I'm on day two of not...

[one_voice]

smoking. I have lots of water, pretzel sticks, grapes, crushed ice, and straws (to chew on). I hear the second day is the hardest. This morning was really hard.

I really hope I can do this!!!

[Auggie]

1. You CAN do it. I did.

I found the best way to fight off my urges was to throw tantrums directed at those SOB tobacco companies for getting me hooked.

[Tuesday Afternoon]

2. just think. after today, it really gets easier. You can do this!

:hug:

[BillStein]

3. this may help

it worked for me.... I opened a savings account and put all the money I would have spent on cigarettes in there- it was amazing how fast it accumulated, and at the end of a year I used the money for a trip across Canada by rail.

twenty-six years smoke free!

(edited for spelling)

[one_voice]

10. I plan on doing that...

I was spending about $55-$60 a month on cigarettes. So I plan on saving that. I had already cut back, I went from two packs a day to about 5-7 a day.

My original plan was to quite starting Oct. 1, but I finished my last pack and figured now was as good a time as any.

It's nice to have DU cuz many people have been through this and are very helpful and supportive. My family is great too.

[Kali]

4. good for you!

make a conscious effort to switch the habit to something else - when you feel the urge do a specific thing instead - like get up and stretch or a few reps of some exercise or clean a shelf off etc

[Taverner]

5. Gum and Patch worked for me

If you ever have a serious desire for the drug part of smoking, the gum is a lifesaver

[Orsino]

6. Best wishes! n/t

[sinkingfeeling]

7. You can do it. I stopped 'cold turkey' after smoking over 40 years. I really was surprised

that I had no withdrawal symptoms, just was at a loss on what do with my hands!

[LostinVA]

8. I have almost a decade and a half of non smoking behind me

I smoke 2 1/2 packs a day. You can do it!

[mike_c]

9. hang in there for just a few more days and it will all be behind you....

My partner quit a few months ago and you're right-- her second smoke-free day was the worst. The first couple of weeks she had cravings, especially during the times she customarily enjoyed smoking the most. It passed pretty quickly, all things considered.

The actual nicotine addiction passes within days, and it's worst at the beginning. The more lingering difficulty is overcoming cravings that stem from the social and ritual aspects of smoking-- the habits you've formed and reinforced for years. They're a whole different animal than the nicotine addiction, though. They're just habits. If you can kick nicotine, you can kick any habit on earth!

Good luck to you!

BTW, I quit a pack-a-day-plus habit thirty years ago. It's easy after the first twenty-five or so.... :rofl:

[RFKHumphreyObama]

11. Good luck

:thumbsup: Keep up the good work!

[tigereye]

12. hang in there- it's been 17 years for me. It was hard and you feel really

strange at first, but well worth it! Good luck!

[applegrove]

13. You can do it. I'm two years into my quit and I love it. It is so worth it to quit. Try the

quitnet.com website when you crave. There you can log in, ask for help in getting through the crave and presto...your two minutes of hell are over.

[likesmountains 52]

14. Take a lot of baths...you can't smoke when your hands are underwater...and it

might help get some of the nicotine out of your system. Did it 23 years ago..you can do it! Good lick and stay strong.

[cordelia]

15. You can do it!

If I can, I think pretty much anyone can. Over 9 years now.

I took deep, deep breaths when the urge struck.

When I needed something to do with my hands, I'd often shuffle a deck of cards. Just to keep occupied.

You won't be sorry you quit.