How to keep yourself together...
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Hi all, I need some help. After 6 years, I have joined the club of non-smokers again. My girlfriend told me that she didn't fancy kissing someone who tasted like an ashtray, and asked me if I could reduce my cigarette consumption. I told her that I could not, and I would just stop altogether. Now I am back in the office and I feel that urge to smoke that I was so afraid of. I actually start getting up, only to sit down again. Any tipps? And no, I don't want to smoke again. Sid
Gum? Patches? A Sony PSP? But stick with it. I have serious respect for someone who can give up smoking and stick with it.
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
The 9 things Microsoft should be announcing at MIX07 (but won't)
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Thanks for the tips. I have improved my battle plan quite a bit: For the time being, at the end of every day, I will put the money I would have usually spent for cigarettes (around 7 EUR) into a nice box. And whenever I have the urge to smoke, I will count the money and make a list of 10 things I could buy that would be better than cigarettes. I will try to keep the lists and amounts and evaluate them in a year or so. If I get that far, I will make sure and post the results here :) I actually thought a lot about only having cigs in one location, but I figured that quitting cold turkey would be best. I don't know why, but that is what I feel. Thanks for all the feedback.
Cheers, Sebastian -- Ceterum censeo, borlandem esse delendam.
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Gum? Patches? A Sony PSP? But stick with it. I have serious respect for someone who can give up smoking and stick with it.
cheers, Chris Maunder
CodeProject.com : C++ MVP
The 9 things Microsoft should be announcing at MIX07 (but won't)
Actually, that's what I promised myself :D My sister bought a Nintendo DS and it's pretty impressive. She has this brain-training-game and I love it (Sudoku and such). So, if I manage to make it through 2 months, I am gonna be able to treat myself to a nice Nintendo DS :) (or, maybe, Sony PSP).
Cheers, Sebastian -- Ceterum censeo, borlandem esse delendam.
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BTW - was this the girlfriend that you posted about last week? If so, how did your weekend go? Keep it Kid Sister Safe.:-D
Deja View - the feeling that you've seen this post before.
smokin addiction is hard to quit cos ur brain cells actually change physiology as a smoker, and want 'fixes' of nicotine. what you need to do when you crave a fag is do something MORE interesting instead. sneak out have a beer, go on the toilet and... book you gf into motel room round the corner at lunch time, go eat your fave bad food, anything that works for you. but a drink of water wont cut it! after about 3 weeks of torture you will break the cycle i reckon. you might get the sack in between for bein a total maniac and or sex maniac but you might beat your addiction!
"Life begins at 140"
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Hi all, I need some help. After 6 years, I have joined the club of non-smokers again. My girlfriend told me that she didn't fancy kissing someone who tasted like an ashtray, and asked me if I could reduce my cigarette consumption. I told her that I could not, and I would just stop altogether. Now I am back in the office and I feel that urge to smoke that I was so afraid of. I actually start getting up, only to sit down again. Any tipps? And no, I don't want to smoke again. Sid
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I know that Nicotine patches has helped friends of mine to give up smoking. My brother gave up with the help of acupuncture.
Deja View - the feeling that you've seen this post before.
Pete O`Hanlon wrote:
Nicotine patches has helped friends
I've tried those, but I must be rolling them too tight. Couldn't keep them lit. The gum isn't much better - it tastes nasty, and goos up the filters.
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
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Hi all, I need some help. After 6 years, I have joined the club of non-smokers again. My girlfriend told me that she didn't fancy kissing someone who tasted like an ashtray, and asked me if I could reduce my cigarette consumption. I told her that I could not, and I would just stop altogether. Now I am back in the office and I feel that urge to smoke that I was so afraid of. I actually start getting up, only to sit down again. Any tipps? And no, I don't want to smoke again. Sid
I've tried everything, without success so far. But I still have hope. Next time I'm going to try substituting something that's easier to quit for the cigarettes, then once the cigs are gone, I'll quit that. Heroin or methamphetimines should work nicely...:sigh:
"A Journey of a Thousand Rest Stops Begins with a Single Movement"
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Thanks for the tips. I have improved my battle plan quite a bit: For the time being, at the end of every day, I will put the money I would have usually spent for cigarettes (around 7 EUR) into a nice box. And whenever I have the urge to smoke, I will count the money and make a list of 10 things I could buy that would be better than cigarettes. I will try to keep the lists and amounts and evaluate them in a year or so. If I get that far, I will make sure and post the results here :) I actually thought a lot about only having cigs in one location, but I figured that quitting cold turkey would be best. I don't know why, but that is what I feel. Thanks for all the feedback.
Cheers, Sebastian -- Ceterum censeo, borlandem esse delendam.
