quitting cigs, keeping cigars?

[jjirons69]

Originally Posted by floydpink

I will never forget holding my father's hand as he lay in bed suffering through his final days of cancer. Imagining my little girl going through that gives me the chills.

That, my friend, should run through your mind every time you think of a cigarette!!! I quit cold turkey 13 years ago after 12-14 years of smoking. Here's how I did it:

1) Don't buy cigarettes. If you don't have them, you don't smoke them. Don't bum them, either. Think of your daughter.

2) If your spouse smokes, have her quit with you. Then...think of your daughter.

3) Smoking is a habit. I eat bag after bag of sunflower seeds while driving long distances or sitting around at night bored. Keep your mind, mouth, and fingers active with other things. Then think of your daughter's kids.

4) For the first few months, stay away from places you used to like to smoke...bars, strip clubs, etc. You can go back eventually, but give it a while. Go places with your daughter.

5) Remember drinking and the dissolution of memory. If drinking, make it a point to not smoke, no matter what. Do this before you start drinking and continue to tell yourself you won't. If all else fails, think of your daughter.

The first 3-6 months are the absolute worst and you have to accept that. Don't dwell on it and pick up some other hobbies, etc. to keep your mind preoccupied. It gets easier then it goes away. Also, you have to realize that you will never, ever be able to smoke cigarettes again. Ever. One smoke erases all your hard work. You have to hate cigarettes and the best way to hate them is to analyze how much they cost, how they negatively impact your health, how they rob you of time to spend on the earth. After a while, you'll hate them.

When all else fails...pull out that picture and smile at your little girl. She wants you around for a long time!!!

[Lucky_Hippo]

I wish you luck Bro.

When I gave up ciggs I gave up everything for about a year and a half to two years. I just thought it was much easier without any crutches to fall back on. Everyone is different though so find what works for you and run with it. I used to keep a new pack of cigs on top of the fridge. About a month and a half into quitting I got a craving so strong I almost broke down. Instead I opened the pack and ran them under water. You'll reach a turning point where a decision has to be made. Stand strong!


Best wishes.

P.s - I also chewed on stir straws at work and at the bar when my friends were smoking.

[PeteSB75]

I quit smoking cigarettes about 4 months ago. I've been only very occasionally smoking cigars(1-2 month) since then, just because I had tried several times before over the last couple of years and continued smoking cigars regularly, which led me back to the cigarettes. I think I might almost be ready to go back to regular cigar smoking soon. Maybe after the winter is over.

Basically what it comes down to, at least for me, is the decision to quit. It needs to be your decision, not what anyone else tells you needs to be done. Anything else and you will sabotage yourself.

Just on another note, Nicotene is fully purged from your system within 72 hours. So, 3 days after you actually quit, you are done with PHYSICAL cravings. After that, it's just breaking the old habits/associations.

Originally Posted by Lucky_Hippo

I also chewed on stir straws at work and at the bar when my friends were smoking.

I never even thought about it but every time I went into a convenience store the first few months while I was quitting I would walk over and grab one of the stirs from the coffee section and pluck it in my mouth. Subconsciously I would chew and play with it for hours.

I forgot all about that

Chas

[Lucky_Hippo]

Originally Posted by ChasDen

I never even thought about it but every time I went into a convenience store the first few months while I was quitting I would walk over and grab one of the stirs from the coffee section and pluck it in my mouth. Subconsciously I would chew and play with it for hours.

I forgot all about that

Chas

At the end of a night at the bar my friends would have an ashtray full of butts and I'd have a cocktail napkin filled with mutilated straws.