Official Quit Day is Today

[Evicious]

So, I've been trying to quit smoking for the past.... ooh, I dunno, roughly 7 months or so. I always end up going back to cigarettes for a myriad of "reasons". I finally admitted that I wasn't having any success trying on my own and enrolled myself in the Army's ASAP smoking cessation program. They even give you Zyban to help (hopefully!) TODAY is the official Quit Day for my group. I'm not overly confident - I've failed so many times now - BUT I am hopeful. I want this. I've wanted this for a very long time. So I'm crossing my fingers, closing my eyes, and taking the plunge again. Hurray.

[I-Jo]

you have to start somewhere.  even starting and failing is new information for you.  You know why/when you are weak. You know that they aren't "reasons" but excuses.

 

You now have a support group- You CAN and you will do this. Don't tell yourself you might- don't tell yourself you are or are not confident.  There is no anything- but doing.

 

YOU GOT THIS SHIT!!!  good for you for making a positive step.

 

My roommate makes me so angry- he always says yeah yeah one day- but any time finals comes around - I start smoking again.  It's just an excuse.  

 

Be stronger than this. You can do it!

[sweetleaf5]

Good luck to you!!  You CAN do it and I know this because I did it after 19 years!! 

 

I quit in 2004 and it was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life but it was sooooo worth it...it does take a while to get through the side effects (for me...weight gain, anger, mood swings) but you will not regret this life change!!

 

I am probably healthier now at 43 than I have ever been in my life.

 

Congratulations for taking this step - It's a huge one!  Use your support group and just remember that even though it sucks at first it does get better.

 

Good luck to you!

[Evicious]

You guys rock I'm printing your replies off to help me through tomorrow. Today was pretty rough, but I made it! 1 day down, the rest of my life to go.

[awmeyer629]

You obviously have the want to quit. Just remember, even one will pull you back in, but never stop trying.  And you are stronger than that one smoke.

[jammon1372]

You can do it!!! You are stronger than the chains holding you down.  I'll be joining you on June 1st,  

[GolfCart34]

Don't worry, it's completely normal to stumble a few times when you're trying to make those changes to improve your life for the better. But we all have confidence that you can do this!

[Evicious]

Thanks for the encouragement, all. I REALLY appreciate the support - and I definitely need it!

 

Today, I will be attempting to substitute thoughts of smoking with thoughts of my new desktop computer I'll be putting together once all the bits get here. And all the Skyrim mods I will be enjoying once it's up and running.

[sweetleaf5]

Congratuations!!  You are making it through the hardest part right now - remember each day it can only get easier

 

 

Do an online search - I used a website for support but I can't remember the name - anyway I filled out surveys and answered questions about my personal habits - entered my quit date and stats about cigarette pricing etc...every few days I would get an email telling me how long I had been smoke free, how many cigarettes I had NOT smoked, estimated "lifetime" saved as well as $$Money saved.  It was really motivating - I want to say it was a quit wizard or something - well worth the time if you have it

[Evicious]

Continual thanks to everyone for the encouragement and helpful suggestions!

 

Yesterday was also a success: 0 cigarettes, hurray! I reread this page multiple times on my phone yesterday to keep my head on straight. I also think the Zyban is working like it's supposed to; even though I thought about smoking many times, it was easier than it's been in the past to think of all the reasons I DIDN'T want to smoke and feel less inclined because of that.

[HoldFast]

Gratz evicious, keep up the good work its HARD.

 

I quit after 14 years of smoking, and it took a bunch of failed attempts. Even now it's been 2.5 years and I still have to remind myself that a slip would be too easy, so I have to fight hard not to at times.

 

Also, I remember when I was quitting I read and article saying that the average quitter made 7 attempts before getting a quit to stick. Keep doing what you're doing, you'll get there!

[Evicious]

You can do it!!! You are stronger than the chains holding you down.  I'll be joining you on June 1st,  

 

 Saw this earlier, but forgot to remark on it. I'll cheer you on too, Jammon! If this thread is still up by then (which I see no reason why it shouldn't be), you can post here and I'll cheer for you like a little high school girl at her teen idol's concert.

 

Or like a Viking, swinging a big sword overhead in the pub and roaring before sloshing half my mead down the front of my favorite battle tunic (the one with my enemy's blood still on it) and downing the rest in one gulp and a sputter.

 

Whichever works for you. Or whatever works for you - I'm open to suggestions.

 

And for those parties who are interested in my day-to-day progress (likely to be just myself, but I can admire me in public just as well as I can privately) today was also a SUCCESS. I even stood outside with a smoking buddy to chat and felt surprisingly little interest in joining him. In fact, he confided that he too wanted to quit - after this pack, of course. Still, it was pretty cool to be able to be around a smoker and not really feel like I was missing out by not joining in. I know it's only day three, but I'm beginning to think I might actually win the battle this time... and that's a VERY exciting prospect.

[jammon1372]

Thanks Evicious! Glad to hear it's going so well for you, keep it up! If it gets tough keep in mind that you made it this far and challenge yourself to make it another 5 minutes and then another 5 from there.

