Quitting Smoking Vibes Needed (In A Big Way)

[Very Duke Blue]

if your still not sleeping good, try cutting one in 1/2. i have heard this can help. this would be for bedtime only.
mega vibes
coming
from
me
to
you

[Ima Facultiwyfe]

Colchar! what's happnin? Are you still hangin' in there? We all care. Fill us in. I know it sounds like a silly oversimplification, but remembering to breathe is vital to stress reduction and success. Smokers take big, deep draws of air. When they quit smoking, they often forget to just keep breathing. You might like to look into Dr. Weil's CD on breathing exercises. They calm your body and your mind.

C'mon now. Every hour you keep from picking up a Cancer stick your lungs get a chance to heal. Help them out.

Love and vibes,
Ima

[Lavabe]

Which is worse: Cigarettes or the Canadiens?

[TillyGalore]

Which is worse: Cigarettes or the Canadiens?

Now there is a motivator. Think of each cig as a Canadien and crush it up.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

OK, Colchar. I see you're online NOW! Please give us an update - hope you've done well in your quest to quit smoking!

[DukieInKansas]

Colchar,

I hope you are hanging in there on being a non-smoker. If you have been having trouble, you can always try again. We will still be here to support your efforts.

and ,
DinK

[Very Duke Blue]

Colchar,

I hope you are hanging in there on being a non-smoker. If you have been having trouble, you can always try again. We will still be here to support your efforts.

and ,
DinK

This is so true. We are here for you.

[DukePA]

It took me several tries before I was able to quit. We're here . . . no matter what. Okay?

[colchar]

Sorry everyone, I haven't been avoiding you - I've actually been both busy (while we were on strike and especially over the last couple of days after the strike ended) and sick lately (getting stupidly drunk on Saturday night and being hungover all day Sunday didn't help but I had to get drunk as I was taking one for the team that night) and haven't been here on the boards for more than a minute or two over the last several days and definitely haven't had the time to post in any of the threads (Cathy must be well ahead of me by now). Thanks to everyone for the continued vibes during my absence - the vibes and support mean a lot more than you can imagine (as they do to everyone here who needs them for something).

Here's my update: I managed to go about another 24 hours without smoking but, shortly after that, I caved as I just couldn't take it any more. I was going freakin' nuts and caved in and had another smoke. I'm ashamed to say that I've kept smoking since then. But, and I am rather happy about this, I have gone down from smoking a pack a day (the ones I buy up here are twenty-five smokes per pack) to smoking less than ten per day. But I just cannot get below that and I just cannot seem to quit. I suck!

However, when I was at the doctor's yesterday (have been sick for over a month and she now thinks I might have mono), I spoke to her about Zyban (otherwise known as Welbutrin). This was originally developed as an anti-depressant but, during trials, they discovered that tons of people were quitting smoking while taking it so it is now also marketed as a stop smoking aid. She prescribed it for me and I took my first pill today. With this drug you keep smoking for a couple of weeks while taking it and then pick a day to quit once the drug has built up in your system so I've picked 1 December as my quit date. I might manage to quit before then as she said that lots of people lose the desire to smoke fairly quickly. The drug can give you pretty bad gut rot but I figure that is a small price to pay if I finally manage to quit smoking.

I took this drug a few years ago and know that it works very well (even with the gut rot). Had I been smarter I would have succeeded in quitting back then as the cravings weren't bad at all (at times they were non-existent). The problem then was that I didn't change my habits/behaviour and kept smoking despite not really having any cravings. Very very stupid of me! This time I am determined not to fuck up like that again and will also continue to take the drug for a couple of months after my quit date as that is the recommended way to improve your chances of success. If the cravings are bad I can use the patch while on this drug so, hopefully, if things get bad this time I can use both methods to beat the habit. But, based on past experience, I don't think I will need the patch.

Once again, my apologies for not providing any updates but things have been a bit nuts around here lately. And, more importantly, thanks again for all of the vibes/support. As I said, they mean the world to me as I’m sure they do to everyone here who ever needs them.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Don't be so hard on yourself! It took me several tries to quit. (The heavy smoking ex finally left for good for one thing. Other changes in my life helped me marshal the tenacity to quit.)

Rejoice that you reduced the number of smokes per day and that you have a new plan which increases your confidence in being able to quit!

Being busy can be a very good thing while making this transition to a healthier lifestyle.

[colchar]

Don't be so hard on yourself! It took me several tries to quit. (The heavy smoking ex finally left for good for one thing. Other changes in my life helped me marshal the tenacity to quit.)

Thanks.

Rejoice that you reduced the number of smokes per day and that you have a new plan which increases your confidence in being able to quit!

I'm trying to see that as a positive step.

Being busy can be a very good thing while making this transition to a healthier lifestyle.

Unfortunately, for much of the time I was out in my car and I tend to smoke a lot while driving.

[Lavabe]

Once again, vibes are rolling in your direction. Just remember...

CIGARETTES=MONTREAL CANADIENS

[DukieInKansas]

Thanks for the update. I hope things slow down a bit for you.

DitBD is correct - DO NOT BE SO HARD ON YOURSELF! You have drastically cut down on the number of smokes per day (60% fewer) - which is HUGE. You have a plan for going forward. With determination and CTN vibes, you can will succeed with this plan.

Keep up the good work!

DinK

[CathyCA]

Colchar, do whatever it takes. Cutting back is a good step.

I'm marking my calendar for December 1 to give you lots of vibes.

What is gut rot?

[colchar]

Once again, vibes are rolling in your direction. Just remember...

CIGARETTES=MONTREAL CANADIENS

Well I do set fire to cigarettes and I'd love to do that to the Habs - even more so to their fans!

[colchar]

Colchar, do whatever it takes. Cutting back is a good step.

I'm marking my calendar for December 1 to give you lots of vibes.

What is gut rot?

Just a sore acidic feeling in your stomach. Lots of cramps and you can get a bit gassy. Not at all confortable but hey, it will be worth it.

[Lavabe]

For the record, colchar and Cathy are within a post of each other.

Now that colchar is back, we might see a post battle.

[Devil in the Blue Dress]

Colchar, do whatever it takes. Cutting back is a good step.

I'm marking my calendar for December 1 to give you lots of vibes.

What is gut rot?

Just a sore acidic feeling in your stomach. Lots of cramps and you can get a bit gassy. Not at all confortable but hey, it will be worth it.

There may be something you can do to combat those symptoms. Ask your doctor or pharmacist. I've found that Greek yogurt (not other types of yogurt) often works to quiet many digestive problems associated with taking some prescriptions.

[colchar]

For the record, colchar and Cathy are within a post of each other.

Now that colchar is back, we might see a post battle.

Hmm, I've got to head out for blood tests to see if I do have mono (or any one of a number of other things) but, when I get back, I have some lost time to make up for so I might just go on a PWing frenzy. I once did about five straight pages of the LTE all by myself so surpassing Cathy this afternoon shouldn't present much of a problem ;)

[colchar]

There may be something you can do to combat those symptoms. Ask your doctor or pharmacist. I've found that Greek yogurt (not other types of yogurt) often works to quiet many digestive problems associated with taking some prescriptions.

Thanks, I'll do that. I've had stomach problems for years so anything that helps minimize the effects from this medication will be a blessing.