Nurses Helping Nurses Quit Smoking

Liddle Noodnik · May 30, 2006

Just revitalizing this topic.

I was doing ok, then started smoking again, stopped... so this time I am smoke free 140 days, 21 hours, 3 minutes and 48 seconds.

2818 cigarettes not smoked.

$705.00 and 21 days, 12 hours of your life saved. (and WHERE is this money???)

Your quit date: 1/9/2006 3:00:00 PM

*(*(*(*(

I guess relapse is somewhat "normal" for us smokers, some liken the nicotine addiction to heroin or WORSE! What a horrid thing for us to do! And yet so horrid to have to stop!

I once attended a workshop that called this conflict "cognitive dissonance".

WIKIPEDIA: "Cognitive dissonance is the perception of incompatibility between two cognitions, which can be defined as any element of knowledge, including attitude, emotion, belief, or behavior. The theory of cognitive dissonance holds that contradicting cognitions serve as a driving force that compels the mind to acquire or invent new thoughts or beliefs, or to modify existing beliefs, so as to reduce the amount of dissonance (conflict) between cognitions. Experiments have attempted to quantify this hypothetical drive".

Well, they say that the more times you try to quit the more likely you will be successful. Does anyone know what that MEANS? LOL!

Anyway, anyone have tips or thoughts for others, success stories, encouragement, etc?

Liddle Noodnik · Nov 21, 2006

My quitting statistics:
Three months, three weeks, one day, 18 hours, 26 minutes and 40 seconds. 2295 cigarettes not smoked, saving $573.84. Life saved: 1 week, 23 hours, 15 minutes.
Anyone else here that has quit? Strategies? Want help to quit?

Well almost 2 years later and I finally have almost 10 1/2 months. Anyone else quitting or wanting to quit? I noticed the smoking poll was near the front so I thought I would bring this forward.

rninme · Nov 22, 2006

I just found a quit smoking partner at work....we are going to do this together! I quit for 10 YEARS and then started again when I was going through a divorce and have been puffing away ever since. I hate it! I've tried the patch again ... but I am one of those people that get night terrors from them...no matter what time I take it off. Gonna twist an arm or two with the doc's at work....get a Zyban script...since my PCP doesn't believe in it.....says it doesn't work! Oh pooh! That's how I quit before!

Can't do the cold turkey thing....lol....I pull the chair up to the fridge, stick my face in....and eat anything that doesn't move!!!:chuckle

Liddle Noodnik · Nov 22, 2006

I just found a quit smoking partner at work....we are going to do this together! I quit for 10 YEARS and then started again when I was going through a divorce and have been puffing away ever since. I hate it! I've tried the patch again ... but I am one of those people that get night terrors from them...no matter what time I take it off. Gonna twist an arm or two with the doc's at work....get a Zyban script...since my PCP doesn't believe in it.....says it doesn't work! Oh pooh! That's how I quit before!
Can't do the cold turkey thing....lol....I pull the chair up to the fridge, stick my face in....and eat anything that doesn't move!!!:chuckle

Hey Miss Mainer :) From one who has been theah, a yuh... lol

I think I spoke with you before but it's nice to see you HERE! :)

Anyway - the patch did help me for a while but I didn't take it for very long, did ok without it. It is definitely about going thru a "window" that God opens for me, each time. And I just have to maintain my spiritual condition so that I don't go back THROUGH the window!

Some of my wt gain was from a medication I had to go on - but much of it is that "mow, mow" (rhymes with "ow") attitude. There is a lot of sugar in cigarettes so sometimes the eating is about replacing that ...

Well anyhow (I'm still half asleep here...) :smilecoffeeIlovecof good to hear from you and keep us posted! Let your quit smoking partner come by here too if they want!

xo

JentheRN05, RN · Nov 22, 2006

I really want to quit. I need to quit (I have major heart issues) but I keep telling myself. Soon as this is over, soon as that is over then never get it done. I quit for 6 years. That was 2 years ago. My hubby and I had marital problems. He smoked and well, I needed a way to get close to him again. *sigh* I just wish it wasn't so hard to 'start' quitting. I just can't get the mindset to do so. Suggestions? I know the harm it can/will do. I know that I am literally dying a slow death. I know I have already had 4 minor heart attacks and guaranteed more. What else is it going to take? Wish I could wake up one day and just forget about smoking ya know? Don't have the money for patches, which is how I quit before. Which sucks.

