Quit Smoking! - Wentzville,MO

I quit 12 years ago and it was hard, but going cold turkey is the only way! And figure out the cigarettes that are the hardest for you to give up and if its a routine, change it! My husband also quit just after I did and for him it was not having a beer for a while because that was when he REALLY wanted a cigarette! The other thing my hubby did was lifesavers! I don't know how many packs he went through, but I think we helped their budget for a while, LOL!! But it helped him to have something like that after dinner and whenever he wanted a cigarette. For a lot of people it is first thing in the morning, right after they eat and when they are at the club, so it may mean changing some things.

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Hi Molly,

GOOD FOR YOU to want to QUIT!! You've accomplished the first hurdle... wanting to quit.

I, personally, have never smoked... but my mother did when I was growing up. Let me tell you what I remember. I remember the horrible smell in my hair, my clothes, our furniture and mom's breath, (whenever she went to give us a kiss).

Sometimes we'd come in contact with her ashes. One time, during the summer, we were in the car with the windows down and she flicked some ashes out the window. I was sitting behind her and the ashes flew right into my eye. Needless to say that hurt. One day while we were in a hurry, my sister was touched on the arm by a lit cig. Yep, it burnt her arm.

My sister and were also often sick with colds and upper respiratory infections.

I also remember getting the candy cig's when I was young and pretending to smoke them. I thought it was the grown-up thing to do. When I was about 7 years old, I found out my 10 year old sister started smoking. It didn't last long, mom saw to that. She was only curious and saw our mom do it. What kind of message was that sending to my sister??

As we got older, my sister then in her teens, started again. Mom put a stop to it again, this time to a very rebellious girl.

All during my teen years, mom tried to quit. She finally kicked it when she fell and busted her achilles tendon. It wasn't the fall that "broke" her, it was while she was healing, she started not feeling well. She went to the doctor and found out after several tests, that she had a blood clot near her lung. If that thing had made it to her heart, I'm sure you know what would've happen. She was only in her mid-40's. That was enough to scare her to quit.

I'm telling you all this to give you a kid's point-of-view.
Also, I hope it doesn't take something like what my mom went through for you to quit.

I really don't know, firsthand, the struggle that smokers experience when they quit. But I do feel for you. I do know that when you say you smoke outside and not in the car, etc. unfortunately, you're still exposing your kids to the cig's toxins.

I hope I'm not sounding preachy, that's not my intend at all. I know that smoking is a touchy subject for some. Just take into consideration how much healthier you and the kids will be once you quit. Keep remembering the positive as your motivation.

Hope this helps and that I didn't offend you or anyone else who reads this. ls

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Sounds like you are ready to quit which is the first step. You are fortunate in that you haven't been smoking 30-40 years so if you quit smoking now, your body can repair a lot of the damage!!! My mom quit a year ago using Chantix. She smoked for 35 years. She also used mints, altoids, tic tacs. Something to help with the hand mouth fixation. (Try to make it sugarfree so you don't get a lot of cavities) Also, you might need to stay away from friends and family and situations where you will be tempted to smoke (at least for a while). My mom had a group of friends at work who all went out to smoke and when she was quitting, they would try and pull her back into the "smoking circle". People have also told me that when they want to smoke they do something else like exercise, deep breathing, if you can get past that craving part you will be successful. The Chantix has a great success rate! Good luck, I will pray for you!

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Just an FYI...Chantix is expensive as people said, but you may qualify to get it free. It does of course depend on your income, but look at the drug company's website (can't remember who makes it) and it will explain how to qualify...you never know!

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Hi Molly,
The prescription Chantix works!!! Go to your doc, tell him to write you a script, then pick it up at the pharmacy. It's like $120 initially, then like $40 for the follow up scripts. My husband used the initial pack, then didn't even go back to get more--he quit the 1st week b/c his brain receptors didn't allow the nicotine in, so smoking was useless (you smoke the 1st week while taking the pills.) After that first crummy week, the addiction is over.

BUT--he really wanted to quit. You have to want to, b/c smokers know that when anything in life stresses you out, cigs will calm. The real addiction is over, but the habit is THE hardest thing to break. If you're truely ready to change how you handle daily stress in life without cigs, then you can do it. My hubby quit on Feb 12, 2008 and has been smoke free since. It's so worth the money if you're ready to make the life change.

