# Breaking the Habit...



## parkachirp

How many people here at Camper Community have been trying to quit smoking? It‘s not an easy prospect as I am sure the majority of smokers know. At the same time many will tell you it is doable. 

As people such a bad habit can be problematic at best, with it affecting our stamina our general health and on top of it all robbing us of motivation. The company I work for, a marketing company, recently picked up a campaign for the Ad Council and the American Legacy Foundation called the "Become an Ex" plan. 

It‘s a program that will help you pick your smoking habit apart into little pieces that can be tackled individually. Once you begin you will start seeing how to quit smoking not as a huge war, but as a series of small, very winnable battles. Check out the link here for more info :


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## antigua

Here's the thing. I used to smoke and My wife and I decided we wanted to have a baby. So I had to stop smoking! My Doctor put me on a med that made me so stoned, that was to help me to stop smoking but obviously didn't work. so I stopped both! Afetr 10 years of non smoking, I feel great. All cold turkey!! You have to want to do it. Otherwise you won't. Best of luck, and please try to think what is more important.


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## garmp

As Mark Twain said."Quitting smoking is easy, I myself have doe it a dozen times."

As antigua said you have to want to. I did.


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## mark

I have been a smoker for 30 years, I have tried quitting several times and never made it more than a month. 
I've tried a lot of different methods including quitting cold, but nothing has worked for me, my mother quit cold 15 years ago and has done great.....

maybe I just don't have the will power ? :shrug:


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## csinns

I agree with the statement that you have to *want* to quit,,, not just on a impulse... you must really want to rid yourself of the habit.
I quit cold turkey 25 years ago ,,, 2 large packs a day to zero overnight ,,, no tapering off .... that after having "quit" 3 times then restarting after a month or so with the longest being 6 months. paid 2.19 a pack then ,,,now they are around 12 dollars ,,, wow!
I wish you all the best in quitting smoking  it will be the best thing you can do for yourself and your family


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## happiestcamper

Off and on until I put them down for good over two years ago. Watching my brother-in-law take 3 long years to die from his cancer sealed it for me.


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## EdisonCheug

I...I...I...just don't want to quit!
when i feel pressed, desperated.. oh, let me freak out...


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## silky1

Well after 24 attempts I finally quit, want to know what made me quit. I took a good hard look at the bank statement and thought thats too much money for the people to spend on something that killing us. Neither of us has smoked since August 2009. We're saving a boat load of money, and the bank statements are at lot shorter now.
LOL
Silky1


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## Acableguy06

I quit a little over a year ago and still find myself wanting one every now and again, but I have not.


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## ilovecamping

I quit 13 months ago and sometimes it still is very hard. I didn't want to quit because I truely enjoyed smoking but I knew it was the right thing to do. I didn't plan to quit, I just did. I still have some in the freezer and they are my security. I still think of myself as a smoker but just one that doesn't smoke. I say that because of the terrible cravings at times. Best wishes to all who are trying to quit. I have a 7 yr old DGD that wanted me to quit and that is what kept me going on my journey.


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## Mary Jane

I quit a year ago this past February. I was in a bible study and...... I don't know.......the timing was just right.
I enjoyed smoking so much, but knew I needed to quit. I started having to use asthma products prescribed by my doctor. On her sheet she marked "self induced asthma". That hit me hard. 
I still enjoy standing by someone else who smokes.  I sometimes wished I still smoked but am glad I don't.


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## rksolid

For me smoking and drinking was the hard part so when I was drinking and felt like lighting up I stopped drinking until the urge went away. So in the same process I cut back on drinking and quit smoking. The turning point was I was have chest pains turned out to be Acid Reflux not heart attack. The pain from acid reflux was only a portion of what the big one would feel like, that was enough. I know longer smoke cut back on drinking and exercise daily turned my health around 360 feel great.


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## samaza

I guess I was lucky, I never started I think mainly because I saw so many people trying to stop. It´s easy to stop when you never start. Best luck with it. The most common element i have seen in people trying to quit is strong willpower.


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## Shadow

Well, the thing that made me decide to quit was looking at my bank statement and noticeing I spent more than $200 a month of cigarettes. Not that I was a really heavy smoker as some people. My smokes cost about $7-8 a pack on average. Ranging from $5 atht e super cheap discount store, to $10 at the convenience store. (Imported clove cigs). Still that's about a pack a day or so. 

