Export thread

What to do if you just can't put down your daily cigarettes and beer? (Not harming other people but me...)

You won't be able to unless you really, really want to. The cigarettes are going to be the most difficult as nicotine is supposed to be just as hard to kick as heroin. I'd visit your doctor and see if you can get Chantix. Then you can post about your cool dreams.

As to the alcohol, if it's a problem that you can't put it down, you probably need to go to a group like AA.

Tell me more about how much you consume every day... of both. And what exactly?

That was a fast answer, Dave. Thx.

As for help... Substitutes, and I count pharmaceuticals as substitutes, won't work in my case, I guess... You're right about the "wanting to quit" part, though, it all starts with your own will to do something... An AA group... I don't consider me that addicted... It's more complicated... Sharing my, hrm, problems, with others or hearing about the problems of others isn't the problem.

The strange thing is, I know what I'm doing, I'm aware of what my behaviour means, I'm clear about what's happening... But I seem not to care of stopping...

I'm pondering on this issue for quite some time now, and I'm realising that the root cause for all this seems my being attached to comfort. Like, enjoying this buzz so much, be it from cigarettes or beer, that I simply don't want to miss it...

Don't you have a more "psychological" (e.g. without "external" helpers) approach to this issue?

(yeah, I know, I'm kinda pathetic now....)

---------- Post added at 05:45 AM ---------- Previous post was at 05:44 AM ----------

@jay: about 10-20 cigs a day, and - if I drink (3-4 times a week) 1 to 2 L of beer (mostly and especially days off work)...

Physical addictions require physical methods to aid getting through withdrawal. But, you know, it's up to you. If you want to quit, use methods that have been shown to get results. If you don't want to use methods that work, you don't really want to quit.

Jay's plan :

CIGS

1. Set a specific number of cigs per day to carry with you. 10 to 20 is fucken HUGE man. So pick a number... I say, start with 15. If you can do 10, even better but start with a comfy number.
2. Every 2 weeks, remove one from your daily consumption. This means you take a pack of cigs, you put what you can use for that day and you can have to pace yourself until bedtime. There's no carrying over from one day to the next, no advance loans, no cheating or else you're wasting your time.
3. When you're down to HALF a dozen, increase the plan to remove ONE every 3 weeks instead of 2 weeks as this will be crunch time.
4. If you get to the point where you only need to smoke 3 or less every day, you've done great. However, it is the last 3 that are hard to quit. Increase the plan to remove one every month.

If you follow my plan as of Sunday, starting with 15 cigs... on Halloween day you'll be down to 6 cigs a day. Just after New year's you'll be down to 3. A significant change from 10-20 a day.

Pace yourself. Patches and other stuff are nice but I don't think they are truly the solution to your problems. This is all WILL POWER. Do you want to quit? Yes? Then you're body needs to filter this on its own. Pace the poison out of your veins slowly.


ALCOHOL:

Drinking isn't a problem if you do it with moderation. A great way to avoid drinking is to not buy it altogether and find something else to drink. Though you should always keep a little stash which consists of:

1) Stop buying large beer cans. I find them fucken useless. Who the fuck buys those massive cans of beer without feeling the need to finish it all off? A nice cool beer after a long day of work as a reward to your day to day strife is beneficial to one's mind. Buying those huge cans? MAJOR NO NO.

2) Buy in limited amounts every week. Buying a case is not the answer for one who wants to quit. If you get a few only and PLAN when you want to drink them as rewards or "happy times" this is a good thing. This doesn't mean if you buy 6, you drink all 6 on a Saturday night, rolling up a dubie and watch Pineapple Express over and over again all night. One here, one there every few days... that's a good thing. You'll learn that when the resources aren't there, you won't crave it as much and you'll actually appreciate it more when you get your treats.

3) Drink socially isn't a good thing. We feel obliged to drink more than we should, buy more than we should when people are coming over. Drink one, nod and say, no thanks.

