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Our New Year's Quit Smoking Advice: Page 5

Successful quitters sharing New Year's quitting tips.

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orza d animo Dec 28, 2008 #101

If you read the posts of new members on the on-line forum Freedom From Tobacco you will begin to notice something. Believing previously that they were incapable of ending nicotine use, there are those who can't believe what they have accomplished. Some can not believe how easy it was and look back in wonder at what a fuss they made of stopping before they did it. Others, become reflective, some angry at the damage they have done to their bodies having been duped for so long into believing that they could not stop.

However, amongst the myriad of emotional reactions, I don't ever recall anyone writing, "I wish I were still smoking, chewing, or dipping tobacco." While some may be having a difficult time with withdrawal and describe what they believe is a pull that is impossible to ignore, none of them describe a longing to smoke again, dip or chew again. What they are describing is a longing for relief. They want relief from withdrawal, and know only one way to provide that relief, more nicotine.

Such is the circle of addiction that keeps so many trapped. However, there is a way out; We can use our frontal lobe to break free. Each of us has within us the ability to endure whatever discomfort withdrawal may cause. We don't need pills, patches, gums, nasal mists or hypnosis. What we need is knowledge. We need knowledge of what addiction is so we can learn to live with it, and knowledge of what withdrawal is so that we know how to minimize its side effects.

We become trapped in the circle of addiction by our ignorance but knowledge will set us free. Take the first step towards freedom knowing that we all walked the walk and survived unscathed. We are not super-human or somehow stronger than others. What separates us from those who use nicotine replacement or those who quit and relapse is that we took the time to learn how to Never Take Another Puff.

I had a conversation with someone recently who told me that he believed that not everyone is capable of quitting without using nicotine replacement. He, himself, being a cold turkey quitter I could not understand his adamant defense of such a position. I want to empower all of you who want to break free of your addiction with the knowledge that indeed you can without having to pay for it or having to drag withdrawal out over a period of 90 days.

You have within you all that it takes. Learn to live nicotine free. Life begins again here...

Joseph
4 years nicotine free.

mos2kids1 Dec 31, 2008 #102

Welcome to freedom. I am a fairly new member here. I have been quit now for 33 days after a 31 year addiction to nicotine. My life used to revolve around when and how I was going to manage fitting smoking into my each and every day. I spent many years lying to myself, my family an my friends about my addiction. I was a master of denial and minimization. I was a closet smoker. It was quite stressful managing such a facade.

I spent may years wondering what it was like living inside the brain of a non-smoker. What did it feel like to go out for dinner with friends without going into nicotine withdrawal. I thought these thoughts all of the time and never believed that I would be them. NEVER. Well I am here to tell you never has arrived.

I am happy to tell you that I can go out to dinner, go to the movies, drive in a car with a non smoker (the list is endless) without nicotine in the equation. I have fought hard for my freedom but have found that it is much better on this side. I will keep this quit for life. MY ONLY REGRET Is that i did not find this site many years ago and truly understood this terrible addiction. . I will not take another puff...not today...not ever. It is doable.

hwc5 Jan 01, 2009 #103

I smoked for 38 years. My last serious attempt to quit smoking was in 1973, which lasted less than a day. On February 11th (Ten Months, Twenty Days, 13 Hours and 10 Minutes ago), I went to the store just after midnight and bought two packs. I lit a cigarette from the first pack, took one puff, and decided it hurt my scratchy throat from a flu bug my wife had passed along. So I put it out to save it for the next day and went to bed. Turned out that was the last puff of a cigarette I ever took and will ever take, although I didn't decide to quit forever until two days later.

I went the first day without smoking in 35 years because I was curled up in bed with the flu. Make no mistake, I was pretty excited at not smoking, so I decided to go for a second day. Not forever, just one more day without smoking. On the third day, I knew I could do it and was so pumped that I made the decision that enough was enough. I knew, at that moment, that I would never smoke another cigarette. I haven't and I won't.

I'm not Superman. If I can quit, you can to. Here are three things that helped me:

1) I started day by day, not thinking forever. Once I had two days under my belt, I had the confidence of knowing that I could and would quit. That was the moment I became an ex-smoker. So my advice is: jump in and start swimming. Once you find out for yourself that you can float, you'll gain strength. Use that strength to go another hour, day, or week.

