Last cig at night - smoking cessation

[tar]

Phi,

 

My sister and wife and stepmom smoke, but I draw a distinction between my sister and wife, and my stepmom.

 

The former two smoke outside, and ask me if the smoke is bothering me, if it is drifting toward me during a Scrabble game or something, and will put it out, or move far away, if I say it's getting to me. On the other hand my Stepmom will light up in her house in a closed livingroom causing me to have to excuse myself from the room to avoid ingesting the nicotine, and awakening the old habit.

 

So smokers should be concerned not only with the health risk of second hand smoke, but with the more serious reality of drugging the people that inhale their smoke, that do not wish to be drugged.

 

Regards, TAR

Edited September 13, 2016 by tar

[michel123456]

And smokers leaving cold ashes that smell so dirty. Or planting cig butts in the sand at the beach. Or throwing still burning cig butts out of the window of their car. Or not only smoking, but throwing with pleasure the smoke in your face. Or above your face for being polite. Or simply smokers that do not understand the bad smell they carry with them on their clothes. et caetera et caetera.

 

I am certain String that you will enjoy new food tastes, the need for less spicy meals, the regular taste of French wine, and new smells coming from everywhere around you. Be careful about your weight, because you will breathe better and appetite will rise.

[koti]

Hows it going today Stringjunky?

[StringJunky]

Hows it going today Stringjunky?

I'm through the hard physical addiction bit, I think. It's just a case of getting into a habit of not thinking about it now, which seems to be happening more often and for longer periods. When I get mardy is when I think about it the most but I'm weathering it through those times, up to now.

Edited September 14, 2016 by StringJunky

[koti]

I'm through the hard physical addiction bit, I think. It's just a case of getting into a habit of not thinking about it now, which seems to be happening more often and for longer periods. When I get mardy is when I think about it the most but I'm weathering it through those times, up to now.

 

Are you rewarding youreslf? If not it does sound like a good idea to me. Go buy youreself something...

[StringJunky]

 

Are you rewarding youreslf? If not it does sound like a good idea to me. Go buy youreself something...

Yes, that's an idea...

[Phi for All]

I'm through the hard physical addiction bit, I think. It's just a case of getting into a habit of not thinking about it now, which seems to be happening more often and for longer periods. When I get mardy is when I think about it the most but I'm weathering it through those times, up to now.

 

Personally, I think this is an important point (meaning be careful, this may not work for you). When I gave up alcohol, I reached a point where the only times I ever thought about it was when I was purposely doing some program or ritual to avoid drinking again. I was fine around others drinking, I had no more cravings, I was completely at peace with never touching anything with alcohol in it for the rest of my (definitely longer) life. 24 years later, I've never been even mildly tempted to go back.

 

Honestly, the hardest thing to get used to was dreaming that I had had a drink. It happened to me a few times over the first two years. I'd remember the dream sometime the next day and think, "Wait a minute, was that real?" It was never a very specific dream, but I knew I'd had a drink in it and it seemed very natural. Not like it was right, but more like it was just assumed that I was drinking again. It would take me a minute where I'd be panicked about falling off the wagon, and it always felt really good when I realized I hadn't.

 

Have you had any dreams lately where you were smoking?

[StringJunky]

 

Personally, I think this is an important point (meaning be careful, this may not work for you). When I gave up alcohol, I reached a point where the only times I ever thought about it was when I was purposely doing some program or ritual to avoid drinking again. I was fine around others drinking, I had no more cravings, I was completely at peace with never touching anything with alcohol in it for the rest of my (definitely longer) life. 24 years later, I've never been even mildly tempted to go back.

 

Honestly, the hardest thing to get used to was dreaming that I had had a drink. It happened to me a few times over the first two years. I'd remember the dream sometime the next day and think, "Wait a minute, was that real?" It was never a very specific dream, but I knew I'd had a drink in it and it seemed very natural. Not like it was right, but more like it was just assumed that I was drinking again. It would take me a minute where I'd be panicked about falling off the wagon, and it always felt really good when I realized I hadn't.

 

Have you had any dreams lately where you were smoking?

No, I haven't dreamed of it yet but I have had strange dreams, which, apparently, are caused by the Zyban. I dreamt that a nuclear bomb was about to be dropped on my home town - it was hovering over it - and I had it in my head that I needed to get 5 miles away from it before it exploded to survive. The theme seemed to be something to do with racing against time; a very strong sense of urgency.

Edited September 14, 2016 by StringJunky

[tar]

Phi for All,

 

I had a couple of those dreams were I took a drag off a cigarette without thinking about it, and then realized I had taken a drag of the cigarette and ruined my quitting. Very disappointing feeling, but so good to wake up and know you did not actually take that drag and ruin the quit.