Liddle Noodnik · Nov 22, 2006

Quit Smoking All Together with QuitNet.com - Stop Smoking Help and Cessation Support is a good site for getting ready, starting, continuing, and getting back up from, smoking (it's not religious or anything). I used it for the quit-meter mostly (which looks like this: 316 days, 22 hours, 46 minutes and 5 seconds smoke free... 6339 cigarettes not smoked. $1,585.00 and 1 month, 18 days, 10 hours of your life saved. Your quit date: 1/9/2006 3:00:00 PM)...

Reading testimonials helped. There are lots of quitting tools. Membership is free (or you can have an upgrade for a fee), but you need to sign up (minimal info as I recall)

Here is a quiz they have on there, if you want to see the score go to the page and take the quiz. Here are the questions:

Why do you smoke?

Take this short quiz (only 18 questions) to determine what drives you to smoke. Select an option under each question and press Continue when you are done. Based on your answers, our computer will give you some ideas on why you smoke and generate a set of personalized tips for quitting.

I smoke cigarettes in order to keep myself from slowing down.

Always

Sometimes

Never

Handling a cigarette is part of the enjoyment of smoking it.

Always

Sometimes

Never

I light up a cigarette when I feel angry about something.

Always

Sometimes

Never

If I run out of cigarettes, I can't stand it until I get more.

Always

Sometimes

Never

I smoke cigarettes automatically without even being aware of it.

Always

Sometimes

Never

I smoke cigarettes to stimulate me, to perk myself up.

Always

Sometimes

Never

Part of my enjoyment of smoking comes from steps I take to light up.

Always

Sometimes

Never

When I feel uncomfortable or upset about something, I light up.

Always

Sometimes

Never

I'm very aware when I'm not smoking.

Always

Sometimes

Never

I light a cigarette without noticing I have one burning in the ashtray.

Always

Sometimes

Never

I smoke to give myself a lift.

Always

Sometimes

Never

I like watching the smoke when I exhale.

Always

Sometimes

Never

If I feel upset or worried, it helps to smoke.

Always

Sometimes

Never

I get a gnawing hunger for a cigarette if I haven't smoked in a while.

Always

Sometimes

Never

I find a cigarette in my mouth without even remembering putting it there.

Always

Sometimes

Never

{{{{{{{{{Hugs}}}}}}}}}}}] :smilecoffeecup:

Liddle Noodnik · Nov 22, 2006

I really want to quit. I need to quit (I have major heart issues) but I keep telling myself. Soon as this is over, soon as that is over then never get it done. I quit for 6 years. That was 2 years ago. My hubby and I had marital problems. He smoked and well, I needed a way to get close to him again. *sigh* I just wish it wasn't so hard to 'start' quitting. I just can't get the mindset to do so. Suggestions? I know the harm it can/will do. I know that I am literally dying a slow death. I know I have already had 4 minor heart attacks and guaranteed more. What else is it going to take? Wish I could wake up one day and just forget about smoking ya know? Don't have the money for patches, which is how I quit before. Which sucks.

I hear ya, mine is/was mostly respiratory (I STILL have SOB!). There is a TON of cancer in my family Not lung cancer (yet) but I know that smoking is a risk factor in MOST cancers.

I think there are programs that will pay for the products. I think your pharmacist would know. If not, check with your medical insurance co., employer, the American Cancer society, etc.

I think one big thing I am doing now that is different - when I see someone smoking I feel a craving sometimes, naturally. In the past it would get to me enough to start smoking again. Now, when I see it, I may have that gut reaction, but I follow it up with, "Thank you God I'm free!"

miracle1986 · Dec 10, 2006

Statistics show the non-smokers living longer lives. If I had the money to flush down a toilet AND had good lungs (damaged from an innocent car accident).....I would probably be a smoker. Congrats to the quitters. To the smokers....you passed your boards...you are no dummies...get a new vice...do the math and wear a patch.

