Quit Smoking!
Posted October 8, 2009 6:41 AM
My non-smoking editor has given me the most challenging assignment of my career: To quit my 30-plus year nicotine addiction. And to write about it.
Naturally, my first reaction was #*&%$#!!!!%. It's not that I haven't tried to quit smoking. Boy have I tried. Each time I start out feeling optimistic but nervous, the optimism quickly fades as I become a little cranky, then a lot cranky until finally I turn into a venom-spewing, head-spinning character out of the Exorcist (well, maybe not literally). That's when I cave and light a cigarette.
It's not that I don't recognize the danger--we all know the litany of health risks associated with smoking: Heart disease, lung disease, a variety of cancers and increased risk of stroke to name just a few. Then there's the expense. It's obscene. Where I live, cigarettes cost $5.75 a pack. I smoke at least a pack and a half a day. I'm no math wiz, but I know my habit adds up to thousands of dollars a year. And, oh yeah, cigarettes are gross! No wonder those of us who still smoke sneak our cigarettes, we hide our habit so we don't have to answer to those who ask "Oh, you still smoke?!" I can't ever imagine that cigarettes were ever seen as glamorous.
So I have accepted the challenge, bring on the assignment. This time will be different. I can do this. I will do this.
I AM A QUITTER! That's my new mantra.
That's right, I am a quitter and I have been since I was a child. I quit the girl scouts, summer camp, and piano lessons before the age of 10. In high school I quit the drama club, the ski club, a few boyfriends and my job at the yogurt shop. I quit both my first attempt at college and my first marriage. I'm happy to report that in both cases, the second time was the charm.
So, it's just taken me a few hundred more times to get it right with smoking. And here's one big difference: In past attempts I've tried to quit on my own. This time I'm inviting ThirdAgers on the journey with me. Send me your comments, tell me your stories, together maybe we can kick this habit. For good.
In case your support isn't quite enough, I've made an appointment with a hypnotist, I am quite optimistic. Really.
I will keep you posted as I attempt to stamp out my cigarette habit. I can do it. After all, I am a quitter.
Comments (10)
Have something to say? Share your thoughts.
Posted October 14, 2009 11:32 PM
I have no helpful hints on how to quit smoking since I fortunately did not have that problem. However, my husband, years ago decided to end a four pack a day habit... and did it with hypnosis. You have to be really motivated to do it that way and he had a reason... we had a new baby and he didn't want to be around the baby like that. The baby is now 21 and husband remains smoke-free. I wish others success in whatever way they attempt to regain control of their life.
Posted October 14, 2009 4:31 PM
I have also been tring to quit - have several times but stress always got it back - would like to find a retreat, which has group therapy, nutriction teaching and overall wellness program - would like to get my mind and body in better shape - any ideas?
Posted October 12, 2009 6:46 PM
Nicotine is hard to quit because it attacks on three levels: Physically, Emotionally and Behaviorally or habit. Physically, the nicotine is out of your system after 72 hours without a smoke. (Your body's meter will reset back to 72 hours if you smoke again.) You still crave nicotine after 72 hours because of the Emotional and Behavioral hooks.
Behavior smokes are the ones linked with an action or activty. I have a smoke with coffee, with meals, with a drink, when driving while waiting for someone or talking on the phone and so on. Change the behavior. After a meal, brush your teeth, while driving, sing with a CD, (I suggest "I will survive," by Gloria Gaynor.) while waiting, keep small hand items to "play" with like a Rubik's Cube. Water bottles are great. Drinking water helps flush toxins out of your system, gives you something to do with your hands and replaces the sucking action you got from your cigarettes. Habits take 21 days to make or break. Stop the behavior, replace it with another one for 21 days and it will seem strange to resume the old habit.
Emotional hooks are the "this child won't see it's next birthday if I don't have this smoke," "I am going to run this so and so off the road if I don't have this smoke," "I am going to tell my boss what he/she can do with this job if I don't have this smoke," you get the picture. All of our triggers are based on one of the 5 senses. I smell the smoke, I hear the rustle of the cellophane, I see people smoking, I feel the area where I hold the cigarette stimulated by holding a pencil, pen, or straw, and I can taste the cigarette even when there isn't one in my mouth. (Like, I can salivate just thinking about a chocolate chip cookie even when I am nowhere near one.) Load your memory by picking a strong positive memory for each sense. For example, hearing my child say "I love you", the smell of the ocean, the touch of a baby's skin, the taste of chocolate or the sight of a field of Kansas Sunflowers. Then, when triggered, determine which of the five senses has been stimulated, close your eyes for 30 seconds (unless driving), and bring up the corresponding positive sensory memory. Good Luck!