 

String Junky,

 

Dreams are hard to interpret. Ones own, you sort of get, because a dream I feel is you talking to you in only a language you understand. But it is hard for others to understand as it is hard for a parent to understand baby talk, or hard for a Chinese person to understand a Greek person. Not only difference in the symbols, but a difference in the historical background and meaning of things, in the case of people from different cultures.

 

Your dream however reminded me of the Shire and Frodo's race and extreme effort to destroy the ring of power before the Shire was engulfed in the flames of Sauron. The ring of power was both heavily coveted and very dangerous. Sort of like half a fag. Would feel good to take that drag, but there is evil in the thing (health risk, expense, stink, dependency, hurting others, etc.)

 

Regards, TAR

you have to take that ring off your finger, lose that invisibility and invincibility, and throw the damn thing into the lava and destroy it. Release yourself from its draw. Make it not an option, brick up that door and never use it again.

Edited September 14, 2016 by tar

[koti]

 

"I reached a point where the only times I ever thought about it was when I was purposely doing some program or ritual to avoid drinking again"

 

 

How severely were you addicted?

[Phi for All]

No, I haven't dreamed of it yet but I have had strange dreams, which, apparently, are caused by the Zyban. I dreamt that a nuclear bomb was about to be dropped on my home town - it was hovering over it - and I had it in my head that I needed to get 5 miles away from it before it exploded to survive. The theme seemed to be something to do with racing against time; a very strong sense of urgency.

 

Next time, cut the blue wire.

 

I had a couple of those dreams were I took a drag off a cigarette without thinking about it, and then realized I had taken a drag of the cigarette and ruined my quitting. Very disappointing feeling, but so good to wake up and know you did not actually take that drag and ruin the quit.

 

Exactly! Watch out for these StringJunky, they could really be a depression trigger. I hadn't had that much trouble assuring myself "it was just a dream" since childhood.

 

How severely were you addicted?

 

Enough? Hard to quantize.

[imatfaal]

No, I haven't dreamed of it yet but I have had strange dreams, which, apparently, are caused by the Zyban. I dreamt that a nuclear bomb was about to be dropped on my home town - it was hovering over it - and I had it in my head that I needed to get 5 miles away from it before it exploded to survive. The theme seemed to be something to do with racing against time; a very strong sense of urgency.

 

Nope that wasn't a dream - it was a presentiment of the next level of ScienceForum.net Smoking Counter-Measures (patent applied for)

 

Level 1 - Support

Level 2 - Phi's mockery

Level 3 - Complete Nuclear Annihilation

[Phi for All]

 

Nope that wasn't a dream - it was a presentiment of the next level of ScienceForum.net Smoking Counter-Measures (patent applied for)

 

Level 1 - Support

Level 2 - Phi's mockery

Level 3 - Complete Nuclear Annihilation

 

"Do you really want to 'light up' your home town?"

[StringJunky]

 

Exactly! Watch out for these StringJunky, they could really be a depression trigger. I hadn't had that much trouble assuring myself "it was just a dream" since childhood..

I don't think it would affect me like that. I was a long-time drug addict so I know how it goes and wouldn't be devastated to lapse... you pick yourself up and you keep going and the gaps of abstinence get longer and longer The notion of a perfect path of complete abstinence is a pipe-dream and the source of many failures in smokers, including myself. The truth is, one is always a recovering addict and vulnerable; Because I don't seek perfection in my progress I don't feel any pressure to be perfect; I'm quite chilled. The most important thing is to feel that you are making progress even if you fall down on the way sometimes. The Zyban is helping quite a bit with nullifying the stress. For all the fuss said about Zyban I've had less problems with adjustment to it than when on Prozac.

[imatfaal]

I don't think it would affect me like that. I was a long-time drug addict so I know how it goes and wouldn't be devastated to lapse... you pick yourself up and you keep going and the gaps of abstinence get longer and longer The notion of a perfect path of complete abstinence is a pipe-dream and the source of many failures in smokers, including myself. The truth is, one is always a recovering addict and vulnerable; Because I don't seek perfection in my progress I don't feel any pressure to be perfect; I'm quite chilled. The most important thing is to feel that you are making progress even if you fall down on the way sometimes. The Zyban is helping quite a bit with nullifying the stress. For all the fuss said about Zyban I've had less problems with adjustment to it than when on Prozac.

 

Very much so - the temptation to revert to addiction is high, combine this with a feeling of despondency because one has a temporary lapse and you can restart your addiction with a sense of relief and inadequacy to the task. But if you know in advance that the task is long and tough and that there will be minor blips then you are ready for the short relapse and it doesn't cause the complete breakdown.

