Cold Turkey

scudzilla

Decided to give up at Sunday Evening, tried patches and pills and all sorts before but to no avail.

This time i'm just goin Cold Turkey, have absolutely nothing apart from Will Power, in work at moment and it's now been around 30hrs

Anybody else tried the cold turkey method and no help apart from WP

Blaalarry

Right my man! Ain't been on boards for a while and the first post I see is yours. It's been driving me nuts for weeks now,(stoppin smokin that is). Every morning theres 2 or 3 fags in the box and I'm off again...
Theres a site I found , www.whyQuit.com and it's brilliant!! Crammed with info and pics that will make you sick, but thats what smokin does to you.

Cold turkey is the only way. All these patches and gums and stuff are invented by pharmacutical companies for gain-and what are they made of --NICOTINE!! The very thing you're trying to give up!!

On why Quit you've got to be 72 hours clean to join. But you can browse and it will inspire. Your half way there nearly. An hour at a time works for me..

Good luck and I'll be keepin' an eye out for ya!!

Blaalarry

THe next picture of this guy I post was taken 66 days after this one. He was a smoker.

dolliemix

I read about that poor man! The speed at which the cancer attacked him was shocking.

Like Blaalarry said, take one hour at a time for the moment, that will soon turn into taking one day at a time. The cravings become less and less and the obsession with smoking or not smoking diminishes.

It's really hard at first, but it is the best thing you will ever do.

I substituted smoking with running! A month after I quit I began the Couch 2 5k program Another poster on here had recommended it. I'm now addicted to running and barely think of smoking. My life has turned around in less than 3 months. If somebody had told me that that would be possible three months ago, it might have made the first few weeks easier. But I guess the pain of the first few weeks will hopefully always remind me not to start smoking again.

Remain positive. You can do this. Talk about how you feel on here. People are really supportive and understand what you are going through!

Good luck today...:)

Miss Fluff

Well done OP, it's the best decision you will ever make. I attribute www.whyquit.com to keeping me off them. Am nearly 9 months smoke-free now and any time I had a weak moment in those first few months, the site reaffirmed exactly why I quit in the first place. Keep at it and post here any time you are having a weak moment, you will find lots of support!

scudzilla

Nearly 48hrs now :D

Started a 12hr night shift at 7pm tonight, hardest part was driving into work, normally i'll have a smoke or 2 on the way.

Just taking it hour by hour at the moment, in a few more days i'll take it day by day

Thanks for the link to whyquit.com, that sure is giving me some motivation

Blaalarry

good man Scudzilla. I'm on night shift too, we could be in the same game.

72 hours qualifies you to join Whyquit.com so if you can spend as much time as you can absorbing all you can from that site. It makes an awful lot of sense. Yuor urges will now begin to diminish.

At this moment your body is completely free of any nicotine. you'd be some F.I. to smoke now....:)

scudzilla

Blaalarry wrote: »

good man Scudzilla. I'm on night shift too, we could be in the same game.

72 hours qualifies you to join Whyquit.com so if you can spend as much time as you can absorbing all you can from that site. It makes an awful lot of sense. Yuor urges will now begin to diminish.

At this moment your body is completely free of any nicotine. you'd be some F.I. to smoke now....:)

Maybe, what you you doing?

75Hours now :D Had a few cravings tonight but nowhere near as bad as last night.

Skrynesaver

My wife and I both quit last Friday. We had previously tried everything else but are trying cold turkey again, you have to stop at some point, so it might as well be @ the start.

The first few days were difficult as expected, but the teeth grinding undirected rage has gone now.

For about a month beforehand I started early morning swims so I could calibrate any improving fitness, perhaps the previous month's swimming took effect all at once but my recovery time has improved enormously over this week.

Only physical issue I have been having is acid reflux / indigestion (developing a Rennie habit as an alternative ) is this common?

Mentally I'm doing OK now, but I work in IT and so lack of concentration was a bit awkward @ the start of the week.

