I'm about to give up on this quitting smoking thing.

[Th1onein]

I don't feel like doing anything but sleeping. I can't concentrate at work. I'm not hungry because I snack so much to keep from smoking. I'm miserable.

[Kceres]

1. You can do this! Don't give up.

Give it one more week. It will get better. Eat red hots.

[Sedona]

2. Get a water bottle with a sippy top on it

and replace the cigs with that. You'll be peeing like crazy, but not smoking.

[glowing]

3. Are you using a patch or gum or lozenge? Perhaps you need a bit of nictine.

Also, pick up a habit like walking or yoga or something active. As you start feeling better, breathing better, and shaping up.. smoking seems silly to do once you've activated the healthy alternatives.

[Warpy]

4. The only way out is through

Have you called a doc to get some help with this? Sometimes a short prescription for an anti anxiety drug to get through the worst can be a big help.

Every ex smoker will tell you it does get better. It just doesn't feel like it now.

Besides, do you really want to spend your mornings coughing up a quart of Lucky sauce?

[katandmoon]

5. DON'T GIVE UP!!! Cigarettes will kill you like they killed my mother, my MIL and FIL.

With terminal lung cancer.

Is that how you want to go? I can tell you...it's not pleasant.

You *CAN* beat those stinking cancer sticks promoted by the stinking tobacco industry.

[JuniperLea]

6. Don't give up!

I smoked for nearly 30 years. I quit about three years ago, and I'm so happy I did!

Think about it... the cig companies load those things up with chemicals to keep you addicted... you don't want that, right? Think of all the money you would save!

I figure I've saved at least $5000 by now. I'm not supporting a murderous industry, I smell better, I feel better, my house and car smell better. Trust me, I had no idea how badly I smelled... now when I get on an elevator with a smoker, I'm so embarrassed that I used to smell that way!

And you'll live longer to boot!

Stop supporting the murderers! Love yourself enough to stick with this for a while.

Have you tried the patch? I found it very helpful... you can work on the two sides of this addiction separately by using the patch.

[tekisui]

7. Hang in there.

It will save you money and very likely your life. You are doing it.

[Celebration]

8. Also

For concentration, try NADH, in one of the moderate or larger dosages.

I order it from www.iherb.com

You can do a search.

It will keep you from wanting to sleep24/7 and allow you to concentrate at work.

[gblady]

9. I know....

it is very, very difficult...
but it can be done...

man, I tried probably 30 times before I finally succeeded...
23 years ago...

Each day gets a tad bit easier...

and you wouldn't have tried to quit unless you really wanted to....
so hang in there...

breathe deeply, walk around, punch something, knit, bake bread...
get mad at the tobacco companies for the claim they hold over your life...

just make it through urge by urge....
and gradually...over time...they will go away...

but it is a hell of an addiction...

don't feed it! It will die!

Good luck!!! It can be done.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

10. this too shall pass away

It is an addiction, and it takes a while to get out of your system. Hang in there!

[LynzM]

11. ((hugs))

It will get better with time. I know that's cliche, but it's true. N-Acetyl cysteine (NAC) and Vitamin C from your health food store can help with some of the physical symptoms. :hug:

[d_b]

12. I'm suffering with you

Cigarette-free since October 7th. Nicorette and Wrigley's ftw.

First time trying to quit? The first month or so is always the hardest.

[Th1onein]

13. First MONTH? FUCK FUCK FUCK!

I'm on twelve fucking days. I can't do this for a fucking MONTH!

[FLyellowdog]

14. Remember that you have to replace one behavior with a different behavior.

You can't just stop without filling up that empty hole. It's like any addiction and is AWFUL to overcome, but you can do it. Don't give up. Fuss and cuss and do whatever you need to do to keep from reaching for that cig. Just keep on keeping on.:hi:

[ConcernedCanuk]

17. 12 days eh? - well then you are 7 days ahead of me - my last puff was on the 7th.

.
.
.

And I started smoking in 1967

I "started" quitting 6 weeks ago - only allowing myself one every hour, and NOT allowing myself to "catch up" if I missed an hour

- then two hours in between and so on

until it was 4 hours in between

then 3 a day

then 2 a day

and now 5 whole days

no meds, no patch - but yeah

LOTS of munchies, and a weird sleep schedule

oh well

[d_b]

19. you going cold turkey?

[Th1onein]

22. Cold turkey, yes. Nicotine replacement makes me nervous.

I couldn't stop if I were to try nicotine replacement. I've tried it before, it makes me so nervous I HAVE to have a cigarette to calm down. No way.

I made it through yesterday. Today seems a tiny bit easier, but the afternoons are the hardest and I STILL have problems working and concentrating.

