Stories & experiences

Hello E&S.

I do not have a straight answer for you, as I quit cold turkey. Anyone on the patches has to quit cold turkey at some point. It does not matter whether one smoked over a pack a day or one a day, it is mostly the psychological aspect of the quit that is hardest and described as cravings. Nicotine withdrawal itself is barely imperceptible. I don't know that one could actually distinquish between them, yet people off nicotine for months still have "cravings".
Nicotine patches and other NRT's administer the chemical slowly. Smoking satisfied us with the "Jolts". That is the dopamine jolt which we miss. Dopamine, a feel good chemical can be gotten by other means such as eating chocolate, smelling lavender, hugging, kissing and exercising. Doing things that you enjoy doing. Learning also helps raise dopamine, so get reading and desire this choice to become a non-smoker as we were intended to be.

Learn how smoking does nothing and enjoy the benefits you will experience once free from having to feed the nicotine monster. Time, money , health and immense pride and satisfaction. Keep the positive attitude.

Congratulations on starting this wonderful life change. Only you know you and every one is different. Placebos work. The mind is your best friend, or your worst.
Find things to do and dismiss any "thoughts" of smoking. Just one will send you back to square one in all likelihood. That is why NOPE is to remembered. Not One Puff Ever! We are addicts to nicotine and always will be.

Change how you think about smoking and desire this change. There is nothing to fear. I have yet to find anyone who wishes they hadn't quit smoking. Life as a non-smoker is great!

Thank you so much for your response, Happiness.

My husband would like me to stay on step 1 of the patches for 3 months, but I feel that is too long.

It is really disheartening at times because even though I feel I am doing a good job - my mum and husband don't believe in me that I will quit for good.

My husband has said to me today that once I make it to 6 months, he will believe I am a non smoker.

My mum is surprised I have quit this long because I "give up easily".

I know I shouldn't listen to them, but it's sad to me because they are my main support network.

My psychiatrist today isn't happy that my husband still smokes a lot and she feels I'm inhaling a lot of second hand smoke unintentionally.

He smokes outside, but my throat gets irritated and I get a headache when I smell too much.

Most of the windows and doors are always closed, but I can still smell it.

I'm not going to lie, its been even more difficult for me to quit since my husband is a heavy smoker. I've tried many times over the years to quit while I've been with him, but I find it difficult to get away from the smoke.

He also leaves the cigarette packs and lighters around our home. I like to open the balcony door, but I can smell the ashtray. I have asked him not to leave things lying around, but he says he doesn't think because he's so tired from work all the time.

It's like I can't escape it.

I've spoken to him before that I'd like to stay at my mums place for a little while in the beginning since she doesn't smoke. But he gets really offended and insists for me not to go.

I just want to be free so so badly from this addiction. But since I can smell his smoke, to me, it's like I haven't actually quit.

And the money that we've saved from my quit has all gone to my husband buying unnecessary luxuries which I feel we could put towards something else.

I just feel at a loss. My main support network encourages me to quit, but at the same time, they don't believe I'll stay a non smoker.

And maybe I also haven't really stopped smoking in a way because I can still smell my husbands smoke.

I know I need to quit for me and no one else's opinion should matter. But since my husband and my mum are obviously very close to me, their opinion does indeed matter to me.

I had a conversation with a very good 'friend' last night. He asked me of my opinion of smoking since he smokes cigarettes, vapes and smokes weed.

I gave him an honest answer (but not a brutally honest answer) and he got offended and said something hurtful to attack me personally which has affected me deeply to the point where I got hardly any sleep last night.

Sorry for venting, Happiness. I feel I'm doing such a great job. But maybe I'm really not and everyone thinks I will just give up and smoke again..

Thank you so much for your response, Happiness.

My husband would like me to stay on step 1 of the patches for 3 months, but I feel that is too long.

It is really disheartening at times because even though I feel I am doing a good job - my mum and husband don't believe in me that I will quit for good.

My husband has said to me today that once I make it to 6 months, he will believe I am a non smoker.

My mum is surprised I have quit this long because I "give up easily".

I know I shouldn't listen to them, but it's sad to me because they are my main support network.

My psychiatrist today isn't happy that my husband still smokes a lot and she feels I'm inhaling a lot of second hand smoke unintentionally.

He smokes outside, but my throat gets irritated and I get a headache when I smell too much.

Most of the windows and doors are always closed, but I can still smell it.

I'm not going to lie, its been even more difficult for me to quit since my husband is a heavy smoker. I've tried many times over the years to quit while I've been with him, but I find it difficult to get away from the smoke.

