Why is everyone only recommending cold turkey method here ?

Sazerac · April 3, 2020

I'll see when you decide to stop abusing nicotine.

Make sure you post that in Quit Smoking Discussions so we can have celebratory fireworks at hand.

Take advantage of this time and educate yourself about nicotine addiction.

Life is too rich to be burdened with addiction and you're doing Three. Nicotine, Caffeine and Sugar.

Boo · April 3, 2020

10 hours ago, Doreensfree said:

I can't count how many people have welcomed the frying pan ...and have actually saved thier quit ...

And have been very grateful.....

For me, it wasn't so much the frying pan as it was the threat of the frying pan. Just knowing it was there, hanging by a thread like the sword of Damocles, was added motivation to not do anything stupid.

Fear the pan. Respect the pan.

Sunshine59 · April 3, 2020

This forum has saved me from cigarettes before .

I know this forum will save me from the gums too .

But right now i need a little bit more time to quit the gums .

helmethermit · April 3, 2020

35 minutes ago, Sunshine59 said:

This forum has saved me from cigarettes before .

I know this forum will save me from the gums too .

But right now i need a little bit more time to quit the gums .

quit inside your head - the body will follow. if you did it once you can do it again. but this time make it forever. you are quitting a habit - so do not go around replacing one habit with another. eat gum if you feel like it but never because you do not have any other choice. to make quitting smokes seem easy and small - give up something bigger. your mind will start to tackle that and you can quietly quit the smokes easily by the time your mind figures out it has been fooled. lol - play dirty harry. in my case i turned near vegan and fooled my mind and body, lol.

Sazerac · April 3, 2020

Here are some resources for you @Sunshine59 and for anyone lurking and dealing with NRTs

Keeping NRT In Case of Emergency

Resources Related To Keeping Cigarettes or Nicotine Replacement Products After Quitting.

My First Encounter With NRT

Angeleek · April 4, 2020

On 3/25/2020 at 1:38 AM, Sunshine59 said:

Everyone can't quit cold turkey !!!! Fact

That is quite possibly true, Sunshine59.

But don't knock it 'til you try it...at least once, or twice. It's the fastest and cheapest way to be done with the whole sordid affair.

For me, any quit method that's legal, ethical and reasonably healthy is good in my book!

Angeleek · April 4, 2020

I will add that the nicotine gum is a very sneaky component of nicotine addiction! For 10+ years, I was hooked to chewing nicotine gum between cigarettes. Talk about being super addicted! When I decided to get serious about stopping smoking, I actually had to quit the gum for 6 months before I could quit cigarettes.

Your withdrawal will fade soon. Hang in there and good luck! Drink green tea or something else you love...not too much sweet.

Thank you for lighting up this discussion.

Kinda feels like the quit police around here sometimes, but it comes from the right place. I for one have received a lot of support and knowledge here, and people who really care about something can get a little riled up, so it's all good.

Angeleek · April 4, 2020

When I finally successfully quit cold turkey, I ran around feeling like I'd just found Jesus, and I wanted to tell every smoker who wasn't quitting that they needed to try going cold turkey NOW because it sucks royally for about 10 days but then the pain is basically gone and you're done and FREE!

That feeling subsided after a few weeks, but I still like to share the benefits of quitting cold with whoever wants to know. If you can endure the hardships of life you have surely suffered, cold turkey is a cake-walk by comparison.

helmethermit · April 4, 2020

On 3/25/2020 at 2:08 PM, Sunshine59 said:

Everyone can't quit cold turkey !!!! Fact

nor does everybody quit that way. some do it cold turkey and some do it in a different way. it really does not matter how you do it as long as you do it and crawl out the tunnel and seal it forever.

but what is a fact? and what do facts have to do with a quit? a quit is a personal voyage undertaken towards self liberation.

lets look closer. a fact is the analysis of something that has been - an analysis based on the past. facts are models of future probability based on past.

it is a fact that most short people can quit easy and feel lesser withdrawal symptom as compared to taller folks

(fyr a tall person is a person who stands over 6 feet tall in this study based on cog of the navel and height above msl)

now - does this mean that every short person will be able to quit easier as compared to a tall person? possible but not definitive

does that mean no tall person can ever quit easily or less painfully than a short person - possible but not definitive

so - what has the fact done for us here. it has just reflected the story or truth of what has happened so far based on the data we fed into the system.

ok, but then - if facts cannot forecast correct or rightly then why or how to use it?.

