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Trying to quit smoking (1 Viewer)

JohnnyU

Footballguy
It's been 40 days and is tougher than a *****. I quit one time in 2009 to 2014 and started back like a dumb a**. I started smoking around 1974. It's the toughest thing I've ever tried to do. I got to the point where I was coughing non-stop and decided I couldn't go on like that anymore. Hell, after a few days of quitting smoking I quit coughing and that told me it was killing me. I feel that at 63 this is my last chance to live a longer life. For the record I've smoked anything from CIgs, to pipe, to cigars and back again. I would bet that this is harder to kick than most other drugs. This time, after getting the urge I remind myself how much I was coughing and sweating in the morning after these coughing fits. That has so far kept me from smoking. Jesus, we are weak humans for the most part. I will never ever tell anyone that I've quit smoking. I will only tell them I haven't smoked since September 4th 2022. No longer do I feel I have total power over that.
 
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Not much advice for you, but I wish you luck. Maybe find yourself a sugar free hard candy you like and pop one of those in your mouth every time you feel an urge?
 
Good luck, JohnnyU. It's brutal. I was a lifelong smoker from the age of twenty until my early forties. I was so addicted. I finally took Chantix and was able to quit. I've actually used it twice to quit, because I resorted to smoking when I moved from CT to CA back in late 2015. I know it's a tough habit to break, but do it for your future. Do it for your health. They're a terrible, addictive thing these cigarettes.

You ain't weak. You're controlled by the endorphins and the high of a drug they specifically increase the amount of to keep you hooked. Good luck fighting this and I hope it works out for you.
 
Good luck, JohnnyU. It's brutal. I was a lifelong smoker from the age of twenty until my early forties. I was so addicted. I finally took Chantix and was able to quit. I've actually used it twice to quit, because I resorted to smoking when I moved from CT to CA back in late 2015. I know it's a tough habit to break, but do it for your future. Do it for your health. They're a terrible, addictive thing these cigarettes.

You ain't weak. You're controlled by the endorphins and the high of a drug they specifically increase the amount of to keep you hooked. Good luck fighting this and I hope it works out for you.
Actually in 2009 I used Chantix and quit for 5 years. This time I used the patch and have so far achieved the same results. I started with the 21mg patch for several weeks and I'm now almost at the end of the 14 mg patch. I will use the 7 mg patch for a couple of weeks and then no patch.
 
Good luck, JohnnyU. It's brutal. I was a lifelong smoker from the age of twenty until my early forties. I was so addicted. I finally took Chantix and was able to quit. I've actually used it twice to quit, because I resorted to smoking when I moved from CT to CA back in late 2015. I know it's a tough habit to break, but do it for your future. Do it for your health. They're a terrible, addictive thing these cigarettes.

You ain't weak. You're controlled by the endorphins and the high of a drug they specifically increase the amount of to keep you hooked. Good luck fighting this and I hope it works out for you.
Actually in 2009 I used Chantix and quit for 5 years. This time I used the patch and have so far achieved the same results. I started with the 21mg patch for several weeks and I'm now almost at the end of the 14 mg patch. I will use the 7 mg patch for a couple of weeks and then no patch.
I think quitting smoking is so hard because after beating the physical addiction after a few weeks the the mental addiction is much stronger. I think what we miss the most is "something to do". Breaking up your behaviors is the best method. My trigger is always to smoke when I let the dog out in the morning, so my wife is doing that now. Also, after eating is a trigger, so I brush my teeth. Hell, the list goes on and on. Like I said, I'll never tell anyone I quit smoking, because I know there is always that chance I'll relapse. I quite from 2009 - 2014 and started back for crying out loud. Only this time I got to the point where I couldn't breath and was coughing all the time. I haven't smoked in over a month and my breathing is normal again and I no longer cough. That should be motive enough to not smoke, but smokers know that doesn't mean squat.

Edited to add: I watched my wife's stepfather die from smoking. He tried to smoke while on oxygen and caught himself on fire just a couple of months before he died. That's how powerful tobacco is. Also, more than 30 years ago I watched one of my best friend's mother die from smoking. I visited her in the hospital and she was under a plastic tent. Her eyes were wide open and she was breathing in and out profusely. It was a scary site. One would think after viewing that you would never smoke again, but I did, because IT IS THAT POWERFUL.
 
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Good luck man. It took me a couple cracks at it and I also had a 2 year period where I quit cold turkey and then stupidly started again. Been tobacco free for about 7-8 years now. You are right that it's about the mental habits you get into. Have a beer=smoke, have a coffee=smoke, after a meal=smoke, get in the car=smoke. The first time I quit was cold turkey. I got a nasty cold and was out there still smoking despite it making me feel like total garbage and one morning I just said "F- this". Second time was much tougher. I slowly weened myself. I picked 1 or 2 scenarios where I usually smoked and decided to just focus on not smoking at those times. Once I felt like I had ended the connection between that behavior and smoking, I chose another couple situations to work on. Eventually I was smoking so little that it made sense to just stop altogether.
 
It's been 34 days and is tougher than a *****. I quit one time in 2009 to 2014 and started back like a dumb a**. I started smoking around 1974. It's the toughest thing I've ever tried to do. I got to the point where I was coughing non-stop and decided I couldn't go on like that anymore. Hell, after a few days of quitting smoking I quit coughing and that told me it was killing me. I feel that at 63 this is my last chance to live a longer life. For the record I've smoked anything from CIgs, to pipe, to cigars and back again. I would bet that this is harder to kick than most other drugs. This time, after getting the urge I remind myself how much I was coughing and sweating in the morning after these coughing fits. That has so far kept me from smoking. Jesus, we are weak humans for the most part. I will never ever tell anyone that I've quit smoking. I will only tell them I haven't smoked since September 4th 2022. No longer do I feel I have total power over that.
smoking is what causes the health problems related to smoking not the nicotine. So you could always just switch to dip which is as safe as it gets or even vape. The thing is you might slide back in the future, and you're better of just switching to a safer alternative that provides all the benefits of nicotine without the downsides of smoking. At the end of the day, you can ease your transition rather than go all or nothing...set yourself up for success.
 
I’ve had good luck with the Zyn pouches but still have a cigar from time to time.

Good luck man, we’re rooting for you ❤️
 
It's been 34 days and is tougher than a *****. I quit one time in 2009 to 2014 and started back like a dumb a**. I started smoking around 1974. It's the toughest thing I've ever tried to do. I got to the point where I was coughing non-stop and decided I couldn't go on like that anymore. Hell, after a few days of quitting smoking I quit coughing and that told me it was killing me. I feel that at 63 this is my last chance to live a longer life. For the record I've smoked anything from CIgs, to pipe, to cigars and back again. I would bet that this is harder to kick than most other drugs. This time, after getting the urge I remind myself how much I was coughing and sweating in the morning after these coughing fits. That has so far kept me from smoking. Jesus, we are weak humans for the most part. I will never ever tell anyone that I've quit smoking. I will only tell them I haven't smoked since September 4th 2022. No longer do I feel I have total power over that.
Good luck. My 17-year-old is just starting down the road of nicotine addiction, so pass on your successes for future reference.
 