Sebastian Schneider wrote:
at the end of every day, I will put the money I would have usually spent for cigarettes (around 7 EUR)
You spend 7 euros a day for smokes? That's nearly half my day's pay!
Sebastian Schneider wrote:
And whenever I have the urge to smoke, I will count the money and make a list of 10 things I could buy that would be better than cigarettes.
Better yet, make a list of things _I_ could have bought. :laugh:
Cheers, Vıkram.
Déjà moo - The feeling that you've seen this bull before. Join the CP group at NationStates. Password:
byalmightybob -
Hi all, I need some help. After 6 years, I have joined the club of non-smokers again. My girlfriend told me that she didn't fancy kissing someone who tasted like an ashtray, and asked me if I could reduce my cigarette consumption. I told her that I could not, and I would just stop altogether. Now I am back in the office and I feel that urge to smoke that I was so afraid of. I actually start getting up, only to sit down again. Any tipps? And no, I don't want to smoke again. Sid
the thing you have to remember is that you're giving up one of the most addictive drugs on the planet ... it's gonna suck and it's gonna be one of the hardest personal things you have to do in your life ... seriously ... so keep in mind its gonna be that hard ... it helps to have something to visualize try imagining the cravings to be a lil nicotine monster sitting on your shoulder and every time you smoke you feed him and he wants more ... every time you dont have a cigarette he gets hungrier and thinner ... the objective is to kill him off by starvation ... some kind of twisted virtual-reality game that only you get to play :)
"there is no spoon" {me}
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Hi all, I need some help. After 6 years, I have joined the club of non-smokers again. My girlfriend told me that she didn't fancy kissing someone who tasted like an ashtray, and asked me if I could reduce my cigarette consumption. I told her that I could not, and I would just stop altogether. Now I am back in the office and I feel that urge to smoke that I was so afraid of. I actually start getting up, only to sit down again. Any tipps? And no, I don't want to smoke again. Sid
I quit a 15 year skoal habit after my son was born. Some things that helped me. Motivation: I knew my habit wasn't healthy. I also had figured out how much it cost me a year. Family and friends wanted me to quit. None of that had been sufficiently motivating because deep down I had not wanted to quit. With the birth of my son though I was faced with the prospect of having my kid watch me die of mouth and throat cancer which was very motivating. Tactics: I realized I actually had two habits, one was the nicotine addiction, the second was the ritual. I decided that it would be easier to break them one at a time so, I researched and found a non-tobacco substitute. This was actually really helpful as the ritual is psychologically very comforting. Once the nicotine habit was broken and its reinforcing effect disappeared, the ritual tapered off a bit, then I just quit buying the substitute. The ritual also helped me avoid substituting another unhealthy habit, like eating too much, for the one I was trying to break. Take it seriously: This is kinda like what others said about not lying to yourself but a bit different in that it is not about the lying to yourself, it is about the effects of lying to yourself. For me, once I (not others) had decided to quit, I knew that if I caved into my cravings, I would think less of myself whether or not anybody else did. Once you quit believing in yourself it dimishes everything you do and everyone who does believe in you. It is actually more important than just quitting tobacco. It is worth it. My son turns 12 in June. I also know that you can do it.
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Sebastian Schneider wrote:
at the end of every day, I will put the money I would have usually spent for cigarettes (around 7 EUR)
You spend 7 euros a day for smokes? That's nearly half my day's pay!
Sebastian Schneider wrote:
And whenever I have the urge to smoke, I will count the money and make a list of 10 things I could buy that would be better than cigarettes.
Better yet, make a list of things _I_ could have bought. :laugh:
Cheers, Vıkram.
Déjà moo - The feeling that you've seen this bull before. Join the CP group at NationStates. Password:
byalmightybobVikram A Punathambekar wrote:
Sebastian Schneider wrote: at the end of every day, I will put the money I would have usually spent for cigarettes (around 7 EUR) You spend 7 euros a day for smokes? That's nearly half my day's pay!
Most of it's sin tax.
-- CleaKO The sad part about this instance is that none of the users ever said anything [about the problem]. Pete O`Hanlon Doesn't that just tell you everything you need to know about users?
