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Tobacco Wars Documentary - Part I, II & III

jillar

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Blog Entries posted by jillar

  1. jillar
    JackiMac
    Posted October 17, 2014 · IP 
     
     
    Whenever a smoker feels down, depressed, lost, angry, bitter I could go on with the many emotions that we feel in life, but a smoker will always turn to that one thing "crutch" (excuse as we now know it to be) to make them feel better.  Yes Im talking about the nicotine fix, the cigarette, one cigarette will make everything better.  We all know that one thing that stops many people from finally quitting or attempting to quit is the loss of this "crutch".  How will I cope without it.  I thought it might be really good idea to write down what we replaced our crutch with,  As our quit progresses it will be really good to see how our replacements improve.
     
    I didnt stop to think of it until today.  Been a stressful few days with my dad and my future mother in law being admitted to hospital and today I reached a point where that thought popped into my head.  I am so stressed out I could really do with a cigarette. OMG!! luckily for me at that precise moment in time I was dealing with phone calls, arranging for someone to take my son to Football practice, trying to move money, so that thought did not grow and I did not allow it to grow.  Keeping myself very busy replaced my desire or need for a cigarette.  
     
    Can we share for all those thinking about quitting or afraid of quitting how easy it is to replace the Nicotine Crutch.
     
    A Crutch
    Think about it :
    Over the years, you’ve learned to manage your life with a crutch...
    This crutch will follow you wherever you go, but will reduce the length and quality of your life by poisoning you slowly, while you watch a small fortune go up in smoke…
    So what’s the point of smoking?
    Do you really believe you can’t experience life without a paper tube stuffed with bits of a plant?
    Most people don’t smoke, and yet they also know how to have fun and deal with hard or boring times. So...
    The sooner you decide to take action, the better your chance of learning how to breathe again without a crutch
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/3133-how-can-we-replace-the-crutch-of-nicotine/
     
  2. jillar

    I'm A Quitter

    By jillar,


    Blogs
    My husband loves to tell anyone who will listen that I'm a quitter. I "quit" my twenty year professional cleaning service ( actually the high costs of Workers comp in the state at the time forced me to close). 
    I quit my ice cream truck business (because it sucked watching everyone having a good time while I was out putting two steps forward and ending up one step back).
    I quit throwing shingles to him up on the roof ( that one was his own fault for being a jerk on the roof). 
    And then I quit smoking...
    I've quit quitting many a time and never really called them relapses because quite honestly I never quit to begin with. I simply abstained for a while.
    I really had to work myself up to just doing it. I gave myself little pep talks for months leading up to my forever quit. Saying things like "all good(?) things must come to an end". Then I would remind myself of all the things I had outgrown and convinced myself that smoking would soon be one of them.
    So on Sunday May 29, 2016 around 5:00 pm I smoked the last cigarette in my pack and that was that. Or so I thought.....
    Over the next five or so hours I proceeded to smoke every butt in my ashtrays. You see, I didn't tell anyone I quit just in case I failed so I hadn't cleaned and put away the ashtrays. So on Sunday May 29, 2016 at 10:15 pm I quit. 
    It wasn't always easy and some days were downright brutal for me but most of that was my own darn fault. I didn't embrace the beauty in being a quitter. I was too busy feeling sorry for myself for not " getting" to smoke like everyone else could. 
    Looking back now i truly believe your mindset is what is going to dictate how hard or how easy your quit will be. Choose easy....
  3. jillar
    Angeleek
    Quit Date: January 17, 2020
     
    Posted August 14, 2021 
     
    Probably never. I'm pretty sure most long-time smokers and ex-smokers will agree that you'll probably never be ready to quit smoking, until something terrible happens to you or someone you love. 
     