Best of luck to all

cee_jay

Hey OP, I am off cigarettes 2 years and a half years after going cold turkey. When at work, I substituted my cigarette breaks with coffee & apples, so had a bit of a caffeine addiction going on for a while. I think it was my stubbornness to give up that got me through though - I had a friend bet me £100 that I wouldn't last 3 months - that was a very nice night out I treated us to - It was a matter of pride that I won it!

scudzilla

Day 5 and all's going well , cravings are getting fewer and less, errrrr, whats the word....craving???

Would recommend this Cold Turkey to anyone, whats the point in spending loads on patches, pills and potions when it's mainly willpower.

I've taken some help from a guy i know, not that he knows, he's a real dope and has given up, if he can do it then so can i

deaglan169

www.whyquit.com is an excellent website im going cold turkey since friday evening when i took my last smoke so far so good but im off college for 2 weeks holidays and i know once i go back it will be the real decider as i always smoked in college when stressed and as a boredom/social killer fingers crossed i can get over that

Orion

Keep it up scudzilla. I'm a cold turkey quitter too. 3 months this Thursday. You're almost correct - it's not mainly willpower - it's all willpower. Every day I walk into Connolly Station in Dublin and there's an NiQuitIn ad on the giant tv and at the bottom ... "requires willpower". I really believe the gums, patches etc (esp. inhalers) are a crutch that just delay the inevitable.

Blaalarry wrote: »

72 hours qualifies you to join xxxxxxxx

I've no time for that site that you're pimping. When I quit I spent time reading sites, looking at motivational blogs, posting here on my quitlog and reading others confessions on this forum. But only that site completely pissed me off. "any nicotine relapse - even one puff, dip or chew - permanently revokes posting privileges." -- screw you them and their 'sin once and be damned forever' mentality. I'd much rather contribute to a site that will offer support, that will allow you to admit to screwing up - as I did - and support you and help you get back on that horse. Instead that quasi-religious site will ban you permanently for one slip. Good luck with that. Morons.

LadyJedi

Day 4 cold turkey, not too bad, the first night was the worst, the withdrawls were horrendous, but feeling much saner then was expecting

dolliemix

Keep going everyone....isn't it wonderful waking up every morning knowing that you didn't smoke the day before? I love the fact that my hair doesn't smell of smoke anymore and I can wear my clothes more times, so less washing!!!

deaglan169

been a week and 1 day now since i quit so far so good im feeling great about giving them up feel so much better in my self and definately dont miss the smell of stale fags on my clothes last wednesday/thursday i had huge cravings though and again yesterday but i feel there becoming less and less

dolliemix

deaglan169 wrote: »

been a week and 1 day now since i quit so far so good im feeling great about giving them up feel so much better in my self and definately dont miss the smell of stale fags on my clothes last wednesday/thursday i had huge cravings though and again yesterday but i feel there becoming less and less

Thats brilliant deaglan! You should be really proud of getting this far. A whole week is fantastic. You will still get cravings but less and less.

I posted it on another thread but I bought myself an iphone the other day with the money I've saved from not smoking for three months!!!!

To be honest I rarely think about smoking anymore but I would have used any excuse to get that iphone!

Last night I had a little craving ( the first in about three weeks). I was watching the Godfather and drinking red wine....a cigarette would have been nice! It lasted all of 10 secs if even and I never thought about it again.

I found the first 6 weeks very hard....but I got there in the end. Keep going. It's so worth it!

deaglan169

thanks dolliemix im not looking forward to going back to college as smoking was my escape from a crappy class or stressful lecture also i havent been out since ive quit and most of my friends smoke but im determined to give up and like that im gonna treat myself in a while for staying off them:D

scudzilla

2 weeks today for me, not given in once :D

dolliemix

deaglan169 wrote: »

thanks dolliemix im not looking forward to going back to college as smoking was my escape from a crappy class or stressful lecture also i havent been out since ive quit and most of my friends smoke but im determined to give up and like that im gonna treat myself in a while for staying off them:D

Thats going to be really hard! Just try and work out when your weakest moments are and then just be aware that you have to be really really strong on those occasions. The first few times I went out drinking socially actually weren't as bad as I anticipated, once I got home smoke free! . I was dreading them though beforehand. I was stressed at the thought of even going out and I was sure that there was no way I would get through a night without them. Yes they were hard, but it's just little moments here and there that you have to really fight and convince yourself that it's better if you don't give in. Those moments get less and less. For the first 6 weeks I was waking up, nearly having to pinch myself, because I couldn't believe I'd managed another day/night without cigarettes. Its such a sense of silent achievement when you realise you actually didn't give into temptation on yet another occasion. Then, suddenly, you realise ...'hey I haven't craved a cigarette in a while...it's true what they say....it does get easier!'

