Quitting is Contagious

[Mr Minor]

It's the approach I took - mind over matter.  I was ready to quit, which is a big part of it.

Agreed that this is the most important part, regardless of the method you use.  If you don't really want to quit, you won't.  Simple as that.

Good luck to those who are taking the plunge.

[UncleEbinezer]

I think the real struggle I have had and may continue to have is that on very rare occassions I actually do enjoy a cigarette, but its the 95% (or more) of the time where I was doing it simply for habit that is the senseless part.  Its kind of like the public masturbation thing.   :lol:

I've made it through my morning without a smoke which is actually the easiest part for me.  This afternoon will be a trial.

For those of that are stated as "casual" smokers now...  Did you wait awhile before you casually had another cigarette?  Do you fight the cravings again afterwards?   Did you have to seperate yourself from situations for a while?

[Buffalo Budd]

I think the real struggle I have had and may continue to have is that on very rare occassions I actually do enjoy a cigarette, but its the 95% (or more) of the time where I was doing it simply for habit that is the senseless part.  Its kind of like the public masturbation thing.   :lol:

I've made it through my morning without a smoke which is actually the easiest part for me.  This afternoon will be a trial.

For those of that are stated as "casual" smokers now...  Did you wait awhile before you casually had another cigarette?  Do you fight the cravings again afterwards?   Did you have to seperate yourself from situations for a while?

Don't casually have a cigarette.  In my opinion, you're just asking to start again and it will just be a matter of time.  Those things aren't supposed to work like that, they're made to slowly drag you back in.  My wife surprisingly is able to do it but I assume that's because she's not around it very often.  She never buys smokes but if she's with certain friends, she'll split on one.  I can't do this because the 1st thing I think about the next morning, is having a smoke.

[mattstick]

3 years later I can enjoy a smoke now and then, depends who I'm hanging out with, and I feel no ill effects after.

I think you have to go at least 2 years before you can consider yourself ready for "casual smoking".

If I had one a month I'd be surprised, maybe 6 last year total.

[postjack]

I think the real struggle I have had and may continue to have is that on very rare occassions I actually do enjoy a cigarette, but its the 95% (or more) of the time where I was doing it simply for habit that is the senseless part.  Its kind of like the public masturbation thing.   :lol:

I've made it through my morning without a smoke which is actually the easiest part for me.  This afternoon will be a trial.

For those of that are stated as "casual" smokers now...  Did you wait awhile before you casually had another cigarette?  Do you fight the cravings again afterwards?   Did you have to seperate yourself from situations for a while?

I wouldn't even be focusing on the possibility of casually smoking at this point.

In my opinion, the truly cigarette addicted rarely can return to a smoke every now and again.  I am thinking mattstick is the exception rather then the rule; he seems to have a stronger fortitude/willpower then others.

having said that, I did start enjoying the occasional fine cigar two years after I quit. same drug, completely different experience.  it's like wolfing down a big mac vs. a savoring a rare tuna steak. sometimes I'll smoke two a week, sometimes not one for two months. draw from that what you will.

[khalpin]

I told all my friends about 6 months after finally quitting, "If you ever see me smoking another cigarette, I give you full permission to punch me in the face as hard as you can."  Of course, now they're all trying to get me to have a cigarette.

[sls.stormyrider]

^^^
:-D

It's the approach I took - mind over matter.  I was ready to quit, which is a big part of it.

good for you that it worked.
some people are more addicted than you probably were.
clearly, you need to be ready to quit.
every day, I spend considerable amount of time trying to get people to quit. they all try.
nothing works universally.
the things that work the best are having a heart attack, stent, or bypass surgery, but even that doesn't work all the time (UncleEb and the others, you don't want to go there)
people who can't quit aren't inherently weak - they're addicted. the tobacco companies knew what they were doing.

Are you a doctor Steve? I remember you writing about med school....

yes

my card \/

[Superfreakie]

I think the real struggle I have had and may continue to have is that on very rare occassions I actually do enjoy a cigarette, but its the 95% (or more) of the time where I was doing it simply for habit that is the senseless part.  Its kind of like the public masturbation thing.   :lol:

I've made it through my morning without a smoke which is actually the easiest part for me.  This afternoon will be a trial.