    If you are new to smoking (or vaping, chewing, whatever), or haven't yet smoked for 20 or 30 years, just go ahead and quit now. Don't wait until you are ready, as that may be too late. Be ready to invest in your future health NOW. It's your future health you will save if you stop smoking now. When you are older, and no longer burdened by the emotional heartache of "growing up", you will be more concerned about preserving your health. You will be so blessed, and so grateful to your younger self, for having stopped smoking before you got sick.
     
    You will never be ready to quit smoking, but you can always be ready to make an investment in yourself, and your future, and your future health. Your health is your greatest asset. Preserve it and you keep the gold. Invest in yourself by stopping smoking now. Your future self will thank you! 
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/16217-when-will-you-finally-be-ready-to-quit-smoking/
     
  4. jillar
    JackiMac
    Quit Date: 1st November 2018
     
    Posted May 5, 2014
     
    I Wrote this before and still feel people who want to quit are not getting the message!
     
    Death the one taboo subject.....the one subject most people are scared to talk about, it frightens me, scares me to death! I don't like thinking about it, its the unknown.............BUT what really gets to me now is that for the last 30+ years I was more afraid of giving up smoking WHAT seriously I was so so afraid to lose "my friend" the cigarette, the one thing that would most certainly kill me, I couldn't imagine life without smoking, yet I knew the pain and suffering it would most certainly cause, I kept telling myself it wouldn't get to that with me, I was special, I wouldn't suffer, I wouldn't get cancer, breathing problems, heart problems the list could go on.  Over the last few days I have sat and read shared stories, posts about relatives, friends, strangers who have lost their fight for life because of "their friend" the cigarette, and what struck me is although they all were scared to die, they still all were too scared to stop smoking, beggars belief.  My Ex husband (54) has recently come out of hospital after having a heart attack, first thing he did when he left Light Up a Cigarette, FFS, do we really think so little of ourselves, are we not far more important, we can get a second chance at life by keeping the quit, but once you are dying there is no second chance, so come on get over the fear of quitting, smoking is not your friend....it will kill you.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/1167-the-fear-of-quitting-smoking/
     
     
  5. jillar

    Junkie Thinking

    By jillar,


    General
    MarylandQuitter
    Quit Date: 10/07/2013
     
    Posted April 2, 2014 
     
    What are some other excuses to smoke?
     
    Excuses to smoke
    JUNKIE THINKING: “One Puff won’t hurt”
    RESPONSE: “One puff will always hurt me, and it always will because I’m not a social smoker. One puff and I’ll be smoking compulsively again.”
     
    JUNKIE THINKING: “I only want one.”
    RESPONSE: “I have never wanted only one. In fact, I want 20-30 a day every day. I want them all.”
     
    JUNKIE THINKING: “I’ll just be a social smoker.”
    RESPONSE: “I’m a chronic, compulsive smoker, and once I smoke one I’ll quickly be thinking about the next one. Social smokers can take it or leave it. That’s not me.”
     
    JUNKIE THINKING: “I’m doing so well, one won’t hurt me now.”
    RESPONSE: “The only reason I’m doing so well is because I haven’t taken the first one. Yet once I do, I won’t be doing well anymore. I’ll be smoking again.”
     
    JUNKIE THINKING: “I’ll just stop again.”
    RESPONSE: “Sounds easy, but who am I trying to kid? Look how long it too me to stop this time. And once I start, how long will it take before I get sick enough to face withdrawal again? In fact, when I’m back in the grip of compulsion, what guarantee do I have that I’ll ever be able to stop again?”
     
    JUNKIE THINKING: “If I slip, I’ll keep trying.”
    RESPONSE: “If I think I can get away with one little “slip” now I’ll think I can get away with another little “slip” later on.”
     
    JUNKIE THINKING: “I need one to get me through this withdrawal.”
    RESPONSE: “Smoking will not get me through the discomfort of not smoking. I will only get me back to smoking. One puff stops the process of withdrawal and I’ll have to go through it all over again.”
     
