Hi girls, .......................

Do you Smoke after sex? ................................. I don't know, I never looked!!!
(sorry, had to get that one out)!!

Anyway, what I was wondering is ..................
I'm sure, over the past number of years, a number of you have given up "the dreaded weed", and on and off for the past couple of years,I've been trying to myself!

The only problem is, although I've tried just about every method you could think of, within a short period of time, I'm back on them again!!

I've tried patches, gum, acupuncture, Self-help courses, hypno-therapy ................ just about the lot!!
So, if any of you have a method that I haven't tried yet, or some other suggestions about what to do, I'd really be grateful!

The stupid thing is that, 9 years ago, I gave up alcohol, relatively easily!
Why oh Why are the ciggies so damned hard? !!

Any ideas would be great !!

Hugs,
Angela.

Geez, quitting smoking is easy if you really want to quit.

First you need to figure out why you smoke, what are you getting out of it. NOTHING, so move on.

Sure you know smoking causes all that bad stuff, forget it, don't dwell on it.

Fact is, you fear quitting is going to do something to you. You're right, it is going to improve your health, stop you from smelling, no more yellow teeth, no more being a frickin drug addict because that is what nicotine is, a drug.

You are afraid of withdrawal pains. LOL, the biggest farse, nicotine witdrawal pains are pretty much the least of all drugs, caffiene withdrawal is worse.

Open your darn mind up, society has you so brainwashed that it is hard to quit smoking and you believe it. Face it, they don't make you feel better, they taste terrible. Go smoke one right now and inhale deeply and think about the taste, pretty lousy isn't it? So what is it doing for you, NOTHING.

You mentioned substitutes like patches and gum. You don't need that garbage, you somehow think this is a habit, it is NOT, it is a frickin DRUG ADDICTION, just like a heroin addict that shoots up. If you want to stop, stop pretending and stop.

It does not take will power and whatever you do don't count the number of days you have stopped. It is not a game, all that does is set up failure looking for a point that you can give in.

So if you seriously want to quit, all you need to do is say "I AM A NON SMOKER". You cannot ever again have even one cigarette, nicotine is an addictive drug and all it will take is one to get you going again. It will taste lousy and you will think you will have no problem stopping again. That is what you probably said after the very first cigarette you ever smoked. Just don't, it is a drug.

Do not try to cut back first, it only makes it harder on you. If you are going to quit, quit NOW.
Also, don't worry if things are really stressful right now, that is the best time to quit. You will know if you can make it through a stressful period, you can handle anything.

The toughest part of quitting is overcoming that brainwashing in your head. There is nothing to fear, nicotine does not make you feel better, all it is is a drug addiction and nicotine is a very week drug. If you do get withdrawal pains, smile, celebrate, because that is the nasty crap leaving your body.

I hope this will help you and others. Whatever you do, don't stop trying. You may think you can't stop, but believe me, you can.

Love,
Marsha

Well Marsha,
Nothing like a bit of "straight talking", and girl, that is some straight talking you give there! LoL.
But, seriously, you're perfectly correct!
It is "a Crock of Sh*t", the beliefs and delusions we put ourselves under, when it comes to giving up!
I suppose it's a matter of getting through all that "garbage" in your head, that gets you on the road!

And, you're SO right, (and in a way it's why I've chosen to try and quit, again, now), that if I can do it now, with all the stresses etc., going on in my life at the moment, I'll never look back!

Thanks Marsha.
Your "shooting from the hip", is really just the sort of motivation I need!

Hugs,
Angela.

Smile. Obviously it is not something I tend to talk about. I found smoking to be totally embarassing. Being on HRT, smoking is one of the dumbest things you can do. I've stopped on and off in the past, but when I learned about this easy way to quit I had to try. I could not believe it, I had no withdrawal pains at all. The key is to focus on your messed up head, you don't need the cigarettes for anything and withdrawal is nothing. You are stopping a drug, not a habit. You don't need it, stop.

Love,
Marsha

It's not like Marsha, to be straight talking lol. Actually, she's quite right in what she says. There is a great deal of myth involved in giving up. It's not actually as difficult as is made out and the reason many people struggle to quit is because they think they should but don't really want to, and I say this as a smoker. I enjoy a cigarette but don't enjoy twenty a day. A lot of smoking is habit smoking, you light up when you're on the phone, when you're waiting for a bus, just before you go into work. On none of these occassions do you necessarily want one. So why have one. When I have stopped in the past I found it easy. I did two things. I would make sure I had cigarettes, it is surprising how you don't get so desparate to have one when you know you can if you want to. If the urge becomes unbearable then remember to take one drag only and then put it out, that's all it takes to remove the craving. After a few days you just don't bother at all. Also many employers now don't permit smoking in the environs of the workplace, that has never posed a problem, again empathises the myth factor. I do like a cigarette after sex though, in which case I might make an exception to the twenty a day rule.

Porscha, you added a couple great points. The 20 a day smoker basically convinces themself for health reasons that a pack is their maximum. You made a super point about being able to go to bed, work, or whatever and be able to handle not smoking for that period. Again it is because nicotine is a very weak drug. Withdrawl symptoms actually start the moment you put out your last cigarette. So if you can survive a night in bed without one, there is no reason you can't quit altogether.