I did a little research and found out the the nicotine only has a 3 day life in the body. After that you are clean from it. What remains is simply a habit. When I did that really helped is though I quit smoking, I still took the breaks. If a friend went outside to smoke, if I normally would join them, I would go outside with them anyway. I'd just stand there and talk about the same stuff I normally would. If I normally would finish eating and go outside, have a smoke, and look at the stars; I would still finish eating, go outside, and look at the stars. 

The secret I discovered is that it's not the cigarette that is the real enjoyable part of the habit, its the spending time with friends, or going outside for some fresh air, and isn't that what CAMPING is all about anyway?

"stop smoking fast" gadgets, medicines, subbliminal tapes, etc are just ways for companies to steal your cigarette money from the tobacco companies. You still are out money, and often the stop smoking plans cost more than the cigarette habit. 

My plan is free, healthy, and anyone can do it. No one is POWERLESS over their behaviour. If you really want to stop smoking, you can, and it's NOT THAT HARD. 
People need to give themselves more credit.. We can put a man on the moon, but we can't stop sucking on a burning weed? I doubt it.


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## edwinjd

antigua said:


> My Doctor put me on a med that made me so stoned, that was to help me to stop smoking but obviously didn't work.


Which med was that antigua? My doctor had also recommended me to try out Chantix to try to stop smoking. After reading your account, I'm now wondering if it's a good idea as I first thought it was.


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## antigua

edwinjd said:


> Which med was that antigua? My doctor had also recommended me to try out Chantix to try to stop smoking. After reading your account, I'm now wondering if it's a good idea as I first thought it was.


I think it was Zyban.


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## edwinjd

antigua: Thanks for the heads-up. I'm still thinking about whether or not I should give the Chantix a try. Have you tried it, or heard of anyone who has tried it yet?


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## antigua

edwinjd said:


> antigua: Thanks for the heads-up. I'm still thinking about whether or not I should give the Chantix a try. Have you tried it, or heard of anyone who has tried it yet?


No I haven't I was on Zyban for 2 weeks before I quit then less than a week after I quit. I couldn't take it any more. So I quit both and never looked back. It almost been 12 years now. But there are times when I miss it. I know better though.


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## luckylynn

edwinjd said:


> antigua: Thanks for the heads-up. I'm still thinking about whether or not I should give the Chantix a try. Have you tried it, or heard of anyone who has tried it yet?


I have used it and it worked for me. There are lots of side effects listed,but I never had any. I would suggest you talk to your doctor and druggist and ask both of them if any medications that you take now( if any)would be affected by it. You can also go on line and read about it. 

If you decide to use it be sure to ask the doctor about the starter pack( 4 wks of med for lots less $$) prescription. Chantix is very costly and is not cover by most insurance plans


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## edwinjd

That's actually why I'm seriously thinking twice about it. It's really expensive and a rep from my insurance told me that they are not going to cover the cost for it. Gonna give quitting w/o any meds one last try this coming new year. Who knows?


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## artmart

I'll bet the insurance will cover that method.... ya think? Then I hope they give you a discount when you're successful! Good luck to you!


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## smores101

My husband has been smoking on and off for years and has recently been trying to quit again. Our son got him the funniest gag gift for Christmas.."bury the habit"

Could be an alternative way to quitting! haha


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## garmp

Mark Twain said "To quit smoking is easy. I, personally did it 11 times."

Me cold turkey 7 years ago. Wasn't real easy, but I really wanted it.


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## bigjr

I use an esmoke works great for me all the pleasure not much of the risk. I didnt even notice any with drawls.


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## edwinjd

@bigjr: Actually, my girlfriend did give me a starter kit for e-cigs this Christmas (I did mention to her that I really wanted to quit). I agree. So far, it's been working for me.


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## bigjr

Yeah Ive been using mine for about three years to smoke inside where I wanted to but used it to quit completely now let me know if you have any questions about yours ill be glad to help.


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## hideout

one thing i have to add is this,you have to want to quit,if you do not want to quit,then nothing will help you.
next i ask,why do you need something to aid you in quiting?
just set your mind to it,smoke your last cig,and then just stop,and dont look back.:smack-head:


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## edwinjd

That would be the ideal scenario, hideout. I tried that road a couple of times, but it hasn't worked. Sometimes, a little help definitely goes a long way. Since I started using the ecigs, it's been working really great for me. Progress is much slower than I'd like it to, but at least, there's some progress considering it's been close to two months and I haven't finished the starter kit my girlfriend has given me last Christmas.


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## bigjr

Well that's great edwin biggest thing I learned the hard way is not to run out of supply's its easy to go buy a pack of smokes waiting on your stuff to arrive. Keep it up make sure to have a fresh battery when camping and drinking LOL


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