    JUNKIE THINKING: “I miss smoking right now.”
    RESPONSE: “Of course I miss something I’ve been doing every day for most of my life. Bud do I miss the chest pain right now? Do I miss the worry, the embarrassment? I’d rather be an ex-smoker with an occasional desire to smoke, than a smoker with a constant desire to stop doing it.”
     
    JUNKIE THINKING: “I really need to smoke now, I’m so upset.”
    RESPONSE: “Smoking is not going to fix anything. I’ll still be upset, I’ll just be an upset smoker. I never have to have a cigarette. Smoking is not a need; it’s a want. Once the crisis is over, I’ll be relieved and grateful I’m still not smoking.”
     
    JUNKIE THINKING: “I don’t care.”
    RESPONSE: “What is it exactly that I think that I don’t care about? Can I truthfully say I don’t care about chest pain? I don’t care about gagging in the morning? I don’t care about lung cancer? No, I care about these things very much. That’s why I stopped smoking in the first place.”
     
    JUNKIE THINKING: “What difference does it make, anyway?”
    RESPONSE: “It makes a difference in the way I breathe, the way my heart beats, the way I feel about myself. It makes a tremendous difference in every aspect of my physical and emotional health.”
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/31-junkie-thinking/
     
     
  6. jillar

    Lifetime of Addiction

    By jillar,


    General
    Sazerac
    Quit Date: October 23, 2013, A Good Day to be Free.
     
    Posted October 3, 2014
     
    Our Nancy asked me to post this from my blog to 'Quit Smoking Discussion'.  Thank you Nancy.
     
    Lifetime of Addiction
     
     
    I didn't want to hear this
    but, I am now facing this truth.
    Nicotine Addiction doesn't go away.
    You can put it to sleep.
    You can even put it into deep deep and deeper sleep for years !
    but, it will awaken the moment you take one puff.
    One Puff.
    This is for your whole life.
    Mind boggling, huh !?
     
    This was the choice you likely didn't even know you were making
    all those years ago when you started smoking,
    I didn't understand the ramifications for sure.
    But, it is the truth.
    You will always need to be cognizant of your addiction
    even when smoking is a vague memory,
    because the moment you take a puff,
    the moment you take One Bloomin' PUFF,
    That's it !
    It's all over and your enslavement will begin, again.
     
    What tenacity !
    but, you need to understand,
    Nicotine is not as tenacious as You and Your Will.
    You can quit. I know you can.
    I quit and I am not a special snowflake,
    I am a Nicotine Addict, just like you.
     
    I have great resentment about my Nicotine Addiction.
    Damn....I didn't know it would be so invasive.
    I didn't know it was going to be a lifetime relationship.
    I am so angry about this
    and it is My Own Damn Fault !
    But, my anger, it is a good anger.
    It is a righteous anger.
    It is an anger that will fuel my commitment to NOPE.
    Not One Puff EVER.
     
    Copping to the 'forever' part is a cold hard reality of the addiction.
    At some point, I had to quit fooling myself and accept it.
    It isn't just for today.
    It must be forever.
    If it isn't...I will continue to enslave myself.
     
    Some feel their addiction is so strong they cannot quit,
    This is wrong.
    You have the power.
    You always have the power to quit and you always have the power to stay quit.
     
    Make the commitment to NOPE !
     
    As our friend, Sarge, says, 'Easy Peasy'.
    Easy ! not complicated !
    This is not Rocket Science.
     
    If you make that commitment to NOPE...you will not fail.
    You Will Not Fail.
    The simplicity of it !
    The Beauty of it !
    Not One Puff Ever.
    Do it.
    You won't regret it.
     
    Love,
    S
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/2927-lifetime-of-addiction/
     
  8. jillar

    Quitting On A Whim

    By jillar,


    General
    Sazerac
    Quit Date: October 23, 2013, A Good Day to be Free.
     
    Posted August 8, 2016 
     
    Many successful quitters here on QTrain have quit on a whim
    and just like them, I quit on a whim too.
    This is what led me to making one of the most important decisions in my life on a whim...
     
