[HoosierDaddy]

I was offered $100.00 a couple of times to smoke while out with friends.

I followed Nancy Reagan's advice.

But that would have bought a shit ton of drinks.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Shit, I would pretend to smoke a cig for 100 dollars RIGHT NOW, and I'm sitting in a 7th grade health class.

[HoosierDaddy]

I wouldn't have pretended as that would have been lying. And, this was only within the first couple months of quitting and while being out with friends hammered. Odds of me relapsing and smoking a shit ton were much higher at that time.

[Abyss]

 H.D., on 24 February 2010 - 10:40 PM, said:

I was offered $100.00 a couple of times to smoke while out with friends.

I followed Nancy Reagan's advice...

You pretended your friends didn't have Alzheimer's?

- Abyss, would do it for $50.

[Gothos]

 Raymond Luxury Yacht, on 24 February 2010 - 10:42 PM, said:

Shit, I would pretend to smoke a cig for 100 dollars RIGHT NOW, and I'm sitting in a 7th grade health class.

dude, you're browsing forums while teaching? fuckin' A


anyways, using the fact that my recent illness kept me off the smoke for 3 days so far... I'll have a go at this. For the last year my health and immunity have been on the decline and I suspect I've got cigarettes to thank for that, among other things like excessive consumption of coffee and lack of sleep and excercise.
So, as the first part of a contingency plan for better health, I'm gonna go ahead and try to quit. Big test tomorrow at work I guess.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Good luck. Read this thread for all my wisdom.

[Gothos]

It's not going as good as I hoped. Had 3 ciggies since saturday morning. I'm really going to need them gums or patches.

[Ain't_It_Just_]

 Gothos, on 02 March 2010 - 09:32 AM, said:

It's not going as good as I hoped. Had 3 ciggies since saturday morning. I'm really going to need them gums or patches.

Going on the wagon? Best of luck.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

You don't need the gum or patches, which only extend the amount of time you're addicted to nicotine. What you need is to resolve to not smoke, no matter how badly you want to. It's not a fatal addiction, you won't die without your fix. Just accept you're going to be miserable for a week or so, and cheating will only make this period last longer.

[Gothos]

By all accounts of the past, without nicotine I'm so adorable that I might lose my job and all my friends within that week.

[HoosierDaddy]

By all accounts of the present:

You no longer smell like smoke.
Your mouth no longer tastes like an ashtray.
And, your body is getting healthier minute by minute.

[cerveza_fiesta]

 Gothos, on 02 March 2010 - 09:32 AM, said:

It's not going as good as I hoped. Had 3 ciggies since saturday morning. I'm really going to need them gums or patches.

You don't need the crutch. It only suppresses the need to smoke, but doesn't cure the chemical addiction. It's only a partial, very expensive cure. It's also just as difficult to quit the patches and the gums after awhile, if heavy-smoking friends who've tried them are any indication.

I admit patches and gums are a great way for pharmaceutical companies to make money, but they aren't trying to cure you. They're making shit-tons of money off your chemical addiction and the perception that chewing nicotine-laced gum fixes the problem. That's all.

Being hardline cold-turkey-rocking badass, you fix the problem fully at no monetary or health cost. You just need to be tough enough to endure a few weeks of discomfort. Something like the chewy sticks RLY used would be a better alternative. Gives you something to take your mind off the craving without actually reinforcing the addiction.

Second guess every single craving. You'll find it's addiction talking through your subconscious 99% of the time. Just tell it to fuck off and keep doing whatever you're doing.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

And beware of your addiction trying to rationalize with you. You'll find yourself thinking things like "I sure would be able to fall asleep if I had a smoke, and I have to get up early. I don't even WANT it right now, but a smoke is the responsible thing to do!" Just make the commitment to NEVER put a cig in your mouth for any reason. Once you do that, it's just a matter of riding out the withdrawal symptoms.

[cerveza_fiesta]

and others will consider you to be waaaay tougher if you cold-turkey it.

RLY is the toughest guy I know.

[Grunthor]

I gave up the smokes on the 4th January, doing it cold turkey, so far so good. I'm not really missing them even when out for a few pints. Good luck to all who have given them up..

[cerveza_fiesta]

ooooooooooooooh tough guy....

Good jeorb grunthor.

Why the 4th of january by the way?

[Jusentantaka]

Well well... its been a month. and I loooooooooooooooove it. No more coughing, hacking and rush-into-the-bathroom-to-spit in the morning, no more shaky need-a-smoke hands, and no more biting my fingernails either.

Ok ok, one of those things is a lie, but its a white lie.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Good work! Just make sure you don't decide that it's going so well you should have a cigarette. I've seen it happen.

[Grunthor]

 cerveza_fiesta, on 25 March 2010 - 02:03 PM, said:

ooooooooooooooh tough guy....

Good jeorb grunthor.

Why the 4th of january by the way?

It was a Monday, just finished the last of my smokes. I had been working up to giving them up in the new year and that seemed as good a day as any.

[cerveza_fiesta]

cool. I wondered if it had to do with a new year resolution that just started late or something.

Did you announce it to eveybody? It's a lot harder to go back on it if you do, I find.