How'd you give up smoking?
For all those who used to smoke and gave up. How'd you do it? I'd like to know how you did it.
31-35, M
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Several things all at once. First, I really wanted to quit. I felt like I was chained to an ashtray. I didn't want to be a slave to chain smoking anymore.
Second, the ex quit smoking, and he couldn't stand the smell of me anymore. He told me he refused to kiss me until I quit. As painful and hurtful as that was...he was a very good kisser, at that time.
Third, I got a horrible case of the flu. For two weeks I was so sick I couldn't stand the smell of food, cigarettes...anything. I couldn't drink more than a sip of water without being sick. So I decided to quit smoking RIGHT then. I couldn't smoke if I wanted to and I already felt so awful that I knew it was the perfect time.
Fourth, I began to realize that it WASN'T the nicotine to which I was the slave, because that goes away very quickly, (three weeks). It had become a habit ingrained into every part of my life. When I woke up in the morning, I HAD to have a cigarette with my coffee. When I was driving, I HAD to have a cigarette while I was driving. I had become conditioned to behave in exactly this way every single day.
Fifth, what I needed to do was re-condition my mind so that I could do something else, (substitution), instead of smoking at those moments. So I purchased breath savers breath mints. Every time I wanted a cigarette, I popped one of those into my mouth. I did that for almost five years. Then I was able to give up the breath mints.
Sixth, I kept a constant awareness in my mind that I could not pick up even ONE cigarette. I knew myself very well, and I knew that if I smoked even ONE cigarette during the first years of quitting and re-conditioning my mind, that ALL THAT SUFFERING AND SELF DENIAL HAD BEEN ABSOLUTELY WASTED AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF IT AGAIN!!!! So that became my moment of needing the most strength...don't pick one up. Don't be around people who smoke. Don't set yourself up, ever, to have to go through all of that again.
Second, the ex quit smoking, and he couldn't stand the smell of me anymore. He told me he refused to kiss me until I quit. As painful and hurtful as that was...he was a very good kisser, at that time.
Third, I got a horrible case of the flu. For two weeks I was so sick I couldn't stand the smell of food, cigarettes...anything. I couldn't drink more than a sip of water without being sick. So I decided to quit smoking RIGHT then. I couldn't smoke if I wanted to and I already felt so awful that I knew it was the perfect time.
Fourth, I began to realize that it WASN'T the nicotine to which I was the slave, because that goes away very quickly, (three weeks). It had become a habit ingrained into every part of my life. When I woke up in the morning, I HAD to have a cigarette with my coffee. When I was driving, I HAD to have a cigarette while I was driving. I had become conditioned to behave in exactly this way every single day.
Fifth, what I needed to do was re-condition my mind so that I could do something else, (substitution), instead of smoking at those moments. So I purchased breath savers breath mints. Every time I wanted a cigarette, I popped one of those into my mouth. I did that for almost five years. Then I was able to give up the breath mints.
Sixth, I kept a constant awareness in my mind that I could not pick up even ONE cigarette. I knew myself very well, and I knew that if I smoked even ONE cigarette during the first years of quitting and re-conditioning my mind, that ALL THAT SUFFERING AND SELF DENIAL HAD BEEN ABSOLUTELY WASTED AND THAT I WOULD HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF IT AGAIN!!!! So that became my moment of needing the most strength...don't pick one up. Don't be around people who smoke. Don't set yourself up, ever, to have to go through all of that again.
Beatbox34 · 31-35, M
@4meAndyou You really made a lot of effort for it and I'm happy you gave it up.
I was a Chainsmoker as well. I didn't smoke for long though. It was maybe 8-9 months. I used to smoke 10-15 a day and was hooked to it. It was hard for me to stop it.
I had to reduce it to 3 a day and then 1 a day. Eventually I gave it up. But it's never that easy right? I used to get extreme headaches so bad that I would fall on my knees. I couldn't see properly because of the headaches. But I fought through it and gave it all up in the end. I haven't smoked again since 2007.
I was a Chainsmoker as well. I didn't smoke for long though. It was maybe 8-9 months. I used to smoke 10-15 a day and was hooked to it. It was hard for me to stop it.
I had to reduce it to 3 a day and then 1 a day. Eventually I gave it up. But it's never that easy right? I used to get extreme headaches so bad that I would fall on my knees. I couldn't see properly because of the headaches. But I fought through it and gave it all up in the end. I haven't smoked again since 2007.