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Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 9:15 am

I've quit smoking twice.

First time is when I acquired a nice horse. Smoking was banned at the stables, and since I spent a lot of time there, it became too much of a bother to smoke at all. That, combined with a didgeridoo (sp?) helped me quit.

I ended up having to sell my horse and moved on. But my Mom ended up in the hospital. That stressed me to the point I started again. I continued smoking off and on for a couple of years after that.

Second time I quit smoking was shortly after I joined here. I was able to bait myself into feeling sick when I smoked one. That was good because by that time, the didge was too cracked to play properly. I cut back until I was down to 1 a week, then none. I have slipped up a couple of times, but I did not enjoy it.

I still fantasize about smoking and still enjoy the smell of cigarettes sometimes. I wish I had never started smoking in the first place.. But I was s rebellious teenager... Go figure.

Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 11:30 am

Harry Bawls wrote:

Did anyone that quit during Bomb's thread quit for good?

I did. Although not as well as Bomb as I fell off the wagon for a couple of weeks at Christmas time. I don't forsee the same happening again this year though.

Trophy Videos · Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 12:04 pm

Good luck, Harry. I'm rooting for you. I went on the patch last summer after deciding for the very first ime in many years that I was going to quit. But I guess my mind wasn't totally convinced, as once I got in my car for a cross country road trip, I slipped back into smoking. Maybe it was the boredom, or the habit of lighting up when i started to get tired, so I could go another 50 miles through the maze of shitty drivers on the interstates. I spent a lot of time driving on my last job, and logged over a million miles in 18 1/2 years.
But I'd like to try again, as I have a hiking/camping trip planned for late July/early August. Just the thought of carrying that light 25 pound pack up hills in the mountains as a smoker doesn't appeal to me. Plus after a long winter of inactivity, it's gonna take a few months to get back in shape. I'm no spring chicken either, at 51, but at least I'm not overweight.
It took my ex-wife and my sister three tries to quit smoking, but I know if you don't give up, you will eventually win. Smile

Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 12:46 am

***Bump***

Day 9 was miserable. Crying or Very sad

However......I made it through! Smile

I woke up wanting a smoke, and it lasted all friggin' day. Day 10 (today) was much better. I am starting to believe that I have this thing beat.

Using Bomb's logic, so far I have saved $40.00. Well....not really, I spent $50.00 on nicotine gum, but there was 17 days worth. The gum seems to be working well, and I have already cut down on how many pieces I use per day.

I am giving myself a pat on the back for sticking to it this long, and I really think I can do it this time.

Root.......are you having any success? If not, don't worry about it. The time will come when you can put them down for good.

[nice guy mode]Also......a big thank-you to all who offered support. It really means a lot to me![/nice guy mode]

Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 1:38 am

^^When I get those pesky urges I tell myself I'll have a cig in 10 mins or when I finish doing what I'm doing & refocus my mind on something else. After that, I forget all about it for a few hours. Then when I have the urge again, I do the same thing. I don't have many cravings anymore, but that works for me. When I have a really bad craving and almost break down and am ready to bum a cig off someone I remind myself that I've gone this long w/o a cig & it would sux to just give in now & for what?! I'm looking forward to next year when I have told myself I can dabble in a bit of social smoking. Laughing

Hang in there Harry, you are doing it!! Thumbs up

Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 7:13 am

Harry Bawls wrote:

Root.......are you having any success? If not, don't worry about it. The time will come when you can put them down for good.

Well, I'm not going cold turkey yet, but I have successfully limited the number of SoDs (Sticks of Death) I consume every day.
Firstly I discarded the good-morning- and good-night-smoke and now I am preparing to bring a counted number of smokes to work so that I only have that number and no more.
This I want to decrease steadily and not too slow so that soon I stop completely.
And I guess then comes the hard part. Wink

Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 12:48 pm

Harry Bawls wrote:

[nice guy mode]Also......a big thank-you to all who offered support. It really means a lot to me![/nice guy mode]

Why don't you go for tea and wear a pretty little skirt, you emotional sissy? Do you need a tissue to wipe a tear away?

Just kidding. Good luck and glad to hear that you are sticking to it.

Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 2:38 pm

jojobean wrote:

Good luck and glad to hear that you are sticking to it.

Aw crap. I just stopped crying all over my dress, and now you say such a sweet thing. I think I'm going to cry again. You are the sweetest boi I ever met!

Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 2:48 pm

rootuser wrote:

... I am preparing to bring a counted number of smokes to work so that I only have that number and no more ...

