alternative to smoking

[salukigirl]

i quit smoking january 29th 2006. i distinctly remember throwing my last cigarette out the window in my ford escort on I-70 on my way home from columbus lol. well back in march i felt so unbelieveably stressed i started smoking again but only at work since thats the only time i wanted one. and i would go the 2 days off without smoking so that i would never get fully addicted again. then i quit in june again. well now in october i feel extremely stressed and i think about having one all the time. i have had a few in the past few days and every time i feel sick, makes my head hurt and i feel like im going to throw up. so i know my mind is just playing tricks on me. but it still calms me down. is there anything i can carry with me to calm me down so i dont always think about having a cigarette? chocolate has the same effect but i dont want to get fat either lol. and when im at home i dont want one so playing the guitar or anything like that wont help when i need it to. i just hate smoking but its the only thing that soothes me when i feel like im gonna snap. any ideas?

background: i started smoking when i was 13 and quit at 18. im 20 now. i started out at only a few a day but by 16 i was smoking 2 packs a day. then just kinda cold turkey threw them out because my boyfriend has never picked one up and i could tell how much it bothered him. he knows about the other times i have smoked also and is okay with it. he just hates the smell and the taste which is another reason i dont want to do it. im always worried hes disgusted while kissing me or something.

[mr.lucky66]

You have to want to quit to make it I think. I know I do and when I caved in and smoked, it was never worth it for the tabacco fix. all the best

[Debby317]

My problem is I wasn't sure I wanted to quit. I now have a 1 year old grandson. I don't want him to say one day that "grammy smells". I think that's why I'm trying now. took my last one Sunday night. Still when the phone rings or I get in the car, My head says " Aren't you supposed to have a cig. in your hand?" but you have to pass it off. I've smoked a pack a day for 32 years. I also started at 16. Stop Now before it gets out of hand. Besides they are talking raising the price .70 cents a pack here in Va.With that and gas we had to make a choice!!! LOL

[mr.lucky66]

I got something out of this thread. To cave in to the urge after a period of time, I'll feel worse. Smoking does has an effect on a lot of things, energy, stomach, lungs, anxiety etc. etc. Things haven't been going well for me lately but If I smoked I would feel really bad because that is one of the only things I have to feel good about right now is not smoking after 38 years. all the best

[vicky893]

this might sound odd but i was wondering if its common to develop problems swallowing, and difficulties focusing your eyes from smoking (dizzy spells)? over the last year i have developed a handful of medical issues and im trying to figure out if quiting smoking is going to change any of that. i already plan on quiting on nov1, but my medical issues have become a day to day struggle. i think it will be easier to quit if i know whats causing all these symptoms...smoking...an unknown food allergy...side effects from asthma medications. not being able to swallow or breath properly is the most stressful thing ive ever experienced...

[salukigirl]

i already did all the research. okay, i cleaned my windows in my car at 16 and saw the brown come off of them. those are all good reasons.......however, not smoking hasnt changed anything. my blood pressure, hypoglycemia....nothing. i still get ovarian cysts and uterine polyps.

i looked at that website and couldnt find anything that has effected me. i dont smoke in the car or in the house and i havent smelled like smoke in a couple years.

[rhop1952]

I would suggest some research on what smoking does to your body. There are over 4000 chemicals in cigarette smoke and many of those are known to cause cancer. Smoking IS affecting your body whether you feel it or not. You are also a nicotine addict and becoming more addicted every day. This is an insidious disease. Smokers die prematurely. They end up with COPD and cancer. Your clothes, car, home, hair, breath all stink. Ever clean the TV in a house where people smoke? That brown junk is tar and nicotine - the same stuff going into your lungs.
Please do some research on the effects of smoking. You should be able to find lots of reasons not to do it.

[salukigirl]

yeah i have done that but i guess since im so young i dont really have medical problems like that. i get ovarian cysts and uterine polyps that rupture but thats from hormones being off and im getting an IUD to lessen the hormones I get from regular pill birth control. other than that i had normal coughing but thats it. and i guess getting sick really isnt a big deal considering i have insurance so i pay 20 bucks when i get sick. i havent felt that much better since i quit. and i dont have any of those problems. in fact, i could still run up stairs, go running etc without feeling like ****. the worst part is that i just cant find a valid reason to not do it. none of the things that come from it are bad enough to quit. ill look at that whyquit.com though. thanks. maybe ill find something that i do have that i just never realized could be traced back to smoking.