It's been 34 days and is tougher than a *****. I quit one time in 2009 to 2014 and started back like a dumb a**. I started smoking around 1974. It's the toughest thing I've ever tried to do. I got to the point where I was coughing non-stop and decided I couldn't go on like that anymore. Hell, after a few days of quitting smoking I quit coughing and that told me it was killing me. I feel that at 63 this is my last chance to live a longer life. For the record I've smoked anything from CIgs, to pipe, to cigars and back again. I would bet that this is harder to kick than most other drugs. This time, after getting the urge I remind myself how much I was coughing and sweating in the morning after these coughing fits. That has so far kept me from smoking. Jesus, we are weak humans for the most part. I will never ever tell anyone that I've quit smoking. I will only tell them I haven't smoked since September 4th 2022. No longer do I feel I have total power over that.
smoking is what causes the health problems related to smoking not the nicotine. So you could always just switch to dip which is as safe as it gets or even vape. The thing is you might slide back in the future, and you're better of just switching to a safer alternative that provides all the benefits of nicotine without the downsides of smoking. At the end of the day, you can ease your transition rather than go all or nothing...set yourself up for success.
I believe that the physical addiction is over in 5 days once you don't put any nicotine in your body. Whether that is through patches or any other method. The real issue is overcoming the mental addiction. I believe smoking addiction is 20% physical and 80% mental, so until you overcome what makes you want to smoke from a mental perspective, you will never beat it. I know that is true because I quit for 5 years. Only now I'm 63 and suffering like I never did when I quit for those 5 years, so I have to quit now. If that is not motive enough then I'm doomed.
 
Good luck, JohnnyU. It's brutal. I was a lifelong smoker from the age of twenty until my early forties. I was so addicted. I finally took Chantix and was able to quit. I've actually used it twice to quit, because I resorted to smoking when I moved from CT to CA back in late 2015. I know it's a tough habit to break, but do it for your future. Do it for your health. They're a terrible, addictive thing these cigarettes.

You ain't weak. You're controlled by the endorphins and the high of a drug they specifically increase the amount of to keep you hooked. Good luck fighting this and I hope it works out for you.
Glad Chantix worked for you. But there are some really, really bad side effects for a not insignificant number of people, mainly suicide.
 
Good luck, JohnnyU. It's brutal. I was a lifelong smoker from the age of twenty until my early forties. I was so addicted. I finally took Chantix and was able to quit. I've actually used it twice to quit, because I resorted to smoking when I moved from CT to CA back in late 2015. I know it's a tough habit to break, but do it for your future. Do it for your health. They're a terrible, addictive thing these cigarettes.

You ain't weak. You're controlled by the endorphins and the high of a drug they specifically increase the amount of to keep you hooked. Good luck fighting this and I hope it works out for you.
Glad Chantix worked for you. But there are some really, really bad side effects for a not insignificant number of people, mainly suicide.
I'm not using Chantix this time, but I remember having some very vivid dreams as the only side effect. Like I said, the physical addiction is the least of the smokers problem. It's over in about 5 days after you quit putting nicotine in your body. The mental addiction can linger forever. If I can start back after quitting 5 years, then I know what I'm talking about with regards to the mental addiction. You have to train your mind to not need it, just as you trained your mind that you needed it. If I can watch a women under a plastic tent struggling to breath in and out, with her eyes bugging out of her head, a day before she dies and don't quit smoking, that should tell you something. I'll give it a go again (40 days in), but I'm not promising anything like I did the last time I quit. I'll take it one day at a time, one year at a time, one decade at a time. The last chapter of my life depends on it.
 
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I've chewed Copenhagen since I was 12 or 13. I am now 46. I've quit several times, only to start back up for whatever reason. I've been tobacco free (again) since Sept 26......the first couple weeks are always the worst for me. Also, for me it's a cold turkey thing.

The hardest part is when I go on camping/fishing trips with my buddy who dips......we drink beer, eat wild game, chew, and catch fish.....we have a trip coming up in November and my plan is to take like 3 bags of sunflower seeds and be strong!

GL man.....don't give in. Nothing worse than that feeling when you give in again.
 
It's been 34 days and is tougher than a *****. I quit one time in 2009 to 2014 and started back like a dumb a**. I started smoking around 1974. It's the toughest thing I've ever tried to do. I got to the point where I was coughing non-stop and decided I couldn't go on like that anymore. Hell, after a few days of quitting smoking I quit coughing and that told me it was killing me. I feel that at 63 this is my last chance to live a longer life. For the record I've smoked anything from CIgs, to pipe, to cigars and back again. I would bet that this is harder to kick than most other drugs. This time, after getting the urge I remind myself how much I was coughing and sweating in the morning after these coughing fits. That has so far kept me from smoking. Jesus, we are weak humans for the most part. I will never ever tell anyone that I've quit smoking. I will only tell them I haven't smoked since September 4th 2022. No longer do I feel I have total power over that.
smoking is what causes the health problems related to smoking not the nicotine. So you could always just switch to dip which is as safe as it gets or even vape. The thing is you might slide back in the future, and you're better of just switching to a safer alternative that provides all the benefits of nicotine without the downsides of smoking. At the end of the day, you can ease your transition rather than go all or nothing...set yourself up for success.
Dude dip is not a safe alternative! Says so right on the can! Haha.

Seriously though, it's actually more addictive cuz you get the nicotine more efficiently. And it does cause cancer. There are plenty of cancer causing agents in chew.
 
It's been 34 days and is tougher than a *****. I quit one time in 2009 to 2014 and started back like a dumb a**. I started smoking around 1974. It's the toughest thing I've ever tried to do. I got to the point where I was coughing non-stop and decided I couldn't go on like that anymore. Hell, after a few days of quitting smoking I quit coughing and that told me it was killing me. I feel that at 63 this is my last chance to live a longer life. For the record I've smoked anything from CIgs, to pipe, to cigars and back again. I would bet that this is harder to kick than most other drugs. This time, after getting the urge I remind myself how much I was coughing and sweating in the morning after these coughing fits. That has so far kept me from smoking. Jesus, we are weak humans for the most part. I will never ever tell anyone that I've quit smoking. I will only tell them I haven't smoked since September 4th 2022. No longer do I feel I have total power over that.
smoking is what causes the health problems related to smoking not the nicotine. So you could always just switch to dip which is as safe as it gets or even vape. The thing is you might slide back in the future, and you're better of just switching to a safer alternative that provides all the benefits of nicotine without the downsides of smoking. At the end of the day, you can ease your transition rather than go all or nothing...set yourself up for success.
Dude dip is not a safe alternative! Says so right on the can! Haha.