Oooh, just wait til your pack goes super stale. Naaaaaaasty Laughing

Tell yourselves the cigaretts are NASTY and make you SICK and DRY HEAVE and want to PUKE every time you take a puff. Then go do something else like play an instrument or walk and tell yourself that alternative feels GOOOOOOD. Cigs BAD, other activity GOOOD. Laughing

Hey.. It worked for me. Very Happy

Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 3:31 pm

If I start playing instruments people tell me to stop and better have a smoke...

But I guess you're right. It's either cold turkey before Thanksgiving or nothing.
So, I'm gonna put that pack away and take out the pack that I've been saving for this purpose, an old pack with three or four red Marlboros from China.
These taste like horse-poo by now (and didn't taste much better when they were new) and if that taste doesn't convince me that I don't want to smoke then I can still trying to soak my cigs in cat-pee before smoking them...

So, after smoking those three I expect to be vomiting for like 20 minutes, that should help to get me off the smokes.

Edit: Does stalking count as alternative activity?

I just remember. The pool has opened today, so I'm gonna spend considerable time there, that will also keep me away from the cigs.

Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 3:40 pm

You both can do it, and you both are doing very well. Keep it up and you will reach your goals to be non-smokers before you know it. It's a difficult thing to do, but with determination and not letting stress send you back to square one, you will succeed. Please keep thinking positive. Very Happy

*** BANNED *** Joined: 02 Jan 2006 Posts: 2021

Hang in there H.
If you not already done so make sure you download quitomzilla, it's a little Firefox add on that keeps track of your progress and pops up important milestones.
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/444

Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 4:11 pm

when I quit cold turkeythe first week was the wurst after that peace of cake

Posted: Thu May 01, 2008 4:49 pm

I think you two are doing great and keep it up. Wink

Hope this helps Laughing

http://tw.youtube.com/watch?v=nIKfEXh51XY

Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 11:25 am

Dear Mods, This will be my last bump of this thread, honest. No, really. I mean it.
Love,
Harry

According to the Mozilla add-on that Bomb told me about, I have NOT smoked 450 cigarettes, and NOT spent $100.00 on them. I have not touched a cigarette in 2 weeks,3 days, and 23 hours. I am really starting to breathe better, feel better, and as if it were possible, I look better. Laughing

Now, all I have to do is figure out how to get rid of this spare tire building around my waist. Maybe I will go after SP's mileage count on a bicycle. Laughing

Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 11:40 am

keep it up harry.. im proud of you.

Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 12:15 pm

Well done guys! Very Happy

I missed this thread the first time round (and also missed Bombardiers thread). I'm a smoker and have pretty much had enough of coughing up lugies (or pavement oysters) in the mornings, so it's time I quit too. It'll be my second attempt. It won't be til later this year though when I return home. Keep up the willpower!

Baiting Guru Joined: 03 Mar 2006 Posts: 7103 Location: Yes

Good job Harry. We're pulling for you.

Now who's the sweetest boi??!

Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 9:44 pm

You will know the battle's won when you become a giant pain-in-the-ass about other people's wretched, stinking smoke.

I don't know if my 15 years of smoking (with some multi-year vacations) sensitized me to it, but now I just can't stand the stench. It's been 40 years since my last one. I can detect a single puff in a dirigible hangar. A mixed blessing, I guess. But cigarettes were a maximum of 35 cents a pack back then. And I have other, vile habits.

Good on yer, as my Aussie friend has been known to shout after ingesting a critical mass of Foster's lager. clapping

Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 10:28 pm

^^^Yuz Old! Smile

Posted: Fri May 09, 2008 11:27 pm

Harry Bawls wrote:

Dear Mods, This will be my last bump of this thread, honest. No, really. I mean it.
Love,
Harry

We still love you Harry. Very Happy

Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 5:39 am

corona wrote:

^^^Yuz Old! Smile

You......have......no......idea.......

I'm always surprised to wake up each morning to find the cat on my chest. I'm pretty sure it's the cat.
Without my coke-bottle glasses it's a little hard to tell.
Oops! Time for another tinkle. Embarassed

Posted: Sat May 10, 2008 10:27 am

Okay, for what it's worth, and only 'cause I'm still up, I'll throw another quittin' story on the fire...