    It was after a trip to California,  
    where finding a place to smoke was problematic
    and I was among non smoking friends. 
     
    For the first time,
    I started seeing addiction for the slavery that it is and I acknowledged my bondage.
    When slipping outside for another smoke, I glibly announced,
    "I'm going out now, to shoot up."
     
    On the aeroplane back home,  a colossal coughing fit overwhelmed me.
    I had to stand in the back while attendants tapped my back and brought me water.
    That was weird, I thought.  That was awful.  What was that about ?
     
    After landing,  I didn't rush outside for a smoke before climbing into a jitney.
    Something had changed.
    Instead, I  thought, why don't you try and quit....you already have 6 or 7 hours clean ?  Why not ? 
    Let's quit smoking for a while and see how that feels. 
     
    I spent the next 72 hours sleeping a lot, drinking whisky
    and reading all about quitting smoking, all about nicotine addiction.
    After those days, as nicotine left my body,
    quitting became a wager with myself,  a bargain. 
     
    'If you don't feel better in five minutes...
    maybe you'll feel better tomorrow...
    if you are not feeling pretty good by next week...
    or,  in a month...see what happens after a year.'
    You can always go back to smoking. You know what that feels like.
     
    The thing was....I was feeling Free.  
    While I was beating a trigger or a crave....I was learning how to be Free.
    It was intoxicating !  It was empowering !
    That was where the whim became a serious enterprise.
    I realized, I would conquer any obstacle to my freedom from nicotine, it was just a matter of time and choice.
     
    Maybe you will quit on a whim.
    You don't need much.  
    Cool clear Water,  the fresh Air you breathe,  some Kindness towards yourself, and a Willingness To Be free.
     
     
    and from our friend, Joel Spitzer,  here are resources regarding Setting Quit Dates
     
     
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/7378-quitting-on-a-whim/
     
  9. jillar

    Stop Waiting

    By jillar,


    General
    Soberjulie
     
    Posted April 10, 2014 
     
    Stop Waiting 
    Author: Unknown.
    Last sentence: Mine 


    So stop waiting until you finish school,
    until you go back to school,
    until you lose ten pounds,
    until you gain ten pounds,
    until you have kids,
    until your kids leave the house,
    until you start work,
    until you retire,
    until you get married,
    until you get divorced,
    until Friday night,
    until Sunday morning,
    until you get a new car or home,
    until your car or home is paid off,
    until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter,
    until you are off welfare,
    until the first or fifteenth,
    until your song comes on,
    until you've had a drink,
    until you've sobered up,
    until you die,
    until you are born again
    to decide that there is no better time
    than right now
    to quit smoking. 
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/483-stop-waiting/#elControls_9518_menu
     
  10. jillar
    Doreensfree
    Quit Date: 7 /8/2013
     
    Posted August 14, 2017 
     
    I'm here to tell you exactly what it's like to live with C.O.P.D/emphysema..
    It starts with a cough..that get alot worse and persistent.. People put it down to a smokers cough..the time scale can differ, as were all different...all of a sudden it gets herder to do the things you could do easy..take the stairs,walk to the local shop,shower,ect...
    You get help with inhalers,clinic,s ,rehab,but nothing stops it's on slaught...
    Very slowly.. You are robbed of your life and depend on your spouse to tend to your needs..
    Giving time..depression sets in..then you have to deal with a double whammy..
    Panic attacks and anxiety start because all this is scarey stuff to deal with..
    This is how you will spend the rest of your life...and it could be years...
    Fighting for your every breath..panic and anxiety...on oxygen tanks...
    You owe it to yourself and your spouse to avoid this at all costs...
    I am that spouse and we deal with this on a daily basis....
    Quit..the risk of smoking is too high..x
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/8969-if-you-still-need-that-nudge-to-quitread-on/
     