P.S. We enrolled in flex pay with our health insurance, so that the company takes out a certain amount of $$ each month all year long. So whenever we purchase any medicine/prescriptions, they reimburse us. We did that with the Chantix purchase. Something to think about if you have it available.
Best wishes!
Angie

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My heart goes out to you. I smoked for 25 years and haven't had a cigarette in 26 years. I started when I was 16. I was standing in my kitchen and I can show you the exact spot, when the Lord told me to "Throw those away". So I did and it was the hardest thing I've ever done. But then I have an extremely addictive personality.
Our nephew quit last year and he took a new medicine thats out now. I can't remember the name but he said it was great.
I hope you can do this and it is so wonderful to be a non smoker. No trying to sneak away for a smoke and just to be set free from it is so great. And take the money you would spend on cigarettes and buy yourself something. As expensive as cig. are now, you can buy yourself a big something.
You will never be sorry you quit and if I can quit anyone can.
God bless you and go for it.

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OMG quitting smoking was the hardest thing I have ever done!!!! I also am a stay at home mom of a 4 year old boy and a 3 year old boy that some days drive me crazy! Get people around you that care and want to support you! Cinnimon is a natural counter for nicotine, but be careful it will actualy burn your mouth and leave soars if you eat too much, ask me how I know that, yes it happened to me! March 5th will be my year of quitting. My husband and I quit together and he went back after 3 months which we decided if we didn't want to get divorced that would be best. We used the Chantx pills and they made us crazy!!!!! We were soo depressed and didn't know it. Just be determined and don't give in no matter what!

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girl i am so not going to judge you - i have battled this too, and am still battling it. i quit in september, but then had some traumatic weeks and it was all shot to heck. so i just wanted to tell you what happened when i "quit" the first time - i made a rule that i would not EVER smoke around or within sight of my son - helped by the fact that he started noticing when i was doing it. so that cut out bascially every waking moment except when i was at work. for a few weeks i only smoked at work, then when i decided, this is ridiculous, if i can NOT smoke for 2/3 of my day and entire weekends, there's no reason for me to smoke at all...and the biggest challenge i had to face was what to do on breaks. i found some good books (i reccommend the Highlander series by Karen Marie Moning) to keep me distracted. anyway, now that i've given you my spiel it seems to me that i should take my own advice. still trying to quit (at work) for the second time! wishes us both luck!

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Unfortunately I don't know any natural remedies to help quit smoking. However, let me just say, "CHANTIX!" IT IS A MIRACLE & I LOVE IT! This drug is not an antidepressant like some people believe. You smoke the first week you start taking the medicine so that your body gets used to it. Seriously, by the end of the week you will not even crave a cigarette and if you do smoke, it does nothing for you. You will not have the normal withdrawl symptoms of quitting cold turkey. There are some side effects like vivad dreams and slight nausea, but if you can handle it I highly recommend it. Talk to your doctor or read some more about it! Let's keep our fingers crossed & good luck to you!

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First, I have to commend you that you don't smoke near or around your children! I was a closet smoker for many years. Never did I smoke around my children or my husband. Obviously my husband knew about it, I just didn't smoke around him. Over the years I tried the patch, meds from my doctor, going cold turkey, nothing worked. When I was ready, and that is the key, I got hypnotized. Not by the one or two day people that say it works. I went to Dr. Potter in Manhattan. It took about 7 appointments all together. I stopped smoking after the first appointment that he hypnotized me. I haven't touched a cigarette, much less smoked one in almost 7 years. I never even had a craving!!! It was the easiest thing I ever did. I know several people who tried it and id didn't work. I think the key is YOU have to be ready to quit. And, the reason has to be for you and nobody else. I think smoking is the most difficult habit to break. As far as gaining weight, it's probably going to happen. :( Just think how much better you will feel and how much healthier you will be though. Good luck to the both of you!
-M.

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Shawnee Mission Medical Center offers a great class that includes all the latest research and methods to help quit smoking. Call ###-###-#### to find out about it.

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Hi Molly...your last question was, Why can't I stop? Honestly? It's because you don't really want to. I smoked heavily for 12 years and managed to quit before I turned 30 without help. You can do it. Yes, it's an addiction, but you can do quit when you make up your mind to commit. We make decisions to do things all day long, every week of every month of every year. You're just going to make a bigger decision and commit to it; like how we commit to our kids, or go to work every day or brush our teeth. Don't make it a monumental problem that's bigger than you. Truthfully, we are never smaller than our obstacles. Recognize your weak moments and plan ahead on how to deal with it. For instance, I couldn't walk into a gas station for a long while (this was before pay-at-the-pump) and I couldn't eat tacos either...:-) yes, for some reason I had a strong association with tacos and cigarettes. And bars, of course. Anyway, I went cold turkey. Eventually, I just felt that for me smoking was ugly and I thought negatively when I saw people smoking in their cars, etc. And honestly, I still love it. I don't mind second hand smoke. Once in a while I get grossed out, but generally I'm glad for the inhale. :-) Every now and then I smoke in my dreams! My foundation now lies in all the days when I 'just said no'. If I had one today, I'd be right back to where I was over 12 years ago (geez, time flies). I can't really do that to myself. Anyway, good luck. Hang in there. You've the power to 'just say no' and make it happen for yourself.

