Alright, Who's Quitting This Year?

[speedo]

Alright Nutcases, I'm ramping up to quit the evil weed (again!) on Jan 1. As Mark Twain said, "it's easy to quit. . . I've done it a thousand times!"

I've got the drugs, I'm getting the patch, and I've got to get those three packs of cigs off my "bass rig"!! Plan to smoke myself silly on Dec. 31, maybe drink too much tequila for good measure, too. That'll make the first day go easier. Nothing like a nicotine and tequila hangover to inspire not smoking!

Who else is giving it a shot this year? Bones, you're still good, right? Cooch, how are you doing? Didn't you quit a few months back? Anybbody else?

[Johnny C]

Quit the Cope before Thanksgiving. Still no chew but the cravings are still there. Especially when I go fishing. Go luck to you!!!

[Otay Michael]

Hi. The hard part is not being able to have a smoke when you go to reach for it without thinking, you go through this "oh yeah, I'm not allowed to smoke anymore" in your head and the body says heck, one won't hurt. I quit many times before it finally was for good. The best, thing to do, and easiest way, is to start breaking the habit of WHEN you smoke. Like right after a meal; instead of having a smoke immediately, make yourself wait 5 minutes. First out of bed, 5 minute wait.

And no smoking in your car, boat or home. Make yourself go outside, and only then after waiting the 5 minutes after the urge. You will start to smoke less in that after the 5 minutes you sometimes forget you wanted one. It's breaking the mental addiction, it's as important as the physical.

Hope that helps, it did me. Good luck.

PS I put a pack of cigs in a jar of water on my fridge and watched it turn dark over the days. I happily looked at it knowing that was not how my lungs were going to look anymore, once I quit. I left it there for a year too, just in case of thinking of have a smoke for fun- . A VERY strong visual to encourage you.

PPS If you fail, put a date down on the calendar and try again in a month or so. This time with two weeks of the 'no smoking for 5 minutes' routine to give you that better head start on breaking the mental habit. Forget the tequilia, why kill your liver to save you lunges- NOT.

[SHAFT]

I might be in , I need to, whats your game plan speedo ?

[speedo]

Thanks for the tip on waiting 5 minutes. I've been doing that unconciously for the last couple of days. Gone from pack a day to 1/2 or so.

I think I should try the rubber band around the wrist, too. You snap it every time you have the urge. If you wanna get really brutal, you can snap it every time you take a puff. Hey, it worked for Skinner. . . or Pavlov. . . one of those guys.

Has anybody tried the new nicotine receptor blocker? It's supposed to eliminate the neurological reward we get from nicotine. Doesn't seem like something to use with the patch, though.

Shaft, that's my plan. Wellbutrin, patch, iron will <G> and heckling from Nutcases. What's your plan?

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

Nice to have you back
I started smoking in 1956 at the age of 22. I tried to quit a hundred times using several different methods none of which worked. Finally in 1984 at the age of fifty when I had a horrible cough and came to the conclusion that I was about 0ne pack away from lung cancer. I tried the cold turkey method the same as you.

Im 72 now and will be 73 in Feb. I am totally convinced that I would be long dead if I hadent quit. I now live a healthy life and can still enjoy the fishing sport that I love. And can give love and guidance to my 8 grand children who will have lifetime memories of fishing with Grandpa.

Just think about the fact that by smoking you may be taking thos loving memories away from your children and your grand children.

There is nothing in the world as moving to the depths of your soul as when one of your grand children looks at you with adoring eyes and says I love you Grandpa.

Let that thought be your encentive to quit smoking.

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

They last for quite a while but slowly get weaker and go away. I havent had a snoke for 22 years.
I have been grab free for over 21 years now

[Dom]

Well since I started hauling Propane I can't smoke in my truck for obvious reasons, so I started dippin I went from 2 packs a day to a half a pack.

I know one addiction for the other but you can live without a lip you cant live to well without lungs so I am slowly turning towards the lesser of the two evils and maybe one day I can quit both all togeather. Good Luck! gotta get back to work just stopped by the house for lunch.

