Are You A Quitter?

[jessecuster3]

I am working on trying to quit smoking and one of my friends who recently quit read this book (http://www.amazon.com/Allen-Carrs-Easy-Stop-Smoking/dp/0141026898/ref=sr_1_8/002-9934715-3661664?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1181757646&sr=1-8). It really seems to be working for him. Has anyone else quit smoking, drinking, taking drugs, or any other chemical dependency? What methods did you use to quit?




I know this thread may have been done before but it has been a long time and well, I want my own.

[Winslow]

My father-in-law was a chain smoker when I first met my wife 18 years (gasp) ago.

He quit by going on the patch.

[Puma]

I smoked for twelve years; on a whim I decided to try the patch. After one week I stopped wearing the patch (I left the last one on for three days to slowly come off the nicotine from the patch) and then it was just who wa sgoing to win, me or some noxious plant. That was in '94, haven't smoked since even though I am married to a (outside) smoker.

[mattbib]

I smoked for several years. But quit a little over five years ago when I was suffering from a sore throat. It was pretty easy, because Delaware's smoking ban had just gone into effect a few months earlier.

[jessecuster3]

I smoked for several years. But quit a little over five years ago when I was suffering from a sore throat. It was pretty easy, because Delaware's smoking ban had just gone into effect a few months earlier.

That's my motivation, our ban goes into effect 2008.

[trickster]

I quit smoking. Smoked between 18 and 23. Money problems made me stop. But after a while I realized I didn't even like it anymore. I'd buy a pack of cigarettes and struggle to finish it, and I'd wonder "why the hell did I even buy this sh**?" I guess I'm not the addict type. 4 years later, I'm still not tempted. I've even been complimented on how you can tell by my skin I'm not a smoker.

[GreatLakesAvenger]

I quit cold-turkey one year and two months ago, and I haven't had so much as one craving since.

One thing that helped me was a free booklet from www.jazzbooks.com. Jazz Pedagogist Jamey Aebersold is very into smoking cessation, so he offers advice in this book you can order at no cost from his site.

Basically, the point of the plan is this: When most smokers quit smoking, they feel that they are giving up something they enjoy for their better good. This sets you up for failure. The key is to be convinced to your core that you don't like smoking at all and have no interest in even one cigarette. Sounds obvious, but unfortunately, most smokers don't adopt that mindset. Instead, they keep repeating to themselves, "Boy, I really could use a smoke. But I shouldn't."

By adopting the point of view that I didn't really enjoy smoking in the first place, I quit rather easily. And that's tough for a musician, who spends every weekend in smoky bars. It was an exercise in willpower for the first week or two, but after some time I didn't even think about it anymore. Now, my fiancee smokes in front of me all the time and I don't even think about lighting up myself for a second. In fact, it even bothers me a little now.

What's important is to have the right frame of mind. If you have vivid memories of life before smoking, place yourself in that time mentally. Remember that smoking is not enjoyable, but horrible. You will not reward yourself after x days or weeks with "just one." Another point made in the booklet is that we smoke for a single period in our lives. If you smoke constantly for fifteen years, then quit for a full year, then have just one, you've now been smoking for sixteen years. Don't forget that.

I don't think any program you pay for is worth it. Books maybe, but definitely NOT hypnosis, the patch, Wellbutrin, or other crutches. All those systems do is set you up for failure because you're admitting to yourself that you alone cannot quit. And you can. 80 percent of smokers who quit do so under their own power.

[HomerJay]

After thinking about it, I don't think I've ever quit anything other than an academic course. I guess I've never been addicted to anything that required me to quit it. Yet.

[Winslow]

After thinking about it, I don't think I've ever quit anything other than an academic course. I guess I've never been addicted to anything that required me to quit it. Yet.

No bad habits?

I'm planning on quitting procrastination tomorrow.

[HomerJay]

No bad habits?

I'm planning on quitting procrastination tomorrow.
:D

Sure, I have bad habits, but they haven't gotten me into enough trouble to force me to quit them.
I don't smoke, drink moderately and don't go crazy with fried food. Weather permitting, I get up early at least 3 mornings a week and run a mile.

[morna]

I quit cold turkey in 88. I'd been a smoker since the age of 14. I remember realizing one day that I was actually hooked but being a dumb teenager it didn't really phase me. I'd tried to quit several times, years later, but it didn't take - even started up again months after my mom died of lung cancer when I was 25.

It's a hard thing to do there's no way around it. For me the thing that worked was just to never have that one cigarette or that one drag. Never. You have to be committed and you have to be focused. It's actually easier than losing weight because you can't say never to food.

you won't regret it Good luck

[Haydn C]

I smoked from 18, (35 now) and have given up now for a year and eight months and it is one of the best things I have ever done.

I went to my doctor and got a perscription for zyban, I'm not sure if it's available everywhere as an antismoking drug, and it really did the trick.

The money I've saved has been much better spent elsewhere, well or so my wife says!

[jessecuster3]

For those of you who quit smoking, do you drink as well? How was the first time going out drinking and not smoking?

[Gary_B]

For those of you who quit smoking, do you drink as well? How was the first time going out drinking and not smoking?

I smoked from the time I was 15 and quit when I was 25. I had a couple of false starts though. The first time I quit I got derailed by going to a bar with friends who were smokers. These days smoking isn't allowed in bars where I live so that temptation is minimized.

[morna]

For those of you who quit smoking, do you drink as well? How was the first time going out drinking and not smoking?

yup that's one of the tough parts - no doubt about it. You may have a couple of glitches at first when your judgement is impared - you just have to go in with firm conviction. Soon you'll notice that you feel a lot better the next morning - and smell a lot better too - that's one I really loved. Little perks like this will show up ... hang on to them they really help you get through rough spots.

[GreatLakesAvenger]

I drink, but only a glass of wine per day or less at home, or the free beer I get at gigs. The wine doesn't really encourage smoking (ick), but the free beer is another thing. When you're accustomed to holding a bottle in one hand, cig in the other, the question of what to do with that extra hand is tricky. Sounds like nothing to non-smokers, but really, really annoying to the rest of us. Like I said earlier, I quit with relative ease; but not having something to with my left hand at the bars was pretty tough for a couple of nights. The thing is, it passes in pretty short time. Just suck it up. When the urge initially hit, I asked myself, "You wanna spoil a perfect quit record just so you can have something in your HAND?" I felt stupid enough to keep from lighting up. You could eat peanuts, play Golden Tee, or if you're at home, hold a good book or the TV remote. I suspect I used my extra hand when talking a lot more than usual.

[Puma]

For those of you who quit smoking, do you drink as well? How was the first time going out drinking and not smoking?

Difficult, but not as difficult as writing a term paper without smoking for the first time. That was hell.

[GreatLakesAvenger]

Difficult, but not as difficult as writing a term paper without smoking for the first time. That was hell.

Yes! Not stopping for smoke breaks when writing was strange. But I was glad to have the extra time.

[Gary_B]

yup that's one of the tough parts - no doubt about it. You may have a couple of glitches at first when your judgement is impared - you just have to go in with firm conviction. Soon you'll notice that you feel a lot better the next morning - and smell a lot better too - that's one I really loved. Little perks like this will show up ... hang on to them they really help you get through rough spots.

Ya we were in Detroit a few weeks ago and were surprised when people were smoking in the bars we went to. It's been several years since going to a bar in these parts meant waking up smelling like cigarettes the next day.