2) Focus on all the great things that will happen to you as an ex-smoker. Do not allow yourself to fixate on some romaticized, imaginary Hollywood movie cigarette. The thing that got me thru a lot of craves was marching out to my deck (where I smoked) with a cup of coffee to enjoy an ex-smokers break. I acknowledged that, of course, I "wanted" a cigarette but that I didn't do that anymore. Then I took five or six cool deep breaths of winter air. That calmed the craving and allowed me to focus on my goal -- being able to take those breaths without wheezing or coughing. As we say on WhyQuit.com, you aren't "giving up" cigarettes, you are "getting rid" of them.

3) Spend as much time as you possibly can watching the videos and reading the articles here on Whyquit.com As a practical matter, each video will get you thru at least one crave, which is a good thing. More importantly, understanding your nicotine drug addiction and the trap it holds over you is the key to quitting. It is very hard to fantasize about puppies and unicorns and rainbows and a perfect imaginary cigarette while you are learning about the way nicotine addiction controls your life like a prisoner 24/7.

And, when you become an ex-smoker over the next few days, make a daily committment to yourself to never take another puff. That's 100% guaranteed insurance that you will never relapse.

Enjoy. I can't begin to describe how wonderful it is to no longer be slave to nicotine addiction.

johnnynonic GOLD Dec 11, 2010 #104

I thought that I could not live without "them".....

..... With my morning coffee.....On the way to work.....To get something done.....
..... After lunch.....On the way home.....After dinner.....With a drink.....
..... After a show.....During a movie.....Before going to bed.....
..... With my morning coffee....and on and on and on......

To have them.....

.....I chose not to go where I could have gone.....I chose not to ride with people.....
.....I chose to leave others and be alone.....I chose where I wouldn't go.....
.....I chose to spend money on them rather than what it was meant for....
.....but really..... .....I didn't choose at all.....
.....they chose for me.....

Then.....someone told me I could choose.....so.....

....after 32 years with them.....
.....I chose to let them be.....
.....I chose to be free.....
.....it was easier than I imagined.....

You can do it to.....

....join me.....
.....for the next moment/hour/day....
.....don't take that puff....
....and before you know it...
.....you'll soon be on the road to....

Never Take Another Puff!

John (JohnnyNoNic GOLD)

Michigan, USA
Nicotine free for over 5 years

Saved $9,100 by choosing to live without 37,600 cigarettes. Spent 2 Weeks of my life doing better things.

You can do this :-)

Joe J free Dec 12, 2010 #105

As one of many who read and was reached by the 2005 message & the great personal testimony shared by the members of Freedom I am honored and blessed to be able to contribute to this effort for 2006. WhyQuit and Freedom helped me to change my life in January of 2005.

I hope I can do the same for somone else in search of an answer to ridding themselves of their 'smoking problem'.

This message is written with the hope that somebody desperate to quit smoking is reading this New Year's Message - just like I was 1-year ago. If you happen to be researching or reading at this revolutionary resource - WhyQuit.com & FreedomFromTobaccoQuitSmokingNOW just let me assure you - You need to look no further for the truth, you have found the answer to every question you ever had about why you smoke and why you THINK you can't quit.

I found WhyQuit and subsequently 'Freedom' when I literally had my coat on and a script for Wellbutrin from my doctor in my hand. I kid you not, script in hand I was on the way to the Pharmacy to get it filled cause I knew it was time for me to quit smoking. Matter of fact - I'd known it had been time for me to quit smoking every New Year's for about 20 years. Wellbutrin was the last 'magic bullet' I had not tried. A neighbor friend had quit smoking using the twin drug Zyban. She had also subsequently relapsed to cigarette smoking in less than three months. I must admit that fact , her failure to quit for good, did disturb me. Awful expensive way to test a seemingly better but not fool proof method. But I had to use SOMETHING I thought at the time! I'd tried everything else!!

The Law of Addiction was linked in that article. Then I read some more about the drug nicotine. Then I read about getting rid of nicotine and getting back control of me.

