48 replies to this topic

[Kaddict]

The just made my campus smoke free. Smoking isn't allowed anywhere on campus. I am hoping it helps some people quit (friends won't be able to offer them any at school, less social pressure, forced abstinence etc)

 

EDIT:

Chantix? My doctor wanted me to try that but thanks to the American health care system, I wouldn't be able to afford the prescriptions.

 

 

Yeah there really is no "appeal" per se. For whatever reason, you just start smoking and then your brain creates an imaginary appeal and dependence. I kind of screwed myself over by using cigarettes to cope with anxiety for a while in the beginning.

 

 

Resisting the urge afterward is something I'm afraid of. I have a lot of friends who smoke 

 

 

You can talk to your friends about quitting. I am sure they will be supportive and try to smoke less around you/no offer you cigs. Who knows, you may find a friend who wants to quit too and you can help each other. Also, if you are having anxiety, maybe ask your doctor for an anxiety med, or try some OTCs for it? Taking care of that problem will take away a huge trigger for you (and improve your quality of life if you are less anxious).

Edited by Kaddict, 04 June 2015 - 09:23 AM.

[Emily]

The just made my campus smoke free. Smoking isn't allowed anywhere on campus. I am hoping it helps some people quit (friends won't be able to offer them any at school, less social pressure, forced abstinence etc)

 

EDIT:

 

 

You can talk to your friends about quitting. I am sure they will be supportive and try to smoke less around you/no offer you cigs. Who knows, you may find a friend who wants to quit too and you can help each other. Also, if you are having anxiety, maybe ask your doctor for an anxiety med, or try some OTCs for it? Taking care of that problem will take away a huge trigger for you (and improve your quality of life if you are less anxious).

 

They did the same with my campus, but people found secret smoking spots. I never smoked on campus though. Except for that one time when I was stressed before a final.

[Swar]

I don't smoke and hopefully never will (I really hate the smell), but my mom was a smoker for years and she stopped when I was ten. She also didn't smoke while she was pregnant, but that was the only time before she completely stopped.
She always says that she stopped so she could live longer to see me growing up, because she didn't want to miss the important moments of my life (I'm her only child).
You should try to find a reason to stop, even if it's just to have a better health, and focus on that, especially when you're craving it. And it's what Nymh said, you'll only quit if you want to.

[Honchkrow]

Ive seen people suggesting to detox by going to the sauna and sweating it out, it wouldn't hurt to try it a couple of times if you have one close to you.

[Kaddict]

Honestly, do all of the little things you can think of. Some may have an actual benefit, but the placebo effect is real, even for ones that are effective and for ones that are total garbage. Do some things, believe it helps, and it will.

 

 

EDIT:

They did the same with my campus, but people found secret smoking spots. I never smoked on campus though. Except for that one time when I was stressed before a final.

 

I like it because every time I was walking on a narrow path, there would be someone smoking in front of me. I don't think we had that many smokers, but it was always someone right in front of me. Also, in a biochem class one day, a kid I was sitting behind was chewing tobacco and spitting it into his water bottle. I was sorta impressed by the balls of the kid.

Edited by Kaddict, 04 June 2015 - 10:12 AM.

[Tsubaki]

I smoked for about 10 years and quit cold turkey. 9 of those years i was about a pack to a little over a pack a day. The last year I smoked I had started to seriously cut back. At the end I had weaned myself down to about a cigarette a day. I had one night I had an upset stomach and ended up not smoking that day and just stuck with it. (I also had to go outside to smoke and it was getting on my nerves at the time). My boyfriend had been pretty much begging me to quit. What got me was when he said I was selfish for doing something that could take my life and leave him by himself. It was mean on his end, but really stuck with me. I didn't like the thought of him all alone because I died of some disease from smoking. 

 

What saved me was breath mints and tootsie pops. As simple as it is, I ate one every time I craved. It got me hooked on the mints, but its a hell of a lot easier to quit eating mints that smoking. Keeping busy made it harder for me, doing busy work made me feign more. I'd just isolate myself for about 5 mins when I would crave and take REALLY deep breaths. I felt like trash the first month or so though. Always nauseated, tired, and lightheaded. It gets better though, I promise! I don't feel like I taste things better, but its been just over 6 months since I quit and I can BREATH. I didn't get sick like I normally do in the winter either. Your lungs will improve so much its insane. You  get so used to not being able to breath that you forget what its like to be normal. You won't cough all the time anymore either. 

Edited by Tsubaki, 04 June 2015 - 10:32 AM.

[Riku]

Horrible day at work. Coworker offered me a cig when we left. I caved and took it. Smoked half before I got really angry at myself and threw it out. Ugh I'm disappointed in myself.

 

On the bright side I ordered some stuff to start vaping. I found a brand that doesn't use propylene glycol in their liquids, cause I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to that stuff. Should get here Saturday hopefully.

Edited by Riku, 04 June 2015 - 04:12 PM.

