Eleven months smoke free!

[Samui Bodoh]

Hi All

 

Yes, I have just hit 11 months of not smoking and yes, I am a very happy and proud man.

 

I was a heavy smoker for 35 years or so and never really tried to quit as I always thought that I was unable to do so.

 

I was wrong.

 

I am 100% certain that there are people reading this who are thinking "hmm... I should quit...", I know because 11 months ago I was one of you. Yes, you should stop, and if I can do it, so can you. There are few things more irritating than reformed smokers (or drinkers, or weight-loss, or whatever), so i'll simply leave it at that. There is no good reason to smoke; it is time to quit.

 

How are all my fellow quitters doing? Any news? Tips? Shared experiences that might assist others? Techniques?

 

Inquiring minds want to know!

 

Breathe well, my friends!

 

 

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Well done!

[Suradit69]

4 hours ago, Jonathan Fairfield said:

Well done!

And 365 x 145 = baht 52,925  per year saved.

 

 

 

 

[Kerryd]

Congrats ! 
It took me a couple of tries before I was able to finally quit for good and I am so glad I did (and wish I'd done it sooner of course).

 

I too smoked fairly heavily for about 35 years, to the point where every time I took a drag on a cigarette I was getting a hacking cough. Even after my dad died of lung cancer (back in 2010) I didn't quit. (Well, didn't try to quit again I suppose would be more accurate.)
 

It's been a bit over 6 years now and I have no desire to start up again. Even if I go to a bar where other people are smoking, the smell in the air (and the smell of their breath) is enough to turn me off. I think back about when I used to smoke and realize that I stunk like that as well.

I did put on some weight after I quit, mostly because I was doing the "candy replacement" thing and reaching for a lollipop or some Licorice All-sorts where I used to always be reaching for another cigarette. The good news is, it was easier to wean off of the candy than it was the cigarettes.

Every so often I think about why I quit and about how much better I feel now and how much better I smell (my breath, my clothes and my house). The improvement in my health is the main thing that motivates me to stay "clean". I never used the "look how much money you are saving" idea because I was making enough and working in a place where smokes were cheap so the cost wasn't a factor.

But I recall that within a couple weeks of quitting, there were some people I was working with that you didn't want to stand close to because they reeked of smoke. Never used to notice it before, mostly because I probably smelled just as bad. But after just a couple weeks there was a noticeable difference.

I also noticed that it only took a couple weeks before my breathing seemed to be getting better and I wasn't getting that same hacking cough anymore.

I'm not sure how much effect it really has had, but in the last 6 years I think I've only had 2 colds and they only lasted a couple of days at most. In fact, I'm having a hard time remembering the last time I had a cold but it had to have been back in 2013 or maybe 2014.

 

So the next time you are around anyone who is smoking, or has just finished one, and notice the smell, keep in mind that you used to smell just like that. And so did everything around you (clothes, curtains, car, etc, etc.) 
Also keep in mind that you are probably breathing easier now and not having as many coughing fits (or none at all).

[AsiaHand]

Good on you mate.It has been 51 years for me now and I hope that you will surpass that. and live beyond my years (born in  1938 and still going strong).

[Catoni]

Smoked at least one large pack a day (25 cigarettes)... more if out drinking beer and playing shuffleboard at the bars with my friends..  at least forty years smoking..    Haven't had a cigarette now for more than ten years.... 

    I found the first three weeks was the toughest.... then it got easier as time went on. I never get the urge anymore. 

    I found it easier to quit a year long cocaine addiction. ..    Nicotine for me was much more addictive.  Hardest thing for me to quit. 

     I used the patch for a couple of weeks and then quit using it.  Carried a smooth piece of flint stone to rub with my fingers to give my fingers something to do.  Went into my bathroom... looked at myself in the mirror.. pointed my finger at myself and gave myself a lecture and said "You are not a smoker anymore.  You will NEVER smoke again."  And I made myself believe it.  

  My smoker's cough disappeared..... and even in my sixties I can jog a couple of blocks now without getting out of breath..   Oh yes.... I used to get bad bronchitis once or twice a year... and it would hang on for a couple of months. That can lead to emphysema I think.    

   Well... ever since I quit...  no more bronchitis....  I love it.  Your lungs CAN AND WILL  heal over time.  

                But you have to quit while the damage is only temporary.... before you do permanent damage that can't heal.  I think once you have emphysema.... damage is permanent...  I might be mistaken. 

