Wanting to quit , is it necessary?
Hello ,
I’m facing a dilemma .
I would like to quit , but I find myself not really wanting to !!
I don’t know if it’s the addiction that is causing this attitude or the fear of quitting.
I’ve been smoking for over 30 years and it has become my everything, my day revolves around smoking , I’m sure a lot of you can identify with this . While all the Benefits are well known to me , they still don’t give me the motivation to want to quit .
I’m curious if this mind set has to change first or can I still quit in-spite of me truly not wanting to ?
Last year I quit for 5 mouths but I used a horrible stressor to give me a “ reason “ to go back .
I’m now trying to find a plan that will work for me , meds like Chantix seem to offer the best solution .
I’m wondering what worked best for you ? I have always tried cold turkey. Apparently not the best choice , for me anyway.
Good luck to you all on your journey.
Just the fact that you are here is a start. I want to quit because of so many things. Cost,coughing,better looking,smell,bothering others. I don't want to quit because I enjoy it. Let's really give it our best shot. I have the gum to use to cut down. Keep in touch
I tried champix but have stopped. I ended up with IBS, nausea, aches, and hair loss. My doctor didn't know much about the side effects and it took me a while to realise that it could be the champix.
Hi Professor, I have to agree with Red because it is hard for me to imagine, a successful quit too, if you still think you want to smoke. Sounds like your brain is playing a mind game with you by saying I want to quit and yet I want to smoke. I think that until your desire to quit exceeds your desire to smoke you'll keep on smoking. Basically a smoker needs a smoke in order to feel normal but non-smokers feel normal without needing a smoke and for an ex-smoker to feel normal takes a while to get there. Some people can do it quicker but in my case took over a few of months to get to the point when I started feeling like an ex-smoker. Good luck in your endeavor.
You are both definitely right , I think it’s the addiction that is telling me that I love smoking and don’t want to quit because like you said , “ smoking makes me feel normal , and not smoking doesn’t seem normal “
Thank you for mentioning that , when I quit last year , for a few months , I did start feeling “ normal “ after a while and you know , I completely forgot about that !
I am going to set a quit day , and take it one day at a time !
In the mean time , I am going to read this forum and see what has been some of the most successful plans people have taken .
We are all in the same boat whether a new or an old time quitter. Addiction is an addiction no matter how you look at it. Some of us believe that if you make a cig something you don't want then you will overcome your addiction. Maybe true but in my case I know that if I have just one puff I will succumb again. Happened to me twice before. So we are all different. I obtained a nicotine substitute med from Eastern Europe called Tabex and it helped me. An active ingredient in it is Cytisine: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cytisine
Good luck and stay strong.
I've had the same back and forthing over the years as you have, where I'd decide quitting was the best thing to do, but would then balk at the idea of actually setting a quit date- however my Mum was recently diagnosed with her second cancer in 2 years (luckily all very manageable and at an early stage) and I just thought about what an idiot I was being, continuing with something which is (when you think about it logically) a horrid habit. It's expensive, it smells, it's anti-social, it's unhealthy and it rules your life. I'm taking Champix at the moment and I find it's really helped- you continue to smoke for the first 2 weeks and I genuinely found by about day 10, that smoking no longer gave me pleasure and I was throwing the cigs away after 2 puffs. This definitely helped when it came to my actual quit day and I even brought it forward by 2 days because I couldn't face the idea of smoking for an additional 2 days. Don't get me wrong- it's hard, but I know that every day that passes will get easier and that in the grand scheme of things this will just be a tiny blip which will lead to a happier, healthier, wealthier me!
I quit over 6 months ago, and don't regret it at all. I had been thinking about it for over a year, and taking steps toward quitting for good! I joined a support group at the hospital, commit to quit, which was excellent! For 2 or 3 months I used an e-cig to help with the tough times, but happy to say no longer need it.
I just decided for myself it was time to stop sneaking around, changing my clothes all the time because of the smoke smell, thinking about when I could smoke again and where! It was so dumb! I didn't need it, or want it anymore! There are times when I miss it, but never want to go back. I like being a nonsmoker! You just have to be really ready, and I was! Good Luck in your quit, you can do it. Deep breathing helps alot, it's like smoking without the cigarettes! You will be happy again, I promise!
The best part about this forum is you are all truly understand what being addicted to cigarettes is . I know the people who never smoked have truly good intentions but they don’t understand the addiction.
Thank you for your support and motivation , to not only do this but knowing most of have quit and did it in spite of the challenges gives me great comfort.
Quit date September 1 st . 2018 !