  11. jillar

    Breaking Free of this Bondage

    By jillar,


    General
    DenaliBlues 2977
    Quit Date: February 10, 2022
     
    Posted December 26, 2022
     
    For years I thought that I was making a free choice to smoke. But my dependence was much deeper than that - chemical, emotional, ritual. I cannot be a casual smoker because I, too, am an addict. I know this because I exhibited many of the classic signs of addiction:
    I kept smoking even though it made me feel terrible and was harming my health.  Whenever nicotine ran low in my system, I would get agitated and jittery. The only thing that really mattered to me in those moments was getting my next fix.  I made irrational decisions about smoking. Like spending money on smokes even when money was frightfully tight and I was having a hard time making ends meet. Or going outside in hurricane-force winds to smoke, even though it was stupidly dangerous to do so. I isolated myself from friends and family, prioritizing my drug (nicotine) over those family relationships. I was not always truthful about how much I had smoked. Every time I tried to set limits or ration my smoking, I would inevitably revert to my baseline use. "Just one" would turn into "just one more" would turn into "Well, I've already blown it for today so I'll cut back tomorrow" would turn into a pack or more a day.  Breaking free of this bondage is a real gift of quitting. The addiction is part of me, lurking on the sidelines, able to be reactivated if I smoke even one. So I stay vigilant and say NOPE - Not One Puff Ever - to stay free.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/blogs/entry/1108-we-can-not-be-casual-smokers/
     
  12. jillar

    The Great Nicotine Free Mental Fog

    By jillar,


    General
    Sazerac
    Quit Date: October 23, 2013, A Good Day to be Free.
     
     
    Posted May 4, 2018 
     
            
     Surviving The Great NicotineFree Fog 
     
    Some people experience a mental fog soon after they quit smoking or using nicotine, others don't.
    It can last from a few hours to a few weeks or longer. 
    My fog wasn't consistent, showing  up unannounced and somewhat dismaying.
    Who am I kidding ?  It was disarming and seemed impenetrable.
    I couldn't have made thoughtful decisions and was glad they weren't necessary.
     
    My fog lasted over a month and lingered far too long. 
    Not what you want to hear, I know,  but remember, this was only my experience.
    Everyone's quit is unique, much has to do with attitude, general wellness, behavior/lifestyle, nutrition...
    Keep some tricks in your tool box to help you, just in case, and keep your blood sugar up.
     
    Antidotes ?
     
    forced walks, cold air, intentional breathing, too much coffee,  
    'embracing the suck', attention to my blood sugar, 
    alerting people that might be affected,
    not stressing out about it...understanding that it will pass.
     
    Duration and Density ? 
    On a scale, (10) drastically impaired to (0) normal.
     
    -For three days, with OTC help and Whisky,  I  flirted with informal catatonia   (10)
     
    -For two weeks, I had little concentration, I wasn't making executive decisions or problem solving  (7)  
     
    -At four weeks, I slowly wakened to lethargy (3) and indolence (2.5) 
     
    -It tapered off so  s l o w l y,  it was hard to mark but, that could have been my inattentiveness. pfftt.
     
     
     Have you experienced The Great Smoke Free Fog ? What helped you ? How dense was it ? When did it clear ?
     
     
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/10324-the-great-nicotine-free-mental-fog/
     
     
  13. jillar

    Are you scared to quit smoking?

    By jillar,


    General
    Colleen
    Quit Date: 6/2/13
     
    Posted June 13, 2015 
     
    I was scared too.  Thought I had this super addictive personality and all those who had successfully quit before me weren't really addicted to smoking.  Shortly after you quit, you are going to figure it out, but I'll let you in on the secret now...it's a bunch of baloney.  Nobody is more addicted to smoking than anyone else.  It's the monster otherwise known as nicotine playing tricks on you, kick his ass to the curb because once you let go of that illusion everything seems to fall into place.  
     
