Newbie

[Marie71]

Hi I’m new to the forum. A little about me…I’m 50 years old and just started smoking 4 years ago, I know that’s crazy isn’t it? We started running around with a group that all smoked and then I got hooked. Now, my sister, who smoked for 25 years is fighting breast cancer and my aunt who has smoked for over 50 years has lung/brain cancer, so I have decided I need to get serious about quitting. I don’t feel strong enough to quit cold turkey so I am weaning myself literally hour by hour. Instead of smoking every 30 minutes I can now go 3-5 hours without a smoke and I want to build from there. My question is, has anyone else quit that way? It seems like everyone here has just gone cold turkey and I am in awe of that! Thanks in advance!

[nicotine_free]

Cutting down didn't work for me below 10 cigarettes a day. That's not to say that it won't work for you. There's no harm in trying to cut down further. The only disadvantage I see is the prolonging of the nicotine addiction. Cutting down takes time and there is withdrawal associated, so all that time you spend cutting down you will be in withdrawal. But like I said, you do you.

[Marie71]

Thank you nicotine free. I appreciate any advice I can get. I’m so scared to set a quit date cause I’m afraid of failure, but I might just have to give it a try. 

[intoxicated yoda]

Honestly, cutting back isn't a bad thing but if you don't make a pretty strong negative association with smoking every time you do have one I don't see it as a successful plan.  I know leading up to my quit I would always ask myself why was I smoking this cigarette and it tasted terrible and I hated smoking, etc. etc.  Trying to create a negative association.  Just my 2 cents

 

and don't be afraid of failing.  it's just part of the process.

Edited April 11, 2022 by intoxicated yoda

[Boo]

Welcome aboard the Quit Train Marie.

 

42 minutes ago, Marie71 said:

 It seems like everyone here has just gone cold turkey and I am in awe of that! 

 

We have quitters of all stripes here.  Some used Chantix/Champix.  Others used nicotine replacement.

 

As for those of us who went cold turkey, I can only speak for myself, we really appreciated the direct path.  Cold turkey may not be easy but it is undeniably the simplest way of quitting smoking.

 

We focus more on the mission of quitting than the method of quitting.

[jillar]

Welcome aboard @Marie71 and congratulations on deciding to quit. My experience with cutting back didn't work. I always found an exception to the limit I was down to.

What did work for me was telling myself over and over things like "all good(?) things must come to an end". Or " so and so quit so I can too". I also quit smoking in my normal place so that when I did quit I could go in that area without associating it with smoking. 

You can do this, we're all proof.

Oh and the only reason I quit cold turkey was because of how much NRT's cost here but there's no shame in using them if it helps you stay quit

 

 

[Marie71]

Can anyone tell me if Chantix is still on the market? I heard it was pulled 

[intoxicated yoda]

@Marie71pretty sure it was pulled of the market due to cancer risk but i really don't think it will make the process any easier.  there is no magic pill.  quitting is going to suck for a while but you will find the strength to quit if you really want to.  it's really about mindset.  chantix is a psychotropic drug that had some pretty harsh side effects.  changing your thoughts and perceptions is free with zero side effects.  it really is just that simple,  it's just not that easy.

[Doreensfree]

Welcome aboard Marie ....Wow !!!..wish I had only smoked for 4 years ....I can add another 60....

In that time I've tried every quit possible many times over ....

The only thing that worked for me was Never Take Another Puff ...Ever .....

Cutting down is like ripping a plaster off very slowly ...more painful.....just rip it off ....

It's education that will help you ....knowledge ...understanding this horrible addiction ...

Read all you can here ....watch the videos ...follow people ,s journey ,s.....

This is what will help you to Freedom ....

Stay close ..and sit tight and buckle up....

[Gus]

Welcome aboard @Marie71! I’m 55 and smoked for 35 years. I recently passed my one year quit mark and I used NRT to quit. I used the patch. I suffer from severe anxiety and I knew that my mind would break if I went cold turkey. I was determined to quit, so I went through a long drawn out process of reducing the nicotine in my system until the day I forgot to put a patch on and decided I was done with the patch too. I would never outright recommend that someone put themselves through weeks/months of withdrawal to quit unless their mental state can be as messed up as mine can be. I knew, without a doubt after a few weeks in that I had only one quit in me and that my mind would never survive another quit. I was either quit and done or I would die smoking. We are here for you whatever you decide to do because ultimately this is YOUR quit journey. We just ask that you reach out when needed so that we can help you along. I have faith in you. You seem determined! Stay close!

[Sunnyside]

Welcome to the forum @Marie71 I could never quit cutting down or with NRT. I had to go cold turkey. Its the only way that works for me. We are with you whatever way you decide to quit. Sometimes the fear that we build up is worst than the doing

[Lust4Life]

Welcome aboard! You’ve made a great decision.  I read Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking and stayed close to a forum like QuitTrain.   I quit Sept 2016. This place will provide much needed support & distraction.   Glad you’re here! 
 

L4L

[Marie71]

Thanks for the advice and support everyone. I just don’t know how I can handle just quitting. I have high anxiety and am so afraid to go through this even though I know I need to. 

[Gus]

Take your time Marie. Don’t rush it. Sit down and think your quit plan through. Quitting is not easy, no matter how you do it and everyone’s quit is different. You need to know that up front. But it CAN be done! This train is full of  a bunch of successful quitters that are still here to support others! 

[Doreensfree]

2 hours ago, Marie71 said:

Thanks for the advice and support everyone. I just don’t know how I can handle just quitting. I have high anxiety and am so afraid to go through this even though I know I need to. 

Don't over think Marie ....

Take it one minute at a time if you have too....our brains can be our worst enemy.....