This sounds like ficking good advice and I will implement some of it to conquer this double-beast of alc'n'cigs... ;-)

But now... it's bed time..

it's 10 past 6 here in swaziland and I'm due for bed after this nightshift...

Btw... I just feels good to post this... You know... keeping to yourself what bothers you is like halfways loosing the battle... Just spelling it out has some kind of, hum, "spell" to itself...

I'm happy to help but remember, these are only words. Until you balls up and commit to making the change, this will be all for naught.

Jay said:

...Until you balls up and commit to making the change...

Click to expand...

I guess that would be the solution for about 99.99 % of all the problems that exist in the world... ^^

Andi off... *falls asleep instantly*

My brother quit smoking last year. He went cold turkey, which I don't recommend. The second time, he did pretty much what Jay suggested. Also, chewing gum helps a bit, even if it's not Nicotine gum. Oral fixation and all that.

That's how my bro quit smoking, how a friend of mine did too. It's a LENGTHY process but you get it out of your system gradually and your body will handle it better. You just need the willpower.

Either way, it'll be at least 5 years AFTER you stop smoking to be completely rid of the effects... if the damage isn't permanent yet.

Yeah, how long you've been smoking is a big factor, too. My brother only had a few years on it, so it was just a 6 month process at most once he really put his mind to it. If it's been awhile, though, stick to your guns and you'll get there.

Little Update. On the cigarette-front, I decided to go cold turkey. I've been to sweden for two weeks now, for vacation, and guess what: I haven't smoked a cig for two weeks. And I will keep it that way.

For the alcohol. Funny thing is... As I don't smoke anymore, I don't have the urge to drink too much anymore... I enjoyed one, two light-beers every other evening this holliday and it was enough.

It feels like I've overcome a huge mental hurdle... And as my body is de-poisoned from nicotine, it is actually quite easy not to smoke. I keep it that way. ;-)

Two weeks isn't a long time, you know that right? It'll take you a long time. Give me an update in 6 months.

Jay said:

Two weeks isn't a long time, you know that right? It'll take you a long time. Give me an update in 6 months.

Click to expand...

Jap, I know that. I'll give you a monthly report about my progress. Well, if you can call it progress if you simply just don't do something. ^^

Andi;427636][QUOTE=Jay said:

Two weeks isn't a long time, you know that right? It'll take you a long time. Give me an update in 6 months.

Click to expand...

Jap, I know that. I'll give you a monthly report about my progress. Well, if you can call it progress if you simply just don't do something. ^^[/QUOTE]

Yes. It is progress in this case.

Allright... it's been 1 month now. Still not smoking.

Next update will be in 2 months. ^^

well done!

Nice.

That's great, Andi! Here's to month #2 and beyond!

Stay strong dude. I also quit smoking cold turkey (used to be 1-1.5 pack a day) and for me, the 2nd month or so was a lot harder than the first. Good luck!

Didn't smoke at all right? Not even a morning wake up one? Or a really stressful day one?

Edit* Not that I don't believe you just I know how people qualify their statements and don't include 'special' circumstances.

Grats so far though if you haven't though .

YAY! Keep at it dude. There will be a time where you'll thank yourself for this change.

At the very least, think of all the damn money you're saving by not buying cigs!

Andi said:

Allright... it's been 1 month now. Still not smoking.

Next update will be in 2 months. ^^

Click to expand...

Way to go. keep it up

just think of all the money you are saving and buy something nice for yourself

drifter said:

Stay strong dude. I also quit smoking cold turkey (used to be 1-1.5 pack a day) and for me, the 2nd month or so was a lot harder than the first. Good luck!

Click to expand...

First Lady Puffinstuff said:

YAY! Keep at it dude. There will be a time where you'll thank yourself for this change.

Click to expand...

Thank you very much for this positive Feedback, that encourages me!

Chibibar said:

Way to go. keep it up

just think of all the money you are saving and buy something nice for yourself

Click to expand...

Cheesy1 said:

At the very least, think of all the damn money you're saving by not buying cigs!

