I flew into Orlando yesterday with CG and the Finny. It’s not vacation; it’s conventioneering for work. But we have a pretty nice place here for the next few days. The bigger news is that I have been smoke-free since last Friday. I didn’t like a blood pressure reading I got on one of those drugstore machines, and that was that. It finally motivated me to make another effort at quitting. One side effect of quitting, however, is greatly diminished concentration, and difficulty in writing even simple emails. Combine that with making travel preparations for a 11-month old, and you get low blogging production.
And, BTW, the blood pressure is already way down to much less worrisome levels. But, you know, try not to make me angry.
you wanna know the best way to avoid getting angry?
do NOT watch the tv, do NOT read blogs, just enjoy disneyworld or whatever Orlando has to offer.
as for the smoking, when I quit (back in 1992, after ten years) I found that finding another non-addictive stimulant helped. No, not cocaine, mint tea. I was drinking at least 6 cups a day. It not only gives your system a little boost, it gives your insides a nice rinse due to all the peeing.
and remember, when it comes to quitting smokes, Yoda knows best: “do or do not, there is no try.”
Change to another drink for a period at least. Its the habit patterns, cigs to coffee usually. You need 2 weeks to break a habit pattern. No coffee, no cross-addictive thinking.
Well, I am using the patch, which worked for me the last time I managed to quit for any period of time (about six months, as it turned out).
The patch basically makes it possible to not smoke without adopting a fetal position and begging for mercy. But it keeps nicotine pumping into your system, which is what I’m trying to eliminate.
What it does in the first week is acclimate you to not having nicotine spikes, like the kind you get when you take a deep drag off a cigarette. So, at first, you crave not cigarettes per se, but those spikes you are not getting.
Then, you are going along at a diminished level of nicotine, so a couple time an hour you have a strong craving for a cigarette, but it passes after a few minutes. It’s the former craving that is actually more physically painful.
The patch works for 24 hours. But I haven’t been putting a new one on right away. The first day I did, but the second day I waited four hours. Then I waited four hours again the next day. By last night and today, I went 16 hours with no patch at all, and no nicotine, before I decided to give myself a break. I could have extended it, but I was getting pretty miserable and I couldn’t write or even focus on simple tasks.
From what I understand, the cigarette companies raised the level of nicotine about 1.6% every year between 1998-2005, so it’s no wonder that it is much harder to quit than it used to be.
The researchers consider any program with a 30% success rate to be pretty good. I think the real key is being sufficiently motivated and having the time and luxury to operate at diminished capacity while you get through the worst of it.
I’m sufficiently motivated, and the more I suffer the less I want it to go to waste and to face going through it again.
For the non-smoker, I’d only say, you have no idea how much physical pain quitting entails. The psychological part of it isn’t even the scary thing. The indescribable ache is what calls out for simple relief. I am past the worst of that.
Have you tried using an electronic cigarette?
I’ve heard it’s easier to kick heroin than nicotine. I guess that’s because with H you go longer between fixes. Hang in there, Booman.
An old friend who lived in The Haight in the late 60s used to say exactly the same. She eventually got clean and sober, but never could get free of the cigs. Esophageal cancer took her several years ago, way too early.
Do it once and for all. Then you don’t need to think about it anymore. I know how hard it can be. Good luck. You might regret a lot of things in life but giving up smoking can’t ever be among them.
Good luck with your new-found abstinence, BooMan. Give Finny a hug.
Stopping smoking is a political act. Every progressive and Democrat should do it. Purchasing cigarettes subsidizes the Republican Party and leads to Virginia Foxx, Richard Burr, Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul, as well as to heart disease and cancer.
Remind yourself of that every time you think of backsliding.
BTW, I just remembered that once when I talked about how bad Obama was on education you challenged me to name an actual teacher who was pissed. Well Teacherken from DKos for one.
I know dozens of teachers, they are all pissed.
A number have tried to actively discourage me from going into the field.
On education, Obama is no different from Bush.
Oh, I’m pissed too. Trust me. Merit pay, charter schools, “Race to the Top”… We’re pissed.
Booman didn’t believe me when I said it before.
Good luck to you BooMan on giving up smoking. It was the hardest and most intelligent thing I ever did. No doubt it will add money to your pocket and years to your life. CG and Finny will be grateful too.
I quit smoking in 1978 after a 2 pack-a-day Old Gold habit led me to LONG coughing fits where I would need to leave the room. How did I quit?
I think #1 is the most important. When you close your eyes and imagine yourself, what are you doing?
Good luck, and remember, stay strong for Finn.
What Dongi 2 said.
Years from now you will look back and say “Wow, thank goodness I was so smart and strong!” and you are. But I don’t know about Orlando as a place to avoid stress.
Smoking is just another form of slavery, and getting free is always worth the effort. It takes some time to form new paths in your brain – nothing is diminished, it’s just in recovery from years of poison.
Alice, that is very well said. I agree with the concept of new pathways forming in the brain. The process, however, is not without pain. Amazing is it not how the cigarette companies profit from the suffering of others? Addiction is their game; no wonder their scientists had such a difficult time linking cancer to smoking.
All that fuzziness is happening because your brain chemistry is recalibrating – same thing happens when you give up alcohol, but even worse. This too shall pass. Also, remember that when the urge comes on you, you only have to withstand it for a few minutes. So don’t say “I’m NEVER gonna smoke again” but tell yourself that yr not gonna smoke for the next few minutes. You’d be amazed at how easy that gets after a little practice.
Boo:
Good luck with quitting smoking. Other here have given better advice on how to deal with it than I can. Hang tough and you can do it.
Good luck quitting. I’ve smoked on occasion for four years or so; typically takes me 2 months to get through a pack, and I usually give a bunch away at the bar.
I’ll prolly be stopping totally in the next year or so.
Congrats, BooMan. The side effects will pass and you will be very, very glad you quit. And when your resolve is tested, and it will be, take a good look at the FinnMan. Ask yourself what example you want to set for him.
That’s what worked for me. I put away my pipes the day we brought Navy Son home from the hospital. Twenty five years and counting.
After reading/lurking for years, I had to create an account when I read this post to offer my congratulations and encouragement in quitting smoking!
Way to go! I’ll be adding my comments along with others on all of the Tribune’s excellent writing when I can!
Welcome, son.
Glad you de-lurked! Welcome!
Good for you! After about 50 years of smoking and several failed attempts, I made a decision 18 months ago to become a non-smoker – one day at a time. As the days went by and I chose not to smoke, I began to feel really good that I was making the choice. There are times I’d still like to blow smoke 😉 but I remember I chose not to.
I wasn’t ready until I was ready. Good luck – it does get easier.
Let me add my voice to the chorus offering you congratulations and strong wishes for success. After smoking for 23 years, I quit 3 years ago. I used Chantix and it worked as advertised for me; killed my nicotine cravings stone-cold dead and the only side effects I had were some more intense than usual dreams. No suicidal thoughts, no nausea, nothing. My experience may be atypical, I’ve heard other people had more trouble with it than I did, but it did the job for me better than patches or cold turkey which were the other methods I had tried. I was more motivated to quit that last time because I had just turned 40 and had found myself coughing more than usual and was just tired of fighting colds all winter long.
Whatever method you use, I wish you nothing but success. You’ll know you’re succeeding when the smell of cigarette smoke disgusts you; took me about a month to get there.
Chantix worked well for me too, when all else failed. Also helpful is a positive mindset (borrowed from a 12 step recovery program of some notoriety).
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