And then a little later on I saw John's graphic of 'The Cycle of Addiction' and a LIGHT went on. The light of understanding. The light of truth. I had found what proved to be the KEY for me - disconnect the cycle by ceasing ingestion of nicotine and I would never NEED to smoke again. NTAP!

An hour or so had passed. My coat was now off, the script was in the garbage can under the desk in the study. After about 40 years of constant nicotine use I quit that day and after a session with Just one little puff I inhaled my last nicotine hit at 10:15 the next morning and QUIT.(that story is in my quit journey journal -@ [url=http://Message 29]Message 29[/url]) Click to expand...

You don't need anything to 'help' you quit smoking. You need No 'Program', No Pills, No Patches, No Pieces of Gum, No Potions, No Powders in capsules.

To quit smoking you just need to - QUIT SMOKING!

All you need is Motivation, Determination and Education to Never take another puff, No Matter What. The relatively short period of adjustment to Dealing With Life Without Nicotine that is the quitting part can be challenging. Challenging but oh so Do-Able. The rewards on the other end of that period of adjustment are immeasurable.

Don't believe it? Spend an hour or two reading the TRUTH from THOUSANDS of Successful Quitters whose stories are shared in the archives of the FreedomFromTobacco forum who have quit for good, quit for Life - by simply sticking to an unbroken committment to NTAP!

My name is JoeJ Free, and I am a nicotine addict.
I have stopped nicotine for 5 years, 11 months, 1 day, 14 hours, 18 minutes and 11 seconds (2161 days). I've not smoked 51878 death sticks, and saved $17,031.68. I've saved 360 days, 6 hours and 23 minutes of my life time.

Crystal View Jan 01, 2011 #106

I posted this in the "Where were you" Parade. I want to share it here in case you are reading and wondering. I hope my experience will touch someone with inspiration. As you can see, I CHERISH MY FREEDOM FROM NICOTINE!

It was Sunday, October 17, 2004, 7:00 AM EST. My alarm went off for church. When I "woke", I sat up on my elbow as was my habit so I would not go back to sleep - well, my eyes "could" (and did) stay closed for a few minutes I remembered a dream in complete detail, and I never remember my dreams. A doctor was telling me I had lung cancer. I was not hysterical or emotional, but flat....a kind of creepy, peaceful knowing that "I" was responsible....it was quite a big impact. I kind of spent a few minutes contemplating. See, I had been flirting with freeing myself from the prison of addiction since 1998 when my beloved Dad passed away at 77 years young from Lung cancer. Yes, he smoked his whole life. He was my very, very best friend. I had tried different methods....but, mind you, I NEVER really intended to follow through.

So, at 7:00 AM on Sunday, October 17, 2004, I felt like God was telling me "OK, it's time. You have had 41 years of "fun". Now, it's time"" I got up and have NEVER TAKEN ANOTHER PUFF! I have gone through many, many experiences. Each day for 365 days after October 17, 2004, was a first. Each and every day was a day I had not experienced without nicotine since I was 12. Please remember this and be gentle with yourself as you embark on your own journey to FREEDOM. Now, I so, so cherish my FREEDOM. I am so proud of myself. And , I guess, judging from my stats below, I could completely renovate my kitchen! Please remember, you will never, never be more proud than the day you declare your FREEDOM. I LOVE mine

Katie - Free and Healing for Six Years, Two Months, Fourteen Days, 14 Hours and 7 Minutes, while extending my life expectancy 196 Days and 18 Hours, by avoiding the use of 56665 nicotine delivery devices that would have cost me $9,342.98.

Chipits GOLD Jan 02, 2011 #107

Withdrawal does not last forever! If it did, I would not be here. I'd be smoking but wishing I could quit. Are you ready to reclaim your life from this addiction???

Here's where I was when my quit got started:

July 7th, 2006 - I was reading (click>>>) WhyQuit.Com for the first time at my computer; smokes, lighter and ashtray in their usual place; beside me. I had heard about this site on an online social network earlier that day. I first read about Bryan Lee Curtis - age, a young 34 ; then "Nicodemon's" Lies? Powerful stuff! Realized I hadn't had a cigarette for a while. I was inspired to finally take a leap of faith. If others can do this, then maybe I can too! No mournful and desperate good-bye to 'just one more cigarette' as I had done many times before. Just never lit up again. What would be the point! I think I had quit smoking! Yes, I believe I did! Now that's a point that changed my life! Kept on reading. Fears were subsiding; hopes were arising! Now there are Daily stop smoking video lesson guides to help you navigate the early days! [I joined the forums later. (optional and free) Only prerequisite is 72 hours nicotine-free!]

