Last cig at night - smoking cessation

[StringJunky]

How you holding up so far, mate?

Yesterday was hard because I wasn't in a good mood anyway; life stuff. The feeling for a smoke is pretty strong at times but I can over-ride it because the Zyban seems to detach me from the full brunt of the withdrawal symptoms. I stood in a shop queue yesterday waiting to pay and thinking "I need to get some fags"! Today, I'm a bit more chilled and went on a 32km bike ride earlier, to a relative's and back, to tire my body out a bit. It's done the trick and I should sleep ok in a bit.

[tar]

StringJunky,

 

Why would you buy a pack a cigarettes? You don't smoke!

 

Regards, TAR

[StringJunky]

StringJunky,

 

Why would you buy a pack a cigarettes? You don't smoke!

 

Regards, TAR

Tell my brain that; the habituated part.

Edited September 7, 2016 by StringJunky

[koti]

Tell my brain that; the habituated part.

 

Feed it this:

 

[StringJunky]

 

Feed it this:

 

I'm 54 and been smoking since I was 17. A recent xray showed my lungs to be within the normal range. If those pictures didn't work on me then they won't work on me now. I appreciate the effort though. What's really pissing me off is nicotine stained fingers, not lungs. Even after 3 days it's nearly gone. I smoked rollups and smoked them down to nearly nothing, no filters, so the smoke played hell staining between my fingers that held them.

Edited September 7, 2016 by StringJunky

[tar]

StingJunky,

 

Hang in there. Remember when you get a crave, that smoking is not an option. Do something else.

 

Regards, TAR

[koti]

I'm 54 and been smoking since I was 17. A recent xray showed my lungs to be within the normal range. If those pictures didn't work on me then they won't work on me now. I appreciate the effort though. What's really pissing me off is nicotine stained fingers, not lungs. Even after 3 days it's nearly gone. I smoked rollups and smoked them down to nearly nothing, no filters, so the smoke played hell staining between my fingers that held them.

Well, I tried

I have no doubt that you are hanging in there tight. How are you feeling?

[StringJunky]

I had half a fag very early Friday morning; I was feeling really pissed off about an unrelated matter. I had no intention of giving up giving up when I did it. I did it and just going to forget about it and carry on. I feel ok now and still want to stop.

[koti]

This might be an even better option if you can keep it together. I've been smoking 27 years (last 10 years its the lightest marlboros available - 4mg, 0,3mg, 5mg, they are called "silver blue here) i smoke pack a day and I actualy think kt would be better for me to smoke 1 or 2 fags per week than to cutt it off completely, at least for the first few months. If you can keep it together that is, I know I cant...the moment I drink any any alcohol it would be impossible for me to stick to that plan. Plus theres the gsining weight factor, judging by your photo you should be fine there

Stay strong, think of the beautiful scents you are smelling

[tar]

StringJunky,

 

You are still OK, you have not failed. Your body demanded the nicotine and you yielded. It is OK you have not disappointed me, or probably anybody else. You still want to stop, which is the most important thing. You had to know that you could smoke if you wanted to. Which you can. You still have control of the situation. Just choose next time you have that powerful craving, to ignore it, and say no to your body's demand. And make yielding "not an option".

 

Regards, TAR

[koti]

Strinkjunky, I have an idea. It might sound to you like a cliche but I dont think it is. If you lift some weights and get that blood pumping while youre craving it will flood your brain with endorphins. This does help, at least it helps me - a lot. You mentioned in one of your previous theeads that your fingera go numb after bike riding. I think you could adress that too by strenghtening your back muscles. The quadrangular muscles, the 2 muscles on your back that run from the middle of the back of your head to the middle of your back (they are sometimes called "the stress muscle") are the way to go. Deadlift is the best way to train them but dont jump into deadliftimg before you learn the technique. Consult someone who knows this stuff for a lesson and I promise you will solve both, the craving and the finger nubmness with this one simple solution.