He also leaves the cigarette packs and lighters around our home. I like to open the balcony door, but I can smell the ashtray. I have asked him not to leave things lying around, but he says he doesn't think because he's so tired from work all the time.

It's like I can't escape it.

I've spoken to him before that I'd like to stay at my mums place for a little while in the beginning since she doesn't smoke. But he gets really offended and insists for me not to go.

I just want to be free so so badly from this addiction. But since I can smell his smoke, to me, it's like I haven't actually quit.

And the money that we've saved from my quit has all gone to my husband buying unnecessary luxuries which I feel we could put towards something else.

I just feel at a loss. My main support network encourages me to quit, but at the same time, they don't believe I'll stay a non smoker.

And maybe I also haven't really stopped smoking in a way because I can still smell my husbands smoke.

I know I need to quit for me and no one else's opinion should matter. But since my husband and my mum are obviously very close to me, their opinion does indeed matter to me.

I had a conversation with a very good 'friend' last night. He asked me of my opinion of smoking since he smokes cigarettes, vapes and smokes weed.

I gave him an honest answer (but not a brutally honest answer) and he got offended and said something hurtful to attack me personally which has affected me deeply to the point where I got hardly any sleep last night.

Sorry for venting, Happiness. I feel I'm doing such a great job. But maybe I'm really not and everyone thinks I will just give up and smoke again..

I am sorry to hear that your support system cannot boost your ego and confidence as you well deserve. We know that you can quit smoking , as many here are proof and we support each other in this endeavor. You are no exception. We all felt like you at one time with a yearning, but self-doubt.

We are stronger than nicotine. I would love to hear what you told your friend about how you felt about smoking and why he was offended. Smoking is a stupid act, that does not make us stupid, nicotine is a addiction, and we have been brainwashed for many years to think that it is hard to quit and painful to do so, with cravings hanging on for years.
I smoked heavily for over 40 years and was looking for a way to help my aging body, as I was sure I would smoke until my dying day. A concoction had me wake one morning and didn't feel the need to light up first thing as always. So I put it off and somehow ended up on a site much like this. Once seeing others succeed it gave me hope that perhaps I too could end my addiction.
I cut down to 3, then 2 for a couple of days and that was just too hard, so I went cold turkey. I like to dive into cold water, not wade in a feel every inch suffer until submerged. From then on, quitting was much easier than I expected. I had expected the smoker's flu, but nothing happened. When I got an urge to smoke I got busy doing something to take my mind off of it.
Cravings are but mere thoughts and can be averted. At worst they really on last a few minutes which of course can seem like an eternity to some.
Hubby smoked next to me indoors for my first 2 weeks while he got the book by Allan Carr and also quit. We and my daughter have all passed the 3 year milestone and rarely get a "craving".

It sounds like the smell of cigarettes and the ashtray repulse you which should make quitting easier . To think that we smelled like a dirty ashtray to others is a revelation that we can now accept now that we can smell the coffee.

While you should be the one enjoying the rewards of money saved, I really can't say that I did that for myself. The satisfaction of success, the better breathing, smelling and pride I felt were reward enough. While my husband supported me and would have gone outside to smoke, (I insisted that he stay because whether he quit or not, I was the one that WANTED to) I did not treat it as a challenge as to who could quit longest....... although if you pressure your hubby to also quit, he is fearful of your success.

The e-book is free to read or are you one of the ones afraid to read it for fear of it working? Cravings do not last forever....no one decides to purposefullly start smoking again....no one regrets quitting smoking....those who quit are envied. Life is great as a non-smoker!

http://media.wix.com/ugd/74fa87_2010cc5496521431188f905b7234a829.pdf

Hi,

It’s really up to you whether or not you quit smoking. I can’t really advise anything other than going cold turkey because that is what is working for me.
I hope you can navigate a way through for yourself that works and turn to this site for support. Ultimately though it is up to you, what you want for yourself and your life. We can find lots of excuses to not quit but in the end they are excuses.

Sorry. Maybe I should soften what I’ve said about making excuses and reasons. It sounded a bit harsh. The thing is everyone has situations and circumstances which can make quitting for good very difficult. I think the solution to this is to be committed and determined. Even if you have a few slip ups or even relapse get back on that horse. Freedom from nicotine is the goal and this CAN be achieved. You can be free immediately or sometimes it takes time. Be kind to yourself but try to remain firm on this one thing.
I wish you all the best and all success!