Marsha

P.S. Anne, you are the smartest of the bunch for never starting in the first place.

Girls, some very good and interesting comments.
As Porscha says, now, a lot of businesses don't allow smoking in their environs, so the opportunity to smoke at work is reduced. As you may well know already, here in Ireland, we brought in the "smoking Ban" 5 years ago (first European country to do so), and it's had a number of effects. Among them are, that if you go into a bar or restaurant now, the air isn't laden with the smell of smoke, which even as a smoker, I hate!, and also, because you can't smoke in any enclosed public space, or work-place, when you do take a "smoke-break", you tend to only have a few drags from the ciggie, and go inside again. so, although you may still buy your packet of 20 every day, you're probably only smoking the equivalent of 10.
But, I know, that may sound like an excuse to avoid giving up.
I'm not going to use it!
I WILL give up!
I WILL succeed!

Oh, and by the by, Joni Marie, 2 things ....................
ALWAYS use only the best!! It avoids problems later! LoL.

Congratulations on your 1500th. post!

Hugs,
Angela.

Karen, Sorry to hear that you "lapsed", but you could join me in trying again.

As you say, some of the "cures" can cost a small fortune! I know! I think I've tried them all, at some time or another!
How I wish someone had said to me that they'd "pick-up the tab" .............. the purse wouldn't feel so light as it does! LoL.

But, after trying them all, I think probably the most effective, and certainly the cheapest, would be for me to take the "cold turkey" route.
It can surely be no less successful as the other attempts!

Karen ........... give it another try!
You never know ................. it might, like I hope for myself, be successful this time!

Hugs,
Angela.

Joni Marie.
I don't know what you're apologising for ...................... your "flipant remark" was just Perfect!
Without a sense of humour, where would we be? !!
The way we have to live our lives, who could possibly get by without the ability, not only to laugh at others, but, more often than not, to laugh at ones self sometimes? !!

But, seriously, having tried just about everything else, I think it's definitely "cold turkey" for me, this time!

Hope you keep "smoking" Joni Marie ................... (and I'm not talking about ciggies here!!!) LoL.

Hugs,
Angela.

I used to but gave up over seven months ago. And haven't touched one since and never want to again.

Donna,

Hopefully I can make exactly the same post as you in 7 months!
Good on ya, girl !!

Hugs,
Angela.

Geez Angela, knock that hopefully stuff off. You can and will make that 7 month post. You don't need them anymore, it is time to put them behind you and move on with your life.
Love,
Marsha

i'm only replying so i can flaunt my virtueosity......i have never smoked not one never .....

wearing enormous halo..................

vikki xx

hi all this is my 4th week now off the weed & im using patches
i went to my gp and started one of their programs that is funded by the goverment [ free patches ]
the program lasts for 6 months with visits to the gp on a weekly basis so they can check you out
using a carbon monoxide breathaliser.first test was 47% on my last visit yesterday its down to 4%.
i used to smoke 30 a day for the last 40 years, so its a big task for me,
so far im finding it ok and have not slipped up once,
good luck to any one else trying




ps i feel much better and taste things a lot more, so treat myself to dinning out more often,
andi x

Sorry, Marsha!!

I know what you say!
It's just, these days, everything with me seems to have a codecil attatched to it ......... "hopefully"!
But I will try and get rid of it! ................................. (hopefully) !!!! LoL.
Actually, you're perfectly right to chide me about it.
It's just one of those words that's crept up on me recently!

And Vikki .................. Keep that halo polished!
It's well worth flaunting it now and again!

Hugs,
Angela.

Angela - straight talk is fine, whether it comes from an ex-smoker or a non smoker.
As a former smoker it is tough to quit(emphasis added). Don't let anyone tell you "you just have to make up your mind." That doesn't solve your problem.
Question: Do you need to quit?
I had to quit. I was catching the flu every winter. Losing my breakfast every morning and developing a permenant broncial cough. Luckily, I found out that I was alergic to tobacco. That helped - I went cold turkey and haven't touched a cigarette or pipe since 1980. I do enjoy a "good" cigar on rare occasions.
You will miss smoking for about 3 to 4 years. Like an alcoholic you have to take one day at a time.
If you can't go cold turkey then break the ritual of smoking. Go over in your mind the steps you take to light a cigarette. Remove one step at a time. Remember this isn't a quick fix - it takes about 3 months to remove each step.
Too bad we weren't told of the problems related to smoking - hopefully we wouldn't have started.
Think of all the people who have died from lung cancer.
Sorry that's a bad thought.
hugs and I'll keep you in my thoughts
Gracie

Hi Angela

If you were a churchgoer I would suggest you give up for Lent which started today. Many years ago I made several attempts to stop (I was smoking about twenty daily). Then stopped for Lent and never smoked again. Mind you it was a few years before the craving went away.

