My experiences with cigerette smoking

[luckyjimm]

I quit smoking two weeks ago, having been a 10-20 a day smoker for four years.

Here's the way to quit that works for me: first week use nicotine patches - which have side-effects of nausea, nightmares and insomnia - while reading Allen Carr to convince yourself that it's your pyschological rather than physical addiction that you need to quit. When that pack of patches runs out, it's time for cold turkey. But having not smoked in a week, it won't be so bad. Try to quit smoking at a time when you don't have much stressful stuff to do. The most important thing is to have the Allen Carr pocketbook about quitting smoking. Carry it with you at all times. Read it. He is talking directly to the niggling little voice telling you you want a cigarette. He is telling you how and why to ignore that voice.

I find giving up smoking this way isn't that hard. In line with Carr's philosophy, I reject the idea of using patches for an extended period of time, because it does nothing to address the main dependence on cigarettes which is psychological.

The hardest thing is staying quit. Because six months later when you're feeling healthy again and you've forgotten all the nasty side-effects of being a regular smoker, it's so easy to pick one up again.

[Dominic]

I never have understood the appeal of smoking...cigs, cigars, pot, whatever. I just don't get it. And I really can't stand having to breathe that crap in when I'm near someone who is smoking.

[JackWilson]

[ QUOTE ]
I never have understood the appeal of smoking...cigs, cigars, pot, whatever. I just don't get it. And I really can't stand having to breathe that crap in when I'm near someone who is smoking.

[/ QUOTE ]

And then there are some of us who can't understand how anyone can have a beer without lighting a cig. Kick back and watch the sunset without a cig. Waking up in the morning with a strong coffee and a cigarette...Whatever. I don't do it anymore but by god I miss it every damn day.

I'm not sure why. I can describe it though. It's a feeling of restlessness. Of constantly wanting to do somehting like drink coffee, suck on a sweet, eat something, etc etc. You just can't rest man. And that feeling of drawing the smoke into your lungs...omg. Can't shake it, and it's been 10 months now.

[quirkasaurus]

if i may be so bold to try to mediate the discussion
between Taso and kerowo...

I think that kerowo's position was that "an addiction
is much more than just a craving for a substance.
the addict does not feel 'normal' without ingesting
this substance. therefore, the 'addiction' becomes
a physical need, with the discomfort level from denial
being as strong as hunger or thirst."

Taso was thinking that "addiction means that one
cannot stop without outside forces." Since imbibing
cigarettes takes an active role on the individual,
being able to quit should merely be a decision.
Maybe a difficult one, but an act of will nonetheless.

kerowo's response is that Taso's position is
too strict. addiction can be less than that. the
incessant craving should be enough to qualify.

am i right, guys?

And i would also agree that anyone who SAYS they want
to do something and cannot, like quit smoking, or
lose weight, YES, DEFINITELY, they are weak-minded.
( this doesn't mean that they should all be rounded
up and shot, however. )

Maybe the decision is more difficult than what they
bargained for. This merely means they may have to
take more drastic measures, like seeking help.

[luckyjimm]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I never have understood the appeal of smoking...cigs, cigars, pot, whatever. I just don't get it. And I really can't stand having to breathe that crap in when I'm near someone who is smoking.

[/ QUOTE ]

And then there are some of us who can't understand how anyone can have a beer without lighting a cig. Kick back and watch the sunset without a cig. Waking up in the morning with a strong coffee and a cigarette...Whatever. I don't do it anymore but by god I miss it every damn day.

I'm not sure why. I can describe it though. It's a feeling of restlessness. Of constantly wanting to do somehting like drink coffee, suck on a sweet, eat something, etc etc. You just can't rest man. And that feeling of drawing the smoke into your lungs...omg. Can't shake it, and it's been 10 months now.

[/ QUOTE ]



Wow, you seriously need to read Allen Carr.

[Taso]

[ QUOTE ]
if i may be so bold to try to mediate the discussion
between Taso and kerowo...

I think that kerowo's position was that "an addiction
is much more than just a craving for a substance.
the addict does not feel 'normal' without ingesting
this substance. therefore, the 'addiction' becomes
a physical need, with the discomfort level from denial
being as strong as hunger or thirst."

Taso was thinking that "addiction means that one
cannot stop without outside forces." Since imbibing
cigarettes takes an active role on the individual,
being able to quit should merely be a decision.
Maybe a difficult one, but an act of will nonetheless.

kerowo's response is that Taso's position is
too strict. addiction can be less than that. the
incessant craving should be enough to qualify.

am i right, guys?

And i would also agree that anyone who SAYS they want
to do something and cannot, like quit smoking, or
lose weight, YES, DEFINITELY, they are weak-minded.
( this doesn't mean that they should all be rounded
up and shot, however. )

Maybe the decision is more difficult than what they
bargained for. This merely means they may have to
take more drastic measures, like seeking help.

[/ QUOTE ]

I think you have his last response backwards. He felt that addiction can MORE than what I said, but other than that, I guess you basically have it summed up, in a summation sense.

I still don't see how I am wrong though. People quit all the time. If it's not will power that makes it so they can do it, what is it?

I used to smoke 2-3/day for 9 years. quit smoking at age 24, that was 8 years ago. One day something just clicked in my mind and I decided to quit. When I quit I also stopped drinking for about 2 month, since I was a heavy drinker, that helped.

[TiK]

[ QUOTE ]

What I meant by "I don't really believe in addiction...its all will power" or whatever I said, was that I don't buy the whole "I can't quit, I'm addicted" argument. Thousands of people quit smoking. Many do it cold turkey too. Are they just really really lucky? No, they had the will power.


[/ QUOTE ]

People have different physiologies, making it easier to quit for some than others. Others smokers simply are not addicted to the nicotine or have physiologies that are more immune to the addictive effects of the nicotine. It's similar to different peoples' reaction to various drugs. Some are allergic, some are more sensitive, some are less sensitive and for some it doesn't work at all.

I for one have never been physically addicted but very mentally addicted, the mental addiction, being harder to break than the physical. In fact, I never got physical cravings, but I still get pangs of wanting when I see someone on film or TV having a cigarette.

[TiK]

Noonan,

My experience has been very similar to yours.

I had my first cigarette when I was 11 and smoked on and off until high school, where I played football so I quit cold turkey for 4 years (92-96). Once the season ended senior year, I started again out of sheer boredom. I smoked throughout college (graduated 2002), and then just quit again because I started running recently and found that smoking and running don't really mix.

I too quit cold turkey and had no problems doing it. I also love smoking as much as you seem to.