, you will simply be doing it without smoking. Smoking killed time. Lots of time. Use that time now to be more productive in your life. Perhaps you can read more, get some books, read the paper, etc. A lot of new quitters do chew gum, but you're right, this can get old. I chewed on straws for a time. Whatever you choose, don't dwell on being quit. Just let your quit surround you and be a new part of you.
Best wishes.
[b][color=Green]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit.[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 248
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,211
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $607.6
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 43 [B]Hrs:[/B] 11 [B]Mins:[/B] 33 [B]Seconds:[/B] 59
Dreamer,
When you quit smoking, particularly cold turkey, your body goes into detox. It was used to nicotine and other chemicals in the smoke to function. Now those things are gone and for a couple of weeks you are going to feel a bit off-center. THIS IS COMPLETELY NORMAL. Stuff will taste funny, you may become dizzy, your body just won't function like it did. THIS IS SHORT LIVED AND WILL END IN A SHORT TIME.
The patch introduces a controlled amount of nicotine into your body to help ease the physical cravings while you get used to not lighting up. I used the patch to quit. They come in 3 strengths, 21 mg, 14 mg and 7 mg. You start with the 21 and then, over time, step down to the lesser amounts and then finally you are off the patch. The whole program takes 6-8 weeks. No, you do not smoke when using the patch. Again, all it does is help ease the physical cravings. It does not 100% eliminate them, but it makes them much more managable. This gives you the time to focus on learning how to deal with life without actually smoking. Nicoderm is a popular patch and you can go to their website to find out more information about the patch. I used the generic brand from a discount department store.
Learn about the quit process Dreamer. Quitting is not easy, or a lot of fun, but once you are over the hump, after a few weeks, life does begin to return to normal.
Best wishes.
[b][color=Green]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit.[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 250
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,258
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $612.5
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 43 [B]Hrs:[/B] 19 [B]Mins:[/B] 28 [B]Seconds:[/B] 3
Lesley,
Congratulations on your decision to quit, that goes for your husband as well.
There is a wealth of information here on the quit process and different tricks that people have used. Please research these forums and read all you can.
Here is a [url=http://www.stopsmokingcenter.net/support/viewmessages.aspx?topic=23206&forum=1]link[/url] to a post that I made a while back about trying to quit. Perhaps your husband might find it of interest.
Smoking is a powerful addiction. You must realize that. As quitters, we are all recovering nicotine addicts. Quitting takes four things...
Strength
Determination
Commitment
A Positive Attitude
You have all four. Use them to their fullest. It's not easy to quit, but it is very doable. When your desire to quit is greater than your desire to smoke, you will quit.
Best wishes.
[b][color=Green]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit.[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 250
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,258
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $612.5
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 43 [B]Hrs:[/B] 19 [B]Mins:[/B] 29 [B]Seconds:[/B] 19
You said.. "We kick, we scream, we laugh, we cry, and sometimes we even tick each other off"... have I ever ticked someone off?? :p
Lady, I will gladly take your hand and pledge not to smoke today, this weekend, forever here in Louisville, Kentucky! I extend my free hand to the next quitter wishing to join in the pledge!
[b][color=Purple]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 250
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,256
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $612.5
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 43 [B]Hrs:[/B] 19 [B]Mins:[/B] 3 [B]Seconds:[/B] 44
jj45,
Smoking and the associations it creates can be a very powerful addiction to some. Smoke is smoke is smoke. Whether it's herbal or not. If you light it and it burnes, and you draw the resulting smoke into your body, you are smoking. Period.
Being on the patch is feeding you nicotine. The concept behind the patch is to provide a measured dose of nicotine while you learn how to deal with your life WITHOUT LIGHTING UP. To me it sounds like you are really struggling with this. Quitting is an easy concept.. you don't light a cigarette. In practice it takes Strength, Determination, Commitment and A Positive Attitude.
When your desire to quit exceeds your desire to smoke you will quit smoking. If you never get there, then when you die you will quit smoking. Unfortunately, for people who continue to smoke, the dying part comes earlier than they anticipated... an usually with some suffering to go with it.
We can't quit for you. Somehow you have to find the resolve to quit.
Best wishes.
[b][color=Green]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit.[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 250
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,264
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $612.5
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 43 [B]Hrs:[/B] 20 [B]Mins:[/B] 25 [B]Seconds:[/B] 2
Denisey,
That is great stuff! Ok. here's what you do... on her wedding day, when everyone is toasting... pull this story out about how she helped to save your life (supported your quit).. in your darkest hour she was there for you. If that doesn't bring out the hugs and tears, nothing will!
I'm very proud of you and your continuing efforts. Others with many fewer obstacles have stumbled before 6 days. Keep up the great quit!
[b][color=Purple]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 250
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,270
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $612.5
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 43 [B]Hrs:[/B] 21 [B]Mins:[/B] 24 [B]Seconds:[/B] 16
Bypass,
Congratulations on your decision to quit and welcome to the site.
Nothing is insurmountable if you want it badly enough. Your quit is about your life. You quit, you live, you smoke, you die. Pretty simple stuff there.
The vile stench that a smoker carries with them is one of the things that an active smoker is never really aware of. The newly quit person will become acutely aware of smokers very quickly as the sense of smell returns. As the others have said here, your repulsion to this foul odor will subside in due time. It is much like working on a hog farm. At first you will want to puke from the odor, but after being in the hogs fine company for a while you will become desensitized to it. Great analogy, huh?
Now that you know it will be all better soon, imagine for a moment what a "never smoker" guest smells when he/she comes over to your house and sits around your dear wife? Pretty nasty stuff to think about, isn't it? But hey, you and I were there once! Sure am glad I smell all rosy now.. :p
Oh, and your wife pledging to smoke forever? That is good stuff. I'll stop here. :8|:
[b][color=Purple]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 250
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,270
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $612.5
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 43 [B]Hrs:[/B] 21 [B]Mins:[/B] 22 [B]Seconds:[/B] 26
lukeylou,
Congratulations on your decision to quit and welcome to the SSC.
From the sounds of things, quitting is where you need to be. You picked a great place to join. There are ton of very committed quitters here who will give you all the help and support they can.
There is a quit program here that you might want to check out as well. Read all the posts and don't forget to set your quit meter info in your "glove compartment". Be sure and remember to "tic" the box below each post to display your quit meter.
Best wishes.
[b][color=Purple]Be Strong. Be Smart. Be Quit[/color]
[color=black]Joe[/color]
[size=3][color=Blue]Knowledge Replaces Fear[/color][/size]
[size=2][color=black]Illegitimus non carborundum est[/color][/size][/b]
[B]My Milage:[/B]
[B]My Quit Date: [/B] 5/15/2005
[B]Smoke-Free Days:[/B] 244
[B]Cigarettes Not Smoked:[/B] 6,100
[B]Amount Saved:[/B] $597.8
[B]Life Gained:[/B]
[B]Days:[/B] 42 [B]Hrs:[/B] 16 [B]Mins:[/B] 51 [B]Seconds:[/B] 44
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