[Bounty]

Been a heavy smoker in the past.  The reason why I stopped was because my GF hated it.  In all honesty, Nymh is right.  Kicking the habit is already an uphill battle - so not putting your all into it usually has unsuccessful results.  The first step to quitting is being 100% committed.  But once you're past that level...all I can say is to never convince yourself that quitting is impossible.  When the urges/moods start getting really bad (usually applies when quitting cold turkey), that means you're doing it right.  Your body is trying to adjust itself to the lack of nicotine.  When this happens, keep strong and don't give in to those urges.  Because after that point, it only gets better.  Things have to get bad before they start getting better.  It won't be an easy or short journey, but just know that it will get better in the end if you stick with it

 

I'd give you all the usual "try gum", "use a straw", or "work out" advice, but they've already been suggested earlier haha.

 

Also, as much as it sucks to say, the people you spend time with will also influence you.   Try your hardest to spend time with other non-smokers or at least tell your buddies to politely not smoke around you.  Explain to them that you're quitting.  Just the smell of second hand is an unnecessary challenge to fight against.  If you're the type to likes to document things, it also helps to start a weekly journal that marks each consecutive week you don't smoke.  You can even start this mini-journal as a thread on Codex.  That way we can all comment/talk and leave ya encouragement as you progress.

 

Edit = Completely ninja'd haha.  But ya, don't let that last cig discourage you.  Just keep doing what you do and tell any other coworkers that you're really trying to quit.  I'm sure they'll be polite enough to understand.

Edited by Bounty, 04 June 2015 - 04:21 PM.

[Waser Lave]

I smoked from about 15 to my early 20s. To be honest, I just decided to stop and that was that. I occasionally still have the odd cigarette about 5 years later but it's a few a year, if that. I'm worse when I'm in France compared to London.

 

Pretty much identical to this for me too but shifted forward 2-3 years and without the France/London malarkey. I still don't understand this whole addiction thing, I just chose not to do it any more and then didn't, no cravings or anything (I suspect my brain is broken though). Haven't touched one for maybe 5 years now I think.

[Boggart]

A lot of people here (Canada) get prescribed a medication (champex? idk) to help them quit. Tons of people I know swear by it.

Champix is great but there a poop ton of side effects

People who have quit say the only way to truly quit is to go cold turkey. You pick a date, a realistic date, and you have to stop. Weening yourself from a pack a day to half a pack a day and then quitting does not make it any easier than cold-turkey. The withdrawal period for Nicotine is the most extreme in the first two weeks to a month.

 

Nicotine replacement therapy (such as Nicorette or the patch) is helpful if you have very strong withdrawal symptoms but studies have shown it's only effective for about 30% of individuals (i.e. 30% of people who used Nicotine replacement therapy found success) so I wouldn't jump to it right away.

The best thing you can do, imo, is genuinely have a realistic goal as to when to quit. And what people are saying is true; a large part of it is behavioural changes.

All I can say is to not get discouraged if you can't succeed your first, second or even 10th try. The less you smoke, and if you're able to eventually quit, it's unbelievable how much better your health in the future will become.

Studies show that if you quit in your 20's, after 15 years of quitting, your risk of developing heart disease is the same as a non-smoker. I could go on and on, but i doubt anyone cares about stats xD

[Padme]

Champix is great but there a poop ton of side effectsPeople who have quit say the only way to truly quit is to go cold turkey. You pick a date, a realistic date, and you have to stop. Weening yourself from a pack a day to half a pack a day and then quitting does not make it any easier than cold-turkey. The withdrawal period for Nicotine is the most extreme in the first two weeks to a month.
 
Nicotine replacement therapy (such as Nicorette or the patch) is helpful if you have very strong withdrawal symptoms but studies have shown it's only effective for about 30% of individuals (i.e. 30% of people who used Nicotine replacement therapy found success) so I wouldn't jump to it right away.
The best thing you can do, imo, is genuinely have a realistic goal as to when to quit. And what people are saying is true; a large part of it is behavioural changes.
All I can say is to not get discouraged if you can't succeed your first, second or even 10th try. The less you smoke, and if you're able to eventually quit, it's unbelievable how much better your health in the future will become.
Studies show that if you quit in your 20's, after 15 years your risk of developing heart disease is the same as a non-smoker. I could go on and on, but i doubt anyone cares about stats xD

Uhm do you think you're a doctor or some shit?

[Boggart]

Uhm do you think you're a doctor or some shit?

Um, I'm a med 1 and I'm like, the future.

[Adam]

Just be one of those really cool people and puff on some vape, bro.

 

squadup

vape or die

vape life

vapethings

vapesquad

[Shannon]

Just be one of those really cool people and puff on some vape, bro.

 

squadup

vape or die

vape life

vapethings

vapesquad

Die

[Adam]

Die

I've been trying to. Haven't figured out how, yet.

[Boggart]

Just be one of those really cool people and puff on some vape, bro.

