I'm dregging up this old thread because I'm trying to quit again. Using the patch again. It didn't work last time because I didn't let it. This time at day 16 and going strong.
Nice job. Sixteen days is great, and probably past the point of no return - although if you're using the patch, it may be prolonged.
Didn't you say you were traveling or moving or something? If so, really take advantage of that. It's basic antecedent control, which I really believe in for things like this. There are so many triggers present in your daily routine, and if you can change that routine for a while, you'll avoid those triggers. Then if you can make it for about two weeks (IIRC) you should be past the addiction.
Nice job. Sixteen days is great, and probably past the point of no return - although if you're using the patch, it may be prolonged.
Didn't you say you were traveling or moving or something? If so, really take advantage of that. It's basic antecedent control, which I really believe in for things like this. There are so many triggers present in your daily routine, and if you can change that routine for a while, you'll avoid those triggers. Then if you can make it for about two weeks (IIRC) you should be past the addiction.
Anyway, good luck.
Well, I moved to Durham for a year to work at Dook Med Center for my internship and now I'm back in Athens. I'll be moving back up to Dook for my postdoc in a few months. I'm glad that I've started the process now, though, because my environment is the same and it really makes me work to stop the habit. I think that if I can stop it within the environment it's associated with, I'll be better off.
I'm a bit irritated by all the I really don't get it folk. Your attitudes aren't helping, people! It's not because you never got dragged into an addiction that you aren't capable of it, and believe you me, cigarettes don't need much time to hook you. Excuse me if I'm wrong, but it's holier than thou season again, isn't it? I mean, when trying to make this world a better place, wouldn't step one be attempting to understand motives of others? We are not all alike, you know.
I stopped smoking two years ago, after smoking about a pack a day for two and a half years. What it took was massive resolve, and nicotine gum, and also a bit of a change of scenery (I returned home for a while). I know how hard it is. It's horrible. It's an addiction like no other I've ever known, and that includes alcohol, marijuana and coffee (not that I've ever been a full-blown alcoholic, but I've flirted with it). Resolve is number one, though, if you ask me. I decided about three months in advance the date on which I was to stop, and then prepared myself mentally for that day. The last day of my smoking life, I stayed up all night and smoked tobacco from a bag, rolled myself. That stuff is lethal on your lungs, especially if you chainsmoke it. So I had a good reason not to smoke on day one. And on day two I reached for my nicotine inhaler. (yep, I actually used that stuff for about a month, though the price of that stuff is prohibitive). I took it, much like someone here said, day by day. That's probably the best way. You can't stop and think too much about the long term. It'll land you in a tobacconist's before long. Each day was one more day. Each day a victory of myself over the asshole money-grubbing tobacco giants (you see, anger and hate towards those clowns also helps...). No pasarán! Support of my friends too, who were never putting me down ("you're never gonna make it!"-style) but always acting impressed at my progress. And the days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. For six months, I think, cigarettes were on my mind every day, but I was never even tempted. That was my resolve. I had decided there was just no future for me and cigarettes, and I was happy with that decision.
And then, after a couple of months, cigarettes slowly faded from my mind. I learned to dislike their smell again, didn't think about them anymore. Now I can safely say I'll never go back. Chop off my hand and cross my heart. Not me.
Argh, this happened when M3D Jack changed his name to LoCash. And when Jamie changed his name to Jambo (although that was pretty obvious).
Maybe I got everything sorted out. I remember Macintosh changed his name to Mr. Macintosh and was banned AGAIN (is he gone for good?). And also, I think Placebo used to go by some other name but I forgot what it was.
For the record, I haven't changed my name at all. Some of my friends say I'm boring/stupid for always using my real name instead of a handle, but I can't think of a good handle that doesn't sound corny.
Anyway, good luck again on quitting. Hopefully you'll eventually do it successfully, penseive/torifile.
pensieve, good luck with the quitting. I don't think I have the resolve to do it. I've been at a steady pack a day since I was 17 (a little over eight years). I have started the process of mentally preparing myself to quit as it is starting to take its toll on my lungs. And it costs me close to 70 bucks a week to keep my habit going.
Why does it cost so much? I know the price of a pack has gone up, but it can't be $10/pack.
The Liberal government in Ontario is slowing raising the price of a carton to make the price as prohibitive as possible for kids. That and they need to increase their revenue stream to tackle the deficit left by the PC government. So smokers always take the hit for deficits. Currently, a carton in Ontario is $62.50. I usually smoke about 9 or 10 packs a week.
When I started smoking, it was $3.25 a pack-now it's about $9.25.
Comments
Originally posted by pensieve
I'm dregging up this old thread because I'm trying to quit again. Using the patch again. It didn't work last time because I didn't let it. This time at day 16 and going strong.