Tight Lines Dom

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

*NM*

[fishhook]

gonna give it a shot to, gonna try the pills agian, not wellbutrin but chantix, tryied it before and did good for about 5 months, but fell off the wagon. stuffs pretty good didnt have the same effects as wellbutrin( up all night twiddleing my thumbs), but good luck to all

[Larry Douglas]

I had my last smoke on June 6th of this year. I had tried many times to quit, but never quite made it.

I think the reason that I've been a bit more successful this time, was the method I chose to help me quit. I tried hypnosis...

I went to Evergreen Hypnotherapy in Stockton. The cost was $125. I can't say that I haven't had any urges to fire one up, but they've been fewer and further between urges than anything else I had tried before.

Unlike BassBones, I think you can, and should use any help, prop or aid that helps you stop smoking. He quit a 22 year habit on willpower alone. I couldn't do that. I really don't think most of us could, otherwise there would be a helluva lot less smokers around than there is.

I quit a 2 pack a day, 40 year addiction, but I needed a little help in the process.

Hell! Use willpower, nicotine patches, nicotine chewing gum, aversion therapy, snapping of rubber bands, peer pressure, hypnosis, isolation or any other method you can conjure up. Find what works for you and go for it! It's not easy, but then you already know that, but it is damned sure worth the effort.

Good luck!

Larry Douglas

[Sean Graf]

Hey Bones,

Maybe thats why you were so mean the last couple of months, nicotine withdrawal.

I also quit cold turkey 5 years ago, after attempting to quit many times unsuccesfully, I just put my mind to it and decided that I was going to beat this nasty habit!

P.S, Your boy Riggs lost, send me my baits!

May you all be tobacco free someday, theres nothing better than not smelling like cigarette, or having a mouth full of brown crap!

[Nozmo King]

I’ve been hesitant to post anything on this topic, mostly out of fear of jinxing myself… I’ve only been free of the nicotine prison for a little over two months, & I know how easy it is to fall off the wagon.

I was addicted to dip for about 15 years. I tried nicotine gum. Tried mixing it with the herbal stuff. Tried willpower. None of it worked. What did work for me was reading Allen Carr’s “Easywayâ€

[Nlvbassin]

I am quiting January 2nd right after the news year eve poker party ends. Last poker party we smoked so much I couldn't smoke for 2 days. Seriously its time to quit for good. I am 44 years young and have been smoking for 24 years and it is getting really hard to walk to the top of Calville launch ramp with out having to stop and catch my breath!!!!
IM DONE.

Randall B.

[Jim Conlow Sr.]

I think the aids to quitting prolong the agony. I think that after you use all of the aids you still need to have the willpower to really quit.

It takes a ton of will power I had to totally stop drinking to be able to maintain the will power, I had quit for a couple of weeks and up tp 2 months on numerous occasions, only to restart by bumming a cigarette after having a couple of beers.
So I went totally with out drinking and was then able to quit for good, 22 years ago.
Talk to you friends who have been off the weed for at least a year and find out how they did it.
Hypnosis may be just the ticket I never tried that.

[DeltaDan]

It is no longer an option for me- I have to stop as I have no gums left on my lower jaw after 25 years of chewing one can of Skoal a day.

I put off going to the dentist for the longest time because of the shame of what once was a perfect mouth that my parents invested alot of money into and every time I went the visits got more painful.

I so wish I never started this deadly substance- but the clock can not be turned back and the decision was mine to hold the whole time I held it in my hand.

You sort of go through a genuine wake up when you see your kids getting older and your wife more beautiful before your eyes-- then you see a comercial on T.V. that says "you don't always die from tobacco. some times you only lose your tounge"

I stopped drinking 13 days ago. I only drank Coors Light as it was just water.... but it became an every day thing, all the time thing and the time started earlier every day. No problems so far and have been to 3 meetings and visited my friend alot more just to hang out.