    Remember sticking your toe in the pool and thinking it's much too cold to swim in?  Do you also remember once you jumped in (or were pushed in) you realized it wasn't that bad at all?  That is exactly what quitting smoking is like.  It's 10 times more easier than you thought it was.  Okay, so it's not always rainbows and unicorns, but it's nowhere as bad as you think it is.  Trust me, this is coming from someone that couldn't go 3 hours without a cigarette.  Or trust my ticker, it doesn't lie 
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/5481-are-you-scared-to-quit-smoking/
     
  14. jillar

    So you want to stop smoking ..

    By jillar,


    General
    sherry
    Quit Date: 2-28-2014
     
    Posted November 28, 2014 · IP 
     
    Good for you!
     
    After 9 months smoke free, I can tell you it will be the best decision you ever make - Hands down.
     
    Will I tell you it will be easy? No. Will I tell you it can be easy? Yes. My dad put down his cigs about 20yrs ago and never looked back, for him it was easy, maybe you will be one of those who can just walk away, .... if you're like me, some days will be better than others... but oh sooo worth it!!
     
    Some advice,
     
    Once you put down your last cig, say to yourself and others "I've quit smoking".. DON'T say "I'm trying to quit"... once you put out that last cig YOU ARE QUIT.. ..unless you light another one and smoke it - you are quit!! ,..own it.. be proud of it..
     
    Don't be afraid to ask for help, support, a shoulder to lean on, an ear to listen, whatever it is you need in that moment to get you thru - ask,.. this addiction can be tough,.. but it can be beat, and we are here to help, so let us know what you need.
     
    Mark Twain said "It's easy to quit smoking, I've done it a thousand times"... a good number of us here on the QT can say the same, .. we've stopped only to start again,.. until we came here ... here we have the support when we need it, -  the laughter and silliness when we need that - distraction when we need that...
     
    You can quit today and next year at this time you can be celebrating your one year quit...
     
     
      One way I look at my quit is that it has been a lot  like the wheels on the train,...they moaned and groaned and spun wildly as they tried to grip the rail to gain traction at the beginning,.. but slowly it got easier, the wheels took hold, they turned faster as one day turned to another.. I worked hard to move ahead and not look back, .. there where a few "hills" that were hard to climb and to be honest I really thought of taking the easy way out a few times, but I didn't.. I dug deep pushed forward and with encouragement and support from the QT family I made it to the "top of the hill" and then coasted down the other side..
     
    I didn't give up on me..they didn't give up on me... and they/we won't give up on you... 
     
    Only you can put that cig in your mouth and light  it.
     
    Only you can decide NOT to light the next one..just that next one
     
    ........make that decision and  we'll be here to support you  ... 
     
     I promise 
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/3619-so-you-want-to-stop-smoking/
     
  15. jillar

    SHE WAS 16 AND BEAUTIFUL

    By jillar,


    General
    Cristóbal
    Quit Date: 14 October 2012
     
     
    Posted on QSMB Jul 25 2010 by JWG.
     
    She was 17 and thought it was cool
    She was 18 knew she was in control
    She was 19 living in the fast lane
    She was 20 and would quit before hitting 21
    She was 21 and thought new years eve was better
    She was 22 the new job was to much stress right now
    She was 23 and her fiancée smoked anyways
    She was 24 the baby would be fine, what’s a little nicotine
    She was 25 what else is there for a stay at home mom to do
    She was 26 job interviews are just to demanding
    She was 27 in this job you have to be social
    She was 28 her uncle just died but she would be alright
    She was 29 thinking this time Im ready and 30 is my number
    She was 30 maybe just one more year
    She was 31 who can handle a divorce all alone
    She was 32 working two jobs and life’s to hard
    She was 33 and the new boy friend doesn’t mind anyhow
    She was 34 wedding plans are all she could do
    She was 35 his kids are so wild , just need the break time to time
    She was 36 a quit would have to wait , to much on her plate
    She was 37 forty wont be to late
    She was 38 a daughter and two steps sons a mini van and career
    She was 39 one more year and so done
    She was 40 are you crazy and gain weight
    She was 41 and probably couldn’t anyways
    She was 42 and enjoy smoking
    She was 43 but I should try, just for a month
    She was 44 her little girl smoking, and wonders what went wrong
    She was 45 The Doctor said it wasn’t good
    She was never 46
     
