Stop Smoking - Saint Charles,IL

I found that the gum was helpful. I tried cold turkey, the patch etc but the gum and pregnancy worked for me.
Go for it!

Good luck. I quit smoking the day I took a positive pregnancy test. I smoked almost a pack a day. Now that I have given birth and my husband still smokes (only 2 a day) it's REALLY hard NOT to smoke. And I am one of thoese people that it's all or nothing (i.e. I could never smoke just 1 or 2 a day). My advice... you could try hypnosis. I did that Jan of 2005 and it worked for about a month. A guy friend of mine did it 10 years ago from the same person and still hasn't smoked (only cigars). http://www.illinoisstopsmokinghypnosis.com/

You could also try this new laser surgery. I believe there is a place in Mokena. Good luck!!!!

me too. I am trying, my dad was just diagnosised with throat cancer. so that's even more pressure. Have you tried Wellbutrin?? that helps with the cravings.

This is how I, 'quit.' In my head, an occassional cigarrette is just as bad as going occassionally to McDonalds. It's not something you should do every day, but once in a while... with friends... is okay... same as drinking. I'm not going to sit @ home and have a few beers by myself(what's the fun in that?), but when I go out occassionally w/friends, it's okay. OR when I go out w/my wife and the moment calls for it.

Anyway, smoking is expensive. Smoke only when the moment rewards you of a smoke and not because you feel you need it.
Go back to 2 a day.. and then 1 a day... and when you want just 1 more? Go play w/your kids for 5 minutes or just go sit outside and take a few deep breaths adn enjoy the air. Whatever it is, get your mind off that craving. Pick up a puzzle w/your kids or go say hi to a loved one.
Get online. Do SOMETHING.
color. blow bubbles. Just don't dwell on the cig you're not having.

Try the nicotine patch. My mom smoked for 35 yrs. and tried to quit smoking with various methods. The patch worked the best!!! She has been smoke-free since she put it on 9 years ago. You have to want to quit! Good luck, V.

I am in the SAME BOAT as you. I have 3 boys 10,9,4 who tell me everyday that I shouldn't smoke. I've been looking into this new thing called lazer treatmeant. One of our LOCAL radio stations they had a show about it and one of the guys had it done to quite smoking and he hasn't had a cig. since he had it done. It's been 1 MONTH so far. I've tried the patch before and it didn't do anything I even smoked with the patch on. Good Luck!!

First, I want to say it’s always easier to give someone else advice. It’s certainly not easy to take advice and actually use it in your own life. That said, I think the most important part of quitting smoking is to really want to. Then, I believe it can help to make a list of all the important reasons to not smoke that you can refer back to when needed. Then make a list of all the positive things you can do instead of lighting up, i.e. going for a quick walk, reading 10 pages in a good book, taking a bubble bath…etc. I strongly believe that you have to replace one habit with another, preferably a bad habit with a positive one. I would also recommend that you plan ahead for a time to quit, when you can arrange for a little extra help, whether it can be family or a babysitter that helps out for about 2 weeks, when it will be the toughest hump to get over. Maybe it will be less for you, maybe longer. You will have to figure out how long you think you will need. I think it would also be helpful to have incentive goals. Such as, after 2 months of not smoking you can go get a facial or other spa treatment and work your way up to a complete spa day after a year. This is just an example of an incentive, different incentives work for different people. I am sure you can figure out some that would work for you. I hope this might be helpful.
Also, my mother suggests adding up the money you spend on the cigarettes and think about what you can save up to buy.
My mother and I want to wish the greatest luck for your health as well as for your children’s future! You are very right to want to be a better role model for them!

This response is for you and all the other moms out there (or dads) who have tried to stop smoking. You rock! It is so hard to break bad habits no matter what they are. I am not a smoker but I do know how hard it must be to stop. Addictions are tough. Keep on believing you can do it and you WILL succeed! You should be proud of your selves and keep on trying because every bit of it is gonna count. And not only will your body thank you for doing this kindness for it, but your child(ren)'s lungs will thank you too! Good luck and just know you're being cheered on...Let us know when you're smoke free. YOU CAN DO IT.

