The Agathon and whoever else can be bothered is quitting smoking thread.

Agathon · March 4, 2003, 00:40

Well I'm going to try and quit smoking again. I've smoked on and off for five years and I've about had enough of it - it costs too much and you have to stand outside in the freezing cold. Besides my wife has quit smoking and has made certain conditions clear which mean I'll have to quit or go insane.

Who else is game?

We can update our progress through this thread or others and mock those who fail. At least it's some incentive. I'm not going to use patches - I've gone cold turkey before and stayed off for a few months at a time.

Asher · March 4, 2003, 00:45

You can do eet!

Urban Ranger · March 4, 2003, 00:47

I have never been a smoker, but you have my support.

loinburger · March 4, 2003, 00:50

My brother managed to quit cold turkey, using the patented "Get engaged to a girl who doesn't like cigarettes" technique.

Agathon · March 4, 2003, 00:51

My problem was shacking up with a girl who smoked, unfortunately I ended up marrying her.

Does nobody else on AP smoke?

Urban Ranger · March 4, 2003, 00:51

You can always try "My family gang up on my smoking habit" technique. Worked on my dad.

Spiffor · March 4, 2003, 00:54

You can try "I have a heart attack because of the cig, and survive". Worked on my Uncle for several years. That is, until his second and lethal heart attack

Agathon · March 4, 2003, 00:55

Well I'm starting now.

Goodnight.

loinburger · March 4, 2003, 00:56

Or the "Have three heart attacks and die" method employed by the pastor of my folks' parish.

Asher · March 4, 2003, 00:56

I'm glad to see my "Don't be a moron - Quit Smoking" advice is going to good use.

Skanky Burns · March 4, 2003, 00:57

Good luck

Adam Smith · March 4, 2003, 00:57

Quote:

Originally posted by Agathon
Besides my wife has quit smoking and has made certain conditions clear which mean I'll have to quit or go insane.

Lysistrata?

Best of luck anyhow.

Tiamat · March 4, 2003, 01:01

Smoked off and on for 20 years. Started when I was 12 and just decided to quit and put it down. I would have one or two the first week or two but after that I just made up my mind it wasn't what I wanted. It also helped that I went to a friends house who smoked and had to get something out of her closet and was just overwhelmed by the clothes smelling of smoke. Big turn off.

Kramerman · March 4, 2003, 01:05

Quote:

Originally posted by Agathon
Well I'm starting now.

Goodnight.

good for you

Agathon · March 4, 2003, 01:06

Quote:

Originally posted by Adam Smith
Lysistrata?

Ah, an educated man.

Well I'm off now - to a smokeless future.

Urban Ranger · March 4, 2003, 01:12

Why the sad face? You ought to be happy.

JohnT · March 4, 2003, 01:30

Good luck, Agathon - I've been there. As a non-smoker who used to do over a pack a day, I'll give my usual advice:

1. Get full color photographs of cancerous lungs and tongues and place them at your favorite smoking stops. Definitely keep a couple in your car. Look at when necessary.

2. Jog. Areobicize. Swim. Walk up and down the stairs 20 times. Do something daily that causes you to breathe hard and hack out crap from your lungs. You've got a lot of nicotine stored in the excess mucus in your lung and as long as its in there you are going to continue to have cravings.

3. The physical stuff is easy compared to the mental anguish a lot of smokers go through. You must quit in your mind as well as your habits and eventually come to believe you are a non-smoker as opposed to an ex-smoker. You know how to tell somebody who mentally won't let go of their addiction? When their counting "days since," as in, "it has been 672 days since my last beer."

Japher · March 4, 2003, 01:32

I wish!

I have been at least a pack a day smoker for just over 10 years now, and I can't quit.... Even though I work for those who make Nicoret (spelling?).

If you can; the more power to you.

Tell you what... If you can quit successfully for 6 mos. you let me know and I will quit or pay you $100.

Japher · March 4, 2003, 01:33

And you can hold me to that.

Lancer · March 4, 2003, 02:53

Only a hundred?

monolith94 · March 4, 2003, 03:13

$100 is like what, a couple of weeks worth of cigarettes?
Whatever it is, they're still too much money for the amount of payoff they give (none).

Gatekeeper · March 4, 2003, 05:13

As others on this thread have stated: Good luck with your endeavor, Agathon. I doubt it will be easy, but if you succeed you will *not* regret it.

Gatekeeper

Urban Ranger · March 4, 2003, 06:12

Quote:

Originally posted by JohnT
1. Get full color photographs of cancerous lungs and tongues and place them at your favorite smoking stops. Definitely keep a couple in your car. Look at when necessary.

Yo, you stole my line.

Harovan · March 4, 2003, 06:52

Good luck. I've been there 3 years ago. My approach was to do it in 2 steps. First I prepared the big jump by lowering my consume from 30/day to 10/day for a few months (radically, and not slowly decreasing), and then I dropped the rest in the second step.

When I quit, I used medium patches the first 2 days. Then forgot to use a new one and found out, that they are more a placebo than a help, so I ceased to use them. Ate lots of sweets (which I shouldn't have done), was in a very bad mood the first week (my poor family and friends), but a couple of weeks later I got over it.

I never smoked again. But I still smoke in my dreams. That sounds strange, but even 3 years later I still do so. May be some day this will cease.

Tingkai · March 4, 2003, 07:26

I tried quiting twice this year. I should try again...

That's one thing I can't understand. Why did I really want to quit twice this year (I know, it wasn't for long), But now I can't even think about quitting. My immediate reaction is I don't want to quit.

Anyways, Good luck Agathon.

CerberusIV · March 4, 2003, 08:54

I quit about 15 years ago but it took 7 or 8 years to entirely forget about it. I used to find I was imagining smoking whilst driving or sitting working. Doesn't happen now.

Good luck, it is worth it.

JohnT · March 4, 2003, 09:14

Quote:

Originally posted by Urban Ranger

Yo, you stole my line.

Yo, to me it wasn't a line - it is a proven strategy!

Bereta_Eder · March 4, 2003, 11:52

come on godammit quit smoking

(yell also to myself)

Agathon · March 4, 2003, 15:49

This is terrible. I'd forgotten quite how it feels. It is like someone has died - there's a huge void in my life that used to be filled with cigarettes and standing around. Today it's like there is a giant hole in reality.

Still haven't smoked though. I think it's time for some chocolate.

JohnT · March 4, 2003, 17:55

The patch is good and worthwhile as well.