Good luck! Keep us posted on how you're getting on!

scudzilla wrote: »

2 weeks today for me, not given in once :D

Yes! Well done....I had a good laugh at your post earlier about the guy you know, who's a real dope, who's given it up....who's your motivation! :D:D

When I was learning to drive, my dad said to me, look at (mrs. nosy neighbour from up the road), if that eejit can drive then so can you!! I got my driving test first time within 8 months...

Blaalarry

scudzilla wrote: »

2 weeks today for me, not given in once :D

I'm just back from a weeks holidays. Glad to see you're a NON-SMOKER now!!:D

scudzilla

5 WEEKS TOMORROW :D:D

Getting easier and easier by the day

So many friends can't believe that i just woke up one morning and decided to stop, no planning, pills or potions, just pure will power and cold turkey

scudzilla

7 weeks today and not had 1 ciggy :D:D

619C

scudzilla wrote: »

7 weeks today and not had 1 ciggy :D:D

Well done - keep it up
I wish I was that far ahead - cant wait to be a month off them

ceduffy

5 weeks off them now its great keep it going it will be worth it

CokaColumbo

Blaalarry wrote: »

THe next picture of this guy I post was taken 66 days after this one. He was a smoker.

Where is the second photo?

ch750536

http://whyquit.com/whyquit/BryanLeeCurtis.html


66 days later


'Bryan knew how hard it is to quit. But when he learned he would die because of his habit, he thought maybe he could persuade at least a few kids not to pick up that first cigarette. Maybe if they could see his sunken cheeks, how hard it was becoming to breathe, his shriveled body, it might scare them enough. '

CokaColumbo

Holy Jesus that is very disturbing. Two packs a day since he was thirteen and he dies at the age of thirty-four. What a waste of human life. Cheers for the link.

belle2e

I quit cold turkey,off them 3 weeks.sometimes i get bad craving but i go for a cycle or read anything to take my mind off the short craving.
I always say to myself not smoking wont kill me.smoking will.
What i find brilliant is cranberry juice iv drunk alot of it the pass 21 days and even got hives probably from all the acid in the juice,but i would prefer hives then heart disease or cancer.I feel alot happier in myself now as smoking is a depressant.

El Inho

i quit back in may. im a student and quit the week before exams...thats the library and red bull...two of my biggest triggers. and i did it....

i was tee total, but being honest, fell off the wagon once or twice...i'd say ive smoked around 30...just from being our drinking and having one or two...

but still...a lot less than i used to smoke and im moving in the right direction.

congrats to everyone on here kickin the habit!

spaniard_dub

3 weeks for me and still getting very bad cravings, when will they stop? I thought it would be easier every day and it seems its getting harder instead:(

anewell4

I'd been smoking for a good 5 years , and decided that the 12th of May sounded like a good day to go of the fags. First two weeks I nearly had to lock myself into my room it was terrible but after those two weeks I couldn't of felt any better in myself..two years on and not once have I so much a put a fag into my mouth let alone look at one. Best thing I have ever done. Keep up the good work !!

TonyHolland

Congratulations on all who are abstaining:)

Longest ever without rollies in 8 years is probably around 70 or so hours.

Haven't had a smoke yet today, got a fierce stabbing pain in my right lung a while back, but not too bad after that.