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The patch isn't gross; smoking is gross! Use the patch and start doing aerobic exercise so you can immediately tell the difference in how well you can breathe. Then you will not want to go back.

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Molly,

I smoke also and have tried to quit so I know its hard. Exercise I think could help a lot. When I exercise I smoke less because it makes it easier to exercise. Maybe try walking or jogging. It is something your family can do together. Your husband and your children could all get involved. Play more outside games with your kids. It is good insentive to quit. Less smoking means you can play tag with your children longer. It's naturally and I don't see any negative side effects. Good luck!

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We used Wellbutren with great success, we both stopped in 1 month and that was over 10 yrs ago
It has some side effects like bad dreams but this too passes.
Talk to your Dr he has the answers
Good Luck
It really is a filthy habit

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My sister has been using Chantix and it has worked very well for her. I know it's not natural and insurance doesn't cover it (hers doesn't at least) and to pay for it outright costs $130/month. Good luck and hang in there...I know it's hard :)

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Have you tried Chantix? My father in law said it really works. He said if he had really really wanted to quit he could have done it with this, but he just wasn't quiet ready. Best of luck!!

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I don't know if I'd say I was a major smoker but I did smoke maybe 5 cigs a day. The day I found out I was preg I quit cold turkey. He is now 16 months and I've had maybe 2 or 3 and that was at a party with our new neighbors and like you said NOT around the baby. I never had to use any of the patches or gum etc. There was a commercial a few years back that showed a picture of your kid(s) in the plastic film cover of your pack. I believe the slogan was "If you can't quit for yourself, do it for your kids" Maybe it's worth a try. Put a family pic in you pack and whenever you go to smoke think of what would happen to your kids if cancer took your life. How their life would be without their mother...... You'd miss out on them growing and all the wonderful experiances!! You can do this!!!!!!!!!! Keep me posted.

I was just reading some of the other posts. One of my husbands co-workers(and a good friend of ours) used that Chantix and he did GREAT on it. I know you want to do it natural but I thought I'd mention that just to let you know!!

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Our church has a stop smoking program that WORKS if you stick too it. There are a couple of things that I can suggest from the program but if you would like a full copy of it, let me know and I can help you get it. First thing you do is find all the cigerettes in the house and crush them and throw them away. Make sure you get them all so that you don't have the temptation. This would work better if you can convince your husband to do it with you. Next, get some grapefruit juice to drink any time you do get a craving for one. The vitamin C helps to flush the nicotine out of your system and the grapefruit also makes the cigerette taste worse. Also chew cinnimon gum; Big Red works well for this.

The hardest part about quiting is actually cutting the habit, not the addiction. If you can go without a smoke for a full week, you will not have any more of the nicotine in your system, however, it takes longer to quit the habit. So figure out what your most likely times are to want to smoke out of habit, like after a meal, and change your routine. For instance, brush your teeth after every meal so that your brain does get the message that it is time for a smoke.

That is all the I can think of at the moment but there are a lot more things in the program. Prayer is one more thing! Pray for help. Good luck and let me know if you want more info.

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It's great that you quit smoking while you were pregnant. That's how I was able to quit. After my first daughter was born, I thought I might as well just not start smoking again. Could you maybe talk yourself into that? Pretend you didn't start again after the baby was born? If you are still breast feeding, you probably shouldn't smoke, because the nicotine gets into the breast milk. Think about that next time you want to pick up a cigarette. Also, just try to remind yourself what a hassle it is to go outside in the cold to smoke, and that you don't want to set a bad example for your kids. I think quitting smoking is mostly mental...for me it was, anyway. There is a pill now that your doctor can give you that is supposedly very effective for the physical component, although I'm not sure you can use it while you're breast feeding. Good luck. Smoking is gross, and I'm glad you want to quit.