Click to expand...

This is so true... I smoked quite a lot, a pack or more a day... So I'm saving pure $$$ right now. I even installed an app on my iPhone which tells me how much money I just saved right now, hehe.

crono1224 said:

Didn't smoke at all right? Not even a morning wake up one? Or a really stressful day one?

Edit* Not that I don't believe you just I know how people qualify their statements and don't include 'special' circumstances.

Grats so far though if you haven't though .

Click to expand...

Nope, no exceptions. Even in hardest "special"circumstances, i.e. during nightshifts or when partying/having a few beers with friends.

Actually, that makes it easier for me: Being strict. No even a single puff of a cig is allowed. And the good thing is: Actually, I don't feel any craving for a "puff" right now, on contraire, when I smell and/or see smoke, it tastes rather "ugly" and stinky.

Yeah, but I know how my brains work... You know 4 years ago, I stopped smoking for allmost 3 years... (I started smoking again 4 years ago)... Didn't stick to the "not even one puff of a cigarette" rule back then...

Thanks again for your support, you're a great crowd, halforumites!

Aw Gawd, please, takes it from me, the dezire... the luzzt... it büüürnsz...
it buuuuuurns...

Takes it of me! Takes it of me!

Andi said:

Aw Gawd, please, takes it from me, the dezire... the luzzt... it büüürnsz...
it buuuuuurns...

Takes it of me! Takes it of me!

Click to expand...

Now it's an uphill battle. I recommend physical activity and to imbibe plenty of water. Keep ignoring the cravings, muster all of your discipline. You've made it this far, smoking now would only nullify all that work you've put into this.

ThatGrinningIdiot!;436877][QUOTE=Andi said:

Aw Gawd, please, takes it from me, the dezire... the luzzt... it büüürnsz...
it buuuuuurns...

Takes it of me! Takes it of me!

Click to expand...

Now it's an uphill battle. I recommend physical activity and to imbibe plenty of water. Keep ignoring the cravings, muster all of your discipline. You've made it this far, smoking now would only nullify all that work you've put into this.[/QUOTE]

It's an uphill battle since I stopped smoking... At the moment, physical activity could be difficult, as I'm pretty drunk, it's late at night and my GF isn't around tonight...

But I keep it under kontroll... I don't... need... nicotine... tobacco... no... it's poison, at least for me...

*gwuaaaaah*

Ahh,,, atm... I am too inebriated to even think about smoking... *gniarhaarharrharrrhhharrrhhhh*

Good bye and good luck,
Andi

Well, I guess getting too smashed to smoke is ONE way of doing it.

One word: overcompensating for the win!!!!

One bad habit annuls the other, huh? Haha, I'm the same way, I'm too lazy to get addicted to anything.

Andi said:

What to do if you just can't put down your daily cigarettes and beer? (Not harming other people but me...)

Click to expand...

so the 'and beer' part not working so well?

Disconnected;437091][QUOTE=Andi said:

What to do if you just can't put down your daily cigarettes and beer? (Not harming other people but me...)

Click to expand...

so the 'and beer' part not working so well?[/QUOTE]

The "and beer" part wasn't too much of a problem... More the "effing delicious 12 year old speyside whisky"-Part...

But things seem to go a little bit lighter today... It's been more than 2 months now without a single puff of a cigarette (or any forms of tobbaco consumption...) And I stopped drinking alone for 2 weeks now... Last friday, I had 3 glasses of wine as I had dinner together with my girlfriend and my brother, and 2 beer together with a friend on saturday...

Seems to work so far. It's astonishing how much better I feel now, and how my brain (and intuition) is getting back to their former capabilities rather quickly.

Btw, I don't want to be attention-whoring with this thread, but it kinda helps me getting my things straight by discussing them here in this forum. And some positive reaffirmation DOES help sometimes. *smile* Thank you all for "listening" and helping me with your kind words - or a swift verbal kick in the ass when needed. :-D