   More than ten years now....  no smoking...   

  Only thing now I do now...... I drink the odd beer or rye and ginger....  (or SangSom and coke 55555 ?

[soistalker]

I quit smoking 16 years ago. You must tell yourself that the cigarette companies put additives in the tobacco to keep you addicted. And if you continue to smoke, you will for sure die a painful death. I stopped and never thought about it again.

[Catoni]

3 minutes ago, soistalker said:

I quit smoking 16 years ago. You must tell yourself that the cigarette companies put additives in the tobacco to keep you addicted. And if you continue to smoke, you will for sure die a painful death. I stopped and never thought about it again.

    Nicotine itself is one of the most addictive substances there is...    Please list the addictive substances that they add to it to make it more addictive..  

 

[Neeranam]

Congratulations!

 

7 months for meand NO cravings.

 

Felt like cigar a couple of times but that led to my slip after 3 years.

 

All the best!

 

 

[4MyEgo]

1 hour ago, Kerryd said:

In fact, I'm having a hard time remembering the last time I had a cold but it had to have been back in 2013 or maybe 2014.

I stopped in 2000 on the spot where I was standing on the balcony of my unit/condo, when my daughter opened the sliding door, (me on the phone had about 4 cigs), never smoked near my kid, and she said with a cross face; daddy !!! stop smoking or you WILL DIE, she was 3 at the time, now 21 so its about 18 years ago.

 

I will give this advice to all who have smoked for a while and are over 40, while we all feel better, the damage is there, not wanting to sound negative, but get a check up on your cholesterol levels.

 

I started going to a gym soon after for few years, cardio and weight work outs, starting looking good too, then I met this beautiful Thai filly, now my wife of 11 years, and on the "4th" of the golf course "so to speak", I suffered a heart attack at age 47, "4th" in one day, the last time I did that I was 24, half that age, and was lucky to do 2 at 47, moving right along, I overexerted myself, and am here to tell the tale ?

 

I would suggest for ALL to speak to your doctor about taking an aspirin a day, preferably a coated one so that it is mild on your stomach, this is to thin your blood so that a clot doesn't form and lodge in one of your narrowed arteries, yes your arteries would have allowed the tar or whatever else you want to call it, to stick there, it doesn't stop there.

 

You MUST also get you annual flu shot, regardless if you are in Thailand or not, I skipped mine back in Australia last year because my doctor said I wouldn't need it in Thailand as the weather is warm, WRONG advice doc.

 

The Influenza Vaccination and Pneumococcal Vaccination will assist because if you get a bad flu which turns into Chronic Bronchitis it's not pleasant as it is worse for you if you were a smoker, I just went through something similar, thought it was the end for me, although I am over it now and better after 2 months of experiencing shortness of breath, we still haven't nailed the cause, i.e. what it was, Chronic Bronchitis or COPD ?, but I see the chest specialist again on Monday for a lung test, that said COPD, I don't believe goes away, whereas Chronic Bronchitis does and comes back after a year or two, so please start researching because no one tells you these things, and exercise (cardio), as this assist the lungs, and eat well as it does help your immune system build up a resistance.

 

Back on the treadmill as of yesterday and feel better for it after a two month absence.

 

Enough said, enjoy the free air, avoid smokers like a plague and LIVE what time we you have left on this planet, smoke free, and do try to avoid the 4th ? as we aren't as young as we think we are.

 

Edit: Also if you do go on Aspirin try to avoid cutting yourself as you may bleed to death ?

[Lacessit]

Well done, OP. The poisons are completely out of your system. Your lung function will recover to normal over the next couple of years. Stay with it.

[Colabamumbai]

Heroin addiction is easier to stop than tobacco.

[Neeranam]

9 minutes ago, Colabamumbai said:

Heroin addiction is easier to stop than tobacco.

Indeed, the only thing harder is methadone, and benzodiazepines like valium.

[Catoni]

4 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

Indeed, the only thing harder is methadone, and benzodiazepines like valium.

  I quit benzos also... cold turkey.... went through hell...   They are much more dangerous than many people realize...  

 

If absolutely needed.... no one should take them for much longer than a week.... and in low dose only..    the risks are just too great..... and very dangerous...

[smccolley]

one word - vaping - not had a cigarette in 1 year now.

[Samui Bodoh]

Wah! I was not expecting much of a response; thank you one and all!