This is my first time being mentally prepared for cessation. I'm gonna run rings around the country side in the coming days, just to distract myself!

mg1

my self and my husband quit cold turkey about a year and a half ago, first week v hard, first month hard, three months gets better, everything good comes with a struggle. i found this helped, when i get a real bad craving i would get into shower for two reasons, first u just cant smoke in it wheather u want to or not so it isnt even remotely associated to smoking and second i used to imagine a smoky version of my self being washed down the plug and it made me feel better (its all in the head i tell ya) keep pluggin on, its worth it in the end for ur own benifit and those around u!!

mg1

it gets better, i promise!:)

spaniard_dub wrote: »

3 weeks for me and still getting very bad cravings, when will they stop? I thought it would be easier every day and it seems its getting harder instead:(

EverEvolving

spaniard_dub wrote: »

3 weeks for me and still getting very bad cravings, when will they stop? I thought it would be easier every day and it seems its getting harder instead:(

Bet it's easier now? I found the 3 week stage tough also, but from 4 weeks and onwards it got easier. It's still not easy peasy but the desire to kill has gone :P

Ophiopogon

I smoked since I was 13, biggest regret. It just kills me to think of the money I've spent on them over the years (not to mention health issues).

I just gave up there in June. I have given up twice before, once a few years ago for 8 months and also was off the from Jan to April this year.

I spent to be able to give them up cold turkey well enough. The firstcouple of weeks pretty much hell but than it gets somewhat easier.

This is the time it starts to get really hard IMO as Ithink Ican handel the odd smokem on a night out and than before I know it I smoking again.

I starting the C25k programme this time though as I'm hoping that if I see the benifits (as in actually having the lung capacity to run) than I may stay off this time.

For once I have to say I'm actually happy with VAT increases and for becoming unemployed as I honestly think just not having the money to smoke is the main reason for giving them up. I've always known the health risks but this is the first time I juat cannot justify the exspense.

My tip so far is when you feel like your gonna give in, look at exactly what it is that is making you want one and than honestly deciede if it is worth to have a smoke.

TonyHolland

Off em nearly a week now. Went out on the town over the weekend, then house party and still didn't smoke, so I'm delighted with that.

chakademus

Hey everyone, I am currently on day 2 of cold turkey. I have smoked since I was 16, I am 30 now. Tonight has been terrible. I feel like crying my eyes out but I find deep breaths and drinking lots of water helps.

Magicmatilda

A little over 2 months off them now. Don't really think about them too much anymore, the odd time if i'm watching TV and see someone smoking but it doesn't last long. For me the big thing was accepting I couldn't have "just 1". Anytime I did I would be back on them. So this time round I have accepted that. I've lost 5.5 pounds and I can now run for 25 minutes so I am absolutely chuffed. Best of luck to everyone.

Rochie IRL

Cold Turkey is the best way.
I will be 3 years without smoking on 29th September. I was almost smoking 40 a day.
Woke up one morning and knew that I'd had enough. Convience yourself that you no longer want to smoke and don't want to have little sticks of crap ruling your life. That's what they do with the fear of when you will have another one, keeps you hooked. YOU DON'T NEED ANOTHER ONE.
It's all routine and breaking the cycle of smoking. I painted a room in my house last year and wanted to smoke, it was the first craving in a year and a half the trigger was painting because the last time I'd painted I was smoking while doing it and my brain hadn't forgotten that. I haven't had a craving since and even that one was harmless.

Keep going guys it does get easier. Look forward to the day when you don't think of smoking from the moment you wake until you fall asleep.

tkavan

Rochie IRL wrote: »

Cold Turkey is the best way.
I will be 3 years without smoking on 29th September. I was almost smoking 40 a day.
Woke up one morning and knew that I'd had enough. Convience yourself that you no longer want to smoke and don't want to have little sticks of crap ruling your life. That's what they do with the fear of when you will have another one, keeps you hooked. YOU DON'T NEED ANOTHER ONE.
It's all routine and breaking the cycle of smoking. I painted a room in my house last year and wanted to smoke, it was the first craving in a year and a half the trigger was painting because the last time I'd painted I was smoking while doing it and my brain hadn't forgotten that. I haven't had a craving since and even that one was harmless.

Keep going guys it does get easier. Look forward to the day when you don't think of smoking from the moment you wake until you fall asleep.

We do think of smoking and do smoke but a different kind of smoke, but hey Thanks anyway + well done to you

jamieshima

Hey guys,


I smoked my last cigarette on August 16, so almost one week. It hasn't been too bad. For the first couple of days, I spent hours watching anti-smoking ads on youtube, the real graphic/gnarly ones. That gave the complete resolve to quit forever.

Congrats to all of you who have given up this nasty, deadly, cruel nicotine addiction.