     
    In Memory of JWG - Reposted by Cristóbal
    JWG Died of Lung Cancer shortly before his 4 Year Anniversary, 6 weeks after his diagnosis.
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/10730-jwg-post-she-was-16-and-beautiful-jul-25-2010/
     
  16. jillar
    babs609
    Posted March 28, 2014 · IP  (edited)
     
    1. It's not as hard as you think. Once you begin to be honest with yourself and to look at the facts about smoking, it will become a pleasure to remove this addiction from your life.
     
    2. Square off with your smoking habit. Look at it and size it up.  Ask yourself exactly what it is doing for you; then ask yourself what it is not doing for you. You can begin with your hair and work your way down to the tips of your toes. It is a medical fact that smoking affects every organ in the human body in a harmful way. 

    3. Look at quitting cigarettes as giving yourself a gift-a very big gift.  You are giving yourself a better quality of life and, very possibly, a longer life.  You are giving yourself a healthier body.  You are giving yourself more self-esteem. Wrap all this in a package and took at it for the gift it really is, then "Go for it!" 

    4. Set a date. Make a commitment. Give it a try.  Remember, it is alright if you don't succeed at first. Just keep trying. The only way you can lose 
    is by ceasing to try.
     
    5. Don't look at it as if you are giving up something. This makes it seem too much like a loss. What you are really doing is tossing something out of your life that has done you harm and doesn't belong here anymore.  You are throwing away pure garbage. No longer are you going to allow your 
    lungs to be a resting place for nicotine and tars.
     
    6. Always keep a positive attitude.  After all, this is one of the most positive things you've ever done. Stay away from negative people and worrisome situations.
     
    7. Quit for yourself. Even though your family and loved ones will benefit tremendously from your quitting, it is you that will benefit most.
     
    8. Treat giving up smoking with the respect it rightly deserves.  Become willing to go to any lengths to remove it from your life.
     
    9. Look up the word 'nicotine' in your dictionary and write down the definition in big letters: "A poisonous alkaloid used as an insecticide.' 
    Put it where you can see it.
     
    10. Don't say "I'll take my chances' and continue to smoke. They are not ours to take. We didn't give ourselves life and we don't have the right to 
    "take our chances" on giving it away. 
     
    11.Don't fool yourself by saying you have too many pressures in your life right now to give up cigarettes. If you are smoking, this in itself is a pressures very great pressure. Every day is a gamble and your life is at stake. By getting nicotine out of your life, other things will become 
    easier to handle. You will feel better about yourself and you will have more energy. You will have accomplished something more meaningful than all 
    the money and material objects you could ever acquire. You will have given yourself what no one else could give you. You will no longer have the 
    pressure of being a smoker.
     
    12. Don't use the excuse that you might gain weight to justify your continuing to smoke. Even if you do gain a little, the fact that you will be more active and will get more exercise should counteract any weight gain. Remember, overeating, not stopping smoking, causes weight gain.
     
    13. Plan to do things that will keep your mind off smoking. Sometimes our minds can be our worst enemies. They will tell us that we need a cigarette 
    for just about any reason that is handy at the time. 
     
    14. Quit smoking one day at a time and think only about the part of the day you are in. "I am not going to smoke before noon." "I am not going to 
    smoke before three o'clock." Sometimes just do it one hour at a time. This is a lot easier than trying to quit forever.
     
    15. Don't subject yourself to smoky situations. If you do come in contact with someone who is smoking, just say to yourself "He HAS to smoke.  I no
    longer do"  and walk away.
     
