Quitting smoking. This really blows.

Niacin · Post by **Niacin** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 12:50 pm

<backstory>
Sunday, after my usual lung exercise, I decided to bid farewell to a lifelong companion of mine, the smooth, always up for a good time Camel Lights. In the box. Unlike all the other times I'd made this resolution, this time I shocked myself by actually getting a box of nicotine gum.</backstory>

So, Day 2 of quitting. No smokes for over 80 hours. By now my healthy 'I''m going to feel so much better when I quit' halo of innocence has left and I now just have the bitterness.

And the gum, oh, the gum. My new slavemasters, the GlaxoSmithKline global megacorporation, recommend 9 pieces a day. At first, it kind of tastes like a stale chiclet. Then, the EXTREME NICOTINE FLAVOUR!!!11!! rushes in and makes you hiccup while tasting crushed black pepper. The gum eventually works itself out into a texture somewhere between used leather motorcycle jackets and pudding skin. Oh, and it's completely tasteless except for the nicotine rush after fourty seconds, but you have to chew it for another 10 minutes.

In retrospect, I'd rather quit using the same method I used last time: lock myself in a hostel in Wales, UK, and not have money for smokes. Three days and I was off the smokes and felt better, but even now, five years later, I still write the three poor unfortunate souls who had to share a room with me and apologize in every email.

Thanks for letting me share. I'm off to piece number 5. Joe Camel, where have you gone?

Cheers,
Max

blyslv · Post by **blyslv** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 1:19 pm

[quote="Niacin The gum eventually works itself out into a texture somewhere between used leather motorcycle jackets and pudding skin. Max[/quote]

Well that's what your lungs LOOK like when you smoke. Don't worry, all the times I've quit, by the third day you can feel yourself breathing easier and feel like you're making progress.

Angry Butterfly · Post by **Angry Butterfly** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 3:18 pm

I hear ya, I have a problem with food. I have a cholesterol level of 365, and I really love fast food, I actually stayed on the 1350 calorie a day 30 grams of fat (10 g saturated) diet for a while and fell back into the bad patterns again. Eating fast food for someone with levels like that is just as bad as smoking. I heard somewhere it takes 7 tries to quit something (or learn something) successfully, so if you slip up don't get too discouraged, you are just getting closer to quiting for good. Behavioral therapy and hypnosis are also good for bad habits, but it is still a practice thing.
I have also heard that yoga really helps, because of the foucusing on your breath thing. When My stepsister was pregnant, her doctor told her that part of the reason that smoking would calm her down was that it gave her a mental break where she could go sit by herself and breathe deeply for 5 minutes and if she did that even without the cigarette, it would still calm her down. My stepsister (because she had no desire to quit) took this to mean that the Doctor told her it was OK to smoke while she was pregnant. (It WAS NOT, sadly she had a misscarrage.) But I told another friend who was expecting about it and it helped her a lot. So you probably didn't want unsolicited advice, but I hope this helps.
Good Luck.

dragonflyannie · Post by **dragonflyannie** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 3:21 pm

I know first hand how difficult quitting smoking can be, but just so you know, it really does get better. I promise! And after 3 years and 6 months of not smoking I can say it is the best thing I have ever done for myself. If you ever need some support or someone to yell at or vent to, I can take it. Drop me a line.

girlie · Post by **girlie** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 5:15 pm

>> In retrospect, I'd rather quit using the same method I used last time: lock myself in a hostel in Wales, UK, and not have money for smokes.

Congrats on quitting! I'm still a smoker, but have plans to try again
soon. The two biggest things that helped me quit last time were

-- water, water, water. every time i felt like having a drag off a smoke
(like, every 20 seconds) i'd take a swig off my water bottle, which i held
in a death grip pretty much 24 hours a day. it worked as both a crutch
for the oral fixation stuff and a detoxifier for the rest of my body. i
normally hate water, but it became liquid magic when i quit.

-- i really got into the mind games. every time i'd crave and start
thinking, "oh, just one little puff would make me feel alive again"
i'd focus on remembering that it was the habit pulling my strings. in my
inner dialog i'd make fun of all the silly excuses my brain came up with
for wanting a smoke, and beat them down with real in-the-moment
reasons for not having that smoke. it felt powerful to be winning that
brain-vs.-brain challenge.