Quitting Skaol is next on the most important list to stop. Welbutrin worked once before for me for 4 months and I may try it again if Kaiser will prescribe it for me. I have an appointment for them to get something to calm my nerves before I visit the dentist for the first time in over 20 years.

The dentist may need something also...............


I still am gona miss chewing alot.

[Otay Michael]

That's a bummer.

Here was another help I forgot to mention, and maybe it was why I finally got through it for good, I can see you really need this. It's called positive thinking. See where you said you are going to miss it. That's your first mistake, and that's because you are brainwashing yourself to think you are going to miss it. How about reversing this thought? Say "I'm not going to miss this stinking habit one little bit, and I can't wait for my one year anniversary to be done with it to come." (I now add Thank U Lord- this is optional but could make it even easier I would say.)

You write this statement down on a piece of paper and post it on the mirror. I don't care how stupid it looks or who says what, because it has to be read when you get up and when you go to bed.

Mucho Blessings,
MS

PS You are not allowed to take that note down, just like the skoal in the jar of water you will put on the top of the refrigerator, (great visual aid of why you are quitting- VERY IMPORTANT VISUAL Aid I must say) and no matter how bad it looks or how you feel you don't need it any longer LEAVE IT THERE. Heck, I should sell this advice. Actually, this IS hypnosis in a way as you are re-programming your thinking.

[Hipster]

Ditto on what Bones Said!!!!!!!!!

YOU HAVE TO WANT TO QUIT WITH NO PILLS ETC.

I will be smoke free for one year come Jan. 11 did it cold freaking Turkey this time, I tried way too many times before with just one here or there reduce the amount etc. It does not WORK

I was a pack to pack and a half a day smoker, COLD TURKEY IT!!

[Nozmo King]

One of the ironies of the weed is that, once you’re hooked, the only real pleasure is relieving the withdrawal anxiety that the stupid drug caused in the 1st place. In fact, you’re really just trying to get back into the same state of mind you were in before you ever became addicted to begin with. Bottom line – if you’re 100% honest with yourself – there’s really nothing to give up. When you get free, you’ll also feel a lot better. The physical side is obvious. And on the mental side – when I was knowingly doing something that was bad for my health, it hurt my self-esteem & self-confidence. So, when I escaped the trap, I got a boost to both, which felt pretty damn good. Plus, I get a kick out of calculating how much extra coin is now going into my pocket instead of the American Tobacco Company’s.

I, too, recommend cold turkey because (a) it’s not nearly as tough as I thought it would be and (b) when I tried the gum, etc., I bamboozled myself into thinking I was giving up some great pleasure, started worrying how tough it would be to actually give up 100%, etc., instead of just committing to being done with the crap for the rest of my life.

[Mike T]

And then came Jones....If you know addiction, then you know Jones.By all means go in with positive intentions, but you better hold on to your a$$ when when old Jonsey is pulling you closer and playing with your mind.
I admire those of you than can quit things cold turkey and never look back. Some of us are deeper in it or are mentally not as strudy as you. I really like what CJ says, REALLY GIVE IT A TRY. I mean cold sweats effort before you go to the drugs. But if you have to try other means, keep an open mind. Keep people you can trust close by. It's kind of what we do here. This can be great threapy, it can also mess with with your mind.
I remember when I learned I wasn't John Wayne. All those years of brawling and drinking, chasing skirts. It never filled the void.
Like NozmoKing mentioned, we are trying to get back to that FEELING we had. I think it's that simple, but we are going to complicate it, we are human. So if you find out that you can't make it cold turkey, it's okay. IT is not an excuse to start up again either and becareful what you choose to substitute your fix with.
I think prayer should be mentioned as well. It is by far the most powerful tool you have. Remember sometimes the answer is NO, or NOT YET.
Good luck and I'll be pulling for you. Don't give up, no matter what.

[speedo]

Oh, yeah, I know old Jonesy! He is tricky, too. "Oh, just one won't make you start again." "How 'bout a cigar? That's not the same as a cigarette."

