HELP I need to quit smoking if I want to live

[ladyink99]

And I do want to live, I am recovering from a massive sub-arachnoid brain hemorrhage, and was very lucky that I came out of it as well as I have. As a result of the stroke I suffer from seizures, and take medication to lesson the severity of these seizures. I am a very lucky lady indeed.......................I can only think that God must have some purpose in this life for me. I have also had a triple by-pass in 2003......................but smoking is proving to be the hardest thing for me to quit..............I need all the help and support I can get.

[Ex_Nancy]

Hi ladyink99, if you want to quit smoking come to the blogs and post...LOOK in the upper right of this page, click BLOGS and post this message.....IT"S BECAUSE WE ARE ALWAYS ON THE SECTION called the blogs....you won't get much of an answer on these forum sights AND we can help you.......just come to the blogs.....Welcome to you...Nancy....

[idk5]

I tried every thing they make out there to quit smoking, the e-cigrettes, patches, gum, lozenges, etc.  I do use the patches.  But the way I was finally convinced to quit smoking is the fact that one Sunday morning I quit breathing and had to be inabated.  I was in ICU for several days and they really didn't think I would pull 3 angel daughters that I've pulled through.  I never thought anythng bad would happen to me from smoking but the only way I quit was to almost die and stay totally away from cigarettes for a month.

The best of luck to all of you,

My prayers are with you

Diane P.

[jsnow]

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I quit June 2010.  I had a few slips along the way.  A relapse is not the same as a slip.  A slip is if you have quit smoking and then smoke one cigarette and then go back to quitting. A relapse is when you quit have a cigarette and DO NOT quit again but keep on smoking. Hardest thing I have ever done.  I went to a smoker’s cessation group, used patches, gum and inhaler.  I needed them all.  I now go to a maintenance group for former smokers.  Kind of like AA for smokers.  It helps.  I gained 30 lbs.  Some days I would have killed for a cigarette.  But, slowly and I Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} mean slowly I stopped craving, wanting and needing a cigarette.  Tough does not describe how hard it was and still is sometimes.  Was it the best thing I ever did in my life……………….YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.   Saving money was/is fabulous.  I don’t smell like an ashtray anymore.  I breathe better and my car and house smell better.  When I bought a new car, I did not put any ashtrays or lighters in it.

One the first day, make a ceremony of it.  Have your last cigarette and then put on a patch.  During the day, have a few pieces of gum for extra “protection” against cravings.  Find out what your triggers are.  Find other ways to relax.  If you can; stay away from smokers.  It doesn’t bother me anymore to be with a smoker but it did at the beginning.  After a meal, have coffee if you want and take out an inhaler and use it.  This way you will not feel deprived.  Same goes, if you want a drink.  Be creative.  Good luck to everyone and I hope I was some help.

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[pattymk]

Ladyink99,

I did it cold turkey, and it has been relatively easy for me.  I smoked for 44 years.  I pulled into the hospital partking lot and handed my husband the cigarettes and told him to give them to a neighbor.  That was the last time I saw a cigarette (That belonged to me).  To me it only makes sense to do it cold turkey as if you use a patch or an electronic cigqarette, you aer still depending on tobacco.  If  you quit cold turkey then you are not.  Does this make sense to you?    It has been seven months since I smoked a cigarette, my husband smokes cigars around me and I told my friends that they could smoke around me, I don't care as I do not even want a cigarette.  My doctor asked me if I wanted a prescription for the medications, or the patches, my husband wanted to know if I wanted an electronic cigarette, I told them both no, that I had quit and didn't need anything.  So far this has worked for me.  No one can nag you into quitting smoking, you have to want to do it, if you don't then I don't believe anything yhou do will cause you to quit.  The last few months, I really didn't want to smoke, I was tired of it. (Especially when I had to pay those prices.  I believe when you are ready, as I was, you will quit.  Good luck and God bless you.

[pir8fan]

Heed the words of Nancy! There is a huge community of us living in the Blogs! There is someone there all the time to offer assistance and advice! You can do this!! We will help!!