Seriously though, it's actually more addictive cuz you get the nicotine more efficiently. And it does cause cancer. There are plenty of cancer causing agents in chew.
Have you ever seen someone with mouth cancer? It isn't pretty. So I also don't think alternative nicotine is the answer. The answer lies between your ears.
 
It's been 34 days and is tougher than a *****. I quit one time in 2009 to 2014 and started back like a dumb a**. I started smoking around 1974. It's the toughest thing I've ever tried to do. I got to the point where I was coughing non-stop and decided I couldn't go on like that anymore. Hell, after a few days of quitting smoking I quit coughing and that told me it was killing me. I feel that at 63 this is my last chance to live a longer life. For the record I've smoked anything from CIgs, to pipe, to cigars and back again. I would bet that this is harder to kick than most other drugs. This time, after getting the urge I remind myself how much I was coughing and sweating in the morning after these coughing fits. That has so far kept me from smoking. Jesus, we are weak humans for the most part. I will never ever tell anyone that I've quit smoking. I will only tell them I haven't smoked since September 4th 2022. No longer do I feel I have total power over that.
smoking is what causes the health problems related to smoking not the nicotine. So you could always just switch to dip which is as safe as it gets or even vape. The thing is you might slide back in the future, and you're better of just switching to a safer alternative that provides all the benefits of nicotine without the downsides of smoking. At the end of the day, you can ease your transition rather than go all or nothing...set yourself up for success.
I believe that the physical addiction is over in 5 days once you don't put any nicotine in your body. Whether that is through patches or any other method. The real issue is overcoming the mental addiction. I believe smoking addiction is 20% physical and 80% mental, so until you overcome what makes you want to smoke from a mental perspective, you will never beat it. I know that is true because I quit for 5 years. Only now I'm 63 and suffering like I never did when I quit for those 5 years, so I have to quit now. If that is not motive enough then I'm dooY

It's been 34 days and is tougher than a *****. I quit one time in 2009 to 2014 and started back like a dumb a**. I started smoking around 1974. It's the toughest thing I've ever tried to do. I got to the point where I was coughing non-stop and decided I couldn't go on like that anymore. Hell, after a few days of quitting smoking I quit coughing and that told me it was killing me. I feel that at 63 this is my last chance to live a longer life. For the record I've smoked anything from CIgs, to pipe, to cigars and back again. I would bet that this is harder to kick than most other drugs. This time, after getting the urge I remind myself how much I was coughing and sweating in the morning after these coughing fits. That has so far kept me from smoking. Jesus, we are weak humans for the most part. I will never ever tell anyone that I've quit smoking. I will only tell them I haven't smoked since September 4th 2022. No longer do I feel I have total power over that.
smoking is what causes the health problems related to smoking not the nicotine. So you could always just switch to dip which is as safe as it gets or even vape. The thing is you might slide back in the future, and you're better of just switching to a safer alternative that provides all the benefits of nicotine without the downsides of smoking. At the end of the day, you can ease your transition rather than go all or nothing...set yourself up for success.
I believe that the physical addiction is over in 5 days once you don't put any nicotine in your body. Whether that is through patches or any other method. The real issue is overcoming the mental addiction. I believe smoking addiction is 20% physical and 80% mental, so until you overcome what makes you want to smoke from a mental perspective, you will never beat it. I know that is true because I quit for 5 years. Only now I'm 63 and suffering like I never did when I quit for those 5 years, so I have to quit now. If that is not motive enough then I'm doomed.
You're right but here's the thing. Our current model of addiction is extremely flawed. It's based on a puritan ideal which is in opposition to reality. We do what we do for a reason. The substances, be it uppers, downers or hallucinogens not only mimick what our bodies naturally produce, but they also provide us with insight into our basic needs that are not being met. Uppers provide us with energy, downers/anxiolytics take the edge off and help us escape from the world/not feel so scared to engage with the world and lastly hallucinogens provide perspective (Forest vs trees).

This is an oversimplification but the concept is what is important. Uppers/stimulants: is essentially anything, be it a substance or activity (mental or physical) that results in an increase in energy. Ex: nicotine, caffeine, exercise, stimulating conversation, dark chocolate. They are all short acting. For some of us, when we are stimulated it actually calms us down while for others stimulation makes them more anxious and their substance of choice will be a downer (THC, alcohol, opiates, food...).

We wouldn't keep doing something if it didn't provide us with something we were missing...be it biological (ex: more or less adrenaline) or psychological (expanding our minds, safety or even self harm)

So how do you make sense of the fact that nicotine is out of your system and your mind and body still craves a stimulant? The habit argument like the gateway theory does not hold in the real world. Especially when a vast majority of nicotine users don't crave nicotine or even stop to think about it when they are busy/distracted doing something that is stimulating.

A car needs fuel to run. Starving the car of fuel or even substituting it with vegetable oil just quite won't leave you with much of a car. Find yourself a safer alternative to cigarettes for your nicotine intake..behavioural stimulation or through other means. Cause you and your car are not addicted just because you run on fuel.

Does that make sense?
 
It's been 34 days and is tougher than a *****. I quit one time in 2009 to 2014 and started back like a dumb a**. I started smoking around 1974. It's the toughest thing I've ever tried to do. I got to the point where I was coughing non-stop and decided I couldn't go on like that anymore. Hell, after a few days of quitting smoking I quit coughing and that told me it was killing me. I feel that at 63 this is my last chance to live a longer life. For the record I've smoked anything from CIgs, to pipe, to cigars and back again. I would bet that this is harder to kick than most other drugs. This time, after getting the urge I remind myself how much I was coughing and sweating in the morning after these coughing fits. That has so far kept me from smoking. Jesus, we are weak humans for the most part. I will never ever tell anyone that I've quit smoking. I will only tell them I haven't smoked since September 4th 2022. No longer do I feel I have total power over that.
smoking is what causes the health problems related to smoking not the nicotine. So you could always just switch to dip which is as safe as it gets or even vape. The thing is you might slide back in the future, and you're better of just switching to a safer alternative that provides all the benefits of nicotine without the downsides of smoking. At the end of the day, you can ease your transition rather than go all or nothing...set yourself up for success.
Dude dip is not a safe alternative! Says so right on the can! Haha.

Seriously though, it's actually more addictive cuz you get the nicotine more efficiently. And it does cause cancer. There are plenty of cancer causing agents in chew.
the cancer risk is associated with poor oral hygiene. it is infinitely safer than smoking (combustion). It's the burning that causes all the health issues...sadly cigarettes are also the best delivery method of nicotine...the additives help too.
 