I've decided to pass on the patch, and it's too late to try the Chantix. If I were going to use that, I should have started it a couple of weeks ago. It keeps your brain from getting the "payoff" that nicotine provides, so it should help with the physical part of the addiction. As I recall, though, your body gets over that part in ten days or so. I think I can handle that!

Thanks for the stories, support and suggestions. I can do this!

[Full.Nelson]

I'm sorry to weigh in so late on this one, but as the son of a "former smoker" - I had to give you a little different perspective.

Do whatever it takes to quit.

Growing up, I tried to get my dad to quit countless times and he basically ignored me. I nagged him like a good son can do some times and he always believed nothing woud happen to him.

A few years back he developed COPD - which is basically a form of Emphysema. It put him in the hosptial for a long time and his doctor never thought he'd recover. Thankfully, he did, but his troubles were just beginning.

Last year he had this horrible pain in his liver area. Tests would reveal that he had lung cancer that had metastasized and spread to his liver. The doctors didn't hold out much hope.

He went through grueling rounds of chemo - once every three weeks and each treatment lasted SIX hours. He lost his hair, he had a tough time, but came through it better than most.

The cancer seemed to have been beaten and he was on the road to recovery.

Unfortunately, that didn't last and the cancer re-appeared in his liver.

He started a second line of treatment. It didn't work. He started a third line of treatment. It didn't work either.

He's now on his fourth line of treatment and we are hopeful that he has better results.

Cancer is a mother...

I'm not trying to scare those of you trying to quit. Then again, maybe I am.

The main thing I want you to consider is the impact this deadly disease has on your family.

I'm the one who takes my dad to all his appointments. I'm the one who has to take off from work - make sure he has all his medications and is doing everything he can to fight this disease.

The impact cancer has on an entire family is something most people just don't think about. Don't put your loved ones through this agony. Please don't. Quit smoking.

The side note in all this is that my dad taught me how to fish when I was a kid - but I didn't start bass fishing till just a few years ago. I started just about the time he came down with COPD. The unfortunate thing is that my dad and I have never had the opportunity to go bass fishing together. I can't tell you how much I wish I could take him out on the lake with me.

Every time I go fishing, I wish my dad could come with me and he can't. He doesn't have the strength.

Think about it folks. Quit smoking. If you fail, try again and again and again. Pay the price. Do it for your families.

I wish all of you trying to quit the best of luck and even more important, I offer you my prayers.

You can do it.

[rexford]

Thank You!!


It got me and I was 39 years old and weighed 165 pounds.
I was lucky as 1 in 3 heart attacks are fatal. You feel pretty
stupid in the hospital while the doctors are crushing your
family with the news that if only you hadn't smoked...

I always told myself that I had plenty of time to quit. I was
wrong.

Quit if you can guys. Its gonna suck when its your turn.

[Nlvbassin]

Four days and counting!!!

Very adgitated.
Very tired.
Have not slept well for three nights.
Eating every thing in sight.

[rexford]

Way to go!! The hard part is done. Be Cranky. Be tired.
Sleep will come as it always does and eat all you want.
Your making great progess. Hang in there and call me
if you have any questions or just wanna yell at someone.

650 786 4858

Mike

[Nlvbassin]

Thanks Mike,

I will keep that in mind.

Hey vinney bass you better hope I can get over this before our first Tourniment on the 20th.

Randall B.

[speedo]

Congrats Nlvbassin!! I'm right there with you, now on day five.

So far, I've been lucky. Haven't been cranky, not craving or twitching too often, but eating constantly, it seems. Changing some trigger habits, like reading this board in the morning instead of sitting on the patio with the newspaper, coffee and a pack of smokes. Same thing in the evening, I don't have a cocktail and a smoke on the patio. I watch the news and finish the morning paper inside, instead.

No patch, but did start bupropion a few weeks back. I think that helps getting through the physical part without just substituting the source of the nicotine, i.e. patch or gum. It's not "cold turkey" in some peoples' minds, but I don't care! I'm doing what works for me, and you should too!

