quitting smoking

[1shot]

I think the time has come to quit smoking.  I no longer want to smoke, or be a smoker.  I miss being able to smell things and being relaxed.  I hate coughing all the time.  Not to mention that I live in a city where cigarettes cost seven dollars a pack.  I don't think the physical withdrawals are going to be a big deal, I think I can deal with that

Comments

[jilicious]

Since everyone around you smokes I suggest cutting back and restricting yourself to smoking only at night, or only in bars, or only 5 or 10 a night depending on how heavy a smoker you are. That way you'll know you're doing a good thing but you will also still be able to do it. Smoking used to be awesomely fabulous for me but now, ugh. It's only been since 1/28/07 too. You'll get there, it will just take time. It took me like a year and a half to go from a pack a day to zero. But it was a good time.

[1shot]

I've tried cutting back before, but I've never thought about only smoking during a particular part of the day. I think I'm going to start by only smoking after sunset, and then keep on moving the time up and up.

If the cut-back plan doesn't work, I think I'm going to try quitting cold turkey when my mother, who hates the idea of me smoking, comes out in a couple weeks. That way I'll have a three or four day spring board.

Thanks for the advice.

[sethisalive]

Good luck, Chaddo!

Hope to see you again this summer---I'll try to make it down to Chicago, but you should come here, too!

Seth

[1shot]

Thanks a lot.

I'm trying to get some money togeather to get up there sometime in May, June the latest. Anyway, it's been SIX MONTHS since I've been out there, way too long.

[sethisalive]

Sweet, man. I agree--it's been way too long! And, Minneapolis summers are the best.

[joyluck]

So Alex and I both quit smoking and we did it in different ways. He just did it cold turkey and hasn't started up again which I think is impressive considering how long he smoked for. I got some prescription meds to reduce the cravings--ask your doctor about them. I don't remember the name of them offhand. Anyway, not being around smokers helps a lot. And what's this about a boyfriend??? Tell all!

[1shot]

Congratulations! I'm particulaly impressed with Alex, he did smoke quite a bit. Anyway, I think I'm going to spend the rest of the month getting ready to quit and go for it in May.

As far as the boy, I actually met him at a goth bar right when I got back into town from Minnesota last fall. He's a nice guy, cute, a bit shy, he's one of the most intelligent, well-rounded people I've met in my life, but he's also kind of an underachiever. He speaks five or six languages at least decently well, he's a classically trained musician, he can do very high-level math, he's a closeted computer dork, as well as very perceptive and articulate. Though he works as a manger at a fast food restaurant and lives with his mother in the suburbs.

Did you and Alex find a place to live yet?

[joyluck]

Well, that sounds promising about the guy! You'll have to fill me in more when you come visit.

Yes, we did! It's a really pretty 1-bedroom apartment in this brand new apartment complex (we're the first tenants for this particular unit) right on the Mississippi River, just outside of downtown St. Paul. You must come visit us this summer and I'll be a little housewife and cook you dinner. When ARE you planning to come? We need to schedule a Chad-weekend.

[1shot]

I'm thinking I might come out for my birthday, in the first week of June. I can't wait to not be 21 anymore. Anyway, it sounds like a nice apartment, and in a neat area, too. I'll keep you posted on my trip out there.

[jocelina]

For me (as you know), it was all about cutting back slowly.

Is there an inexpensive gym you could join? Another thing that helped me a lot was getting a lot of exercise -- I know you don't need to lose weight like I did, but that nice euphoric feeling that comes after physical exertion was a nice substitute for nicotine for me.

Also, I think you should give yourself permission to smoke sometimes, like Jil said. I found it helped a lot not to smoke during work breaks.

[1shot]

Though I don't need to loose weight, bulking up a bit wouldn't hurt me. I was thinking about exercise too, if I can't find a YWCA I was thinking about just jogging to the lake shore, about a half mile each way, every morning.

[alcarilinque]

Oh my god, Chad?

Do you live?