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Yeah yeah yeah, so this will be my 4th attempt, but hey every attempt is at least better than not trying at all. The expense, the smell in my wig & clothes... Hey, trying is at least a start.

I will admit that the last time I had quit for over a week until my nephew got real sick with his major head trauma & I fell off the "tobacco" wagon. But this time around, should anything go wrong in my personal or family life to cause any sort of undue "stress", I already have several alternative plans in place. So wish me luck!!!

I really want to quit. Smoking no longer brings any joy or "relaxation". It is nothing but a crutch, a mere "monkey on the back". I no longer desire the "desire" to smoke. Wish me luck.

Good luck Lorna.
You can do it!

Good luck, Lorna.

-Celia

Good luck Lorna, I believe you can do it. I remember when I quit about 18yrs ago it was after several attempts.
You have the right mindset if you have the desire. I remember what a friend told me during that time for me. He said, "you just gotta have the want to!"
So, if you have"the want to", you can!
Encouragement and support going your way!
Molly

Hi Lorna--
You'll do it, because you've got the desire to quit. I found that I would have to make several attempts before I'd find a week where it would "take." Then I was good for many months, or even years.

But I've also found that once you do quit, there will be a window of three to four days, every so once in a while, where you want to start up again. If I can get past those days, I'm good for months again.

I'll be rooting for you, L.

Best of luck in your new endeavor. I am into week 7 of the process using the patch and doctor prescribed meds. Still get very heavy urges to go back. Have also found that eliminating Coffee, Tea and other caffeine n related products helps. Juice beverage only.
Again good luck.

Hi Lorna,

Here are some things that might help you.

1) You can not stop a behavior you can only change it. Will power will only work for a short period of time. I reccomend gum or suckers. I used Extra sugar free gum but you can use anything you like in place of a cigerette. Every time I wanted a cigerette I opened two sticks of gum and chewed them. This takes care of the ritual part of the addiction as it gives you something to do that takes about the same time as getting out a cigerette and lighting it.

2) Cravings only last 1½ to 2 minutes, tops. If you can avoid a cigerette for that long, the craving will pass. I quit in 1992 and still have cravings and they still pass.

3) Get rid of the word "try". I was always told "trying is dying". Try is a word we use when we do not want to commit to something. Do or do not do, but do not try!!!

4) You pretty much have already done this one, but tell everyone you are quitting. This will get you a cheering section as well as keep people from asking you for a cigerette or asking if you want to go and smoke with them.

5) You already know this too but, don't give up!!!!. If you relapse and smoke, get up the next day and get right back on your program. Most people do not quite on thier first attempt.

6) I have never heard of anyone quitting anything by weaning themselves off of it. Everyone I know who quit smoking, quit cold turkey. I do not see the logic of the patch or nicotine gum, it would be like giving cocain addicts a cocain patch to get them off of cocain. If you are consuming an addictive substance, the addiction is reinforced not diminished. I have never heard of one person ever sucessfully quitting using the patch or gum.

Good luck sis.

Love always,
Elizabeth

Hi all,

Elizabeth wrote:I have never heard of one person ever successfully quitting using the patch or gum.

Well hon you have heard of it now. I have a Sister and her son my nephew, who both quit at the same time with the use of the patch. She however had to get a doctor to prescribe the stronger dosage patch.

I myself quit with a full pack of cigarettes in my shirt pocket. Cold turkey in 1985 and have not had any cravings for a cigarette for several years now..

Thanks ladies, thank you all so much for your encouragement. 3 days - smoke free!!!

Elizabeth wrote:3) Get rid of the word "try". I was always told "trying is dying". Try is a word we use when we do not want to commit to something. Do or do not do, but do not try!!!

You gave me some great tips in your post Elizabeth, however there were a couple of things you mentioned with which I totally disagree.

Firast off I have always been taught that "trying" is a positive thing. No one has ever given it a negative connotation before. Trying is better than not bothering to make the effort at all, don't you think?

Second, believe it or not, millions of people out there have indeed successfully quit with the aid of the patch or the gum, many of whom would not have been able to do so otherwise. Cold Turkey is not for everyone.

I just feel that "trying" to quit is definitely a step above me saying "hell with it, I don't want to quit, I want to stay a smoker".

Hey Lorna,

I just wanted to add something meaningful that might help. I guess I should have included the standard disclaimers. Of course that fact that I have never met a person who sucessfully quit using the patch, does not mean no one has ever done it. I have however still never seen it work, and I have seen it fail many times. All in all, I would not reccomend it, which was all I was getting at. I smoked three packs a day when I quit, so it is not a question of how much a person smokes.

Different things work for different people, use what you can, and leave the rest.

Good luck sis!!!!

Love always,
Elizabeth

Thanks hon!!

UPDATE: 5 days smoke free. So far, so good... Now I'm not going to lie; I've been going crazy the past few days and I almost gave up but I stuck to my guns. I was eating like a horse, but yesterday was the first day I finally felt the edge melt away.

I have also given up caffiene and alcohol for the next few days as well, at least until I pass this "hump" which many ex-smokers speak of - lasting anywhere from 3 to 7 days.

I've also been drinking lots & lots of water & chewing sugar-free gum like it's going out of style. Who knew quitting would be this hard? Geez, everyone I have spoken to who has successfully quit made it sound so easy.... but it's NOT easy. Quitting smoking is one of the greatest life challenges a person will face. NO easy task.

Good for you Lorna,

No quitting is not easy by anyone's stretch of the imagination.

It is kind of funny the reason we start smoking is to become like a man, And then some of us spend the rest of our lives wishing we could be like a man. So that we could stop. LOL.

Hi Lorna,

Congrats on 5 days.