Good luck man. Nicotine is an extremely addictive drug. My wife and I quit at the same time 18 years ago. No cigarettes for me all those years but if I knew I was going to die tomorrow I’d probably go get a pack tonight. I’d love to smoke a camel straight or one of those French cigs right now.
 
Congrats man, 40 days is something to be proud of. You have already moved past the physical addiction and now it is pure mental. Avoid triggers, set some targets to reward yourself, and take it one day at a time. At some point, usually in the 6-12 month window, you realize you can't remember the last time you even thought about smoking.

One thing that helped me in the early stages was using one of those Quit Smoking apps. You put in your quit date, amount smoked daily, and price per pack. It gives you a running tally of how much money you have saved and how much time you have added back to your life. It also notifies you when you hit certain recovery benchmarks for things like blood, lungs, heart, skin, cancer, etc. Even if you have already quit you can still enter the quit date and it will show you where you currently sit with everything. (Stop Smoking Easy-Quit was the one I used).

Good luck!
 
One day at a time Johnny. And not to scare you but at your age it's getting late to have quitting have meaningful impacts on your life. And once you develop some kind of lung related condition they're extremely hard to reverse. And spending the rest of your days needing oxygen or something worse is no way to spend your last days. My MIL just died of lunch cancer at 74. She quit at 70.

If you're lucky enough to have not developed any noticeable lung effects you've gotten luck so far. Quit now rather than just keep doubling down on that luck.

You can do it and everything about your life will improve when you do. Taste, smell, lung capacity, how you smell, you'll have more money, etc.

Best of luck.
 
Smoking is so bad for our health and hygiene. Unfortunately it's really difficult to quit.
I quit after smoking only a few years (12-19) so I have little to which you could relate. I'll just wish you success in your efforts.
 
For me, it wasn't easy to quit until it was. My wife and I both decided to quit about 10 years ago and started taking Chantix. Neither of us reacted well to it. It put me into a murderous rage all the time. We finally looked at each other and decided that stopping smoking was worth it if we never had to take Chantix again. She quit right then and there. I would still have an occasional smoke for a year or so. Then I cut back to "only when we're out of the country". Yep. I'd buy a pack in Europe, Bahamas, wherever. But never in the US. I lost the urge after a year or two of that. The lat thing I smoked was a cigar in Havana. I didn't really enjoy it and haven't desired a smoke of any kind since. I feel very fortunate after smoking for 20+ years.

You can do it and I suspect at some point it will just become your new norm.
 
Not much advice for you, but I wish you luck. Maybe find yourself a sugar free hard candy you like and pop one of those in your mouth every time you feel an urge?
My father was addicted to Werthers at the end, lol.
Dad has been off it for a little over a year. Took an ambulance trip and two week hospital stay to get him to quit. Now he crushes tic-tacs all day long. When he’s triggered he’ll say, “ready for a smoke,” and rattle the tic-tac case. Menthols.
 
One thing I did that became kind of a ritual was transfer the cost of a price of cigarettes from my checking to my savings account every day to represent the pack I didn’t buy that day. It actually became something I didn’t want to miss out on (adds up fast, use it for a vacation or something).
 
One thing I did that became kind of a ritual was transfer the cost of a price of cigarettes from my checking to my savings account every day to represent the pack I didn’t buy that day. It actually became something I didn’t want to miss out on (adds up fast, use it for a vacation or something).
If I did this with booze I could probably buy myself a yacht on my 50th birthday.
 
One day at a time Johnny. And not to scare you but at your age it's getting late to have quitting have meaningful impacts on your life. And once you develop some kind of lung related condition they're extremely hard to reverse. And spending the rest of your days needing oxygen or something worse is no way to spend your last days. My MIL just died of lunch cancer at 74. She quit at 70.

If you're lucky enough to have not developed any noticeable lung effects you've gotten luck so far. Quit now rather than just keep doubling down on that luck.

You can do it and everything about your life will improve when you do. Taste, smell, lung capacity, how you smell, you'll have more money, etc.

Best of luck.
I’ve been fully checked with X-rays, CT lung cancer screening, COPD test and my lungs are OK. I was coughing chronically however. That has now gone away since I quit smoking and I feel good.
 
Not much advice for you, but I wish you luck. Maybe find yourself a sugar free hard candy you like and pop one of those in your mouth every time you feel an urge?
My father was addicted to Werthers at the end, lol.
Dad has been off it for a little over a year. Took an ambulance trip and two week hospital stay to get him to quit. Now he crushes tic-tacs all day long. When he’s triggered he’ll say, “ready for a smoke,” and rattle the tic-tac case. Menthols.
That’s a good story
 
I also quit in 2009 with Chantix. Went to Vegas five days after my last cigarette. When I survived that, I knew I had it whipped. The only side effect of Chantix for me was intensely sexual dreams.

I didn't say it was a negative side effect....

But yeah, cravings still exist. They're just a shadow of what they used to be, so they're quite manageable.
 
It's been 40 days and is tougher than a *****. I quit one time in 2009 to 2014 and started back like a dumb a**. I started smoking around 1974. It's the toughest thing I've ever tried to do. I got to the point where I was coughing non-stop and decided I couldn't go on like that anymore. Hell, after a few days of quitting smoking I quit coughing and that told me it was killing me. I feel that at 63 this is my last chance to live a longer life. For the record I've smoked anything from CIgs, to pipe, to cigars and back again. I would bet that this is harder to kick than most other drugs. This time, after getting the urge I remind myself how much I was coughing and sweating in the morning after these coughing fits. That has so far kept me from smoking. Jesus, we are weak humans for the most part. I will never ever tell anyone that I've quit smoking. I will only tell them I haven't smoked since September 4th 2022. No longer do I feel I have total power over that.
Good luck.
 
Not much advice for you, but I wish you luck. Maybe find yourself a sugar free hard candy you like and pop one of those in your mouth every time you feel an urge?
My father was addicted to Werthers at the end, lol.
Dad has been off it for a little over a year. Took an ambulance trip and two week hospital stay to get him to quit. Now he crushes tic-tacs all day long. When he’s triggered he’ll say, “ready for a smoke,” and rattle the tic-tac case. Menthols.
That’s a good story
I'm very proud of him. He has smoked my entire life. The hospital trip absolutely scared him straight. He said he wanted to buy a little more time with his grandkids. Who knows how much time you're buying for yourself by quitting?

Don't let it get to the point where it takes an ambulance ride because you can't breathe and subsequent hospital stay. Stop now.
 
One day at a time Johnny. And not to scare you but at your age it's getting late to have quitting have meaningful impacts on your life. And once you develop some kind of lung related condition they're extremely hard to reverse. And spending the rest of your days needing oxygen or something worse is no way to spend your last days. My MIL just died of lunch cancer at 74. She quit at 70.