I'm 39 and was just finally able to quit 3 months ago after smoking for 24 years. I have 3 yr old daughter and my mom died of lung cancer 2 1/2 yrs ago leaving behind my 15 year old half sister who is now in my custody. It took these terrible events and then the thought of how awful it would be to leave my daughter early in her life because I chose to smoke instead of putting the hard work in to quit. Even with all of this it still took me over 2 years from the time my mom died to quit myself. It came down to this: I asked myself if I would be able to die peacefully if I kept smoking and got lung cancer and left my baby behind with no mother. The answer was no. It would be a horrible torturous time for me where no real goodbyes could be said because I'd be so guilty and angry with myself. However I decided that if I did quit and still got lung cancer down the road at least I would know that I tried, that I was able to do what everyone knew was the right thing and I could accept it eventually as just my fate. Then it was still hard to do but the one thing you need to remember, you can't ever have even one. The answer to smoking has to always be NO. The cravings will pass more quickly each day. Also you should wear a patch, chew the gum, get on the wellbutrin if you like, who cares if you have to take it all to do it, just do it! I'd been trying for so many years but I finally know I've got it and I still want to sometimes but it gets easier to say no every day. In fact, I'm sure I'm not going to. It also is important to not teach your kids that smoking is a way to cope with stress which is what you will do if you keep smoking in front of them. You should at least reslolve not to do that if you can. I am in the bar business and if I can do it being around all those cigarettes all the time and being such a hard core smoker for so many years, you can do it too if you choose to. Good luck to you and if anything I've said feels right to you and you ever want to email me again, feel free!

I wish you all of the best whatever you do!

L.

I grew up in a smoking household, and pretty much all of my sisters/brothers still smoke. I smoked for years also - EVEN AFTER HAVING LUNG SURGERY AT 19 YEARS OLD. Sure, I'd quit for a month or two here and there, but it IS an addiction and I always went back. The doctors have long blamed the asthma my siblings and I have on second-hand (and firsthand) smoke. But that wasn't enough to deter me. My 5 yr old son bugged me EVERY time I lit one up... but that wasn't enough really to make me stop, either.

I quit because I wanted to. I figured out which smokes were from habit, and which were really addiction. I used to smoke when I was nervous, bored, andry, frustrated -- you name it. I started by making myself wait longer between cigarettes. If I wanted one after 15 minutes, I'd wait 20 mins, then half an hour. I continued until I got to about 2 hours between cigarettes. I had decided on January 8th that I was not going to smoke anymore. I was out of town, visiting my mom and stepdad (who smoke, along with my brother who lives with them and my amoking aunt who lives in the area). I had my last smoke shortly before midnight on the 8th. I threw the rest of my cigarettes away... and havent bought any since.

It's hard. Sometimes I smell a cigarette and want it so bad I can almost taste it. Other times it smells repulsive.

When I first quit, I had an oral addiction -- because I was used to popping the cigarette between me lips several times a day. I chewed gum, sucked on hard candy/suckers. Pen caps had no chance against me either. I was irritable and very short tempered for a few days -- but it passed.

I am quite proud of myself for quitting. I tried different things -- if something didn't work it was NOT an excuse to start smoking -- but a reason to try something else. Sometimes chewing gum wouldn't help...so I'd switch to a sucker. If that didn't work on a particular day I would drink onyl through a straw... and ended up chewing the straws when I got aggravated. I got through it, and I'm sure you will too.

good luck!

Y.,

My dad was a smoker for as long as I can remember and I'm 31 years old. This past Father's Day I got him the patch and it's been over 1 month that he's been smoke-free! Believe me, he's tried everything but the patch has been the post positive experience for him. good luck!

there is a medication called Zyban, also marketed as an antidepressant called Wellbutrin that seems to help some people with cravings. A few of my patients have been on Wellbutrin for depression and it seems to be safe and well tolerated. You could ask your primary care MD about it. It requires a perscription.

Hi Y.,

I have heard the lazer treatment works. My husband is seriously thinking about going there. I talked to the Dr and he seems very nice. http://www.acculasertherapy.com/contact.html
Good Luck, D. Simmons

I tried to quit smoking for a long time. When my husband popped the question my ring was in a box on nicorette. That was 5 years ago.
I know it's hard to quit. You have to want to do it. Not because your children want you to. I did finally quit one week before Christmas in 2004. Talk about a hard time to do it. But I did it and have been somke free since.
I never smoked in my house but getting into the car was another story. So everytime I got in the car I opened a blowpop.
The patch did help. At the end I sometimes forgot to put the patch on. I will say that I had no side effects except that I had to take it off about 1 hour before bed because I couldn't sleep with it on.

I can't say that it was "easy" it is a addiction. I still sometime crave it. But I think of my health and the health of my family. And not smelling.
I also think of all the money I am saving!
I hope this helps. Good Luck!

You must stop smoking!!!!!!!!! My dad smoked for 40 years all through my childhood and then he just decided to stop cold turkey and he hasn't smoked since and he was smoking 40 a day. He replaced the smoking with extra strong mints. It can be done you just have to want to do it badly enough.