For those of that are stated as "casual" smokers now...  Did you wait awhile before you casually had another cigarette?  Do you fight the cravings again afterwards?   Did you have to seperate yourself from situations for a while?

Don't casually have a cigarette.  In my opinion, you're just asking to start again and it will just be a matter of time.  Those things aren't supposed to work like that, they're made to slowly drag you back in.  My wife surprisingly is able to do it but I assume that's because she's not around it very often.  She never buys smokes but if she's with certain friends, she'll split on one.  I can't do this because the 1st thing I think about the next morning, is having a smoke.

I don't get casual smoking. Every time I've tried since I have quit, which has been years now, it tastes like shit, like it did the first time I tried a cigarette. There is absolutely no pleasure without my taste buds burned out and without relief from a nic-fit. 

I'm like Mattstick. Just quit. Mind over matter. And, when in the process of quitting, to tempt yourself by having one every now and again is, in my opinion, foolish.

[Superfreakie]

It's the approach I took - mind over matter.  I was ready to quit, which is a big part of it.

good for you that it worked.
some people are more addicted than you probably were.
clearly, you need to be ready to quit.
every day, I spend considerable amount of time trying to get people to quit. they all try.
nothing works universally.
the things that work the best are having a heart attack, stent, or bypass surgery, but even that doesn't work all the time (UncleEb and the others, you don't want to go there)
people who can't quit aren't inherently weak - they're addicted. the tobacco companies knew what they were doing.

Are you a doctor Steve? I remember you writing about med school....

yes

my card \/

[Mr Minor]

It's the approach I took - mind over matter.  I was ready to quit, which is a big part of it.

good for you that it worked.
some people are more addicted than you probably were.
clearly, you need to be ready to quit.
every day, I spend considerable amount of time trying to get people to quit. they all try.
nothing works universally.
the things that work the best are having a heart attack, stent, or bypass surgery, but even that doesn't work all the time (UncleEb and the others, you don't want to go there)
people who can't quit aren't inherently weak - they're addicted. the tobacco companies knew what they were doing.

Are you a doctor Steve? I remember you writing about med school....

yes

my card \/

[UncleEbinezer]

So yesterday I had a little bit of a false start.  I got through the morning with no problems but did break down at lunch.  I actually had some smokes leftover from the weekend and was a little bitch about it.

As for today, going well.  Got through the lunch break with no faults and look to be on the home stretch for the day (wife gets home in a few hours). 

And oh yeah, slslbs, nice card!

[Superfreakie]

So yesterday I had a little bit of a false start.  I got through the morning with no problems but did break down at lunch.  I actually had some smokes leftover from the weekend and was a little bitch about it.

As for today, going well.  Got through the lunch break with no faults and look to be on the home stretch for the day (wife gets home in a few hours). 

And oh yeah, slslbs, nice card!

Make sure there is absolutely no tobacco anywhere near you. Do not hang out with people that smoke in the next couple weeks. Don't be a fucking idiot and tempt yourself. You will yield to temptation. 

[mattstick]

Ask yourself the question - am I the guy who can quit smoking and do this, or am I the guy who's going to cave into temptation and have a smoke?

One of these guys is awesome and can do anything - you figure out which one.

[phuzzyfish12]

I quit cold turkey on June 16th, 2009.

It was the 2nd time I quit but this time it took. For me, I wanted to quit and kept telling myself that I would do it, but never did. Then after a weekend of pure drugs, smokes and booze my body screamed at me to STOP what I was doing. I had a full pack of smokes in my bag and threw them out that day and I've never looked back. One thing I did do different this time that I hadn't in the past was that I didn't tell any of my friends that I was quitting. So since I never asked them to go smoke it totally cut down on chances to have one. Also whenever I was asked to have one, I would just say na, next time, no ones keeping an eye on how much you smoke so no one really notices. It took some of my friends up to a week to realize I had quit and I think that helped SO MUCH!! No one was there to tell me I couldn't do it or wouldn't do it or encouraged me to have that one last cig....

When the time is right you'll quit, you already have the desire to, which so many people don't so you're already half way there.

[UncleEbinezer]

I think last week I had the same situation from my body telling me to just hang it up.  Going up and down stairs just shouldn't wind someone.  This quitting situation is 100% on my shoulders.  I am not really in situations where I will be around smokers which will help a lot.