 

Edit: It's The "trapezius" muscle not the "quadrangular" muscle.

http://images.slideplayer.com/25/8079912/slides/slide_5.jpg

Edited September 10, 2016 by koti

[geordief]

Well I "failed" on several occasions. The mental trick I used to get over it was to promise myself to do better next time. So ,to put myself in your shoes I would consider it a success if my next (if there was to be a "next") "relapse" was to follow a longer period of abstinence.

 

This method has the merit of making a virtue of failure. As I think I said before my final relapse came after 3 years of abstinence and was preceded by shorter periods varying between weeks and months ..

 

Each period that ended with a "failure" was followed by a longer period of abstinence and there was a logic that it would become easier to completely break the habit at the end of the process.

 

I have not smoked now for over 30 years . The urge went completely but it is always possible revisit the scenario.

 

I can imagine that if I was involved in a car accident and in great pain I might accept a cigarette if I thought it might alleviate great pain but I doubt I would accept it if I thought I was dying as I would associate it with weakness and a kind of self injury.

Edited September 10, 2016 by geordief

[iNow]

You didn't fail, you slipped. When we slip, we stand back up. We don't surrender and stay on the floor. You know now where you lost traction. Walk differently next time you encounter a similar point of nonfriction so you don't slip again.

[imatfaal]

agree completely with iNow and Tar (not sure I have ever been in that confluence of ideas before). It is a temporary blip - not a failure. Make sure it increases your fortitude. You are stronger than your cravings

[Phi for All]

I had half a fag very early Friday morning; I was feeling really pissed off about an unrelated matter. I had no intention of giving up giving up when I did it. I did it and just going to forget about it and carry on. I feel ok now and still want to stop.

 

I agree with everyone else, and this is just a stumble. It's not failure.

 

But I also want to plunk your mardy arse down on an overly uncomfortable chair and point out in plain, Pythonesque English that an unrelated matter got you angry enough to forget about all the ripping-out-the-door-to-smoking imagery I gave you, you sodden bag of overpriced monkey parts. You went from "Door? What door?!" to "Gah! I'm smoking!" at near tachyonic speeds, you reeking clump of koala-chewed dog ends. You fell for the oldest nico-trick there is, the I'm-Mad/I'm-Fuming/I'm-Smoking Escalation, you careless pile of freshly-shaved otter bottoms.

 

Next time you're that mad, take your trousers off. Tell everyone you're too mad for trousers. It will be healthier for you, but you won't do it much after the first time. Unlike stumbling and having just half a smoke, which gets... addicting. For now you'll have to carry on with a bit more rigor and dedication, and leave the smoking to the pendulously under-brained weasel-greasers one tries to avoid at the least desirable parties, poker games, and detention facilities.

 

Or do I have to taunt you a second time?

[tar]

Nice Phi. You should write for Python

[Phi for All]

Nice Phi. You should write for Python

 

That was extremely cathartic. I highly recommend it.

[tar]

Beware then StringJunky, you use another lame excuse and I shall taunt thee cathartically for yet another time.

('course you will survive my taunts, I couldn't come close to being as effective a taunter as Phi)

Tell everyone you are too mad for trousers though, next time, don't smoke.

Edited September 10, 2016 by tar

[iNow]

agree completely with iNow and Tar (not sure I have ever been in that confluence of ideas before).

Having a very similar thought myself... It's like an "even broken analog clocks are correct twice daily" moment.

[StringJunky]

Strinkjunky, I have an idea. It might sound to you like a cliche but I dont think it is. If you lift some weights and get that blood pumping while youre craving it will flood your brain with endorphins. This does help, at least it helps me - a lot.

I agree, it does help to get the endorphins going; I'm riding my bike 16km twice a day at a brisk pace. I did it 4 times yesterday; I left my phone so I had to do it again. Legs were like jelly after that session.

 

 

Well I "failed" on several occasions. The mental trick I used to get over it was to promise myself to do better next time. So ,to put myself in your shoes I would consider it a success if my next (if there was to be a "next") "relapse" was to follow a longer period of abstinence.