If you're lucky enough to have not developed any noticeable lung effects you've gotten luck so far. Quit now rather than just keep doubling down on that luck.

You can do it and everything about your life will improve when you do. Taste, smell, lung capacity, how you smell, you'll have more money, etc.

Best of luck.
I’ve been fully checked with X-rays, CT lung cancer screening, COPD test and my lungs are OK. I was coughing chronically however. That has now gone away since I quit smoking and I feel good.
Excellent, do your best to take advantage of your good fortune.

You can totally do this. Best of luck!
 
Glad Chantix worked for you. But there are some really, really bad side effects for a not insignificant number of people, mainly suicide.

I'm aware. It wasn't a jingle for the product; rather it was an honest assessment of how I was able to quit knowing how difficult it is to quit. That medicine might have saved my life. It's harmed others, though, so caveat emptor for those reading this.

I also think that life-saving drugs like Chantix need a cost-benefit assessment before being taken from the marketplace, but that's neither here nor there. Chantix worked for me for some reason and I had no ill side effects from it. Everybody else's mileage may vary.
 
One thing I did that became kind of a ritual was transfer the cost of a price of cigarettes from my checking to my savings account every day to represent the pack I didn’t buy that day. It actually became something I didn’t want to miss out on (adds up fast, use it for a vacation or something).
i did this. only weekly. it actually had a two-fold effect for me in that i was dead broke and this helped me get in to a habit of setting aside a little money each week, which helped me crawl out of debt.
 
I’ll give you my story, been smoke free since 2001. I was a 2 pack a day guy sometimes more depending on the day & the stress. Chain smoked pretty regular, best part of the day was waking up and firing up that first smoke. I had a 5 year old and one on the way. The whole Y2K thing was too gimmicky for me and frankly I liked to smoke. Anyhow, it was weighing on me, I knew I needed to quit but as you said, it’s ****ing hard. One of the hardest things I’ve ever done. There was a stupid commercial that kept running on the radio about getting hypnotized to get you to quit smoking. Personally I think that’s snake oil but if it works for you, fantastic! Whatever it takes.

So the hypnosis thing wasn’t for me but something they said in the commercial was. They said after 3 days your body shakes it’s addiction to nicotine and after that it was all mental. I thought hell, I could take over the world in 3 days, I got this! I warned the wife the particular weekend I was going to give it a go so everyone was prepared. It was tough, reAl tough but I just kept thinking 3 days, just 3 days you ***** then you’re over the tough part. So stayed focused and noticed that as long as I had something in my mouth, gum, a toothpick, food, the desire for a smoke was diminished. Big fan of bubblegum so it became my crutch that weekend and I leaned hard on it. Made it through the weekend, didn’t get divorced and my kid was still talking to me so seemed like the worst was behind me. It wasn’t but I always had that thought in my head that your body doesn’t need nicotine you just think you do. I discovered sugar free Extra bubble gum and now don’t go anywhere without it. I’ve had one cigarette since. It was about 6 months after I quit and it tasted like licking an ashtray. Haven’t had a craving since.

That’s my story and I tell it to anyone who is trying to quit. It’s a right royal pain in the *** and one of the hardest things you’ll ever do, no question. The one thing I tell everyone though is you have to want to quit. If your head isn’t into it, don’t waste your time and keep huffing cancer darts. If you really want to quit, I mean really want it, you can do it. You can do anything you set your mind too and after 3 days*, your body says “I don’t need that ****”. It’s a mind over matter thing. You can do it!

* - I have no idea if that 3 day thing is true or not and don’t care. It was the hook that got me and made me feel like I could do it. Find your hook and run with it.
 
Read the Alan Carr book "Easy Way". It has a lot of good tips/info to help reframe how you look at nicotine. One of the best things I took from the book is "there's no such thing as one". A lot of people will stop for awhile and then say they'll just have one and then slip back. I'm pretty sure I would have if I didn't read the book.
 
Good luck man. Nicotine is an extremely addictive drug. My wife and I quit at the same time 18 years ago. No cigarettes for me all those years but if I knew I was going to die tomorrow I’d probably go get a pack tonight. I’d love to smoke a camel straight or one of those French cigs right now.

Yeah that's the thing, man. Even after decades you still want one.

When I was young and dumb, I used to think people who couldn't handle their liquor were weak and junkies were pathetic. Then I had the epiphany that oh man I'm an addict.

stick with it for your health and those that love you

@JohnnyU - I think the most effective way to make it stick is to use all the tools in your toolbox. The carrot and the stick. You're getting the stick part down, it's a disgusting, expensive habit that causes so many long term health problems. You could make a pretty good sized list of all the bad things that could happen if you don't quit for good. But it just as important to use the carrot of considering all the good things that will happen because you're an ex-smoker. The most important thing IMO is to not be selfish and think about all the people who care about you and love you. That can give you tremendous motivation. I'd like to say you do first and foremost because you love yourself, but a lot of us aren't so great at that lol.

Anyway, never quit quitting. If you stumble get back up and quit again. Good luck GB.
 
Good luck, JohnnyU. It's brutal. I was a lifelong smoker from the age of twenty until my early forties. I was so addicted. I finally took Chantix and was able to quit. I've actually used it twice to quit, because I resorted to smoking when I moved from CT to CA back in late 2015. I know it's a tough habit to break, but do it for your future. Do it for your health. They're a terrible, addictive thing these cigarettes.

You ain't weak. You're controlled by the endorphins and the high of a drug they specifically increase the amount of to keep you hooked. Good luck fighting this and I hope it works out for you.
Glad Chantix worked for you. But there are some really, really bad side effects for a not insignificant number of people, mainly suicide.
Quitting smoking is associated with neuropsychiatric side effects, too, including depression and suicidality. When studied systematically, it’s not clear Chantix is any worse than alternative smoking cessation aids in promoting depression:
The VA study population included 14,131 Chantix users and an equal number of NRT users. Among these patients, there were 16 psychiatric hospitalizations in Chantix-treated patients, and 21 in NRT patients. A Cox proportional hazards analysis showed no statistically significant difference in the risk of psychiatric hospitalization for Chantix users compared to NRT users (hazard ratio
for Chantix/NRT = 0.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.40-1.46). A complementary analysis in a prevalent user cohort of patients who had used NRT in the past before initiating Chantix or refilling an NRT prescription also showed no statistically significant difference in psychiatric hospitalizations between the two treatment groups. Also, the results using time periods longer than 30 days after a prescription fill were similar.

