Smoking Cigarettes

[igasho]

Hi, dear people,

I hope it is okay to just tell about my difficulties with quitting to smoke. Since 10 years or so I am thinking about stopping. Did stop twice. First with the help of acupuncture - 6 months and second time years later just with pure will - lasted 7 weeks :-(

The feeling is, each failure makes it more difficult for me - I am already a pretty exhausted person. But, I do have to make it, because of health-issues and also it gets me mad that I am "addicted" to something. I don't want to be addicted.

I read almost every book on how to quit that I got hold of:-), I am quite an expert in this.

Yesterday I tried again. And failed. Quit for 12 hours (about 9.30 pm and started again the following day - today - at breakfast).

This urge with which i woke up - what an impressing energy that can drive me so crazy to get a cigarette AT ONCE!

And all the books and all the tools don't help against the craving, I find. They don't even take the craving serious. They tell you that you're stupid if you feel this craving (at least some books try to be very smart about this!) - but in fact: every stopper has to master this craving! It is the core of addiction. I find it very interesting to think this through really. What a mysterious thing such an addiction is.

Tomorrow in the afternoon I try again to master this situation. I can't give up to get healthy although I may not be able to master it, my will to be free is still there.

I hate drugs...*snik*...

Igasho

 

[Grama-Herc]

Igasho,

I know the battle you are waging against your addiction. I smoked for 40 years and was up to almost 3 packs a day. I quit once, but only for a few months. Stress and hospitalization for a complete mental break down put me back on the smokes.

That was in 1997, then in 2003 I woke up one day and decided that if the store owner where I just purchased my new carton of smokes would refund my money, I would quit. Knowing of course, he would not refund my money I went in and asked anyway. Much to my surprise, he did.

Well then, OK! I picked up some rental movies, a LOT of ice cream and headed home. I proceeded to spend the next 3 days in bed, waking when I felt like it, munching on lovely ice cream and watching old movies. This started on a Friday morning and by Sunday evening I crawled out of bed a person in need of a bath, but a person free of nicotine.

I had heard of other people going "cold turkey" off smokes but never believed I could do it. I have been smoke free since. Yes, nicotine is additive, very, but this smoking thing is so much a mind over matter also. It has 2 sides to it. Physical and mental. Believe me when I say, I am the last person ever thought to be able to go cold turkey. 4 hours was the longest I had ever gone with a smoke.

One clue that helped me. I told no one what I was doing. I told no one until I had been smoke free for a month. I also truly believe that you will succeed at quiting WHEN you are ready. Every person is different and the various methods work for some and not others. You can do this. I say this because you sound ready. Try again but tell no one. It relieves the self imposed pressure to succeed.

It worked for me. Good Luck

 

[pebbels]

Hello Igasho:hello:
Please dont feel you are a failure or have failed because it hasn't worked this time or any other time you attempt to rid yourself of this habit. It sounds to me also that you are ready just by your convictions.

I am a smoker and would like to one day get rid what is controling me, but i am not ready to do this yet. Good luck and don't be too hard on yourself.

All the best:smile:
Pebs

 

[trapped]

I know how hard it is, been there and done that, but I promise you that you can get through it.

For me, the worst time was this last time I quit... I had quit, hadn't had a smoke in a few years. Then the flashbacks got worse and I started up again. But then my doctor put me on Buspar, and for some reason, the drug made me lose all desire to smoke. So that was easy... alcohol, smoking, none of that seemed of any interest when I was taking Buspar. But then I stopped the Buspar, and man! I had never craved a smoke so badly in my life!! All of a sudden I had these seemingly uncontrolable urges to smoke and drink. So I became a smoker again... finally, I was able to quit, I think (hope) for good this time. The first time I quit it wasn't so bad, I stopped cold turkey, but that was also right after my grandpa died from lung cancer, which was a pretty strong motivator to stop I suppose. This last time, the withdrawal was horrible, but I got through it, and I know you can too!

 

[Julia_]

What a serendipitous thread - igasho, I can so relate.

I am not claiming to be an expert (far from it) - I quit smoking just 5 days ago, cold-turkey.
So far I'm going really strong and I feel truly convicted in the knowledge that, for the forseeable future at least, I'm not going to smoke... and the biggest help to me so far has been a website- www.quitnet.com
It's free to join and the best part is the encouragment it gives you - constantly updating statistics about how long you've been smoke free and how many cigarettes you've NOT smoked etc. There are also chat rooms full of friendly ex-smokers happy to offer tips and encouragment and stuff.. and there's plenty of information pages.

For me, smoking has always seemed like a part of my identity and, especially considering the PTSD, I think I had some kind of control issue. As though I had no choice or options to control anything in my life so smoking was an active choice?