Angela, I don't know if you are on HRT, but I started a couple of months ago. I inject myself with estradiol every 2 weeks. On the outside of the little box is a label in large red letters (larger than the doctor's instructions for use) that says 'DO NOT SMOKE WHEN USING THIS MEDICATION!' I read somewhere that MTF's on HRT who smoke are 50% more likely to develop lumps in their breasts and are more prone to thromboses (strokes&heart attacks&clots) than genetic females who smoke. The endocrinologist overseeing my HRT confirmed this. I was a pack-a-day camel non-filter addict for 43 yrs. I couldn't handle having gone to all the trouble, pain, and expense of metamorphosing only to have my life cut short by breast cancer! I wouldn't allow myself to start shooting hormones into my thigh until I had given up smoking. I told myself, "If you really want to be a woman, quitting will NOT be a problem! I DID use this new stuff - Chantix - for 2 months, but I stopped and I'm now into my 3rd month of HRT... and the breasts are starting to develop quite nicely! I wouldn't trade them for all the tobacco in Kentucky! A word of caution however, Chantix does not mix well w/alcohol and is quite expensive. So, if you are NOT yet on HRT, I strongly urge you to start - it could provide the incentive to quit... FOR LIFE!

I wish you the best in your efforts, XO
amandalavender

Girls,

Sorry I've not replied, and thanked you all in the past couple of days for your comments and suggestions.
Unfortunately, a little word ............ "work" ............. gets in the way sometimes, and I have to do a bit of it! This means that I'm off-line for a couple of days at a time, but, work over now for another couple of days, so I'm back with you all again!

To answer/comment on the last numbr of posts ......................

As I I said earlier in the string, Giving up smoking is a lot harder for me than I found giving up alcohol!
Wendy's comments are so true!
I might as well be totally honest with you all, as I've said publically here that I gave up alcohol nearly 9 years ago, that, yes, I'm an Alcoholic ........ in recovery, so, taking one day at a time, is normal for me!!

But, giving up alcohol, though not easy, seemed to be much simpler than ciggies are being!
But, one way or another, I'll get there!

Amanda, you couldn't have been more "spot on" than you were!
It's mainly because I started my 'mones last August, that the "major drive" to give up the ciggies is now an important step!
But, of course, just giving up for all the other health/smell reasons plays a part as well!

So girls, thanks for all your suggestions and comments so far ............. it was really nice to log-on after a few days away, and find some more really useful posts waiting!
Also, I hope the string is useful to lots of the other girls, as well!

Hugs.
Angela.

I replaced each ciggie with a small beer, it helps with the relaxation...worked for me

WoW this is an oldie but goody. I posted the first reply to the original comment here and it was fun rereading it. I think quitting smoking gave me more credibility with my wife and doctor, that transitioning was just that important to me I would give up smoking. It turned out to be so easy for me to quit because I wanted to. Those wanting to quit please read my first post to this thread. It is truly mind over matter, it doesn't take anything fancy. Good luck.
Hugs,
Marsha

Thankfully, after years of smoking , I quit ten years ago but it sure as heck wasn't easy . I used the patch . I also stayed away from everyone I know that smoked for about a month. I also used a " buddy system " as I had done when I was in A A years earlier . I think the thing that made my atempt sucessfull was the fact that I had come to the conclusion that it was time to stop ! In addition to working in the automotive repair fields , I knew I was slowly poisioning myself . The cigarettes were simply one more way I was contributing to my demise . Ellen S.

With so much information available it is surprising to see so many people still smoking - cigarettes.
Cigarettes are made from the lowest grade tobacco plus all the junk thrown in make them deadly.
Slightly better tobacco is used in pipe tobacco but still the suppliers insist on adding stuff.
Some cigars are the made from the best tobacco but that doesn't mean they're safe. The only saving factor for cigars is that "junk or stuff" is not normally added.
With this informatiion in mind, don't get the idea that you can switch to cigars and be safe from lung, throat or mouth cancer.- you aren't. You're still putting heat into you which is not safe - body heat does not need any warming.
I started smoking in 1946 - stopped cigarettes in 1965 - smoked a pipe until 1980 - smoke an occasional cigar. Got to quit them-they're getting too expensive. I also smoke the mildest cigar available but that doesn't give me a reason to smoke.

New Year's resolution
Think positive plus quit smoking.

I stopped smoking just over 12 years ago. When I got the craving I did something else until it went, usually something physical like jumping up and down or running on the spot. Putting on some loud rock and dancing and singing until the craving went. I'm perfectly serious about this, I was a heavy smoker and hand on heart I've not smoked since the day I stopped.

Amazingly and astonishingly I find myself agreeing with Marsha!Having stopped drinking after a long struggle and largely thanks to a 12-step programme I thought I had enough self-respect back to stop another addiction.I had a gut feeling that it would be tempting fate to do the same with nicotine(for obvious reasons).The best advice I received,and I worry about so-called 'positive Thinking-was - INSTEAD of saying to yourself and your friends that you were TRYING to stop-that indeed you HAD and were just going through mild withdrawal symptoms.It worked for me but I think that the self-knowledge(humbling most of it) gained from my battle with alcohol gave me the confidence to kick the nicotine.Oh-AND another thingne of the finest if humiliating things I learnt about my struggle with the booze was that 'I didn't BEAT the drink-the drink beat me!