 

Failure is accepting one is a smoker again - failure is not one's momentary loss of resolve; the two are not the same

[StringJunky]

 

Very much so - the temptation to revert to addiction is high, combine this with a feeling of despondency because one has a temporary lapse and you can restart your addiction with a sense of relief and inadequacy to the task. But if you know in advance that the task is long and tough and that there will be minor blips then you are ready for the short relapse and it doesn't cause the complete breakdown.

 

Failure is accepting one is a smoker again - failure is not one's momentary loss of resolve; the two are not the same

You understand exactly.

[StringJunky]

As a matter of interest: I got a blood pressure monitor and it seems that my resting heartbeat has risen from low 60s to 80 and the diastolic part of my blood pressure has consistently risen from 60 into the 80s - prehypertension level. My medically-measured blood pressure just before treatment was 120/60 and now its 112 av./ 80 - 86... quite a jump. This is a known effect of Zyban so I''m not surprised and I'm not concerned; it' s only for another 8 weeks. Will be interesting to see how long it takes to recover after this.

 

I'm managing ok and still get moments of wanting one but they are easily resisted.

Edited September 17, 2016 by StringJunky

[koti]

As a matter of interest: I got a blood pressure monitor and it seems that my resting heartbeat has risen from low 60s to 80 and the diastolic part of my blood pressure has consistently risen from 60 into the 80s - prehypertension level. My medically-measured blood pressure just before treatment was 120/60 and now its 112 av./ 80 - 86... quite a jump. This is a known effect of Zyban so I''m not surprised and I'm not concerned; it' s only for another 8 weeks. Will be interesting to see how long it takes to recover after this.

 

I'm managing ok and still get moments of wanting one but they are easily resisted.

Are you finding out the scent of things again? Any other positive changes?

[StringJunky]

Are you finding out the scent of things again? Any other positive changes?

No, not yet but I've been quite ratty and nearly had a couple of meltdowns.

[tar]

Phi, I am preparing a really uncomfortable chair for you to use...looks like we are getting close to needing it again.

[koti]

No, not yet but I've been quite ratty and nearly had a couple of meltdowns.

I hope its not a permanent state

Did you try rewarding youreself?

[iNow]

Pretty simple at this point, really. You're quit. You're done smoking. You're no longer a smoker. You just have to stay that way and plan for how to defuse triggers. Don't be a twat and go in unprepared, without a plan, or willing to undo your amazing progress.

Also, NEVER reward yourself with a smoke for doing so well. Reawakening dormant addictions is no reward.

[koti]

Also, NEVER reward yourself with a smoke for doing so well. Reawakening dormant addictions is no reward.

 

http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/97980-last-cig-at-night-smoking-cessation/page-6#entry943678

[iNow]

http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/97980-last-cig-at-night-smoking-cessation/page-6#entry943678

http://www.scienceforums.net/topic/54213-nicotine-tapering-method-to-quit-smoking/?p=807068

 

[waitforufo]

I started smoking when I was 12 years old. Both of my parents smoked like chimneys. Not only did they not miss one or two, they didn't miss entire packs. Everything in our culture, in the US anyway, said smoking would make me cool, and attract beautiful women.

 

 

Giving up smoking is the easiest thing in the world. I know because I've done it thousands of times. - Mark Twain

 

Well I wasn't quite that bad. I quit when I was 20, 28, and just this spring after a year of smoking. Why did I start again? I would like to say stress because I was under stress, but that's just that little addict in my head. My wife was having complications with a pregnancy at 28, and my mom was dying of cancer last year when I started up again. So I was under stress, but I know its because I'm an addict. Both cigarettes and chewing tobacco.

 

When you are quitting smoking there are two addictions you are getting over. One is physical and the other is psychological. The physical one is tough but it's over in about month. In that time all the nicotine and predominant metabolite cotinine has left the body. In my opinion cold turkey is the way to go. You will just be torturing yourself gradually quitting or using a patch. You are just postponing getting that crap out of your system. After that you have to work on the psychological addiction. For me that never really goes away. No I don't always want to have s smoke or a chew, but I want to at least once a day. It's like my body and brain have a perfect memory of nicotine. That memory tells me, wouldn't it be great? At those times I just try to remember the physical addiction. That one that gets you up in the morning to have a smoke, That one that pushes you to take a break for a smoke. That one that cause you to burn holes in everything you own. Also, that psychological addiction is not that bad when the physical addiction has been gone for months and then years. You get used to saying no.

 

Just writing this post makes me want to have one. So if you are like me, don't go looking for that day when you don't want to having one. Look forward to the day when you don't need to have one.