 

squadup

vape or die

vape life

vapethings

vapesquad

 

 

Die

 

^

 

I've been trying to. Haven't figured out how, yet.

KCl injection

[Kaddict]

^

 

KCl injection

I was just gonna suggest that! Almost impossible to detect if done correctly...

Boggart, you in med school? Where? Have I asked you this before?

 

 

Horrible day at work. Coworker offered me a cig when we left. I caved and took it. Smoked half before I got really angry at myself and threw it out. Ugh I'm disappointed in myself.

 

On the bright side I ordered some stuff to start vaping. I found a brand that doesn't use propylene glycol in their liquids, cause I'm pretty sure I'm allergic to that stuff. Should get here Saturday hopefully.

 Don't get discouraged! You are doing an awesome job. Keep it up. If you are super serious about quitting, post it on FB and tell your friends you are quitting and to slap a cigarette out of your hand if they see you going for one. You will be surprised by your support system, and people will be less likely to offer you a smoke.

[Boggart]

I was just gonna suggest that! Almost impossible to detect if done correctly...

Boggart, you in med school? Where? Have I asked you this before?

It's also what people use for euthanasia!

 

I am in medical school, yes. And in my home province in Canada. Such glamour.

[cara]

I nearly quit recently, I was down to one a day for months and some days I'd have none at all. And then I picked it up again. I just like knowing that I have the ability to quit, and I know that I didn't actually quit that time because I really, honestly, did not want to. You can have all the 'tricks' to quitting or medicate yourself to your heart's content but at the end of the day I really do believe a huge factor is actually wanting to stop.

[Dazz]

I did the same shit as waser, just decided one day to give it up and didn't really get any cravings. There was a lot of factors leading up to that point tho, like first i got sick of waking up with the gammy ass taste in my mouth every morning, then i started running and working out regularly and got sick of coughing up my lungs at the end of every run, then i got fed up of having to go outside to smoke in the fucking cold/rain 'specially down the pub. Then going back inside the pub only to find out some cunt has nicked your chair, and now you have to stand like a bellend.

 

Fast forward a year and i still haven't touched a cigarette, but i do enjoy taking snus now. I'm not addicted to the nicotine tho, i just enjoy the burning feeling on my gums  and it doesn't fuck my lungs up so thats a plus.

 

Spoiler

 

Fuck vaping tho, i tried it once a couple years ago when they were fairly new and it tasted too mediciney. But i feel like most people nowadays just vape to look cool, and honestly i reckon it's gotten more people (especially the young'uns) into smoking than it has into actually quitting. Fair play to ya if you actually use it to help quit tho, but the kids who use their super fancy vapes to see who can blow the biggest smoke cloud can suck a dick.

 

[Tsubaki]

Fuck vaping tho, i tried it once a couple years ago when they were fairly new and it tasted too mediciney. But i feel like most people nowadays just vape to look cool, and honestly i reckon it's gotten more people (especially the young'uns) into smoking than it has into actually quitting. Fair play to ya if you actually use it to help quit tho, but the kids who use their super fancy vapes to see who can blow the biggest smoke cloud can suck a dick.

 

I honestly thought vaping made quitting harder! I tried it when I first started wanting to quit thinking that it would be the easy way out. It actually made me feel more addicted than ever because you don't know when to stop unlike with an actually cigarette you get to the filter. After about a week I realized i had the damn thing next to me pretty much 24/7. Then to top it off the luxury of being able to vape anywhere vs having to go hide outside with a cigg. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone trying to seriously quit. 

[Emily]

I honestly thought vaping made quitting harder! I tried it when I first started wanting to quit thinking that it would be the easy way out. It actually made me feel more addicted than ever because you don't know when to stop unlike with an actually cigarette you get to the filter. After about a week I realized i had the damn thing next to me pretty much 24/7. Then to top it off the luxury of being able to vape anywhere vs having to go hide outside with a cigg. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone trying to seriously quit. 

 

Yeah, or at least gradually lowering the nicotine levels  until you don't have any in the liquid. 

[Tsubaki]

Yeah, or at least gradually lowering the nicotine levels  until you don't have any in the liquid. 

 

What a good idea! I honestly never thought to even try that.. I just went with what was suggested to me to get. They started me on the highest level of nicotine you can get for the amount of cigarettes I had a day. Never made it far enough to bump the nicotine level down. It was easier (and cheaper) to trash the whole idea all together and go back to traditional smokes. For what its worth I used the Blu brand. I don't know if that makes any difference of if maybe it was just a crappy kind. It was roughly 15$ for a 4 or 5 pack of the refills, and I was going through them in about 5 days. At that point I was down to only smoking a pack every few days (roughly 3-4) at 4$ and some change. So it was just not affordable to keep buying the refill packs. Constant headaches and stomach aches from likely nicotine poisoning sucked though. It turned me off from vaping. It seemed like that magical last step to kick smoking and it bit me in the ass.

 

I can see how people like it though, it felt like a cigarette for the most part, and left a way better taste behind.