Nice job. Sixteen days is great, and probably past the point of no return - although if you're using the patch, it may be prolonged.
Didn't you say you were traveling or moving or something? If so, really take advantage of that. It's basic antecedent control, which I really believe in for things like this. There are so many triggers present in your daily routine, and if you can change that routine for a while, you'll avoid those triggers. Then if you can make it for about two weeks (IIRC) you should be past the addiction.
Anyway, good luck.
Originally posted by BRussell
Nice job. Sixteen days is great, and probably past the point of no return - although if you're using the patch, it may be prolonged.
Didn't you say you were traveling or moving or something? If so, really take advantage of that. It's basic antecedent control, which I really believe in for things like this. There are so many triggers present in your daily routine, and if you can change that routine for a while, you'll avoid those triggers. Then if you can make it for about two weeks (IIRC) you should be past the addiction.
Anyway, good luck.
Well, I moved to Durham for a year to work at Dook Med Center for my internship and now I'm back in Athens. I'll be moving back up to Dook for my postdoc in a few months. I'm glad that I've started the process now, though, because my environment is the same and it really makes me work to stop the habit. I think that if I can stop it within the environment it's associated with, I'll be better off.
I stopped smoking two years ago, after smoking about a pack a day for two and a half years. What it took was massive resolve, and nicotine gum, and also a bit of a change of scenery (I returned home for a while). I know how hard it is. It's horrible. It's an addiction like no other I've ever known, and that includes alcohol, marijuana and coffee (not that I've ever been a full-blown alcoholic, but I've flirted with it). Resolve is number one, though, if you ask me. I decided about three months in advance the date on which I was to stop, and then prepared myself mentally for that day. The last day of my smoking life, I stayed up all night and smoked tobacco from a bag, rolled myself. That stuff is lethal on your lungs, especially if you chainsmoke it. So I had a good reason not to smoke on day one. And on day two I reached for my nicotine inhaler. (yep, I actually used that stuff for about a month, though the price of that stuff is prohibitive). I took it, much like someone here said, day by day. That's probably the best way. You can't stop and think too much about the long term. It'll land you in a tobacconist's before long. Each day was one more day. Each day a victory of myself over the asshole money-grubbing tobacco giants (you see, anger and hate towards those clowns also helps...). No pasarán! Support of my friends too, who were never putting me down ("you're never gonna make it!"-style) but always acting impressed at my progress. And the days turned into weeks, and weeks into months. For six months, I think, cigarettes were on my mind every day, but I was never even tempted. That was my resolve. I had decided there was just no future for me and cigarettes, and I was happy with that decision.
And then, after a couple of months, cigarettes slowly faded from my mind. I learned to dislike their smell again, didn't think about them anymore. Now I can safely say I'll never go back. Chop off my hand and cross my heart. Not me.
I sure hope so
Originally posted by Luca Rescigno
Torifile, I am curious, did that attempt end up working? Did you manage to quit? Are you smoke-free now???
I sure hope so
Luca, torifile is now known as pensieve. Sorry for the confusion...
Maybe I got everything sorted out. I remember Macintosh changed his name to Mr. Macintosh and was banned AGAIN (is he gone for good?). And also, I think Placebo used to go by some other name but I forgot what it was.
For the record, I haven't changed my name at all. Some of my friends say I'm boring/stupid for always using my real name instead of a handle, but I can't think of a good handle that doesn't sound corny.
Anyway, good luck again on quitting. Hopefully you'll eventually do it successfully, penseive/torifile.
Originally posted by pensieve
Luca, torifile is now known as pensieve. Sorry for the confusion...
I didn't know that. I'll have to read your posts now.
(err SPJ here.)
Bloody Hell.
Originally posted by InactionMan
I've been at a steady pack a day since I was 17 (a little over eight years). ... And it costs me close to 70 bucks a week to keep my habit going.
Why does it cost so much? I know the price of a pack has gone up, but it can't be $10/pack.
Originally posted by BRussell
Why does it cost so much? I know the price of a pack has gone up, but it can't be $10/pack.
The Liberal government in Ontario is slowing raising the price of a carton to make the price as prohibitive as possible for kids. That and they need to increase their revenue stream to tackle the deficit left by the PC government. So smokers always take the hit for deficits. Currently, a carton in Ontario is $62.50. I usually smoke about 9 or 10 packs a week.
When I started smoking, it was $3.25 a pack-now it's about $9.25.
Originally posted by BRussell
Why does it cost so much? I know the price of a pack has gone up, but it can't be $10/pack.
That's $10 Canadian. Or about $.50 for the rest of us.