Where i failed last time was when i got cocky with the process. I fell into
the "oh, i'm a non-smoker now, so i can have a smoke now and again"
thing. One trip home to see my parents and i was back to smoking full
time.

Again, congradulations on quitting. It is so fucking tough to do, but so
fucking worth it.

precipitate · Post by **precipitate** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 5:19 pm

You can never get complacent. I quit for five years with nary a craving.

Then I started smoking socially, and I'm back smoking again. I smoke
less (1-2/day) when alone, but in a group I smoke like a chimney.

> it felt powerful to be winning that brain-vs.-brain challenge.

When I quit, I'd find myself lighting a cigarette without even realizing I
was doing it. I'd have the inner dialog, decide not to have one, and three
minutes later would realize I was smoking. Once I figured that out it got
easier.

I didn't use the gum or patch or anything. I also didn't sleep well for the
first three months. After that, it was easy.

Lydia Love · Post by **Lydia Love** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 5:32 pm

Don't think of willpower as something you either have or don't - think of it as a muscle. Everytime you use it - it gets stronger.

My thoughts are with you!

PJ · Post by PJ » Tue Oct 07, 2003 5:34 pm

I'm wondering: Why is the percentage of smokers among Burning Man attendees so dramatically higher than in the general population?

JonoVision · Post by **JonoVision** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 6:11 pm

Wow this thread is pretty inspirational for me! I'm gearing up for another attempt at butting out for good, doing it this time on a remote Baja beach far far away from any tobacco-bearing shops. The water is a good tip -- I've found that having lots of gum, sunflower seeds, toothpicks and other things to abate my oral fixation helps. But then again I've always fallen off the wagon. My motivation is not wanting to check out of this life as early as my old man, who smoked and drank himself to an early finish at age 50. It's been 15 years on the smokes for me, and I think that's pushing what I can get away with in later life, no matter how many veggies and jogs I get in. Anyways, good on ya for doing it!

Badger · Post by **Badger** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 6:25 pm

I'm wondering: Why is the percentage of smokers among Burning Man attendees so dramatically higher than in the general population?

According to the Black Rock Ministry of Statistics it would appear that the number is lower. I believe the respondents indicated somewhere around 6% were smokers.

dragonflyannie · Post by **dragonflyannie** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 6:32 pm

actually, some folks put both (referring to tobacco and caffeine, making the total %'age 21.38%... still low of course:

http://www.blueberryjoe.com/statistics/ ... Chart).jpg

PJ · Post by PJ » Tue Oct 07, 2003 7:07 pm

dragonflyannie wrote:actually, some folks put both (referring to tobacco and caffeine, making the total %'age 21.38%... still low of course

I wonder how trustworthy those numbers are? They certainly don't correspond with the impression I get walking around B.Man. (Maybe my perception is skewed, since in Boulder smokers are far more rare than, say, billionaires or Buddhist monks.)

dragonflyannie · Post by **dragonflyannie** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 7:10 pm

i have been looking on the ministry of statistics website and i can't find how many burners actually participated in the polls... i know i didn't, so i'm wondering how many total there were.

it's kind of like on the news when they say such and such politician has a fill in the blank percentage of approval in California and I say to myself, "no one asked me!"... oh, and this is prior to election day of course.

Ivy · Post by **Ivy** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 8:09 pm

Or it could be that people like me, who may smoke while at Burning Man (or a few other rare instances if the mood strikes me) indicate that they are "non-smokers."

blyslv · Post by **blyslv** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 10:08 pm

PJ wrote:I'm wondering: Why is the percentage of smokers among Burning Man attendees so dramatically higher than in the general population?

Woo woo alert.

I was told that smoking is a sign of searching for spirit.

Angry Butterfly · Post by **Angry Butterfly** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 11:13 pm

probably all so called "soft addictions" are partiularly oral ones, I hate to sound Fruedian, but he had afew good points, like I know I have an issue I need to resolve and the food thing will probably stop when i resolve it.

nipples · Post by **nipples** » Tue Oct 07, 2003 11:51 pm

i usually go cold turkey, & what works for me (for a few years) is to
say to myself when about to finally light one up is to say to myself "wait five minutes"

do that 12 times an hour, 16 hours a day & beat the monkey (soundly)

Niacin · Post by **Niacin** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 5:52 pm

Thanks, all. I really appreciate the support.