    16. While you are quitting. Look at it as an investment. Once you have quit for one hour, you have invested this hour in becoming a healthier 
    person. Now, invest one more hour Continue to add to your investment hour by hour. It will grow and become more valuable as the hours go by. You 
    will begin to see and feel the rewards from this investment more and more. Protect and guard it just as you would a treasure.
     
    17. Start being kind to yourself, It is the beginning of a new way of life for you and you are the most important one there. Treat yourself with 
    respect and love and, remember, you are no longer filling your system with poison every few minutes. Breathe the clean air and breathe it deeply. 
    Smell the different and wonderful fragrances. Begin to spend time outdoors close to nature. Many new sensations await you.
     
    18. Don't get too angry. If we are angry, our minds tell us we need a cigarette to cope. Until your mind learns that it doesn't need a cigarette 
    to cope, try to avoid situations that might be setting you up. Avoid certain people that may bother you. If there is a lot of tension at work, try to get a few days off. If you can't get some time off, quit smoking on a long weekend. Avoid, as best you can, things like getting stuck in traffic. Use a lot of caution. Anger can be very destructive.
     
    19. Don't get too hungry. It is amazing how our minds will tell us that everything's wrong when all we really need to do is eat.

    20. Don't get too tired. If we are tired, it is easy to become irritated and when we get irritated our minds will tell us that a cigarette will help. Our overall resistance becomes weak and it is easy to say, "Oh well, I guess I'll smoke."
     
    21. Don't get too lonely. It is good to know some people who are going through the same thing.  
     
    22. You can remember these four things by the word "HALT." Hungry, angry, lonely, tired. If you feel you need a cigarette, check. Make sure you are 
    not experiencing any of these.
     
    23. Don't get too bored. It is hard to just sit and not smoke. Keep busy. Find things to do that you enjoy. Bike riding, hiking, swimming, exploring 
    new places, trying new restaurants. This is the time to indulge yourself.
     
    24. Have something to fidget with. We are accustomed to holding a cigarette; being without one might leave our hands at a loss. Get a small 
    rubber ball or a yo-yo. Paper clip, rubber band.
     
    25. Have something handy to put in your mouth. Life Savers are good, or any slowly dissolving candy. Beef jerky and lollipops help, too. Avoid 
    fattening foods like cookies. They don't last long and they fill you up. Experiment while you are still smoking to see what will relieve the 
    craving. If Life Savers work, then stock up. Just a note of caution: don't use this type of substitute on a long-term basis.  I preferred to keep 
    healthy snacks handy such as carrot sticks, celery, nuts, fruit.
     
    26.  Nicotine somehow doubles the rate by which the body depletes caffeine. This may make some jittery.  Reducing caffeine by half usually helps.
     
    27. Don't drink alcohol while you are quitting. Once alcohol is in your system your defenses will diminish greatly.
     
    28. Remember that the discomfort you experience in the first 2 weeks will definitely come to an end and you will never have to go through it again.
     
    29. Remember, every minute you were sucking on cigarettes they were sucking on you. They were sucking the very life out of you. Don't let them have anymore.
     
    30.  Remember, it is the first cigarette that gets you started. It takes only one. This is the one you don't have. You can always put off lighting that first one for a little while. Don't fool yourself and think you can start and stop at will. You can't. Many people have tried this and gone on to live the rest of their lives never to experience freedom from nicotine again. :)
     
    Link to original post: https://www.quittrain.com/topic/7-tips-for-gaining-freedom-from-nicotine-addiction/
     

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QuitTrain®, a quit smoking support community, was created by former smokers who have a deep desire to help people quit smoking and to help keep those quits intact.  This place should be a safe haven to escape the daily grind and focus on protecting our quits.  We don't believe that there is a "one size fits all" approach when it comes to quitting smoking.  Each of us has our own unique set of circumstances which contributes to how we go about quitting and more importantly, how we keep our quits.

 

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