It really was that simple! Uncomplicated would be another way to put it. If you want to quit, then that's what you need to do. Quit! No patch, puff, inhale, suck, cut down, press buttons on some gizmo, chew, inoculate, acupuncture, mesmerize, swallow pills, drink or whatever else is out there to supposedly 'help' a person to quit.

You are not the most addicted-to-nicotine person on the planet who thinks they can't quit. (But I will admit that before I quit smoking, I thought that I was! Bring on the brain surgery to quit for me!) Seriously, I said this a lot! So there is hope for you smokers, tobacco chewers, patch and gum addicts! Learn what to expect. There is tons of information!

Before I came upon WhyQuit, I expected the worst.
Because I came to WhyQuit, I got a SMILEY >>>>

S -upport
  M -otivation
      I -nspiration
         L -iberty
             E -ducation
                Y -earning for healthy living

Don't wait for next year's New Year's resolutions to rid yourself of this addiction! Get yourself a Free quit smoking meter and start counting your success right NOW! Mine still runs on my desktop! Just because......I am a proud and happy ex-smoker! If you think that anything free like WhyQuit and FreedomFromNicotine Forums are too good to be true, then consider the savings you will amass from quitting as payment/reward to yourself. Now, aren't you worth every cent not spent?

And our stats are:

Wendy & Randy Using our smarts! Healing our parts! for over 4 years; together we've not wasted over 370 days of the act of puffing; and we have avoided the use of almost 107,000 of those sickarettes that would have cost us about $42,500. (not cheap in Canada)

Johnnie Jan 02, 2011 #108

Joe J free wrote:

I hope I can do the same for somone else in search of an answer to ridding themselves of their 'smoking problem'.

So just after lunch on 1/9/2005 I sat down at the computer and typed in 'quitting smoking with wellbutrin' in a google seach bar. I was curious about side effects. I was curious about effectiveness. On that day (it no longer does) whyquit came up as a top choice with this article Quit smoking aids - do they work?. So I stopped to read what was said about the drug. The Law of Addiction was linked in that article. Then I read some more about the drug nicotine. Then I read about getting rid of nicotine and getting back control of me.

You don't need anything to 'help' you quit smoking. You need No 'Program', No Pills, No Patches, No Pieces of Gum, No Potions, No Powders in capsules.

To quit smoking you just need to - QUIT SMOKING!

Click to expand...

Joe J, this entire post adds up to one of your finest hours on this site--and you've had many of them. The beauty of this site, with help from veterans like you, is that it keeps adding more weight and depth to the magic of the phrase NTAP. Quitting is that simple--and it remains that simple if we take the time to increase our understanding. Then we'll no longer have to argue when a silver-tongued crave comes along. A fortified 'NTAP!' will do simply fine. Many thanks.

johnnynonic GOLD Jan 02, 2011 #109

Hi my name is John - and I am a nicotine addict.

I started smoking at the age of 14 around 32 years ago. I tried to quit so many times during those years that I couldn't count them, always ending with the same result. People would tell me, "John your a smart guy, why do you smoke?" I always answered with the same lie - Because I like to. While inside I felt like an idiot for smoking even though I knew it was sucking the life out of me. Last year my wife asked me when I was going to quit, taking the addicts way out I knew that in the back of my mind I wanted to quit but just had to put that date off into the future so told her I'd be quitting on my next birthday (almost a year away at the time). Somewhere I had good intentions of quitting before my birthday arrived and picked several dates/life events, each of which came and went with no success. Always with the same thought well I'll quit after the next thing...

Anyway, my birthday arrived and I stopped smoking, made it through the first day but didn't feel very good. The day after I got the patch and put it on, things seemed easier but man what weird dreams that night. After that I didn't wear the patch at night. During the day I still wanted to smoke though and after only a few days found myself not only wearing the patch but sneaking outside to smoke too, Once again I felt like an idiot...