Today wasn't nearly as bad as yesterday was, I think blv is right about the third day being easier. I nearly lost my temper a couple of times today, but no manslaughter yet.

Another thing I noticed today was that food is actually beginning to taste again of flavours. Good stuff. And I got a good whiff of an ashtray. That helped too.

Hopefully this willpower thing is slippery slope.

Max

Niacin · Post by **Niacin** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 5:54 pm

Something else I just thought of: no coughing yet. That leaves worlds of fun yet to be experienced.

Max

Kinetic II · Post by **Kinetic II** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 6:04 pm

I'm surprised that nobody's mentioned the patch besides Precip. My dad has been smoking for 35 years or so and he's getting the really bad coughing and wheezing along with being sick almost all the time. We keep trying to get him to quit but he finds excuse after excuse. Has anyone had experience with the patch? Is it worth a shot? We can't get him into the doc but if the patch works....he agreed to try it. I'm not sure if it's worth it or not.

Lydia Love · Post by **Lydia Love** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 6:10 pm

If he'll try it it's worth it.

None of my attempts to quit have worked yet (practice practice!) but one of my closer attempts was on the patch.

Wellbutrin got me pretty far too - until it made me fucking nuts.

Kinetic II · Post by **Kinetic II** » Wed Oct 08, 2003 6:23 pm

Wellbutrin / Zyban is scary stuff. Been there, done that. But the stuff has one side effect in that it definitely enhances the libido. No, make that it supercharges it. I think Erowid even mentions it...I know there are online articles out there if anyone was curious. Beyond that one benefit, a look at the precaution statements about seizure potential should grab your attention. It's better off avoided.

Markov Chaney · Post by **Markov Chaney** » Thu Oct 09, 2003 10:35 am

From my experience, if you can make the three month mark then you're home free. Nasty three months though.

Good luck Niacin.

Patience · Post by **Patience** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 4:03 pm

You can do it Niacin! I'm at 25 days and counting. Apart from the weekends, it's getting to be pretty easy. I find that smoking crack really helps me forget that I wanted to smoke cigarettes in the first place. You should give it a try for those really tough cravings.

alice · Post by **alice** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 4:09 pm

Patience wrote:You can do it Niacin! I'm at 25 days and counting. Apart from the weekends, it's getting to be pretty easy. I find that smoking crack really helps me forget that I wanted to smoke cigarettes in the first place. You should give it a try for those really tough cravings.

crack! my favorite!

are you bringing some to decomp?

Patience · Post by **Patience** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 4:37 pm

It's all about bringing gifts for your friends...

J · Post by J » Fri Oct 10, 2003 9:00 pm

blyslv wrote: I was told that smoking is a sign of searching for spirit.

You're way off.
Smoking is a sign of being cool.

J

alice · Post by **alice** » Fri Oct 10, 2003 9:29 pm

J wrote:
blyslv wrote: I was told that smoking is a sign of searching for spirit.
You're way off.
Smoking is a sign of being cool.

J

i'm smokin, you're smokin; we're all pretty fuckin cool.

Angry Butterfly · Post by **Angry Butterfly** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 11:52 am

You have inspired me, I am giving up soda, and corn syrup flavored juice, it is day 4, and I'm starting to get a little less cranky.

Angry Butterfly · Post by **Angry Butterfly** » Sat Oct 11, 2003 11:54 am

Ailchinn wrote:Wellbutrin / Zyban is scary stuff. Been there, done that. But the stuff has one side effect in that it definitely enhances the libido. No, make that it supercharges it. I think Erowid even mentions it...I know there are online articles out there if anyone was curious. Beyond that one benefit, a look at the precaution statements about seizure potential should grab your attention. It's better off avoided.

I thought that was my problem, but when I went off of it I was still horny.

Quitting smoking. This really blows.

Quitting smoking. This really blows.

Re: Quitting smoking. This really blows.

Re: Quitting smoking. This really blows.