It's War Time. Me vs. Cigarrettes!

I've had it! It's been 24 minutes since my last cigarrette, and I knew it was my last when I started to have heart palpitations. It scared the living h*ll out of me! I'm only 36 and don't want to die yet.
I immediately started searching online for help in quitting.

I found a disgusting split photo which I just made my background pic on my computer screen. The left half is a set of lungs corroded with emphysema. The right half is  lungs taken over by cancer.

I bookmarked several websites that is loaded with how to quit, what smoking does to you, etc.

I joined an online smoking cessation forum.

I hope I can do this.

What if I have 1 or 2 a day? Will that make me relapse completely?

I started smoking when I was only 13 years old. Now I smoke about 1 1/4 packs a day. Well, at least up until 31 minutes ago.


Won't be long now until another craving comes on.....

I'm here for you ,  and I know how awful the first days can be.

Try to relax, and sleep alot if you can.....

The third day is the worst day, and difficult to pass thru.

Sending good thoughts your way, and prayers to give you strength.

                                                                    PMM

Thank you,PMM.

Exactly 1 hr & craving was tearing up my insides. But I did good! I grabbed a Tootsie Roll. lol.
Day 3?????? Let's hope I make it a whole 24hrs first.

I also read that it helps a great deal if you write a 'goodbye' letter to your cigarrettes. Did you do that PM??

It was suggesred that you start clean in the morning. Have a smoke before bed, but make that your last and then after sleeping, you start. I did it once, got 3 days then crashed, burned and retruned to smoking.

But you have approached it rightly GET HELP with this. You won't regret it for it is a tough addiction to beat.

Herion has been easier to quit for many addicts then smoking!!!!

I did not write a letter, but I did literally sat down with them the night before and had a heart to heart talk with them.  I actually cried as I was so full of fear and emotional attachment to them.

I said my goodbyes that way.  It was tuff. They were my best friend, and they were going to kill me.  They were always there for me, and yet they were trying to hurt me.

I told them  alot of things, but most of all, that  I didn't want to want them anymore.

I wanted to live....

You write that letter, or have that talk with them. Perhaps you'll find you have alot to say to them, as I did.

                                                  PMM

                                                                         

Best of luck acgofer.

I hope you are as successful as Pam.

blue

I've heard that as well.

Yeah, right about now I'm very figidy..lol.biting my lip, tapping my foot, and I've already had 3 big Tootsie rolls.
I thought about starting in the morning like you said, but then my heart started palpitating.
I suppose it would be much easier to start in the morning- since you're not taking any nicotine in while you sleep---makes a lot of sense.

Pam,

So you started in the morning after a night's sleep too???
Maybe that should be my goal start date- tomorrow am. This way if I do slip and have 1 or 2 tonite, it's still better than the 7 or 8 I would normally have the rest of the evening, right?

Yes, I started after a full nights sleep.  I woke up and started my fight.

Find out what and when you smoke the most. Change those habits if you can.  I had to come out of my lovely little office more and more because that is where I smoked the most.

Relax the rest of today my friend. Think about tomorrow and quitting for good. Take this time and get it right in your mind.  Tomorrow when you wake up, you'll be much more ready for the battle ahead after a full nights sleep.

                                                          PMM

I cut myself to 5 cigs a day from a pack a day, i'm on about the fourth week now heading to fifth week, my theory for me is, if i can go 5 cigs why not 4 or 3.. i need that pacifier still, but still i have not gone over that 5 a day, even if i have smoked 4 early on in the day, i will not smoke that last one til im ready for bed... when i wake up i'm finding more and more i don;t need that first cig til later in the day, when at first id have to have that morning cig, it's helping me, then i'm going for 4, cutting even half, does cut at least half your chances of quiting, then cutting half of that, your heading towards success

Thanks guys, for the encouragement. Of course, I couldn't make it through today  ....but THAT'S OKAY.....b/c like Pam said...I'm going to say my goodbyes tonight, and try again in the morning. At the same time, it doesn't mean I'm gonna smoke up (cigarrettes..lol) tonite.
I've had 3 since my 1st post here, which usually, I smoke 2 every 45 minutes or so..So, there a little improvement.

And yes, Tony, I'd rather have dental work done than deal with this. But it's my mistake I made, so it's my job to fix it.

I may even throw on a patch tomorrow. geez...I have 2 boxes of them just sitting in the closet.

Will keep you guys updated sometime in the morning.


And if I get through this, I have you guys to thank. And if I ever cash out a big win from a casino...you all get some free cash from me for supporting me during this time! Heck, I'll even pay LCB's web hosting fees for a month!!

~G~

acgofer i wish you a world of luck hun!!! It was my New Years resolution..........and guess what? I failed......

Its not an easy thing to do.....i commend PMM for being such a success and i hope im saying the same to you too in a month or two!!

Lips

Best of Luck today my friend....

Stay strong....

Will be thinking of you and your battle to quit.

Keep us posted....

                                                        PMM

Best of luck to you,acgofer! I know that it is not so easy but I also know that you will be strong enough to make it. Good luck!!!

Yup.This is badddddddd. Curled up on the couch, drinking my Starbucks morning coffee, watching the news, and struggling to stay above & knock down these cravings. Intestinal pain.

I keep thinking "just 1 with my coffee, just 1 with my coffee"....but breathe deep...1....2....3...

Hi and I wish you luck. Here is how I quit and have not had a cig since 1996. I smoked my brains out the night before I quit-like 2 packs. I could barely breathe the next day but I did NOT want one. I also did the patch which scared me because if you smoke while you have the patch on it can cause a heart attack. Also, I did not drink liquor for 3 months because you know how good they go together. The name of the patch is NICODERM. Hope this helps you some.

The only advice I can give you is that the next time you have a craving....WORK OUT! It will release some of the chemicals in your brain that give you the craving to start with, plus I know alot of people resort to eating when they crave and it doesn't help with anything but the oral fixation

go to the electric cig and wing yourself slowly