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Hi all, I need some help. After 6 years, I have joined the club of non-smokers again. My girlfriend told me that she didn't fancy kissing someone who tasted like an ashtray, and asked me if I could reduce my cigarette consumption. I told her that I could not, and I would just stop altogether. Now I am back in the office and I feel that urge to smoke that I was so afraid of. I actually start getting up, only to sit down again. Any tipps? And no, I don't want to smoke again. Sid
I used to smoke three packs of unfiltered Camels a day. When I decided to quit, I gave the half carton sitting on top of the fridge to a friend, said screw it, and never looked back. From that experience, I have a couple of observations & suggestions. First of all, anyone who talks to you about "nicotine addiction" is selling something. There are no chemical cravings. And I've had some experience with chemicals to back that up. :) However, I found that physical habits and routines were the difficult part. Back then, you could smoke in your office, and I was used to grabbing a cigarette every time I got on the phone. Same with a cup of coffee, after a meal, having a beer, etc. What I soon realized was that what I was missing was having something in my hands and mouth. So, I bought boxes of toothpicks and wooden matchsticks (softer to chew on than toothpicks). That gave me something to play with and roll around in my fingers, and something to put in my mouth where I was used to a cigarette being. And it didn't have any calories. It helped a great deal, and I had no problem walking away from something I'd been doing for over a decade. That was back in the mid 80s, and I've never had the urge to go back. Hope this is helpful.
Author of The Career Programmer and Unite the Tribes www.PracticalStrategyConsulting.com
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Hi all, I need some help. After 6 years, I have joined the club of non-smokers again. My girlfriend told me that she didn't fancy kissing someone who tasted like an ashtray, and asked me if I could reduce my cigarette consumption. I told her that I could not, and I would just stop altogether. Now I am back in the office and I feel that urge to smoke that I was so afraid of. I actually start getting up, only to sit down again. Any tipps? And no, I don't want to smoke again. Sid
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Vikram A Punathambekar wrote:
Sebastian Schneider wrote: at the end of every day, I will put the money I would have usually spent for cigarettes (around 7 EUR) You spend 7 euros a day for smokes? That's nearly half my day's pay!
Most of it's sin tax.
-- CleaKO The sad part about this instance is that none of the users ever said anything [about the problem]. Pete O`Hanlon Doesn't that just tell you everything you need to know about users?
@Vikram: It's also half of what I get to keep after taxes, insurance and rent. @dan: Yeah. But Germany's cigarette prices are civil, compared with those in the UK. For 40 grams of tobacca, I used to pay 3,50 EUR. 1 Pack of smokes would come in at 4,00 EUR. When I visited Scotland, I paid 3,50 GBP for 12,5 grams of tobacco (and nearly had a heart-attack). BTW, I am still clean. :)
Cheers, Sebastian -- Ceterum censeo, borlandem esse delendam.
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My woman read a book called "the easy way" Alan Carr i think wrote it http://www.allencarrseasyway.com/[^] After she finished it she put it (the book) down and hasn't touched a ciggie since. She'd tried the gum, patches etc etc but this has been by far the best.. Bryce
--- To paraphrase Fred Dagg - the views expressed in this post are bloody good ones. --
Publitor, making Pubmed easy. http://www.sohocode.com/publitorOur kids books :The Snot Goblin, and Book 2 - the Snotgoblin and Fluff
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Hi all, I need some help. After 6 years, I have joined the club of non-smokers again. My girlfriend told me that she didn't fancy kissing someone who tasted like an ashtray, and asked me if I could reduce my cigarette consumption. I told her that I could not, and I would just stop altogether. Now I am back in the office and I feel that urge to smoke that I was so afraid of. I actually start getting up, only to sit down again. Any tipps? And no, I don't want to smoke again. Sid
I'd been a smoker since I was about 18 (I'm 58 now). I'd tried to give up several times ... I'd tried the patch, just smoking cigars or pipes, even tried snuff. Nothing worked and each time I tried to stop, I was quickly back to 30 a day. About nine and a half years ago, I was in England on business. On the day I was due to fly back to California, I woke up feeling like death warmed up ... coughing and spluttering and hacking. I didn't tell anyone because I was scared they wouldn't let me fly. And, of course, I kept on smoking. After I'd flown non-stop from Gatwick to LAX, the first thing I did when I got out of the terminal building was ... to light up, which started me off again. I really felt like death warmed over, my chest ached, and I was half convinced that I had angina. I cought a shuttle from LAX to Orange County / John Wayne. My roomie was there to pick me up and I threw my pack at him, saying "You finish these, I don't want any more cigarettes today." By this time, I was a friend of Bill W, and so I never actually said that I'd given up smoking. I simply kept saying "I'm not going to have a cigarette just for today, but I might have one tomorrow". I've been saying that now for 9 years, 6 months and 2 days. Some days other people's smoke really bothers me, sometimes I still take a deep sniff, but most of the time I don't notice it, and it doesn't bother me at all. I miss the ability to use tobacco to think through a problem (like Sherlock Holmes) and I find I go through ball-point pen caps at an alarming rate. I also miss the occasional post-prandial cigar, but I know that even one and I'd be back to 30 a day again, or worse.