 

This method has the merit of making a virtue of failure. As I think I said before my final relapse came after 3 years of abstinence and was preceded by shorter periods varying between weeks and months ..

I can see the logic but I'm trying to get this out of the way in the shortest reasonable time.

 

Today is the first day I've had an easy time and was unfazed with my relatives smoking in front of me in the garden. I'm hoping I''m over the biggest hill now, mentally.

 

 

You didn't fail, you slipped. When we slip, we stand back up. We don't surrender and stay on the floor. You know now where you lost traction. Walk differently next time you encounter a similar point of nonfriction so you don't slip again.

Yes, you are right; I mustn't give up giving up. We all dream of a perfect blemish-free path trodden on the way to abstinence but it rarely happens. I think it is a mistake - and I have been guilty - to think one has failed completely just on the basis of a single relapse and then carry on as before.

 

 

 

I agree with everyone else, and this is just a stumble. It's not failure.

 

But I also want to plunk your mardy arse down on an overly uncomfortable chair and point out in plain, Pythonesque English that an unrelated matter got you angry enough to forget about all the ripping-out-the-door-to-smoking imagery I gave you, you sodden bag of overpriced monkey parts. You went from "Door? What door?!" to "Gah! I'm smoking!" at near tachyonic speeds, you reeking clump of koala-chewed dog ends. You fell for the oldest nico-trick there is, the I'm-Mad/I'm-Fuming/I'm-Smoking Escalation, you careless pile of freshly-shaved otter bottoms.

 

Next time you're that mad, take your trousers off. Tell everyone you're too mad for trousers. It will be healthier for you, but you won't do it much after the first time. Unlike stumbling and having just half a smoke, which gets... addicting. For now you'll have to carry on with a bit more rigor and dedication, and leave the smoking to the pendulously under-brained weasel-greasers one tries to avoid at the least desirable parties, poker games, and detention facilities.

 

Or do I have to taunt you a second time?

Just what I need: a kick up the arse.

 

I've got my next session with my Quit51 advisor tomorrow and another CO test. I experience acute depressive moods quite often and they frequently screw up my resolve such that I quite often fail to reach completion in tasks that take a while to do, like this one. I've been 3 weeks on the Zyban now and they are still not causing me any problems - as you might know, they have quite a bad rep for messing people up mentally. Although I get moody it is nothing I don't experience normally.

[tar]

StringJunky,

 

Excellent.

 

I would only add that quitting is not a process. It is an accomplishment, an event that is complete the instant you smoke your last cigarette. In your case, that half a fag you had the other day when you were too mad for trousers. That was it. Now the process is learning to live without nicotine. Which you have noticed gets easier, with every passing day and as your body's demand for nicotine grows weaker and weaker, and your sources of dopamine become more numerous and varied.

 

Regards, TAR

[Phi for All]

I experience acute depressive moods quite often and they frequently screw up my resolve such that I quite often fail to reach completion in tasks that take a while to do, like this one.

 

I'm learning to slow down and take time during the day for myself. Especially if I find myself getting a bit too passionate about something. I don't like making decisions when too much of any emotion is involved.

 

I changed the way I fix what I drink. I switched to a French press instead of an automatic coffee maker. I grind my beans. I don't make coffee anymore, I craft it. And it's freaking delicious, because of the way I do it and the thought I put into it. I'm certainly worth the time it takes to make myself the tastiest beverage I can. And it really doesn't take more time, because I actually drink less this way.

 

We can modify our behavior; I've proven that to myself a hundred times. I think it's easier when we're calmer, and are able to focus on the benefits our modified behavior will bring us. I like to laugh. That usually cancels out the frustration and anger for me, and lets me be calmer and more focused.

 

So if I were you, my friend, the next time you start getting depressed, take some extra time to do something for yourself. Something like you used to do when you rolled your own and had a smoke. I came up with a crazy delicious recipe for a modified Arnold Palmer, using Mio Sweet Tea concentrate and some key lime juice (0 calories, add your own water). And you need to be smiling when you mix it, that's a big part of why the drink tastes so good. Small sips, savor it.