BROOK9960 · Dec 10, 2006

i quit smoking for 4 months at one time. I became extremely hateful and just down-right mean. I decided it was best for me to die from smoking, then to make my children's childhoods miserable. I want to quit really, really bad, but to be honest, I Like smoking..........what is wrong with me? Can someone help me? When I quit before, I prayed hard that the Lord would take my craving away.......He did, well since then, I have had 3 major surgeries, which caused me to lose my house, car, etc and I had to put my cat of 17 years to sleep. I am very bitter towards God for this and feel I cannot rely on Him anymore. I know this is wrong too, but I find it impossible to not blame Him for what I and my family has been through. Can someone help my heart to soften back up? Maybe if I could do that, then I could once again rely on God to help me quit smoking.

Liddle Noodnik · Dec 11, 2006

Statistics show the non-smokers living longer lives. If I had the money to flush down a toilet AND had good lungs (damaged from an innocent car accident).....I would probably be a smoker. Congrats to the quitters. To the smokers....you passed your boards...you are no dummies...get a new vice...do the math and wear a patch.

LOL - "if you had the money ... and the lungs... "

I have heard it said that your desire to quit has to be stronger than your desire to smoke. Even if that desire to quit is only 1% stronger!

Thanks Miracle, and we will pray for "miracles" for those who want to stop smoking!

Liddle Noodnik · Dec 11, 2006

I am very bitter towards God for this and feel I cannot rely on Him anymore. I know this is wrong too, but I find it impossible to not blame Him for what I and my family has been through. Can someone help my heart to soften back up? Maybe if I could do that, then I could once again rely on God to help me quit smoking.

I would be hard pressed to forgive God having gone thru all that Brook ... and I've felt that way often. You can pray, yourself, that God will soften your heart, but if you are like me, you couldn't for a time. So I asked a lot of others to pray FOR me. It was comforting to know that they were, and I did believe in THEIR prayers eventually.

Take care and I'll pray for you if it's ok with you!

Retired R.N. · Dec 11, 2006

i quit smoking for 4 months at one time. I became extremely hateful and just down-right mean. I decided it was best for me to die from smoking, then to make my children's childhoods miserable. I want to quit really, really bad, but to be honest, I Like smoking..........what is wrong with me? Can someone help me? When I quit before, I prayed hard that the Lord would take my craving away.......He did, well since then, I have had 3 major surgeries, which caused me to lose my house, car, etc and I had to put my cat of 17 years to sleep. I am very bitter towards God for this and feel I cannot rely on Him anymore. I know this is wrong too, but I find it impossible to not blame Him for what I and my family has been through. Can someone help my heart to soften back up? Maybe if I could do that, then I could once again rely on God to help me quit smoking.

Sometimes we fail to recognize our strengths and the many sources of help that exist for us if we can only find them. First of all, you know that you are definitely capable of quitting because you did it, even if only for awhile. Don't just automatically blame the absence of the nicotine in your system for your bad moods. That makes it too easy to justify lighting up another cigarette. There is nothing wrong with you simply because you happen to enjoy smoking.

Now, you probably did not become a habitual smoker overnight. It's also highly unlikely that you will become a non-smoker the first time you try it. So? You must not consider yourself a failure just because your first attempt to quit didn't work out. Anything worth doing is worth more than just one isolated effort. Isn't it?

After more unsuccessful attempts to quit smoking than I like to remember, I finally quit through hypnosis. I don't know if all therapists follow the same routine or not, but my experience was very pleasant. He did have one parting bit of advice for me: "You may occasionally think you feel a need for a cigarette, but if you do light one up, the experience will be so disgusting that you won't even be able to finish that one smoke because your throat will be so irritated by the smoke." Of course, I just had to test that theory. Once was enough! That was over twenty years ago, and I am delighted to say that I no longer had any inclinations whatsoever to return to smoking.

Best wishes for success!