 

I would have to say I'm more the sword and pub type  I'll keep checking back on the thread to see how it's going for you.  

[Guest Dirty Deads]

WTG! I always try to encourage people when quitting. I wish I had been able to help my mom before her copd took her. My brother found her all blue and tried to perform cpr an her, but they pronounced her doa. Fucking poison man...

 

Quitting is like a new video game. The first time you might die fast, but you keep making it a little farther and farther each time before you die and eventually you beat the damn thing.

[shortstuff]

Great work!

[Wolfhorde]

Congrats on the early success! Hope you keep going strong, nothing's impossible. My grandpa started smoking as a soldier during WWII despite the fact that he worked in coal mines before and started being a construction worker after. He quit after 30-40 years of smoking and hasn't touched them ever since. If he can do it so can you!

[Evicious]

Thanks again to everyone who keeps cheering for me!

 

Yesterday was EXTREMELY difficult - had a lot of frustration and anger at work - but I didn't give in!!! Not a single cigarette was smoked yesterday, in spite of everything.

 

Although I did just realize this morning that I missed one of my last appointments for the Smoking Cessation course. DAMN IT!!!! I'm going to have to call the guy who runs the program and beg for a do-over: after this four-day, I have to go out to the field for a bit, and the last thing I want to do is run out of my meds before then. Being in the field brings all my triggers to a head - boredom, frustration, anger, etc.

 

Hope everyone has a great Memorial Day weekend!

[jammon1372]

Great work, keep it up! One of the tips that I found to work really well is to take a minute and do deep breathing, similar to how you would smoke. This really helps in to settle the mind and deal with frustration, anxiety, etc.  Yes, do NOT go out in the field without support of some kind (meds, books, gum, sunflower seeds, ect.) that's a recipe for a breakdown.  

 

I quit a long time ago for several years and then gave in to the stress of a deployment to Iraq, leaving a pregnant wife and some other personal issues at the time and started smoking again (like a big ole dummy).  That was ten years ago and now I'm going through the process of quitting again  One more week and it's quit day for me   

[castelluzzo99]

Okay, this is going to sound really strange, and you can do with it what you want. But I know a guy who runs a detox program in California called Bella Vita that has helped a lot of people quit smoking, and besides all the usual things (drinking lots of water, put something else in your hand, etc), he has them do something else that might sound really weird, but it seems to kill all physical cravings within 24 hours.

 

Coffee enemas.

 

Google it. Basically, it makes your liver dump toxins faster, so you get the nicotine out faster.

 

[ducks and runs]

[Guest Dirty Deads]

Okay, this is going to sound really strange, and you can do with it what you want. But I know a guy who runs a detox program in California called Bella Vita that has helped a lot of people quit smoking, and besides all the usual things (drinking lots of water, put something else in your hand, etc), he has them do something else that might sound really weird, but it seems to kill all physical cravings within 24 hours.

 

Coffee enemas.

 

Google it. Basically, it makes your liver dump toxins faster, so you get the nicotine out faster.

 

[ducks and runs]

 LOL I don't know that anyone wants to get that intimate with Juan Valdez.

[Evicious]

Hi again guys, it's update time! And in case you couldn't tell by my chipper mood, I'M STILL SMOKE-FREE!!!! :)

 

I definitely had some moments of temptation, but I didn't give in once. I even forgot to take my Zyban with me when my boyfriend and I traveled over Memorial Day weekend, and even though I was around smokers, I still managed to stay strong! I am SO proud of me!!!! 

 

I did officially graduate from the Smoking Cessation course, and have had my prescription refilled without fuss. The guy who runs the program here is a genuinely good guy (even though he's never been a smoker) and does everything he can to work with the reality of the Army "schedule". I also found out that I may not be going to the field, but even if I do end up going, I have a lot more confidence in my ability to stay clean through it since I know I'll have my meds out there. Hopefully, I won't have to take them for more than (what I'm told is) the usual 3 months though - I appreciate that it's helping me quit, but I don't like having to put extra chemicals in my body any more than is absolutely necessary.

 

I can't thank you all enough for your continued support: it may not seem like much to you, but your encouragement is honestly the biggest, thickest, strongest rope I've ever had to hold onto while attempting this.Thank you so much to everyone for helping me through this challenge!

[jammon1372]

Congrats!!! You're doing really well, and giving me inspiration for my upcoming battle! 

[Evicious]

Congrats!!! You're doing really well, and giving me inspiration for my upcoming battle! 

 

Thanks, Jammon1372! And I promise to be there for you when it's your turn - I will swing my sword and slosh my beer and sing the Ballad of the Battle of Jammon and the Smoke Dragon at the top of my lungs! It shall be EPIC!!!!

[Eats-Own-Tail]

this is awesome.

 

i just gave up myself. quit time = 1h 34 mins. saved 20p.

[Tateman]

Good job man.  I have a couple of family members that quit earlier this year, and are so glad they did.  Keep up the good work