1. a fact is not a forecaster that is definitive but is just a probability indicator. it is only true of the past up-to the moment it was declared.

2. for eg - if i were a tall man then - in this example i would be extra cautious in my quit and be mentally much more alert than if i were under 6 feet tall. - see, we used the fact to our advantage.

similarly if were short i would pump myself up in times of doubt that - look man - the facts says it can be done easy for folks like me - so i should be home for sure - let me ride these bumps out.

it is not facts but the interpretation of facts that matters.

btw - the cog (center of gravity) of the navel and msl (mean sea level) have nothing to do with smoking

the facts in this example are a lie and something i just made up to show you how easy it is to twist facts to your advantage.

everybody cannot quit cold turkey - correct, so true

how does everyone who quits do it then?

ok, a few managed cold turkey too - all right !

how did they do it?

how long did they take?

how tough was it?

how did they overcome the weakness and urges, them craves?

these are the kind of things you must focus on - then decide if cold turkey is for you.

if not repeat the same steps with folks who quit using gums

if that does not appeal too then find folks who quit any other way

but quit. as long as you feed nicotine into your system you remain enslaved, chained and an addict.

(be it sticks/ gum/patch/whatever else)

one day you will have to let go that pacifier eventually. if you want to do it slow - fine - do it slow but steady. but never take a step back.

fact is - i quit cold turkey.

fact - it was the easiest thing i ever did in all my life

fact - i i smoked for 35 years with a passion. loved cigarettes, stood and defended them until the last day of my quit and fought folks that meant so much to me as they stated truths i knew so well.

fact - i smoked 35 sticks on the last day of my quit too

fat - i turned non-smoker in 24 hrs. i quit mentally after i crossed the impossible 24 hrs limit.

come on fighter - facts are for folks in self doubt. a fighter has belief in thyself - self. that is the only thing that matters in the ring, in this fight, in every quit. every voice outside the ring can scream - you cannot quit. it does not matter. the only voice that should whisper inside you head is your own - i can quit, i will quit. Nothing else matters.

Sazerac · April 4, 2020

On 3/25/2020 at 3:38 AM, Sunshine59 said:

Everyone can't quit cold turkey !!!! Fact

LIE. Everyone CAN quit cold turkey. Many people Don't quit cold turkey. Pure Choice.

"I Can't Quit" or "I Won't Quit"

During my first few days of my 'quiting-on-a-whim' quit, my quit of 6+ years now,

I was googling around and found so much misinformation about 'cold turkey'.

Thankfully, found Joel Spitzer and this actual video. I was heartened and cheered.

Whatever You Do Don't Quit Cold Turkey

Breaking Free From Nicotine's Grip Is More Doable Than Most People Think

forestgreen · April 4, 2020

I have been reading this dialogue for a few days, and for myself would say, it didn't come easy, (not a lie) Why because I didn't have enough knowledge of the Nicotine factor in cigarettes, at the time and my self belief was not strong. There are so many confusing issues surrounding NRT The Medical profession for one advocates you use NRT this is a big deciding factor, why this is I cannot say except to surmise, that they think, you might get too aggressive in the process of quitting cold turkey

I used Champix, albeit one per day and none at night, the difficulty came when I had to let go of the champix, it was the thought more than the actuality. I hung on for a week more than I should have because of this. Finally when I let go and went cold turkey, things weren't as bad as I imagined. I did find that I would be quick to temper at times, but I had to work on these things and change my view on various fronts without destroying my fighting spirit so to speak.

I don't think whatever method you choose warrants an overzealous approach to helping another. Something will resonate within the knowledge presented for each individual person, but our own little voice is perhaps the best one to decide when and how. I was at odds with this dilemma simply because my niece (who is a health professional) and a beautiful person as one could ever meet was still using gum while I was home free. There was no desire to help her by telling her to stop the gum, or hitting her over the head. I had noticed she only used the gum at odd times, like a safety valve for her own stress levels. She is an adult, and has ceased smoking the cigarette which includes other chemicals like Tar, this in itself shows me although it has taken her quite a long time, she is committed to not smoking the cigarette.