 

More importantly, let me say "Thanks!" on behalf of the guy (or gal) reading this who is still a smoker and thinking of trying to quit.

 

As I noted in my OP, the biggest step for me was the first (I assume that others are like me). I did not believe that I ever could quit smoking, so I didn't really try for years and years. We all know that we should; no one can claim ignorance anymore with all the ads, the warnings, the news broadcasts, etc,, but again you need to believe that you have a reasonable shot at success. It was when I started to read this Forum and the stories contained within that I began, VERY slowly, to see that perhaps I could quit; if I was reading a story that a smoker stopped after 50+ years, then I thought that (maybe, just maybe) I could as well. And, that is half the fight; once you begin to believe that it is possible (not certain, but possible) it becomes 50 times easier.

 

Could I have quit without the Forum? Yes.

Was it easier with the Forum? Yes.

 

If you are a smoker, then you can see that it is possible; it ain't always easy, you'll have a few bad days, but you CAN actually do it. 

 

And, it is worth doing.

 

I am starting to sound like the 'reformed smoker' that I hate so much, so I will give myself a good smack in the head and be on my way.

 

Good luck all!

 

[oldrunner]

Quit "Cold Turkey" (it's the only way) 20++ years ago. Smoked last cigarette (Salem menthol, the worse kind), gave remainder of pack to a committed smoker and that was it. Does not matter how long you have smoked, your lungs begin repairing the damage beginning the next day. Stay away from smokers, most now have to smoke outside the bar and that's good. Good luck.

[Cadbury]

Congratulations!. Always remember you are a smoker who has stopped smoking. The urge will occasionally arise but the longer you stay off the fag the quicker the temptation will pass until it disappears completely. If you are a drinker it is that much harder and you need to be that much stronger.

 

[soistalker]

2 hours ago, Catoni said:

    Nicotine itself is one of the most addictive substances there is...    Please list the addictive substances that they add to it to make it more addictive..  

 

Let's start with ammonia.

[finnishmen]

i has smoking 38 year and not easy stop smoking, try manytime,many different expernsives medicines,no help, but son tell me test Vape steam, and 3 month and not samoking anythink cigarette, now 3 year whitout cigarette, easy stop smoking, vaping have healty care most than smoking,and help lot stop smoking, same say many hundred thousand peoples who has stop smoking.

[BestB]

Firstly congratulations and well done, as an ex smoker i  can say it’s one of hardest achievements one can do.

 

i was a heavy smoker for 25 years, went to vaping and now almost 2 years smoke free.

 

i do realize vaping is not as ideal as total stop but I am happy enough and happy to have clear lungs instead of black tar, white teeth and clean fingers 

 

For anyone who is looking to quit but weak as I was, I would strongly recommend vaping.

 

by the way , I vape nicotine free ejuice

[Amusements]

Wow 11 months is great going! Seriously...Well done!

 

I assume by now you have stopped dreaming about smoking?  That bit lasted 5 months with me (1999-2000). I would wake up panicking, because I would be smoking in a dream, and then realise I had given up. Not touched tobacco since.

[Samui Bodoh]

I have never 'vaped', so I don't really know what I am talking about.

 

Let me throw the question out;

 

Is vaping still smoking?

 

 

[BestB]

28 minutes ago, Samui Bodoh said:

I have never 'vaped', so I don't really know what I am talking about.

 

Let me throw the question out;

 

Is vaping still smoking?

 

 

Yes and no. You are smoking but not inhaling all the harmful chemicals that cigs contain.

 

it is also possible to vape nicotine free and/or herbs 

[Golden Triangle]

Well done mate, I am just celebrating 18 months smoke free, funnily enough I was lying in bed the other morning thinking that I should stick something on here but have been a bit busy lately, so very well done.

 

I still get the occasional urge and when I go to my favorite bar a lot of the guys in there smoke, all the doors are open and large overhead fans and large standalone fans keep the air moving, so far I have resisted ?

 

I have smoked since I was very young believe me, and have stopped a few times for a number of years at a time but like a fool I went back on fags/smokes/tabs, whatever you wanna call them, ironically I can probably afford to smoke moreso these days than when I lived in the UK with ciggies costing upwards of £8.00 a pack of 20.

