I smoked for 10 years and then quit cold turkey. It's been 25 years now. Haven't touched one in that whole time. You're going through the toughest part now and it never ends. Quitting is easy. NOT starting up again is the hard part. Search the internet or go to your nearest medical school library and look at some pictures of lungs from both smokers and non-smokers (the non-smokers died due to some other cause). Remember, the time you spend NOT smoking doesn't count if you start up again in terms of getting lung cancer. If I started smoking again now, in 5 years, my body just thinks I've been smoking for 15 years. It may well be programmed to give me lung cancer if I smoke for 16 years. Get my point?

 

Don't know you, Rich, so it's just a guess, but I'd imagine that you're bored AND stressed because you don't have a job right now and maybe there are other things going on as well. Smoking won't fix any of them. Might put an extra drain on your finances. Might make some friends shun you. Might make HR types smelling that tobacco aura wonder how much you're going to spend on cigarette breaks rather than being semi-productive at your desk. Definitely WILL kill you eventually.

As others have suggested, I believe you've the best temporary relief for your very temporary craving parked in your driveway or garage. If that doesn't work for you, find something that will occupy your mind--a video game, perhaps. It's your head that's telling you you need a smoke, so put it to work on something more fun or constructive.

Good luck with this. I quit a long time ago and suffered strong withdrawal symptoms for almost two years and an occasional craving for about three years after that. It ain't easy, but it sure is worth it from any point of view.

cal

 

Patience young grasshoppah

 

When you get the craving.... Inhale and exhale deeply, and count to 10. Find a substitute, like gum or chew on a pen. I have been in the same shoe's as you are in now... and slipped back into the habbit. However, my girlfriend quit cold turkey and has been off them for about a year and a half. She will smoke the occasional cigar at the local pub when friends start smoking in front of her. I felt great after I quit for about 5 month's, more energy... food tasted better... Just got into a very stressful time at work and slipped back into it. Im going to give it another whirl at the end of the year.


Dale

 

Rich, hang in there and don't give in. I know all the stress that you're going through right now, but you definitely don;t want to start smoking again. Just think about all the money you'll be saving by not smoking.

 

hang in there.........

 

Don't do it!!!!!!
I have a friend who did accupuncture and he said that it helped a lot. I used the gum which will supply nicotine in lieu of the cigarette.

 

Maybe it is just me, but I like to smoke only when I am drinking or in Vegas(usually drinking as well). Other times, not only do I not desire a cigarette, but when I have one they taste nasty and I usually put them out after one or two puffs. Maybe I'm wierd. Maybe I'm immune to the nicotine addicition. Maybe I'm crazy. Who knows??
Either way, don't do it Richard, I mean smokes cost $4+ per pack. Save it for mods and gas.