Angeleek · April 5, 2020

6 hours ago, forestgreen said:

I don't think whatever method you choose warrants an overzealous approach to helping another. Something will resonate within the knowledge presented for each individual person, but our own little voice is perhaps the best one to decide when and how.

Well said.

Angeleek · April 5, 2020

I think that's one of Joel Spitzer's best videos, "Whatever you do don't quit cold turkey." It was John R Polito's Freedom from Nicotine ebook posted on the Whyquit website that got me thinking seriously about just going cold. That was my intro to Joel Spitzer!

Edited April 5, 2020 by Angeleek

Colleen · April 22, 2020

Because it works and really is the easiest way

sgt.barney · April 27, 2020

Because cold turkey is BEST turkey.

EZPZ

On 3/25/2020 at 4:38 AM, Sunshine59 said:

Everyone can't quit cold turkey !!!! Fact

Fact: Anyone and EVERYONE indeed, CAN.
Fact: For whatever weak-assed excuse they care give, they won't.

EZPZ.

Edited April 27, 2020 by sgt.barney

Mona · April 27, 2020

I believe that anyone can quit cold turkey but don't think it's necessarily the best way for everyone. My first quit was cold turkey and it was a horrible experience, so bad that I think the memory of it prevented me from using the method a second time. I tried but after giving up on day 3 numerous times, I gave up...what's the definition of insanity? I decided to try nicotine patches and it's so much easier...no comparison really. No mood swings, no anger, no crying at the drop of a hat, no foggy brain, no sleep problems, able to be productive. In order to minimize withdrawal, I stepped down very gradually...21 mg, 17.5 mg, 14 mg, 10.5 mg, 7 mg, 3.5 mg, then nothing.

I do sense some negativity toward NRT on this site. Not from everyone but there seem to be those with a "my way or the highway" attitude. When someone does reveal that they are quitting with the patch, some advise them to get off the patch as soon as possible. Personally, I think this is bad advice. If a quitter wants to use the patch for less than the 8-week recommended time period, it should be their idea. They should not be pressured and/or made to feel that they are doing something wrong.

Anyway, I do recommend the patch for those who like the idea of weaning themselves from nicotine.

Edited April 28, 2020 by Mona

Sazerac · April 27, 2020

We support all quits here on QTrain. Putting the addiction to nicotine to sleep is serious business.

Everyone is encouraged to deal with their nicotine addiction.

No one is pressured, no one is made to feel they are doing wrong by following a prescribed program of NRTs.

We all acknowledge that every quit is a good quit.

We do not support maintaining the addiction by abusing NRTs or encouraging a re-introduction to NRTs

after someone has already begun to put their nicotine addiction to sleep

and that has been the modus operandi of the original poster.

jillar · April 27, 2020

7 hours ago, Mona said:

I do sense some negativity toward NRT on this site. Not from everyone but there seem to be those with a "my way or the highway" attitude. When someone does reveal that they are quitting with the patch, some advise them to get off the patch as soon as possible.

I hate when I see that some people feel this way. I know for me that when I advise someone to get off them as soon as possible it's because I hate to see them prolonging the inevitable which is dealing with the nicotine withdrawal. It's kinda like someone who is "quitting smoking" by reducing the number of cigarettes they smoke a day. That never worked for me or anyone else I know of. Eventually you slowly go back up to where you started. That's the risk you take when you prolong NRT.

That being said, it has helped a great number of people quit smoking so as always we all just need to take what we can use and leave the rest......

Doreensfree · April 27, 2020

Over the years here we have seen all kinds of quitters ...using different methods ...

They get the same support as those who do it cold turkey ....

All roads lead to Rome .....

The only concern we have is if people don't stick to the instructions and stay on it longer than stated ...

Mona.....we don't care which method you use ...just quit ....