I think I'm going to try those e-cigarettes.

[d_b]

23. hmm

come to think of it...they make me nervous too. Not to mention they mess up my stomach, etc.

Anyhoo. Good luck man.

[ConcernedCanuk]

24. Something to ponder

.
.
.

"It has been estimated that a majority of ex-smokers needed five or six tries to successfully quit smoking for good. If you have tried to quit before, but not been able to be successful, that's OK. Think about what you can learn from your other attempts to quit. Why did you begin smoking again? What can you do differently this time?"

more at http://www.yarmouth.org/ps/smoke.htm

and I found my personalized half hazard cutting back schedule worked not too bad, even let myself go backwards once or twice (just one "notch") so I didn't get that desperate "I gotta have one" thingy.

another quote from the link that may help

"Urges to smoke usually last no longer than 30 seconds. If you can keep yourself busy for 30 seconds during one of these urges, you are another step closer to quitting for good."

Day 6 for me . .

[Th1onein]

25. I have been through utter fucking hell the past week or so.....

I am NOT willing to go through this again, if I start smoking again. I will NEVER put myself through this again voluntarily. The cigarettes will kill me first. So, no, not even just one. And, unless it's an electronic cig, and it's actually replacing the cigs, I'm not taking any nicotine replacement drugs. Not going to happen.

[uppityperson]

21. All you have to do is not smoke today.

Then, tell yourself the same thing tomorrow when you wake up. You don't have to do this for a fucking month. Just today.

It is very very hard. Sounds like you are doing some other things like eating snacks, have you tried a water bottle with a nozzle thing? Sucking in sips of water can be a good replacement thing along with the snacks. More water can help you get rid of the stuff in your system also.

hugs to you.

[astral]

26. You CAN do it.

You will have okay moments and bad moments. Quitting smoking was extremely hard for me too, in fact I battled with it for probably five or six years. It is worth the pain to do it now, believe me, later it might be too late.

[Grey]

I know it's hard, I smoked for about 25 years

but with the help of Zyban (I'm sure I got the spelling wrong) I did manage to quit.
Ziban (sp.) is an antidepressant which also helps, it was the extra help I needed and it really works.
Talk to a doctor about it.

[roody]

15. DON'T GIVE UP!!! You can and will be free!

[Sal Minella]

16. The patch will put enough nicotine in your system to reduce your withdrawal symptoms, and it's MUCH

easier to graduate from the patch, than it is to move from cigarettes to the patch. Please don't give up until you've tried the patch. It worked for me (I borrowed the money from a friend and paid her back out of money I didn't spend on cigarettes!).

[Crunchy Frog]

18. I guess in the end you have to weigh the costs and benefits to yourself

according to your own standards. I'd like to see you successfully quit because I like you and hate to see you set yourself up for an early and painful death, but it's possible that for you, life without cigs would be more painful than death with them.

Anyway, I hope you sort it out in a way that works for you and that you feel good about.

[Adsos Letter]

20. I smoked for 15 years...2 packs per day, Pall Mall Reds...

take it day by day...If ya fall offa the horse, don't just just sit in the dirt cussin' yerself...get right back up on.

You WILL win, as long as you keep trying...It has been 20 years since I quit, and you will relish the difference it makes in yer life. :thumbsup:

EDIT: Useful hint: try to make yer snacks from veggies, like carrot sticks, celery, etc. It will limit any weight gain, and make ya' healthier ta boot!

[Fire_Medic_Dave]

27. Hang in there.

[supernova]

28. Have you tried exercise?

I haven't posted in your threads before, but I have been following along.

:hug:

Exercise is good because it controls stress and makes you less vulnerable to the ups and downs of life. I don't smoke, but it definitely helps me not to be so anxious about a very anxious situation (I'm unemployed).

[Duppers]

29. WHIMP!

If I can do it, buddy, you can too.

I broke a 15 yr, 3 pack@day addiction.

I walked a lot, I used suckers and sugarless candies and drank a LOT OF COFFEE & TEA.

Find yourself some video of lung cancer and watch them every day.

YOU CANNOT JUST FUCKING GIVE UP because you're exhausted and tired. Get some RedBull if you have to, but STOP sucking on those damn cigs!

(I'm trying another approach w/you here.)

[leftyladyfrommo]

30. Try Red Bull. Maybe that will wake you up. Not good for you but

better than butts.

I didn't try to quit all at once and I think that may have helped a lot. I got down to just one or two a day and stayed there for a long time. Then One day I just quit - just didn't want any anymore. And really no side effects at all. (Well, I can breathe better)