Cold Turkey Quitters

[nancympearson]

Ann, I didn't do the tracking. I just quit. I think they help but I wanted to quit when my courage allowed me to quit. If it feels right for you, do the tracking. It might get you to relax and get you used to quitting and it can take some of the fear away. It sure wouldn't hurt to do it. Stay close to this site and focus on the positive. Nancy

[hwc]

I am more convinced than ever that an educated cold turkey approach is the least painful, quickest way to reach comfort as an ex-smoker.

  One thing really opened my eyes. The Become an Ex program is a nicotine-based program. They push NRT hard and, in fact, won't even let you set a quit date until you have chosen your NRT. So if there is anywhere in the world there should be a lot of successful NRT quitters, it's here.

  Yet, time after time, when a newbie quitter asks for help from the veterans in how to get off the nicotine gum or patch after a month or two or three, they hear.....crickets......

  I've finally come to the conclusion that there just aren't very many old veteran quitters who successfully got off the NRT. The either quit using it right away (like in the first two weeks, basically switching to a cold turkey quit), quit taking it months later and relapsed. Or, are still using NRT on a chronic basis.

  It's been very frustrating for me to watch because I'm all about telling quitters what to expect and how to deal with it. I can't touch those NRT questions because I have no idea. I never used the stuff. But, then it saddens me when quitters asking for advice get nothing.

  Anyway, since I'm all about advice. For anyone starting out with a cold turkey quit:

  a) Set small goals. Just get thru one day. Then set a goal of going another 24 hours. And so forth. Worry about he immediate goals and let long term take care of itself. This keeps you from freaking out ("oh my god, I've got to do this for six montths!") and it gives you the thrill of victory as motivation.

  b) Devote as much time as you possibly can during the first days and weeks to education. While fending off craves, immerse yourselves in www.whyquit.com and Allen Carr stuff online. Spending a half hour is perfect for working through a crave and, truly understanding the drug addiction and the trap it's got you in is the key to a relatively painless quit. Once you truly come to view cigarettes as a drug addiction keeping you from enjoying freedom, you will lose all desire to smoke. All the triggers and learned behaviors are a lot easier to work through when you really don't want to continue as a smoker.

[peter-s.]

I agree HWC. Cold Turkey is the eventual and sole solution. It is difficult
  for anyone to acknowledge an addiction. Education and information are
  keys to successful cessation. All smokers are in constant denial. They
  think they can quit. They can't. Smokers tell lies to themselves. " I can quit
  anytime. I like smoking.* If you want to quit you just have to stop. BASTA

[Sylvia_Deitz]

Good Morning! hwc...thanks for the comment! That certainly says it like it is! It looks like we all agree that the best way to quit is without any NRTs. It is hard to relate to those who choose to use them. My son was successful with the patch. He's been quit for about 8 years now, but he was so determined to quit that he probably could have done it cold turkey. I've had patches in my cupboard for a couple of years just waiting for the time I chose to quit, but when I quit 6 months ago, I decided not to use any "helpers". Andrew, you're doing great with your cold turkey quit! 24 days is such a teriffic accomplishment! I feel that WhyQuit.com is an invaluable site to help with doing it cold turkey. I sure have spent a lot of time there in the earlier part of my quit.

[hwc]

Sylvia:

  People do quit with NRT. The statistics are pretty clear. The quit rates are not very high (about 7%), but they are not very high for cold turkey either.

  That's why I'm surprised there is so litte advice from veteran NRT quitters here. I know there some people who quit using NRT and were able to get off the gum or patch after three months. I think it would be great to hear how they did it.

  BTW, I see no evidence on this site that NRT even reduces the cravings. Every quit is different, but there are certainly no shortage of NRT quitters posting about crying uncontrollably for a cigarette and all kinds of terrible stuff that I certainly never experienced quitting cold turkey. I found the cravings to be tiresome and annoying, but never really overwhelming. A big part of that is that I simply was not goign to allow myself to consider smoking (each day) and I had confidence (from the education part) that I actually could successfully quit and that things would get easier on a predictable schedule if I just kept racking up my day to day victories. I wasn't looking for any shortcuts. I accepted that I had to pay a price for 37 years of nicotine addiction.

[ashley3]

Hwc- how wonderful that you were so motivated! Personally I found my cravings to be wretched for the first week or so, even with the nicotine in your bloodstream that only takes care of one type of craving, there is also the mental craving for a cigarette that no amount of nicotine will prevent. I didnt use and sort of help with my quit but i have seen a lot of people try with them, and I feel that it just comes down to the fact that until you are ready and want to see yourself as an ex smoker you wont be able to quit, you haveto be motivated nd self assured that this is what you want.

[ashley3]

Sandi- HOW CUTE!!!! I wish I had cute kiddos to cheer me up like that! 😄

[ashley3]

I dont look for them but i find myself thinking that im gonna go have one, like ill be at home and think hey its nice out ill go have a smoke..... oh wait, i dont smoke anymore. I'm super excited- Tuesday will be one month of no smoking, my b/f agreed to take me to go play bingo 😄 (he hates bingo lol)

[ashley3]

yeah today is ONE MONTH! 😄

[kimmie2]

Day 23!! Yay!

[rich6]

Quit cold turkey on April 18th. So far so good!