The DoD study was also a retrospective cohort study comparing the acute (30-day) rates of hospitalizations for neuropsychiatric adverse events among new users of Chantix (n=19,933) and NRT patch (n=15,867) who started therapy from August 1, 2006 to August 31, 2007 in the Military Health System. Patients were drawn from active duty military personnel, military retirees, and the dependents of either. Chantix users were matched using propensity scores to NRT users, with subgrouping by concomitant use of the prescription smoking cessation drug bupropion. After propensity score matching, there were 11,978 Chantix users and an equal number of NRT users in the study sample. The main outcome was a primary hospital discharge diagnosis for a neuropsychiatric condition. The following neuropsychiatric diagnoses were identified using ICD-9 codes: drug-induced mental disorders, transient mental disorders, schizophrenia, episodic and mood disorders, delusional disorders, other nonorganic psychoses, anxiety disorders, personality disorders, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive disorders, and suicide attempt.

In the DoD study’s propensity score matched samples, there were 18 psychiatric hospitalizations among Chantix users and 16 among NRT users. A Cox proportional hazard analysis did not show a statistically significant difference (HR for Chantix/NRT = 1.13; 95% CI 0.57-2.21). There was also no significant difference in psychiatric hospitalizations for Chantix users compared to NRT users when patients with concomitant bupropion use were excluded (HR = 0.91; 95% CI 0.39-2.14). Most (43) of the 55 neuropsychiatric hospitalizations (18 of the 23 Chantix events and 25 of the 32 NRT events) occurred in patients with a neuropsychiatric diagnosis in the year preceding the Chantix/NRT prescription fill, although such patients were a minority of the cohorts. Among patients with a neuropsychiatric diagnosis in the preceding year, 0.7% of Chantix users and 1.4% of NRT users were hospitalized for psychiatric care.


Lifetime smokes have about a 50% chance of dying from a smoking related illness. Chantix has had some neuropsychiatric side effects in post-marketing surveillance, including ~500 completed suicides, but it also triples the likelihood smoking cessation is successful. In sum, it is thought the benefits far exceed the risk, as reflected by the most recent FDA summary:
Based on a U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review of a large clinical trial that we required the drug companies to conduct,1 we have determined the risk of serious side effects on mood, behavior, or thinking with the stop-smoking medicines Chantix (varenicline) and Zyban (bupropion)* is lower than previously suspected. The risk of these mental health side effects is still present, especially in those currently being treated for mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety disorders, or schizophrenia, or who have been treated for mental illnesses in the past. However, most people who had these side effects did not have serious consequences such as hospitalization. The results of the trial confirm that the benefits of stopping smoking outweigh the risks of these medicines.

As a result of our review of the large clinical trial, we are removing the Boxed Warning, FDA’s most prominent warning, for serious mental health side effects from the Chantix drug label.
 
It's been 34 days and is tougher than a *****. I quit one time in 2009 to 2014 and started back like a dumb a**. I started smoking around 1974. It's the toughest thing I've ever tried to do. I got to the point where I was coughing non-stop and decided I couldn't go on like that anymore. Hell, after a few days of quitting smoking I quit coughing and that told me it was killing me. I feel that at 63 this is my last chance to live a longer life. For the record I've smoked anything from CIgs, to pipe, to cigars and back again. I would bet that this is harder to kick than most other drugs. This time, after getting the urge I remind myself how much I was coughing and sweating in the morning after these coughing fits. That has so far kept me from smoking. Jesus, we are weak humans for the most part. I will never ever tell anyone that I've quit smoking. I will only tell them I haven't smoked since September 4th 2022. No longer do I feel I have total power over that.
smoking is what causes the health problems related to smoking not the nicotine. So you could always just switch to dip which is as safe as it gets or even vape. The thing is you might slide back in the future, and you're better of just switching to a safer alternative that provides all the benefits of nicotine without the downsides of smoking. At the end of the day, you can ease your transition rather than go all or nothing...set yourself up for success.
I believe that the physical addiction is over in 5 days once you don't put any nicotine in your body. Whether that is through patches or any other method. The real issue is overcoming the mental addiction. I believe smoking addiction is 20% physical and 80% mental, so until you overcome what makes you want to smoke from a mental perspective, you will never beat it. I know that is true because I quit for 5 years. Only now I'm 63 and suffering like I never did when I quit for those 5 years, so I have to quit now. If that is not motive enough then I'm dooY

It's been 34 days and is tougher than a *****. I quit one time in 2009 to 2014 and started back like a dumb a**. I started smoking around 1974. It's the toughest thing I've ever tried to do. I got to the point where I was coughing non-stop and decided I couldn't go on like that anymore. Hell, after a few days of quitting smoking I quit coughing and that told me it was killing me. I feel that at 63 this is my last chance to live a longer life. For the record I've smoked anything from CIgs, to pipe, to cigars and back again. I would bet that this is harder to kick than most other drugs. This time, after getting the urge I remind myself how much I was coughing and sweating in the morning after these coughing fits. That has so far kept me from smoking. Jesus, we are weak humans for the most part. I will never ever tell anyone that I've quit smoking. I will only tell them I haven't smoked since September 4th 2022. No longer do I feel I have total power over that.
smoking is what causes the health problems related to smoking not the nicotine. So you could always just switch to dip which is as safe as it gets or even vape. The thing is you might slide back in the future, and you're better of just switching to a safer alternative that provides all the benefits of nicotine without the downsides of smoking. At the end of the day, you can ease your transition rather than go all or nothing...set yourself up for success.
I believe that the physical addiction is over in 5 days once you don't put any nicotine in your body. Whether that is through patches or any other method. The real issue is overcoming the mental addiction. I believe smoking addiction is 20% physical and 80% mental, so until you overcome what makes you want to smoke from a mental perspective, you will never beat it. I know that is true because I quit for 5 years. Only now I'm 63 and suffering like I never did when I quit for those 5 years, so I have to quit now. If that is not motive enough then I'm doomed.
You're right but here's the thing. Our current model of addiction is extremely flawed. It's based on a puritan ideal which is in opposition to reality. We do what we do for a reason. The substances, be it uppers, downers or hallucinogens not only mimick what our bodies naturally produce, but they also provide us with insight into our basic needs that are not being met. Uppers provide us with energy, downers/anxiolytics take the edge off and help us escape from the world/not feel so scared to engage with the world and lastly hallucinogens provide perspective (Forest vs trees).

This is an oversimplification but the concept is what is important. Uppers/stimulants: is essentially anything, be it a substance or activity (mental or physical) that results in an increase in energy. Ex: nicotine, caffeine, exercise, stimulating conversation, dark chocolate. They are all short acting. For some of us, when we are stimulated it actually calms us down while for others stimulation makes them more anxious and their substance of choice will be a downer (THC, alcohol, opiates, food...).

We wouldn't keep doing something if it didn't provide us with something we were missing...be it biological (ex: more or less adrenaline) or psychological (expanding our minds, safety or even self harm)

So how do you make sense of the fact that nicotine is out of your system and your mind and body still craves a stimulant? The habit argument like the gateway theory does not hold in the real world. Especially when a vast majority of nicotine users don't crave nicotine or even stop to think about it when they are busy/distracted doing something that is stimulating.

