THREE more attempting to QUIT SMOKING!!!!!

[ibanez468]

3 days, and still goin'. It was really hammerin' at me this mornin' when I woke up, but I managed to fight the damn thing off! I've almost finished my first big bag of Lifesavors. Drank plenty of Hawaiian Punch, and had some Doritos late last night after submitting a coupla' tunes. Those withdrawal symptoms really mess with your insides boy! Just pulling and tuggin atcha', it's almost like being a crackhead or sumthin'. Oh well, I've handled worse, I can handle this. Keep fightin' y'all!I-468

[linziellen]

When the going gets tough - the tough get going...come on guys you CAN do it! Maybe now would be a good time to take up a new sport? If you have time it might help you channel some of those negative thoughts, go put 101% into some sort of sport and then give yourself a huge pat on the back afterward. I've always wanted to try kick boxing! Just an idea but it could be worth a try. I bet there are loads of internet sites that can give you tips and ideas. A close friend of mine just ran the London marathon for charity, I'm thinking of doing the same thing only in Paris next year, it's going to to give me something to work toward, something to inspire me to keep my health and fitness in check and plus I'll be raising money for a good cause. It's not definite yet but it's certainly in the pipeline! (Sorry, I'm telling you this because I was thinking it could be good for you to focus on the future, make yourself some kind of goal, big, medium or tiny, doesn't matter as long as it keeps you pushing forward).Best of luck to you, keep going, you'll get there...Lindsey

[arkjack]

If it really gets bad there is an anti-depressant drug by prescription, Wellbutrin, which has helped many overcome the long-term addictive withdrawal and not substitute food or some other vice. Which BTW, weight is as much of a health issue as polluted lungs. I heard sex can be a good substitute for the cravings, but you'd have to be like King Solomon....ArkJack

[tedsingingfox]

Apr 15, 2008, 9:48pm, nomiyah wrote:This thread is so cool, using the forum for a support group, excellent idea.Can't help sharing what helped me quit a 2 pack a day habit. At first I was all freaked out about having to constantly resist. Then I noticed something, it really wasn't continuous.I figured out the pattern, when the craving was strongest. It was when I woke up in the morning, when I drank coffee or alcohol, when I talked on the phone, when I drove and when someone around me lit up.With this information, I only had to be strong a few times a day, not all the time. I just did something else like drink water or take a walk until the craving was gone. It took a couple months but then it got way easier.I hope this thread helps a lot of people. Good luck to all of you in pursuit of a better life. Love,NomiHey, sweet thang!Nomi, honey, that is BRILLIANT thinking. I wish I'd been aware of that concept earlier on. Not that I've fallen off the wagon, but it SURE would've made that first week seem easier.Thank you so much for sharing that.Ted

[tedsingingfox]

And speaking only for myself...TWENTY DAYS AND STILL NO TOBACCO!!! wooHOO!!!!!Yes, there are moments when it's still VERY annoying, but for the most part...DAMN, this is feeling pretty good.Solrax, Milfus, and Ibanez...SO glad to see all three of you checking back in, and I'm SO proud to hear you're fighting through it. Just keep telling yourself "every breath is clearer and easier and deeper than the previous one".Now all we have to do is convince our lady cephalopod friend to throw her hat in the ring... Y'all can DO this. You really CAN.Scream at me if you need to...Ted

[coachdebra]

That's right! It's tryin' to kill you! It's tryin to get ya to smoke again!Don't let it, MAN! Choose to live!

[milfus]

I actually broke and had one, it made me really nauseaus, and didnt really help me out, I am still in it, just slipped, but hey, for the day thats 39 less than usual, so im not gonna beat myself up just yet

[hummingbird]

Apr 16, 2008, 9:04pm, milfus wrote:I actually broke and had one, it made me really nauseaus, and didnt really help me out, I am still in it, just slipped, but hey, for the day thats 39 less than usual, so im not gonna beat myself up just yethang in there!!! you can do it!!!