Anywho... good luck with whatever you choose to and I hope the site helps.

 

[Deleted member 541]

I started smoking at 8 years old, stealing ciggs from my mother, at 12 she gave me permission to smoke. I smoked until I was 49, some days up to 4 packs a day, I was a chain smoker. I tried 7 times to quit and failed all 7 times. Then I made a promise to my grandkids that I would quit. I did it cold turkey, and with 30 Zanax.

It was HELL for the first 30 days, and semi hell for 6 months after that. But, the promise I made was a promise, and I always try very hard to keep a promise. I haven't had a cigg since.....I believe a person can quit, when they are READY to quit, and not before that. So, are you really ready to quit?????

2 years after quitting I was diagnosed with Emphysema, I have lost 12% of my lung function. 12% may not sound like much, until you are working out, climbing a set of stair, or just in a hurry trying to get somewhere........Quit now!!!!!!

 

[igasho]

Wow, i never expected that so many friendly people would answer me. I feel very thankful for each posting and will reread them often, i guess!!!

I appreciate very much the "you are ready"-confirmations, it gives me a good feeling:-)

I'll keep you updated, if this is okay for you, yes?

friendly greetings
Igasho

 

[Anton]

every stopper has to master this craving!

The only way I was able to quit was by totally accepting that I was going to be craving for a smoke for the rest of my life.
Worked for me.

What definitely did NOT work was trying to *fight* the craving.

Anyway, after a while the craving got less and less until it sort of disappeared. End of story. Your turn. :smile:

 

[Yumeko-chan]

I started smoking at 8 years old, stealing ciggs from my mother, at 12 she gave me permission to smoke. I smoked until I was 49, some days up to 4 packs a day, I was a chain smoker. I tried 7 times to quit and failed all 7 times. Then I made a promise to my grandkids that I would quit. I did it cold turkey, and with 30 Zanax.

It was HELL for the first 30 days, and semi hell for 6 months after that. But, the promise I made was a promise, and I always try very hard to keep a promise. I haven't had a cigg since.....I believe a person can quit, when they are READY to quit, and not before that. So, are you really ready to quit?????

2 years after quitting I was diagnosed with Emphysema, I have lost 12% of my lung function. 12% may not sound like much, until you are working out, climbing a set of stair, or just in a hurry trying to get somewhere........Quit now!!!!!!

I've never smoked in my life, but I grew up with both parents smoking. When I was away at college I got a peak flow test taken (which tests lung capacity or something) and I was only at 75%. Went up to 80% after an albuterol treatment. I think the highest I ever got was 83% and that was after I'd been away for a good while. I can tell you that even now, if I've been running for a while, I feel like my lungs are on fire and I'm gonna throw up. Of course, living in Colorado probably doesn't help either... :crazy:

 

[Deleted member 541]

Yumeko,

I have had 2 Pulmonary Function Test, taken 2 years apart. Both times showed 12% loss of lung function.

The test is taken while you sit in this like glass box, with a clip on your nose(real cute) and you have to breath in and out a few times, then take a HUGE breath, and BLOW as hard and for as LONG as you can into this tubing. The air that you breath out is measured. Then they give you a couple hits of an inhaler and you retake the test to see if you improve. Both times I did not improve.

I also have asthma....So it's a double whammy for me. With Asthma, you have a hard time getting air INTO your lungs. With Emphysema you have a hard time getting the air OUT!!!!!!!

I encourage all of you that smoke........To PLEASE stop!!!!!! Struggling to breathing isn't fun at all...

 

[igasho]

Hi, SheCat,

in theory i understand what you say, but if i take 3 deep breath i am instantaneously back in the traumatic situation. Unfortunately this really is so. 3 deep breath - and I am there again. I don't want to be there again, so i guess I also did smoke to keep the oxygen in my lungs low :-(

I do fear so that I was so successful that the emphesema-thing also does apply for my lungs.

 

[Frankie]

I am a smoker and tried quitting several times, tried cold turkey.....tried the patch, (which I overdosed on......tells you to stick it on....well, I thought I would be smart and didnt want it to fall of...so I pressed and pressed....and all the nicotine meant for the day went through my body at once......I overdosed, and felt sick....very sick !) ....not a very smart move on my part lol :crazy:

It is very hard to quit.....I will be the first to say it....however, I also believe that when WE decide....and for the right reasons....we can make it ! I will definitaly try again.....and again, If I have to.......but not yet.

Something I have to mention.....My exbf quit smoking 6 years ago...and he has ptsd....several people I talk to here have quit and they have ptsd.......I find that truly truly amazing ! Not only do you have the challenge of living with ptsd...but you also were able to quit smoking !!! Hats off to you, something to really be proud of ! :thumbs-up :thumbs-up

Frankie