Hang in there Nlvbassin! I'm pullin' for you too!

[Dan Stahlman]

15 years ago I had a guy hypnotize me and it really worked. He did the same to my wife 6 years ago it it worked for her also. Cost was 30 bucks and I have never missed them.

[Nlvbassin]

Day 6

I feel great!! Finally had a good night of sleep.
Lungs finally stopped hurting and not coughing up all lung junk this morning.

Big thanks to all the nutcases for the support.

Randall Bruce

[StockOption]

When I quit I rewarded myself with a trip to the the tackle store each week. It was easy spending that money considering all the cash I saved from not buying cigarettes anymore.

I've been smoke free for so long I'm starting to forget exactly how long it's been.

1.5 years smoke free....years.....hard to believe for me, but I know each of you will soon be counting in years too so KEEP IT UP.

NEVER AGAIN !!!

[rmbumpus]

I've been dipping copenhagen since Jr. High. I'm now 42 years old and on my 4th day without it. It's going okay. I do feel more free. I feel like I have a monkey off my back. I'm not going to chew copenhagen today. Tomorrow morning I'm going to wake up and do the same thing. One day at a time.

[speedo]

Today is a week! How's everybody else doing? Infernal munchies, here, but I'll trade those for a short while. I'm eating roasted peanuts in the shell. They're well-done, just how I like them, and very satisfying. Probably crappy for cholesterol and fat, but better than a smoke.

Caught a whiff of a cigar on the golf course today, and it wasn't pleasant. I haven't tried fishing without smokes, yet, but that may happen Wednesday.

Stock Option, I like your plan. I spent $25-30 a week on smokes, that's a lot of fishing stuff, week in and week out! Or I could afford single-malt scotch once in a while, now! Decisions, decisions.

[Gator]

Hey Speedo -

Make it a month and I will come meet you and buy you a choice of single malt.

I chew Copenhagen and am not in the process of quitting. One day but not right now.

I had to go home last year to tend to my dad who had a stroke. I thought we had him off the cigarettes for good but he is back to his old self, 2-3 packs a day.

I hope the next trip I take home will be for fun.

Good Luck to ya Speedo and NLV, I am pullin for ya!

[speedo]

Thanks for the offer Gator. I plan to take you up on it!

RmBumpus, how're you doing with the chew? Sounded like you were having a tough time. A guy on a boating board suggested 30 seconds at a time. "Hey you can do anything for 30 seconds, right?" Said he'd been off cigarettes for something like 1,457,260 seconds, 30-seconds at a time.

I work on a "non-smoking" college campus, (except in designated areas,) so there aren't many people smoking around me at work. Home is a little tougher, so I've changed habits a bit. I've been posting here instead of smoking!!

Hang in there NLV and Rmbumpus and anybody else who's trying to quit.

[Dan McKenzie]

I smoked my last one at 11:59 on 12/31/06, went out fishing with my brother on Saturday for a short half day, guess what? Nothing...didn't feel weird, I actually think I was more focused without them, never even had an urge till I got in the truck to tow the boat home (the usual time to light one) I have two big boxes of some nasty cigars our Dad used to smoke, when the urge has been strong I just lite one of these up, in about two minutes
nausea has starts taking hold and the urge to smoke is gone! I have extra cigars if anyone needs them for smoking cessation-
Good luck to everyone who is on there way to being nicotine free in 2007.

[Nlvbassin]

Thanks, To All for the great support.
My wife and I are still Smoke free and still Married lol !!!!!!!!!!!!!.
I came in to work this morining and could not believe how bad a couple of my smoking employees smelled. Can you say time for some FABREEZ.
I don't even want to know what some of my customers thought about the way I smelled after I had a few morning smokes.

I think I am going to take tomorrow or Wednesday off and do a little prefishing on Mead. The walk up calville ramp should be a little easer now.

Randall B.