I was never a big smoker, except for occasional interludes of living in the great outdoors and saying 'what the hell', I would only have a cigarette if I was out having a few drinks. But somehow that few cigarettes per month just stayed with me, for a few years, then several, then finally a few dozen years, kinda just became part of life, having that pack around so I could have that smoke whenever I felt like it.

Till last December. I developed a flu, which mutated itself into a raging chest infection. One morning I woke up coughing, then choking. Then my lungs closed up almost completely, and luckily a police officer friend of mine was coming over to my house - possibly saved my life, as she got me to the hospital in time. Probably not related to smoking, sez the doc, but my mind wouldn't believe it... not a cigarette since, not a desire, nothing but revulsion towards the whole idea.

Something about opening your mouth as wide as you possibly can, and your eyes are wide and bulging and terrified and you can't get air into yourself, even though you're trying to run, trying to get to a neighbour's place, but you might not get to the door, and you just don't know if anyone will find you... No, never again. I am done.

EDIT: Man, that was pretty self-indulgent. Harry, best of luck on quitting, and if I can ever do anything useful, like say 'boo', let me know.

** SUSPENDED ** Joined: 26 Mar 2005 Posts: 1267

I very very rarely ever point out my addictions on the interweb but I will confess to this one for the first time (spot-light please!)

I have been smoking for awhile now (about a year) and the reason why I got addicted to it was because that's what I substituted for chewing tobacco. I have not had one bit of chew since I started this smoking habit, so that's the only good side that's taking place right now.

I usually smoke around 6-8 cigs a day, sometimes more, sometimes less.. but it's still unhealthy for my body. Lately the pressure has been mounting because of Harold quitting, and me wanting to quit for awhile now but never gave it a true chance. Just last week I put myself through the ultimate test, not having a cig for one FULL day. I proved to myself that I could do it, and I did last the 24 hours, however the morning time came and I bought another pack, so I lasted just over 24 hours, but not by much.

After tasting the first cig in one full day, it was absolutely disgusting, but with a few stressful moments here and there, and alcohol involved, I started back on the track of 6-8 per day.

Before I say my next line, I will say that I hate setting goals (always fail), and I hate telling others about it (makes me want to smoke even more!), but maybe if I tell a larger community, I'll at least get a few supporters that'll help me through it (I'm not asking Harold, he's too abusive Laughing

). However my Goal for MONDAY is to make it for 24 hours straight, the idea behind this however is to not give into my morning cravings, and stay inside during work (I smoke in my car too).

I'll run that firefox add-on about quitting smoking and how much I save. The true test is tomorrow because 14 cigs in my pack as of right now, but I'm going to buy some alcohol and smoke tonight. My goal for monday is to

A) not smoke (24 hours)
B) quit drinking (for at least a week or two while I quit)

If I can do both A, and B for one day, I think I'll be on a great start (and also, I don't drink daily, usually twice-three times a week).

I want to add that I'm going to do this cold turkey. I know I can do it, and I just need to get my mind set to it. The thing I'll need to control is not saying much to anyone, because once I do, I start to think about having that "smoke" again.

Long post, sorry Laughing

Posted: Sun May 11, 2008 11:42 pm

Quote:

And I have other, vile habits.

A very effective way to give up a nasty habit... develop a habit that's even nastier.

I smoked for some time after a stressful, indulgent and disheartening spell at university, and finally quit some years ago.

My motivation was looking at the management of BAT, Phillip Morris etc. and thinking of how much money they make every year, and how little they care for their customers, and the outrageous lies they tell about proven links between their products and numerous lethal diseases.

Tobacco products are the only thing I've ever seen which carry no instructions and no standard risk phrases. Professionally, I spray high performance protective coatings to keep seawater off aluminium and the hoops that need jumping through to satisfy H&S regulations are amazing. Yet you can buy fags at 18 and treat yourself to an unregulated dose of R20, R33, R37, R39, R45, R47, R49, R61, R62 and R68. If I found this on the datasheets of anything i was about to use I wouldn't have it on site.

So, just think of the managers of your favourite brand of coffin-nail, and think: Do i want to give these people my money? No. in an ideal world, they'd have been dragged out of their Mercedes S600s and beaten to death with lead pipes years ago.

before anyone asks, I'll make no apologies for the tone of paragraph 7. I feel nothing but resentment for the addiction, the damage to my health, the money it's cost me, the lies I've been told. They're no better than the Lads we kick in daily, if anything they're worse. much worse.

Anyone still feel like paying for smokes?

re. paragraph 8: Well, i have drunk a bottle of wine tonight. See para. 2...