[quote=misfitcult;789177]
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thisbytes, im not even reading all your posts at this point because i think you are bragging. thunderstealing in my thread.  |
Just stating what works and has for many heavy smokers that's been at it a few decades longer than myself. I've tried everything from patches, to gum, to herbal Smoke Away to Allen Carr's
Easy Way To Quit Smoking book. All failed.
Chantix bitchslapped it, period. Along with a small percentage of willpower on my part. Willpower of Superman is not needed via this method. Save that for the hellish nightmare of cold turkey.
Although Allen's book does tackle the fear mindset smokers get when thinking they're giving up their 'friend', so it is worth a read. He smoked like a chimney. around a 100 cigs on stressful days, but never below 60 cigs per day. He didn't have the monkey on his back, he had the whole damn zoo. He went cold turkey. Mad respect to him for that and to anyone else who takes that path. I needed another way. I actually have to function in society on a day to day basis. I couldn't do that going cold turkey, having tried I knew that for certain.
In the past week, I've done every single thing I do when I use to smoke. Same situations, etc. It really is all in your head once you're passed the physical withdrawal. (Which never really exists with Chantix)
You'll still get mental cues to pop up now and then at first, (after eating, waking up, etc.) but they pass with a 'meh, no thanks. I've quit-
for good' thought on your part to yourself and they get less and less frequent as time goes on. I think I have maybe 3-4 now since my almost week of having quit. Two more weeks from now, I'll sure I'll have days it doesn't cross my mind at all. I already have large spans of hours that it doesn't.
The brain unlearns all that after a time. Senses are a lot more sensitive too. I can smell when somebody's smoking at a pretty good distance. Cough is gone now and clear breathing for a change is pretty fucking ace, let me tell you. Not to mention I gave myself a raise of over a 100 bucks a month I'm no longer just basically setting fire to instead.
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ive been smoking again. CLEARLY
i think i went into this not understanding how complicated and or different my addicition was and how i should go about quitting. not that im special, but everyone is different. some people have gne from a pack a day to only social smoking, and they dont ever regress back to the same pack a day addicition. some people have gone cold turkey and then 2 years later pick right back up where they left off. so ive decided to do my own thing.
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Cutting down to 4 cigs or smoking 4 packs a day, it's all the same addiction. I never hear of heroin users being social shooters. It just means you're aware of the possible medical complications, but not ready to fully quit for yourself. And no, you are not gaining any health benefits at all. I've smoked full time, cut down and now quit. So I can tell you from experience the only time you feel a difference is having completely quit. And it feels pretty damn good to be free of that ball and chain that's not going to be getting cheaper in price anytime soon. I read that Indiana just tacked on a 44 cent tax increase to their tobacco sales, for example.
I see a pack of cigs competing with the price of a case of beer in the future easily at this rate. They're going to price them into extinction. I say get on Chantix before Big Pharma comes to their greedy senses and gets all the field reports on it's success then decides to triple the cost of it. Currently a month's supply of smokes will cover the cost of a month of Chantix. I have a script for a second month, but not sure I'm even going to need to fill it.
I'd forgot to take my second pill today for a couple hours past dosage time today, for example. No problem. I'm certainly not sitting around watching the clock over it.
I still have a two weeks supply after this box to go through yet as well.
Just remember that once you are ready, it's final. Never take another puff. Not even one. Not any different than an alcoholic who can't have just one drink. It's over for good. Take one puff and you're right back to square one - physical withdrawal and all will be there to welcome you back with open arms. You are an addict to a drug, start remembering that.
It's not something you can take or leave like deciding if you want fish or chicken for dinner.
The worst mistake people make is calling it a habit. It's nothing of the sort and they're just kidding themselves trying to justify it. (Been there, done that myself)
It's a full-blown addiction to nicotine. You keep smoking to give yourself the false sense of well-being and to stave off withdrawal symptoms. I can't think of one habit anyone breaks that results in the experience your body goes through quitting smoking. The brain is a big fan of nicotine reward triggers and will certainly let you know when it's fix time.
Here's a close comparison of me about 7 hours into trying the cold turkey method in the past.
Except I could surpass her in attitude around the 4 hour mark.
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some days i dont give a shit and smoke like 5-6 (when im stressed or working a lot), some days i just wear my patch and dont smoke., some days ill smoke 2 and not wear a patch.
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Another surprise: Stress and work are still going to be there when you quit.
Only difference is, you won't be smoking. Also, you won't really care either once you've quit. You'll still live through it just like anybody else who doesn't smoke. Already been through that test. I actually forget all about it during those times if you can believe that.
Actually I feel less tense as well. Nicotine has a slight calming effect but is first and foremost a stimulant. That's why you feel out of sorts for awhile when you first quit. You're nervous system is coming off a several year/decade continually stimulated environment and is going batshit for awhile until it adjusts itself back to normal. That's also why some get depressed for a bit when they quit. It all passes.
You'll learn that times of idleness and boredom are when the urges are most likely to come knocking. They too will pass.
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so on the upside, my habit has lessened drastically. which is a minor accomplishment but a valid one, right?
i can probably smoke 5 cigarettes a day without being a major asshole to humanity, and thats sans patch.
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Great if a quit is very soon to follow. I've cut down before. Only to discover everybody, myself included, has a certain comfort level of nicotine in the body that must be kept up to avoid the 'unpleasantness' that ensues. I was smoking less, but feeling a percentage of that unpleasantness on a daily basis. I found it better to just smoke as usual until I was ready to quit and eventually get it over with all together. Cutting down on cigs is not really achieving anything for you healthwise. Instead you're just still fucking up your cardio, still smoking, and now walking around with a small case of the craving pangs on a daily basis by having cut down. Sure they may be manageable pangs, but do you really want to experience them daily for years to come or deal with them on a short term basis by quitting and get rid of the physical cravings totally?
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fact is im doing better, although i expected to do better than i actually am, but im hoping ill continue to ween to the point where im a just a social smoker.
oh and now my brother and uncle are on the patch as ive convinced them to quit as well. but now they are bragging to me that they are doing better than me and giving me guilt trips. assholes!
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So get the comeuppance by getting on Chantix. Continue to smoke as usual for about a week to 11 days. It varies when it kicks in, as previously mentioned, but you'll know when it does. You just won't feel like having a cigarette one fine day when you wake up. Then quit smoking, then go brag to them that you've quit as well with no harsh physical withdrawal symptoms and that while they're on the patch still getting the drug they're hooked on, you'll be pissing out all traces of nicotine from your system in 3-7 days. It's all in the mind from there on.
And at the equivalent monthly cost for the patches they use.
Now, are you really going to let them have all the bragging rights in this when I gave you the secret weapon to kicking it for the heavily addicted? Screw that. If you're ready to truly quit and never look back, use it. If not, continue to smoke until you are ready.
I will tell you it feels fucking great to be free from it and having the choice to decide to not smoke without sitting around going apeshit until you cave in to it.
, which is (just) enough to keeping me from starting again.
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