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hiya molly , i am E. age 56 . i quit twice in my life , first time for four yrs , i just made up my mine and keep telling my self all the reason i should and how bad they are for me , like stains on my teeth , bad for my health , bad breath , cost so much , the money would do better for me in other area's of my life , etc , etc . i started back when life got tough on me in a ending marriage , but i quit again four yrs later and have been stopped now for 12 yrs and am so glad i did . same way just made up my mine to do it and did it. i have watch others try so many gimmic to stop , but the best way i have seen is to just quit cold turkey . it takes about two weeks for the wanting of one to stop . for the first 6 or 8 yrs once in a while i would think about cigs and it went away fast , soon as i thought about it . my dad died of troat cancer in 1988 and he was in so much pain and had to breath out of a hole in his neck , that inspired me also to stop , there is nothing good about smoking , i never gain any thing from it and lost so much from it . it gives u wrinkles , bad bones , and cancer also , i pray u think on it and just give them up , u can do it , u r stronger than any cigs and they are not worth ur life or ur husband life .good luck and god be with u .E.

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Congratulations on a decision you are sure to never regret!

It isn't enough to quit smoking, you need to heal the addiction. After 5 years of unsuccessful and frustrating efforts, I successfully quit more than 24 years ago. It did take some amount of focus and determination, but I learned to first develop a very positive attitude about the process. I wanted the freedom!!! Since then I have become a therapist and have learned much about the nature of addiciton, both physically and emotionally.

I have been able to help people heal addictions successfully by teaching them to heal the emotional habits and impulses. But most people also need help with the physical impulses and turn to medications I feel are truly dangerous, like Chantix, which some appreciate but is often problematic. A far safer option that I have known many people to find consistent success with is auricular therapy. It is a relatively painless acupoint therapy, using lasar instead of needles, on significant acupoints on the ears and hands. I know family, friends, and clients who swear by this method.

Chantix, or veranicline, is a drug that inhibits one of the brains natural metabolic functions so that you will not be able to experience a sense of satisfaction from smoking. When this natural brain function is inhibitted, there are several symptomolgies (side effects) that can occur, such as sleep disturbances, vivid dreams, abdominal and digestive discomfort, etc. Occasionally, one of those 'side effects' is suicide. A dear friend we had known for more than 30 years and has always been one of the most mentally healthy people we have known decided to quit smoking about this time last year. His MD prescribed Chantix. When he complained to his MD about the 'side effects', the doctor failed to stop the prescription and added an antidepressant instead. In March, this precious friend committed suicide "to get the voices out of his head". His brain was not even able to recognize that these drugs were causing him to hear the voices. None of us saw this coming. I suppose you could say the drug worked. He certainly will not smoke again! (Forgive my obvious disdain for this drug and those who sell it when suicide is a possible side affect.) Taking medications that inhibit necessary brain physiology can be a very slippery slope. It is ridiculuous, at best, and I believe truly cruel, to prescribe such toxic substances when perfectly healthy and highly effective methods are easily available. What ever happened to "First, do no harm"? Auricular therapy has a 95% success rate by itself. With EFT it is almost certain to work. These therapies are entirely non-toxic and have never killed anyone!!!

EFT, or Emotional Freedom Techniques, is the technique I teach to many of my clients. You can learn more about it at www.Emofree.com. Some have successfully learned it on their own, but most people learn it more effectively by seeing a therapist who is well trained. If you live near a larger city, you should be able to find a doctor practicing auricular therapy by Googling. I have seen people quit using only auricular therapy and others using only EFT. The combination is synergy at its best.

As you can see, I do have strong opinions about this subject, but they are experienced, educated and fairly considered opinions, nonetheless. May you find a healthy way to heal the addiction and enjoy the freedom of overthrowing the addiction tyrant!

By the way, I quit smoking 19 years before my husband did. He supported my choice to not smoke by never smoking in the car, home, or too near me. His support and consideration is something I always appreciated. So, talking this over with him might help you tremendously.

Ah, the quit smoking dilemma. For years I wanted to quit, but the emotional instability was so hard on those around me that I decided then that it was healthier for everyone else if I kept smoking. Then I got pregnant (big surprise) at 37 years old. And I tried quitting for the baby. And tried, and failed, and tried, and failed...and I felt truly miserable about it, being a horrible mother, endangering my baby, and so on, and still couldn't quit.

Then I found the website http://www.becomeanex.org and learned more about the various aspects of the addiction and strategies for quitting. It's completely free and extremely helpful, and it's basically all about learning to deliberately train yourself out of smoking (since you've spent so many years unintentionally training yourself into it). Is it easy? No, by no means. In fact, I had been successfully tobacco free for eight months when I had a relapse that lasted about three weeks before I started to get a grip on it again. If I had known how hard it would be, I might not have done it at all, and just continued smoking. The feeling of "I absolutely need a cigarette RIGHT NOW" is overpoweringly strong, and for me it lasted 24/7 for about the first 3 months before it began to subside, but I think it may be different for each individual.

Best of luck to you:)