Mona · April 28, 2020

I get what everyone is saying and know that everyone means well. I also agree that NRT is a tool and not meant to be a long-term solution.

notsmokinjo · April 28, 2020

As an NRT quitter....I do suspect a certain (most) degree of the feelings of the pressure to go cold turkey or that cold turkey is better than our method comes from within rather than the words of others. There are a minority who take cruel to be kind to the nth degree but the reality is as a whole the negativity to NRT and feeling inferior is more an internal thing than external. Trust me I've been thinkin about this in depth and looking at it from all angles... See the longer we hang here the more we learn and we don't even need to hunt all the info is here...and we are not stupid, while we are proud to be smoke free we know, in our heart of hearts while using NRT we aren't really free, just dancing on the edges. We know we are still feeding our addiction and the shame and insecurities we feel are because we know this. We know we are tempting fate each time we use. Honestly, after thinking about it those feelings of guilt or inequality or whatever associated with NRT are more about being ready on one level to leave it behind and being too scared to take that final step. So those feelings aren't necessarily a bad thing...they show a growth in knowledge and awareness and are the final sign that nrt is on its way out...those feelings are really a bit of a positive, a sign that the end is near.

I'd rather see a fellow quitter using NRT longer and not smoking than falling off the train...and I'm torn on starting NRT 3 days in ... I kinda think if it's the difference between having a smoke and not having a smoke is it really so bad...3 weeks in I'd be waving my hands no, stop, don't.

Edited April 28, 2020 by notsmokinjo

Mona · April 28, 2020

I think too much emphasis is placed on the first three days. Most people feel bad well past the three-day mark in a cold turkey quit. When I quit cold turkey, I felt really bad for the first month. No hell week for me, it was a hell month! Then things started to slowly get better. I must attribute the bad effects to lack of nicotine because with the patch, they are non-existent, at least that's how it is for me.

If a cold turkey quitter is ready to throw in the towel, I don't think there is anything wrong with starting NRT as long as they use it as directed and not as a permanent substitute. Using NRT would be preferable to going back to smoking and then having to start a new quit.

Sazerac · April 28, 2020

The whole point of quitting smoking is about NOT throwing in the towel.

It is about building yourself a successful quit and to stop feeding your addiction. Reintroducing the drug ? No No NO ! You're an addict, fgs.

To give yourself an 'out' like 'throwing in the towel' you are dooming yourself to failure.

The only requirement is a conscious and committed decision to quit smoking, quit using nicotine

and you must abide by your choice come hell or high water.

This isn't rocket science, quitting isn't impossible and frankly, while it may be challenging,

quitting smoking doesn't rank in the hardest things to do on the planet.

Go sit in ICU and see people on ventilators, go through the cancer wards,

watch amputations due to complications caused by smoking and witness real challenges.

Challenges not only for smokers but, also for their families who must watch these horrors.

You Smoke Because You're A Smokeaholic

I don't know if you have quit yet @Mona, your sig just says 'yes', whatever that means.

All your sentences are straight out of the junkie handbook. I recognize them, you know why ? Because I am a junkie too.

Thankfully, I have put my addiction to sleep and you can too, of this, I have no doubt.

You need to stop spouting the lies of addiction, stop listening to your junkie, stop obeying the addict and start seeking freedom.

Every quit is different, different to each quit you started and different to each individual

Don't assume because you had it hard with cold turkey that you will have a hard time with cold turkey this time.

Don't believe if you had it easy with patches, you will have it easy again.

Every Quit Is Different

Doreensfree · April 28, 2020

No matter what path you take to Freedom ...it still takes the person to put the work in ...

Youv,e got to want to quit ...and be 100% dedicated ....

And Never Take Another Puff !!!

Sazerac · April 28, 2020

3 hours ago, Mona said:

I think too much emphasis is placed on the first three days. Most people feel bad well past the three-day mark in a cold turkey quit. When I quit cold turkey, I felt really bad for the first month. No hell week for me, it was a hell month! Then things started to slowly get better. I must attribute the bad effects to lack of nicotine because with the patch, they are non-existent, at least that's how it is for me.

If a cold turkey quitter is ready to throw in the towel, I don't think there is anything wrong with starting NRT as long as they use it as directed and not as a permanent substitute. Using NRT would be preferable to going back to smoking and then having to start a new quit.

Let's listen to some wisdom, shall we ?

The Importance of The First Three Days and The Difference Between Physical and Psychological Urges

Keeping NRT's In Case Of Emergency

Prolonging Nicotine Withdrawal

Relapses Are Not Determined By How You Quit Smoking