A car needs fuel to run. Starving the car of fuel or even substituting it with vegetable oil just quite won't leave you with much of a car. Find yourself a safer alternative to cigarettes for your nicotine intake..behavioural stimulation or through other means. Cause you and your car are not addicted just because you run on fuel.

Does that make sense?
Sounds like a bunch of nonsense to excuse weakness.

Want to quit? Stop smoking.
 
Former nicotine addict here. Everyone has to find what works for them, but if someone was looking for advice, I'd strongly recommend cold turkey. All that the patches/gum are doing are prolonging your torment. You're adding weeks of struggle through reduced nicotine to the struggle you're going to have when you stop.

Recommendation: find a three day weekend, lock yourself in your bedroom and just watch tv, read, and sleep. No plans, no responsibilities, no alcohol, no conversations with people. Those are the hardest days. Then after that, you just have to keep telling yourself each day, "if I have one now, I'm going to have to do this all over again".

Best of luck.
 
It's been 34 days and is tougher than a *****. I quit one time in 2009 to 2014 and started back like a dumb a**. I started smoking around 1974. It's the toughest thing I've ever tried to do. I got to the point where I was coughing non-stop and decided I couldn't go on like that anymore. Hell, after a few days of quitting smoking I quit coughing and that told me it was killing me. I feel that at 63 this is my last chance to live a longer life. For the record I've smoked anything from CIgs, to pipe, to cigars and back again. I would bet that this is harder to kick than most other drugs. This time, after getting the urge I remind myself how much I was coughing and sweating in the morning after these coughing fits. That has so far kept me from smoking. Jesus, we are weak humans for the most part. I will never ever tell anyone that I've quit smoking. I will only tell them I haven't smoked since September 4th 2022. No longer do I feel I have total power over that.
smoking is what causes the health problems related to smoking not the nicotine. So you could always just switch to dip which is as safe as it gets or even vape. The thing is you might slide back in the future, and you're better of just switching to a safer alternative that provides all the benefits of nicotine without the downsides of smoking. At the end of the day, you can ease your transition rather than go all or nothing...set yourself up for success.
I believe that the physical addiction is over in 5 days once you don't put any nicotine in your body. Whether that is through patches or any other method. The real issue is overcoming the mental addiction. I believe smoking addiction is 20% physical and 80% mental, so until you overcome what makes you want to smoke from a mental perspective, you will never beat it. I know that is true because I quit for 5 years. Only now I'm 63 and suffering like I never did when I quit for those 5 years, so I have to quit now. If that is not motive enough then I'm dooY

It's been 34 days and is tougher than a *****. I quit one time in 2009 to 2014 and started back like a dumb a**. I started smoking around 1974. It's the toughest thing I've ever tried to do. I got to the point where I was coughing non-stop and decided I couldn't go on like that anymore. Hell, after a few days of quitting smoking I quit coughing and that told me it was killing me. I feel that at 63 this is my last chance to live a longer life. For the record I've smoked anything from CIgs, to pipe, to cigars and back again. I would bet that this is harder to kick than most other drugs. This time, after getting the urge I remind myself how much I was coughing and sweating in the morning after these coughing fits. That has so far kept me from smoking. Jesus, we are weak humans for the most part. I will never ever tell anyone that I've quit smoking. I will only tell them I haven't smoked since September 4th 2022. No longer do I feel I have total power over that.
smoking is what causes the health problems related to smoking not the nicotine. So you could always just switch to dip which is as safe as it gets or even vape. The thing is you might slide back in the future, and you're better of just switching to a safer alternative that provides all the benefits of nicotine without the downsides of smoking. At the end of the day, you can ease your transition rather than go all or nothing...set yourself up for success.
I believe that the physical addiction is over in 5 days once you don't put any nicotine in your body. Whether that is through patches or any other method. The real issue is overcoming the mental addiction. I believe smoking addiction is 20% physical and 80% mental, so until you overcome what makes you want to smoke from a mental perspective, you will never beat it. I know that is true because I quit for 5 years. Only now I'm 63 and suffering like I never did when I quit for those 5 years, so I have to quit now. If that is not motive enough then I'm doomed.
You're right but here's the thing. Our current model of addiction is extremely flawed. It's based on a puritan ideal which is in opposition to reality. We do what we do for a reason. The substances, be it uppers, downers or hallucinogens not only mimick what our bodies naturally produce, but they also provide us with insight into our basic needs that are not being met. Uppers provide us with energy, downers/anxiolytics take the edge off and help us escape from the world/not feel so scared to engage with the world and lastly hallucinogens provide perspective (Forest vs trees).

This is an oversimplification but the concept is what is important. Uppers/stimulants: is essentially anything, be it a substance or activity (mental or physical) that results in an increase in energy. Ex: nicotine, caffeine, exercise, stimulating conversation, dark chocolate. They are all short acting. For some of us, when we are stimulated it actually calms us down while for others stimulation makes them more anxious and their substance of choice will be a downer (THC, alcohol, opiates, food...).

We wouldn't keep doing something if it didn't provide us with something we were missing...be it biological (ex: more or less adrenaline) or psychological (expanding our minds, safety or even self harm)

So how do you make sense of the fact that nicotine is out of your system and your mind and body still craves a stimulant? The habit argument like the gateway theory does not hold in the real world. Especially when a vast majority of nicotine users don't crave nicotine or even stop to think about it when they are busy/distracted doing something that is stimulating.

A car needs fuel to run. Starving the car of fuel or even substituting it with vegetable oil just quite won't leave you with much of a car. Find yourself a safer alternative to cigarettes for your nicotine intake..behavioural stimulation or through other means. Cause you and your car are not addicted just because you run on fuel.

Does that make sense?
Sounds like a bunch of nonsense to excuse weakness.

Want to quit? Stop smoking

Quitting smoking doesn't have to = quitting nicotine. To declare it nonsense you'd first have to provide an alternative explanation that makes sense....just saying.
 
Good luck with your goal to quit. I know it's not easy. Have you heard about the company fum? One of my vendors is trying to quit and he replaced his cigarettes with one of them. It looks like a device that mimics smoking but with no nicotine and uses essential oils. I know nothing about its safety or side effects, but so far it's been working for him.
 
Good luck and hang in there! I smoked for many years and then quit around 2004. Was smoke free for years! Like an idiot, I ended up having a smoke with a guy I work with at lunch one day. This would have been around 2010. From 2010 to like 2015 I would have an occasional cigarette with my coworker or bum a smoke when hanging out with friends that smoked, etc. Over time that morphed into I would buy my own pack for special occasions. Going to Vegas? Have to take some smokes for that. Going to spend a weekend at the islands? Need a pack or two. By the time my son was getting married in 2018 I was back baby. Smoking about 1/2 a pack a day. Occasionally doing the "Vape" option to not smoke. My wife HATES cigarettes and really didn't like when I smoked.