 

Think about how great it will be to do something nice for yourself, instead of having to take your trousers off because you're too mad. You'll smile.

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of which, for your avatar pic you should use one where you're smiling. I found this one from your younger days:

 

[StringJunky]

 

I'm learning to slow down and take time during the day for myself. Especially if I find myself getting a bit too passionate about something. I don't like making decisions when too much of any emotion is involved.

 

I changed the way I fix what I drink. I switched to a French press instead of an automatic coffee maker. I grind my beans. I don't make coffee anymore, I craft it. And it's freaking delicious, because of the way I do it and the thought I put into it. I'm certainly worth the time it takes to make myself the tastiest beverage I can. And it really doesn't take more time, because I actually drink less this way.

 

We can modify our behavior; I've proven that to myself a hundred times. I think it's easier when we're calmer, and are able to focus on the benefits our modified behavior will bring us. I like to laugh. That usually cancels out the frustration and anger for me, and lets me be calmer and more focused.

 

So if I were you, my friend, the next time you start getting depressed, take some extra time to do something for yourself. Something like you used to do when you rolled your own and had a smoke. I came up with a crazy delicious recipe for a modified Arnold Palmer, using Mio Sweet Tea concentrate and some key lime juice (0 calories, add your own water). And you need to be smiling when you mix it, that's a big part of why the drink tastes so good. Small sips, savor it.

 

Think about how great it will be to do something nice for yourself, instead of having to take your trousers off because you're too mad. You'll smile.

If you want to take your coffee to the next level, you need to do it the Italian way with a Stove Top Moka Pot/Cafetiere. As you use it repeatedly, a film of coffee residues builds up inside the top section and improving the depth and flavour of each successive cup. The first two or three goes, chuck the coffee away to get rid of the taste of aluminium. Only clean the top occasionally when the residues get too much. Never clean to a polished finish, in either chamber, or else you will continually. taste aluminium - Let the bottom chamber calcify. Bialetti are the original makers. This is the original way to make espresso I think.

 

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Moka-Pot

 

 

Speaking of which, for your avatar pic you should use one where you're smiling. I found this one from your younger days:

That's my "I've-just-given-up-smoking face.

Edited September 12, 2016 by StringJunky

[imatfaal]

If you want to take your coffee to the next level, you need to do it the Italian way with a Stove Top Moka Pot/Cafetiere. As you use it repeatedly, a film of coffee residues builds up inside the top section and improving the depth and flavour of each successive cup. The first two or three goes, chuck the coffee away to get rid of the taste of aluminium. Only clean the top occasionally when the residues get too much. Never clean to a polished finish, in either chamber, or else you will continually. taste aluminium - Let the bottom chamber calcify. Bialetti are the original makers. This is the original way to make espresso I think.

...

 

When I was trying to get my dissertation finished I would make a mug of espresso in a 24 cup stove-top espresso jug which I had stolen from the prop store at a regional theatre. And yes, once you get it bedded in, best coffee ever

[Phi for All]

If you want to take your coffee to the next level, you need to do it the Italian way with a Stove Top Moka Pot/Cafetiere.

Shiny! I see they make an electric version. I like my stovetop, but I love the efficiency of the electric kettles. Especially when it's 35C in the summer here. Grazie mille, I know what I want for Christmas!

 

That's my "I've-just-given-up-smoking face.

 

The smile will come over time.

When I was trying to get my dissertation finished I would make a mug of espresso in a 24 cup stove-top espresso jug which I had stolen from the prop store at a regional theatre.

 

O, be thou damned, inexecrable dog! And for thy life let justice be accused! [/dramatic flourish]

 

That same theater tried to put on Merchant of Venice, and on opening night, nobody knew their lines because they'd all fallen asleep while memorizing them. The troupe fell into disrepute, and later moved to France where they were forced to become mimes.

 

Those. Poor. Actors. [/shatner]