That's when I got online and found whyquit.com and Freedom, and the light bulb finally switched on. I read and read, so many of the things that seemed impossible to overcome and had doomed my previous quits to failure were explained here. I took the patch off that night and it didn't go back on and it never will. I am a nicotine addict but I am now nicotine free and plan to stay that way. This realization was only possible due to the shared wisdom I found here.

Thanks to all the shared wisdom found on the pages of FREEDOM, I will Never Take Another Puff

John
After over 32 years of addiction now over 5 years free by remembering to.....

NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF.

You can do it too! Come on join us. Read, learn and believe.

Kimmie Jan 02, 2011 #110

Hi,

My name is Kim. I am also a nicotine addict, but free from it now.

I have to come back to this site every now and then just to reafirm my commitment and re-educate myself about why I quit in the first place.

I found Freedom when I was surfing the net looking for the next latest and greatest smoking cessation tool. Whyquit came up and I checked it out. I thank my lucky stars every day from that day forward. This website classroom made me realize just how strong I was. I learned why I smoked, why this drug had a hold on me and how to deal with emotions without nicotene. Best of all I learned how to give it up.

Now I know that I can do anything I set my mind to. You see, I always thought I was weak because I could not get myself off of the nicotine, I am off now, and will never, ever, take another puff, because I know that's all it will take to hook myself again. I can breath now, I smell like my perfume, not stinky old smoke. I have so much more money, It is a great feeling not having to injest nicotine anymore.

You all can do this. So there you go newbies, you can do this, believe me, take the step, hold on to that rope and start climbing. It will get easier, that I promise.

You always have support here, 24/7 always someone here to help.
Just remember NEVER TAKE ANOTHER PUFF.

Happy New Year 2011.

Kimmie- Free since September 20, 2009

tagsgirl Jan 03, 2011 #112

My name is Terri, I am 41 and from NC. I smoked, with the exception of my pregnancies and a brief 9 months, 5 years ago - since I was 14. I believe it is around 24 years total. I quit September 5th 2010.

I quit smoking after I heard my sister was quitting and my other sister and Mother were going to quit in 3 days. I had zero intentions on quitting but got sick and did not smoke for a day. The next day I let go by too. The third I was in my Jeep in the way to work and at the gas station, after 12 miles of internal dabate, I decided to throw them away and call it quits. I threw out 7 packs and decided I was done. A few days later I was calling my doctor for Chantix. The pharmacy told me it would be $130 and I told them to keep them. I went online and found why quit!!!!! Hooray and thank GOD! I am a cold turkey quitter, I am proud to be a member here and I want you to know that there is nothing life can throw at me that I have not been prepared to handle. I still must choose my actions but I am not deceived by the lies of the nicotine industry or the addict's thought processes. I realize I never gave up anything of value but instead broke the chains of addiction, bondage and took control of my life. I find joy in my quit everyday, every week and will continue to do so. I am living in a manner I never thought possible. I am stronger than I ever thought I was and life is better than it has been in so very long.

So, I will name a few benefits I gained when I quit:
I am not hurting myself any longer - that burden is gone.
I have so much more time to get things done.
I am not alone, outside smoking hours a day.
I never miss a thing because I have to go smoke.
I save money.
I never have to be concerned with running out of cigarettes
My teeth are whiter.
My SKIN IS GREAT!
I have more energy.
My Jeep does not smell.
I don't have to do the mint or gum thing all day.
I have learned to deal with upset, anger and other challenges without a crutch.
I smell good - pretty important now that I realize how HORRIBLE I smelled as a smoker.
I have taken on other activities such as cooking since I don't mind being inside for HOURS now.

Was this all easy, heck no! Was it easy after awhile, oh yeah. Everyone is different but the support here is fantastic. You get from it what you put into it. I put a lot of time into my education to secure my quit. I put a lot of value on it so it was worth it. But you have time when your give up nicotine. :) Read it already? Read it again! I called it the "retraining of my brain". I truly had to re-program my reactions to triggers and life and it was easy with the words of wisdom I found here. Embrace the knowledge and embrace freedom!!!!!!

I hope to see you soon on this side of the bars!
Terri

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