[salukigirl]

i used to get bronchitis every season. the second the weather changed i was sick with a sinus infection and then a couple days later, bronchitis. and im not sure if anyone has ever lived in dayton, but the weather changes A LOT. its pretty unstable and goes hot cold hot cold like nothing. i havent gotten sick since i quit. i have felt sickness come on for maybe a day or 2 but always clears up on its own.

the biggest problem is that when im at work and wanna kill someone lol i cant do a hobby at work. i need to find something to take my mind off in times like that. its not at home thats the problem its work. and school. midterms week and finals week kills me. i guess i bring it upon myself freaking out if i get below a 4.0. but thats the biggest part. ive been carrying milky way's around in my purse lol

[Wayne Baker]

Read a book, call a loved one, take up needlepoint, learn a new hobby, research stop-smoking support on the internet, prepare well balanced menus, allow yourself to enjoy some idle time and appreciate the beauty around you, have a nice bottle of chilled spring water, give your pet some attention, try to rank the top ten reasons you are grateful you don't smoke, pat yourself on the back for being smoke free, make some music, reach out to someone in need.   Those are a few ideas.  I'm sure there's many, many more.  Best wishes.


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Wayne
Nicotine Free:     2M 2w 2d 21h
Not Smoked:      2,257
Money  Saved:   $372.41

[vicky893]

I am also trying to quit. I started at 13 and have smoked as of this season 10 years. I have developed a somewhat serious asthma problem because of smoking for so many years im sure. The hardest part of quiting hasn't been the need, but what do i fill my time with? I need another "habit" sorta speak. I read about this guy who chewed on cinnamon sticks, but Im not a big fan of that. Any ideas? I used to hike but thats been hard lately.

[Calzy]

I had smoked for 38 yrs and just quit in July of this year and the mental part is very tough but when it comes on, try to do something different, make a ph call, turn on some music, take out the trash etc. until the feeling passes. I get the mental gravings when i am in a hurry or stressed too but i know now i can control these cravings by stopping the thought as soon as it enters my mind. Its funny how we think a cig is calming our nerves as the smoke makes our heart race for about 15 min after. I think it is great that you can put the whole smoking thing behind you at 20 yrs old. Do it for yourself, do it for your boy friend and do it for your children, if and when.

[Wayne Baker]

Congratulations on 13 days nic free Shaley!!!   Just being free of the nicotine reduces stress as we're not going into withdrawal every 15 to 30 minutes until we get that next "fix".  

The walking every day is an excellent idea.


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Wayne
Nicotine Free:     2M 2w 2d 9h
Not Smoked:      2,250
Money  Saved:   $371.25

[Shaley Girl]

Nicely said Wayne!  I also started walking every day.  Not a lot due to medical issues but it really helps get rid of stress.  I think you need to lower the stress in your life if possible.

Day 13 - Nicotine Free!

[Wayne Baker]

I should have included this forum as part of my on-going recovery effort.  I make an effort to check this forum at least once a day; read all new posts, and respond to those that I think I may have something to contribute.  I heard somewhere that the more energy we put into our quit, the better the chance of success.  Reading and posting here is an excellent way of putting an effort into my quit, which has become quite comfortable at this stage.


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Wayne
Nicotine Free:     2M 2w 2d 0h
Not Smoked:      2,234
Money  Saved:   $368.61

[Wayne Baker]

Smoking comes with a double bang for the buck:   a physical addiction AND a mental addiction.  The physical addiction is pretty much gone within 3 days.   The mental part can take a bit longer.  It sounds like your issue is with the mental part of the addiction.   To handle the mental stuff, I have to read, read, read....some days more than others.   There are excellent stop smoking support sites on the internet.  My favorite is www.whyquit.com.   I also have to daily focus on the positive of being smoke free and not allow myself to reflect on the momentary "ahhhhhh" feeling of that first puff.  That "ahhhhhh" very quickly turns into "oooooooooooh noooooooooooo".   As far as a substitute for smoking, I like using fresh air.   It doesn't cost anything and feels oh so good !!!!   I also like to keep cold bottled spring water near me at all times.   And I CELEBRATE being smoke-free on a daily basis.  Good luck.


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Wayne
Nicotine Free:     2M 2w 2d 0h
Not Smoked:      2,233
Money  Saved:   $368.45