Kickin’ My Habit: The Smokers Diary Week 2

Phoenix says:
Wed, 12th Nov 200812:29 pm 

I’m trying to quit smoking right now, too. I’m on hour 49 of withdrawal and it kills. This might be my 5th time quitting. I’ve quit several times for a variety of reasons and for different lengths. My longest time on the wagon, over a year and my shortest time, 3 months.

Based on my experience alone, I would say (as hard as it is) to just go cold turkey, cause even one cigarette can put you right back where you started. And nicotine replacers don’t do any good. I was chewing the nicorette when I quit the last time (the 3 month hiatus) and it was my worst attempt yet. And drinking while trying to quit is the absolute worst thing you could do, ’cause it brings out the temptation. I wouldn’t touch a alcoholic beverage until you’ve had two whole weeks without one cigarette. It will be easier then not to weaken and smoke.

I know cold turkey seems hard (and I’ve done it several times and I’m back here yet again), but you’ve got to treat smoking like it’s any other addiction. Heroine addicts can’t wean themselves off heroine. They’ve got to stop, go through withdrawal and get the poison out of their system, making a conscious choice never to pick it up again. And so must we as smokers do the same. Every time you smoke another cigarette you’re putting the monkey back on your back and you have to start all over with withdrawal. And I’m not trying to sanctimonious or a know-it-all(considering my position, I can’t really be), but it’s fact. You can’t ease yourself off a poison. You just have to take that leap and hope for the best. And if you do slide back a little, continue to make that commitment to put those little cancer sticks back down again.

I’m only on hour 49 and, headaches, shakes and inner turmoil aside, I can breathe so much better and I’m no longer huffing and puffing as I go about my life. Maybe the 5th time’s the charm (!)?

If you need something to take the edge off, might I suggest dark chocolate? Dark chocolate contains some caffeine and also stimulates endorphin secretions in the system giving you a slight high. When I’m trying to kick the habit, I find biting off a small bit of dark chocolate (and it must be dark, since milk chocolate has less cacao in it and it’s the cacao that contains the caffeine and stimulates the endorphins) at the moments when I would usually smoke helps a lot.

Also, chewing on plastic straws, toothpicks or dum-dum suckers helps with the oral fixation end of it and keeps you from stuffing random food into your mouth and gaining weight, which was a big problem for me on attempt to quit #3.

Good luck, and know that we are all suffering with you!