Thinking alot about it ...is actual worse than it really is ....

You can do it ...

Edited April 11, 2022 by Doreensfree

[DenaliBlues]

Hi, @Marie71. So glad you have joined this forum and are putting a plan in place to quit! There is information, community wisdom and moral support here that have helped a lot of people stop smoking, including me. I'm only at the two-month mark, so I can relate to the feelings of worry and dread you describe. But the fact that you have 46 years of NON-smoking life experience to draw on will strengthen your quit. You have already coped with difficult events and emotions without nicotine. You can do it again. 

 

IMHO, any quit that actually happens is a good quit. I don't believe one method vs. another is superior. They all have pros and cons. I was a very heavy smoker, and for a variety of reasons the patch was my method of choice. It worked for me. If you ever want to talk about what that was like, I'd be happy to personal message with you or start a separate post/thread about it.

 

Quits that stick require us to wrestle with the fact that smoking is an addiction. There are emotional and social dimensions of quitting on top of the chemical withdrawal to manage. That is why it's useful to line up a support system (friends, family, support groups, therapists, whoever you can trust to be kind and patient) as part of a quit plan. For me, this QuitTrain forum has been especially helpful. People here "get it." 

 

The emotional, physical and mental pain of quitting is real - I won't minimize it. But it does not last forever and it CAN be overcome! I delayed quitting for many reasons, but among them was fear of failure - fear that I would be overwhelmed and unable to handle the withdrawal distress. In retrospect, I think my nicotine addiction distorted that thinking and fed me fear to keep itself in control. It was not an accurate self-assessment of my ability. We are all - every one of us - capable of so much more in life than nicotine wants us to believe. 

 

[intoxicated yoda]

@Marie71while you are in this contemplation phase if you aren't ready to to quit try switching brands.  a different smell and a different visual of the pack help loosen the grip it's got on you.  It did help me quite a bit in my transition.

[Marie71]

Has anyone tried sucking on a straw? What about nicotine free ecig?

[jillar]

Marie, I used what we referred to as my JAC (jillars air cigarette). I just pretended I was holding an actual cigarette in my fingers and then went through the motions of "smoking" it. It worked great at tricking my brain into thinking it was getting the real thing. And because it was invisible, I didn't have to worry about where I left it lol.

Don't overthink your quit Marie, you'll talk yourself right out of it!

[DenaliBlues]

I have tried sucking on straws and hollow licorice. There is a brand of mentholated straws called QuitGo that I found helpful on occasion. I also got some aromatherapy inhalers in calming and pleasant scents. None of these things are magic, but they are part of a large toolkit that supports my quit. NRT (the patch and occasional lozenges) was my main strategy, but I found that I needed dozens of different tactics to mix and match to manage my cravings. It's actually a surprisingly creative exercise to come up with different things to keep one's mind, hands and mouth occupied.  And if you're feeling stuck or stumped, there are great lists of tips and tricks available on this site. Fishing around for posts like that got me past many a crave-wave!

 

I personally have avoided zero nicotine ecigs/vapes. Mostly because I am trying to break my association with smoking as a stress response, and I don't want to do anything that intensifies my longing for inhaled nicotine. (Plus I'm not entirely certain about ingredient disclosure.) 

 

I guess my bottom line is that there is no one strategy that, by itself, has the power to keep my quit. I need to combine a lot of different things - physical and behavioral. It is doable!

[JudiMD]

Marie…..

 

I wish I had started smoking 4 years ago.  Unfortunately, I started smoking 64 years ago!  I quit smoking 2 months+ ago.  I really had no choice.  I had just had half of my lung removed due to lung cancer.  Hopefully it won’t come back.  However, I have two lungs and I’m sure the other lung is just as black as the one they removed with malignant tumors.

 

Don't end up where I am; learning how to breathe with half a lung missing.  I’m not looking for sympathy; I did this to myself.  I just don’t want to see anyone else go down this road.  And, I can promise you, you will never regret quitting, but you will always regret not quitting.  Welcome.  Stay strong.  Your worth it.

[Mac#23]

Welcome aboard the train Marie. You may have not smoked as long as most people on the train but the addiction is just as real. So, congratulations for deciding to take back your health and life. Good for you.

[Dianne]

Hi Marie

I found short fast walks really helped with my anxiety. Every time I wanted a cig or started to feel stressed about quitting I shot out the door to walk it off. They were not long walks about 10 minutes each and I must of gone on 6-8 walks a day at first. It truly helped me get over that anxiety and the stress of quitting. The bonus was it helped get me into better shape too.  I am approaching my 1 year mark. Quitting is very doable we just have to do it. I agree with others here try not to over think it. Time, money and health ect ect...there so many reasons to be excited about quitting!

 

[Mee]

I found it best to just bite the bullet and quit.  The sooner you get that nicotine out of your system, the easier it will become to quit.  I found strength among the friends I have made on this forum.  Hang around, educate yourself, play some games and get to know us.  You can do this.

[johnny5]

On 4/11/2022 at 8:00 AM, Lust4Life said:

Welcome aboard! You’ve made a great decision.  I read Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking and stayed close to a forum like QuitTrain.   I quit Sept 2016. This place will provide much needed support & distraction.   Glad you’re here! 
 

L4L

 

Welcome @Marie71  You are doing a great thing in quitting.  It will make huge improvements to your life.

 

A lot of great advice has been given in this thread regarding a number of ways to quit.  I just have to echo what @Lust4Life posted in reading Allen Carr's "Easyway to Quit Smoking" as it really helped me.  Some successful quitters didn't like the book but it helped me and helped a lot of others.  Doesn't hurt to seek it out.

 

Also, support on a site like this really helps too.

 

It is great to have you here.  You can do this!