[ibanez468]

Hey Torey,It's not unusual to slip up. It can happen. It's almost even expected. You've done quite well considering. I've been wanting to get a taste all day today, even thought about hoppin' in the car and headin' over to the gas station to grab a pack. But then that would mean startin' all over again. So I just continued to fight the urge. Wonder how solrax is doin'. He was strugglin' a bit yesterday too. It's tough, tough, tough! Even though it's tough, I can tell my insides are startin' to feel better. That's the part you really struggle with. It's a constant tug-of-war goin' on inside ya'. The addiction constantly tempting you ta' feed it, but your body beggin' ya not to, because it's startin' ta' feel better as the hours, days, weeks go by. It's a really tough battle. That's when you've gotta' throw one more element in there to overcome, and that's from a mental aspect (at least for me it is). Yeah, ya' gotta have alot of tools ready ta' fight the addiction, cause it can overpower ya', just like a 295 pd. guy overpowering a 130 pd. guy in a fight. It's brutal. Hang in there fellas! I got faith in ya'. It's O.K. to fall. Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get back in the game. Keep tryin', and don't give up. You CAN do it!!I-468

[devin]

Go team go!!!!! I've seen many a pack of smokes thrown into the fireplace on New Year's Eve. It's what happens the next day, week, month that is the true test...it's like running a marathon: The start line has everyone cheering for you, saying "you are going to do it, this is the day!"Then you turn the corner, and the crowd is gone. Slowly, as the miles go by, your body starts talking to you. "You've done well! This is the farthest I've ever gone! We can stop now and take the bus!""Wait a minute", you think, "just who the heck is in charge here?!?! We're not stopping!"THE MIDDLE OF THE RACE IS THE HARDEST. And the longer the race goes on, the harder it is to keep going. Knowing this somehow puts it into perspective. YOU CAN DO IT! It's not going to be easy...but you've made it this far, so just go a bit further. One more day...you can do that, right?I read Anthony Kiedis' book "Scar Tissue" once. Promise yourself you will wait until you've read this book before lighting that next cigarette. Get through this book before giving in!http://www.amazon.com/SCAR-TISSUE-Antho ... ortunately for me, cigarettes are one habit I never picked up. The men in my family all live until their 90's...unless they smoke. Every female family member that smoked moved on before the age of 60...and all the men that smoked passed away in their 40's...no exceptions. My uncle was the most recent...brain cancer at 45. I was at that "temptation" time of life too. I only had to hear my grandmother say "I'm not supposed to bury my boy" once...Who are you living for? Nephew or neice? Siblings? Kids? Grandkids? Music? It's all good...find a purpose for sticking around, and decide if smoking is helping fulfill that purpose (OK, I'm sorry to go all Dr. Phil...I'll stop now )On a much smaller scale, caffeine is my vice. Something about my body chemistry makes it delightful right now and deadly tomorrow.In reading this courageous thread, I decided to try and go without coffee and Coke. It took three days of headaches, half the time stuck in bed to cope, before it started to fade. Just now I can tie my shoes without wincing. The black juice still calls me though...I've been told one key to preventing relapse after the initial withdrawl is over, is to avoid situations where others are enjoying the vice. I have friends that avoid social functions where people are indulging, so the temptation goes down. For smokers, this is getting easier as smoking bans reduce indoor public spots to do it.Another friend paid herself twice what she was spending on smokes. Every day, she would take the $5 per pack she would have spent, and added another $5 to the jar. In one month she bought that acoustic guitar that she always wanted to learn how to play. This should be an easy sell for us gear-hounds!! Pay yourself to quit.Gang, I sincerly wish I could do more to assist. My limited caffeine experience makes me qualified to know almost 1% of the torture that quitting nicotine must cause...I am humbled by your fight, and supportive of your cause.If you want, I'll make you a deal: if your body wants a cigarette, tell it "Devin will give you one". I'll deliver when I get to the Road Rally in 2009...Tell your body "it's on the way" ! ** Just don't be surprized when it's the "Popeye" brand of candy cigarette (don't tell your body ).GO TEAM GO!!!!!