Last year my old man (who quit smoking when I was 5 over 40 some years ago) developed lung cancer. I was taking him to the VA for treatment. I knew there was no way I could look him in the eyes and say "Hey pops, I know you are going through chemo and all that right now, but I'm gonna go outside and catch a smoke real quick. BRB". On December 11th I had my last cigarette. It was 3pm. I used the patch and started out with Step 2 because I was only smoking about 10-12 cigarettes a day. I stopped using the patch at the end of December. I kept falling asleep with the patch on and forgetting to replace it until much later in the day. I realized at that point I didn't really need the patch anymore. My real first test was drinking too much and not having that horrible craving for a smoke. That was when I knew I was finally free! I also know I can NEVER smoke a cigarette again. Not even one hit. Quitting smoking sucks and I put myself through it all the way 2x now.

Keep it up. It is so much better on the other side. I feel better, I breathe better, and my wallet is happier. :hifive:
 
Here's my only $0.02: Just remembah... it's that first cigarette that starts you smoking again. That's right... you cannot even have one, no matter the excuse or occasion. I quit May 1, 1989, after having done like Mark Twain and quit and started many times before that. You can't become a smoker again if you don't have that first one.

"It’s easy to quit smoking. I’ve done it hundreds of times."
 
My tobacco habit of choice was either a cigarillo (BLK Cherry) or pipe (black cavendish and cherry). A million years ago I smoked cigs, but I can't stand them. They don't smell or taste as good as the pipe. All of them are off the table now. I realize, like @top dog said, you can't really be a part time smoker without eventually being right back where you were.
 
It's been 34 days and is tougher than a *****. I quit one time in 2009 to 2014 and started back like a dumb a**. I started smoking around 1974. It's the toughest thing I've ever tried to do. I got to the point where I was coughing non-stop and decided I couldn't go on like that anymore. Hell, after a few days of quitting smoking I quit coughing and that told me it was killing me. I feel that at 63 this is my last chance to live a longer life. For the record I've smoked anything from CIgs, to pipe, to cigars and back again. I would bet that this is harder to kick than most other drugs. This time, after getting the urge I remind myself how much I was coughing and sweating in the morning after these coughing fits. That has so far kept me from smoking. Jesus, we are weak humans for the most part. I will never ever tell anyone that I've quit smoking. I will only tell them I haven't smoked since September 4th 2022. No longer do I feel I have total power over that.
smoking is what causes the health problems related to smoking not the nicotine. So you could always just switch to dip which is as safe as it gets or even vape. The thing is you might slide back in the future, and you're better of just switching to a safer alternative that provides all the benefits of nicotine without the downsides of smoking. At the end of the day, you can ease your transition rather than go all or nothing...set yourself up for success.
I believe that the physical addiction is over in 5 days once you don't put any nicotine in your body. Whether that is through patches or any other method. The real issue is overcoming the mental addiction. I believe smoking addiction is 20% physical and 80% mental, so until you overcome what makes you want to smoke from a mental perspective, you will never beat it. I know that is true because I quit for 5 years. Only now I'm 63 and suffering like I never did when I quit for those 5 years, so I have to quit now. If that is not motive enough then I'm dooY

It's been 34 days and is tougher than a *****. I quit one time in 2009 to 2014 and started back like a dumb a**. I started smoking around 1974. It's the toughest thing I've ever tried to do. I got to the point where I was coughing non-stop and decided I couldn't go on like that anymore. Hell, after a few days of quitting smoking I quit coughing and that told me it was killing me. I feel that at 63 this is my last chance to live a longer life. For the record I've smoked anything from CIgs, to pipe, to cigars and back again. I would bet that this is harder to kick than most other drugs. This time, after getting the urge I remind myself how much I was coughing and sweating in the morning after these coughing fits. That has so far kept me from smoking. Jesus, we are weak humans for the most part. I will never ever tell anyone that I've quit smoking. I will only tell them I haven't smoked since September 4th 2022. No longer do I feel I have total power over that.
smoking is what causes the health problems related to smoking not the nicotine. So you could always just switch to dip which is as safe as it gets or even vape. The thing is you might slide back in the future, and you're better of just switching to a safer alternative that provides all the benefits of nicotine without the downsides of smoking. At the end of the day, you can ease your transition rather than go all or nothing...set yourself up for success.
I believe that the physical addiction is over in 5 days once you don't put any nicotine in your body. Whether that is through patches or any other method. The real issue is overcoming the mental addiction. I believe smoking addiction is 20% physical and 80% mental, so until you overcome what makes you want to smoke from a mental perspective, you will never beat it. I know that is true because I quit for 5 years. Only now I'm 63 and suffering like I never did when I quit for those 5 years, so I have to quit now. If that is not motive enough then I'm doomed.
You're right but here's the thing. Our current model of addiction is extremely flawed. It's based on a puritan ideal which is in opposition to reality. We do what we do for a reason. The substances, be it uppers, downers or hallucinogens not only mimick what our bodies naturally produce, but they also provide us with insight into our basic needs that are not being met. Uppers provide us with energy, downers/anxiolytics take the edge off and help us escape from the world/not feel so scared to engage with the world and lastly hallucinogens provide perspective (Forest vs trees).

This is an oversimplification but the concept is what is important. Uppers/stimulants: is essentially anything, be it a substance or activity (mental or physical) that results in an increase in energy. Ex: nicotine, caffeine, exercise, stimulating conversation, dark chocolate. They are all short acting. For some of us, when we are stimulated it actually calms us down while for others stimulation makes them more anxious and their substance of choice will be a downer (THC, alcohol, opiates, food...).

We wouldn't keep doing something if it didn't provide us with something we were missing...be it biological (ex: more or less adrenaline) or psychological (expanding our minds, safety or even self harm)

So how do you make sense of the fact that nicotine is out of your system and your mind and body still craves a stimulant? The habit argument like the gateway theory does not hold in the real world. Especially when a vast majority of nicotine users don't crave nicotine or even stop to think about it when they are busy/distracted doing something that is stimulating.

A car needs fuel to run. Starving the car of fuel or even substituting it with vegetable oil just quite won't leave you with much of a car. Find yourself a safer alternative to cigarettes for your nicotine intake..behavioural stimulation or through other means. Cause you and your car are not addicted just because you run on fuel.

Does that make sense?
Sounds like a bunch of nonsense to excuse weakness.

Want to quit? Stop smoking

Quitting smoking doesn't have to = quitting nicotine. To declare it nonsense you'd first have to provide an alternative explanation that makes sense....just saying.
I disagree, but each to their own. Whether using smokeless tobacco and rot your mouth off, or smoke and rot from within, all are horrible for your health.
 
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