Stress Center Peer Support

My husband is a three pack a day smoker. He's tried tons of methods, including Chantix, patches, patches with Wellbutrin, patches with Klonopin, cold turkey, hypnosis, etc. Interestingly, the longest time he was ever able to quit - a full six months - was by simply going cold turkey. He quit in winter but by summer, the triggers were all there, and he just flipped out and started smoking again.

The second most successful time was the patches with a small does of Klonopin, as the K. really helps curb anxiety, which I can personally attest to, but also which you don't want to get hooked on. However, since the health of your lungs is at stake, I would choose something like an addiction to Klonopin over not being able to stop smoking, if K. happnes to work for you. Frankly, I think the patches are just a waste of time and do nothing for "withdrawal" purposes, as the amount of nicotine in them is nowhere equal to what is in one cigarette. The patches are more of a psychological than physical help, and a HUGE waste of money.
Also, I recall at the time the dr. suggesting that my husband might want to stay on the K. for the rest of his life, as he is a rather restless person in general, which is probably why he smokes to begin with. I wonder now if that was not such a bad idea, as he's back to 3 packs a day after trying Chantix earlier this year. As soon as he stopped the Chantix, it got real rough for him. Couldn't deal with the behavioural changes he needed to make.

I also have two other suggestions: meditation/relaxation, if your days allow for that. I found some helpful FREE meditations and other useful information at this site, which I can't seem to paste the link into right now, so I'll go back, get the link again, and then write another post with it. Also, I see you ride motorcycles. My husband would always just get on his bike and ride whenever he had a strong craving, and that helped him tremendously, of course, until winter hit here in New England. The obvious pattern is finding something(s) easily accessbile to do at any time of the year to help get your mind off the cravings, just like with anything else one is trying to quit. Exercise/working out at a gym is another good idea.

I wish you much luck with this, G., as smoking is extremely tough to stop; experts say it's worse than trying to quit heroin, and I see here that no one who has posted thus far has had long term success with quitting, which is not very encouraging. But don't give up, you will find what works for you!! Good luck!!

-Tracy

G.

That link is <A HREF="http://www.learningmeditation.com" TARGET=_blank>www.learningmeditation.com</A>

Just click on the "meditation room" and there are several links you can use to access different audio and text only meditations if you don't have the ability to run the audio on your computer.

Check out some of the other relaxation info on the site as well.

Blessings,

-T.

I, too, am a smoker but some of my friends have read Allen Carr's Easy Way to Quit Smoking and have been smoke free for almost 2 years now. I got the book and have been reading it and feel myself not wanting the cigarettes anymore either, hopefully by the end of the book I will proudly be able to say I have quit. Allen Carr wrote the book after he had quit smoking aafter being a 3-4 pack a day smoke for 40 plus years....

Good luck to you.

GP John-
Smoking cigarettes is a habit many of us learned to be a way to deal with stress. It seems to help ease tension. It could be that we think this because smoking is an addiction, and when we smoke we meet our needs in our addiction for nicotine. Just another crutch. Unfortunately an unhealthy one. I too have smoked on and off. Many programs are helpful. Cigarest( My husband and I used many years ago) help with all the aspects of quitting smoking and it does work. Medications seem to just be another mean for drug companies to make money. Prescriptions may work but with side effects and so on I believe if quitting is intended that you can taper yourself off with a plan. Reduce cigarette on a daily basis and set a deadline. On the deadline day you will have to prepare to deal with the anger and frustration of not being able to smoke.

Best wishes and good luck. You can conquer this by trusting a high power than your own.

Bink,

That's encouraging! I'll have to get that book for my husband and see if it will help him. Good for you! I haven't spoken with too many 3-4 pack a day smokers, lifetime smokers. My husband is 50 years old now and been smoking since he was probably 14 years old.

By the way, I just re-read the post up top about the marbles in the jar technique. It reminded me of the way some people put money in a jar each day that they don't smoke, and then can go buy themselves a reward for not smoking. Well, a somewhat similar thing I had tried with my husband is I figured how much money we'd save PER MONTH if he quite smoking, and figured it was a car payment PLUS per month. So, I said, gee, you want that new motorcycle, you can have it, plus pay for the insurance, if you can quit successfully. But think hard about this offer, because otherwise, it gets repossessed or we put the bike up for sale. I had hoped that this motivation, plus guilt if he failed, would really help him to stay quit.

Well, silly me. He of course took me up on it immediately, quit for a few months, and continues now to ride on that cycle smoking cigarettes. Instead, I felt guilty for inventing such a stupid offer, and didn't want to take away the cycle, even though he had not successfully quit. I was dumb for putting up such high stakes against such a heinous addiction. Stick with marbles - or daily savings in a jar. Don't look too far into the future like I did; one day at a time!

Thanks for the book tip...

-Tracy

Tracy
A LOL story about the motorcycle. I could just picture your husband on his cycle. As you mentioned, the marble concept is unique.

I may take the idea of the saving money thing but restrict myself from spending the money until I have quit for one year. Count the money. Reward yourself with a Caribbean vacation....

I remember hearing of parents who would make young adults (KIDS) eat cigarettes if they caught them smoking. Maybe if a ate a few cigarettes that would be the end of the urges. PERMANENTLY.

You might want to do some research on Chantix. I've heard of some serious psyc. adverse reactions.
davevk.

CCare,

Yeah, LOL! I was not laughing! Actually, in this particular market, the motorcycle turned out to be not so bad, since we now save lots of money on gas. But not a useful situation in New England in the winter.

I like your vacation idea.

Eating cigarettes? Wow, I think I'd have to hide them in his omelettes or something. Look hon, new slim sausages - try them out - ha ha.

Well, good luck to everyone. We all have our addictions to overcome, some are just more expensive than others.