 

After 18 months smoke free I still have a slightly congested chest and I am thinking of going for a chest X - Ray to make sure no permanent damage as been done, and as much as I would love to be able to go for a long walk around the village like I used to a few years back my 2 dodgy knees start to hurt like hell so that's out of the question, might have to look at swimming    

 

So keep up the good work young man and report back soon ?

[ChrisKC]

I had tried to quit a few times in the 70's and even after one period of two years, started again. Finally, at 8pm on 4 November, 1980 I was watching a BBC TV programme in which I learned that there was definitive proof passive smoking was a fact. I gave up at that moment. I celebrate 38 years on 4 November this year.

 

After quitting  I learned that I could have a chest xray in four years time that could establish if my body was completely clear of the effects of smoking or if I had irreparable damage. I had my xray then and a few since and there are no signs of any kind I ever smoked.

 

Because it was difficult for me to give up and knowing it is for many, I now number it as one of my best achievements and I still feel a little proud of beating myself!

 

I am heartened by the responses here, too, that others have managed to "beat" themselves

[Acharn]

Nine years, but unfortunately no tips. I just smoked until the pain got to be enough that I didn't want any more. Sixty years. But I haven't had any cravings. I even enjoy the smell of other people smoking, and it doesn't trigger cravings.

[thaiguzzi]

Quit day April the 10th.

What's that? 4 month-ish?

Been relatively painless.

TBH, I really don't know what all the fuss is about.

Sure, VERY occasionally fancy one, but it's certainly not a daily thought or 24/7 craving, even after a meal etc.

The one time I really fancy a cigarette and the actual routine in rolling one is in front of my lathe when doing a long job.

[khunPer]

Congratulations.

 

I stopped completely 3 years ago, i.e. August 2015, but was only smoking 3-5 cigarettes a day, so not that difficult to quit.

 

My youth was in the happy hippie era, and at that time elmost everybody smoked, and everything that could be smoked was tried. Most of us hippies, however only tried it, and continued with cigarettes – or pipe – only. Most of my working years was in the music business, and in the 1970'ies to 1990'ies lots of smoking in the studio, I presume  the smoke-fog was necessary for the right inspiration, both in studio and control room – many were chain smokers and 40+ a day was not unusual – just like a smoke machine in a disco...?

 

Quitting the cigarettes began in the early 1990'ies, when I moved my company to new premises, and established a "smoking policy"; i.e. no smoking in the company. Those few of us that still smoked at that time had to smoke at home, go outside, the latter was Okay in the summertime, but little – if not very – unpleasant during the cold Danish late fall, winter, and early spring...?

 

Sitting at home I gladly took revenge and smoked a lot when working on the computer, until I realized that I just lit a cigarret, placed in the ashtray, got busy with the screen-work, and when I wanted to continue smoking then the cigarette had already smoked itself. Well, as I was smoking because it believed I liked it, there was no reason to continue that habit, so instead I smoked only when having a break, and could enjoy a damn good cup of coffee, and a cigarret.

 

When moving to Thailand, and the all year pleasant outdoor climate at Koh Samui, no more indoor smoking – bedroom smoking I had always banned, as I didn't want to sleep in a room that had been smoked in – and when smoking became more and more difficult at most places, where you need to head to a dedicated smoking area, a limit began. Also when commuting to Europe, which I in the beginning of my LoS-era did 6-7 times a year, it was impossible to smoke during the quite long trip, except when changing flight in the aiprot's smoking cabins, and I couldn't stand them, feeling sick just opening the door...?

 

A trip up to Bangkok i 2015 was the final decision, as I had to take the hotel lift down to the street, and find a place there, where I could enjoy my after dinner cigarette – that was not joyful at all, I gave up finding a corner somewhere – only the last day I realized that the hotel had a dedicated outdoor smoking area at 17th floor, but being there I had a feeling like being in a zoo, and I was the animal...?

 

Actually not that difficult at all, when over two decades having slowed down from 20 cigarettes a day to 3-5 a day; and looking at the bright side of life I don't need to remember cigarrettes in my pocket, a lighter, and care about finding a dedicated smoking area whenever heading out for dinner or nightlife...?

 

My advice could be: slow down, enjoy when smoking, then you don't need to smoke that much – most folks can sleep 8 hours without smoking – and then it's not that difficult to stop...?

[Tanna]

Like many others I gave up when I left school.

 

Best thing I ever did.

 

In Australia then ..  1968 ..   2 oz. packet of Drum  .72 c         Tally Ho papers .05c      Box Redhead matches  .02 c.