Posted October 12, 2009 4:02 PM
Perhaps it would help if you understood what nicotine really is and how it works. First, it is one of the most powerful poisons in the world, and our body has no defenses against it. If you took have a teaspoon of pure nicotine and swallowed it, you would be dead in less than one hour.
We have built-in defenses against cancer, the flu, and a host of other problems, but ZERO defense against nicotine. Therefore the body has to get rid of it - pronto!. To do this, our body switches on the adrenaline glands to rush it through the body to eliminate it when we urinate. That's how our body gets rid of it.
So when people say they get a little "high" or "buzz" when they light their first cigarette of the day, the buzz does NOT come from the cigarette, it comes from their very own adrenaline glands! The adrenaline glands are our "excitement" glands. If you almost get hit by a car and leap out of the way, that's your adrenaline glands kicking into high gear.
The cigarette manufactureres have known this for decades. You are hooked on your own excitement glands! Which, when you boil it down, means that some parts of your life are lacklustre and NOT exciting, so you seek a little kick. It helps to "pass the time" and when people have nothing to do, especially nothing exciting to do, they smoke. "And time goes by".
Solution? Get into some groups or hobbies or interest where you are really doing something you might enjoy, especially if it involves exercising or playing.
How did I learn about this? When travelling from California down into Mexico, I met two doctors who had been in research. They told me. That ended my ciagrette smoking right away. Once understood, I just could not continue in the same old boring ways.
Life has been far more interesting and exciting ever since.
Posted February 27, 2009 8:45 AM
First, do you really want, deep down, to quit? If you are not dedicated then dont bother.
Second, go to Whyquit.com, down load a counter (right side of page) tracks time, savings and cigarettes (a good motivator after you have quit).
Third, Cold turkey but you can ween yourself down, I went from 30 a day to 10 a day in a week and then stopped.
Have you decided that you want to smoke your last cigarette, if not then dont bother.
AA it is one day at a time, with cigarettes it is one hour at a time.
Good luck, a side advantage check in with your dentist.
Posted February 4, 2009 5:29 PM
i also did it after 30 years. and i learned an important thing about all such challenges. challenges such as quitting smoking require 2 things: first, that you believe it can be done; second, that you believe it's worth the effort, pain, discomfort, etc.
convincing yourself of the first is easy. millions of people have done it. people who say they never thought they could do it have done it. it falls well within the realm of human achievement. you're not asking to do something that humans generally don't do, like stretch out your arms and fly to the moon.
convincing yourself of the second is, admittedly, much harder. but once you do convince yourself, it's simply a matter of not smoking anymore.
Posted February 4, 2009 9:23 AM
I did it after 30 years, cold turkey. Decide to smoke my last cigarette and did. Took one day at a time. Check into web page "whyquit.com" get the counter (right column) and watch how much you save and how many not smoked.
Wait 2 months and go to dentist and see what they say about your gums and teeth.
Not smoked for 1,209 days and saved over $8,800, by not smoking 36,000 cigarettes
Good luck and get some hard candy.
Posted December 27, 2008 12:50 PM
Just happened across this article. How is it going? This sounds just like me! I smoked for 35 years, and have been trying to quit since my mother died of lung cancer when I was 25. I have tried everything; patches several times, gum, hypnotism, accupunture, subliminal tapes, and always go back. The longest I've quit is 8 months and that was on my second try for Chantix. I am now on my third try for Chantix. So far, this medication has worked the best for me. My problem is when I have a couple drinks, I lose resistance. I KNOW I can not drink alcohol for a long time if I am to quit smoking. I'm finally at a point where it won't be a concern anymore and I will do it! Good luck!
Posted November 23, 2008 11:45 AM
I do not envy your journey. I tried to quit many times and was unsuccessful. I finally went to my M.D. and he put me on Chantix. I quit within 6 weeks. I have been smoke-free for over a year now. The Chantix made the cigarettes taste bad; it gave me VIVID weird dreams (I was dreaming in technicolor!); but other than that, I didn't have any side effects from it. Good luck!
Posted November 22, 2008 8:56 PM
THE EASY WAY TO QUIT SMOKING by Allen Carr.
It works! Nothing else is as effective and EASIER.
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