Hardest cigs to let go of

[maryp]

Tonight brings day 6 of cold turkey to a close. Heading into day 7, yay!  I do good most of the day- but find it hardest in the morning. I miss my morning cigarette. Also, smoking while driving. These are the 2 times I really enjoyed smoking. I read “The Easy Way to Stop Smoking” and Mr. Carr said that smokers do not get “pleasure” from smoking, that it is an illusion, that it is only relief from withdrawal. I don’t know if I agree with this though because I did enjoy it. Not always, I found it disgusting most of the time, but I did enjoy my morning one and my driving ones. Plus, nicotine works directly on the pleasure center of the brain and stimulates dopamine- a feel good drug. But even so, I know the pleasure, whether real or just an illusion is not worth the pain that occur down the road. Plus- dopamine can be released many other ways, including exercise. And I was so very tired of being out of breath all the time. The act of smoking a cigarette would leave me breathless- literally. I want to breathe. I want to live. I have been a non-smoker longer than a smoker over the last 4 years- having quit twice, each time for about a year and a half. I know the joy of freedom from cigarettes.  Right now it is one day at a time, with most of my thoughts being about smoking but I know eventually I will be able to go days without smoking even crossing my mind. I remember having smoking dreams during my previous quits- and I remember the terror I would feel, until I realized it was just a dream. A nightmare. I made this nightmare reality too many times. I never want that  again. I will succeed. Failure is not an option. I like being alive too much.

[Brian100]

Congrats on Day 6!  I had the smoking dreams the last time I quit - I would wake up in a panic, thinking I had slipped.  The dreams were very realistic - just me smoking, nothing else.  You can do this!

[JonesCarpeDiem]

You enjoyed the feeling of the dopamine release in the morning because you had been without all night.

this part is the addiction part of smoking.

breaking the the habit part is replacing the memories of all those repetional smokes you didn't enjoy but smoked for the same reason, the dopamine release.

the habit part takes around 130 days from your last puff. Then you should be at the place where you aren't thinking of smoking and realizing you aren't thinking of it or missing it.

[Kimshine]

Great job day 6! 

I agree with Carr that we don't get pleasure from smoking. We get pleasure from nicotine because we are addicts. I think if we get pleasure from smoking, we could just roll up some leaves and dried grass and smoke that. ,

Do you see what I mean? It's not the actual smoking it is the drug we get, nicotine. It is hard to tell the difference, but either way just choose not to smoke 🙂

[Thomas3.20.2010]

Create a morning routine that has no space for smoking thoughts. I keep a daily N.O.P.E. pledge beside my bed and say it even before my feet hit the floor. Then I brush my teeth, get dressed, make a power shake and stretch, exercise and breathe! There's no room for smoking thoughts. In my car, I turn on the music, enjoy the heat (no open window in freezing temps) and laugh at the lady next to me with a sickerette in one hand and a cell phone in the other hand! No room for smoking thoughts there - except, of course, the thought of "I'm sooooooo glad I don't smoke!" I can drive to work in peace knowing I don't have to stop at 7-11 for my coffin nails and rush to keep from being late or dig for my lighter in my pocket while driving in heavy traffic, let alone grab up the burning fag that just fell into my lap when I hit the breaks and consequently burned a hole in my work pants or car upholstery! No more spraying down my car with a bottle of Febreeze when I have to take my adult Sons to lunch in my car. No more scrubbing down the windows with ammonia to get that brown crud off the inside from smoking resin (3rd hand smoke that endangers non-smoking passengers). 

That's pleasure???? Please!!!!!

Spare me - I have absolutely no regrets about living smoke FREE and if you give yourself more time on your quit journey, your perspective will transform also!

[msterling999]

Thomas -- I laughed out loud about the Febreeze comment. I was doing the same and I am happy to not have sprayed that junk in 9 days to remove the "little monster"'s smell. (coined by Allen Carr)

[phanntom]

Mary....I'm with you....despite what Carr says there were at least a couple cigarettes a day that I did actually enjoy even though most were a waste of money and lung tissue.

With your two beautiful daughters as your motivation I'd urge you to persevere in your battle.

I buried 3 close friends within a 2 yr period that all died of lung cancer. That in and of itself kept the toll of smoking in the forefront of my mind, but I lost another friend, much too young in Oct. She had been struggling with COPD for a number of years and had to be on oxygen full-time the last couple. Spending time with her during her last year watching her struggle for breath, the most basic of our needs was heartbreaking. This wasn't someone in a tasteless tv commercial...this was a good friend and brought the message home but I was still slow to catch on.

I'm only into this round since Jan 27 but already the worst is behind me. I really only experience the cravings a couple times a day and when it happens, I've taken to using that time to take a short walk in hopes of burning off enough additional calories to keep the weight from blossoming.