Any advice for a pilot who wants to kick the cigs?

Oh heck yes, got him into them too at an early age,but he might be "too cool" to admit he likes an old band like them ;)

Actually he said he liked them. Been a fan of theirs since '69, from the beginning. They're all still kicking, but two separate bands. Hope they reunite one last time for a grand tour. They're all pushing 70 now.
 
Actually he said he liked them. Been a fan of theirs since '69, from the beginning. They're all still kicking, but two separate bands. Hope they reunite one last time for a grand tour. They're all pushing 70 now.
Good! Better pay his respects! Yeah me too, discovered them in mid 1970 on a radio show however. Me and a Buddy got to meet Don Brewer in the late 70's, don't remember exactly when. Stand up guy, really nice, even when he was on top of the rock world and
Had all the leeway in the world if he wanted to be a jerk.
 
Someone told me when I quit smoking (8 years ago, smoked 10 years 2 packs a day), that 7th year is the hardest, it gets easier after that. And he was right. You'll see the first week is pretty bad, but after that the physical withdrawal symptoms are pretty much done. It's the habit, that takes years to get rid of. After a few weeks it's so easy to come up with excuses why to smoke. You don't need the nicotine, you need the break. When you learn how to control that, it gets very easy.
Even after a few years I sometimes came up with a weird craving. I was thinking "heck, I can have one, I've been without a cigarette for years so what bad can one cigarette do". That's the worst thing you can do. After a week or so, you're clear of the actual physical withdrawal symptoms. It's the habit that takes years to get rid of.


Great thread. Quitting smoking is the best thing you will ever do.

I smoked from age 14 to 28, after growing up in a household with two chain smoking parents. Basically, my first 28 years were in a cloud of tobacco smoke. I was at 2.5 packs per day by the time I was 25.

I quit when my wife's father died of lung cancer at age 54. To watch this man whither down to 85 pounds over the course of a year was quite an eye-opener for me, and I decided that I didn't want to die that way.

So, on New Year's Day 1986, I quit smoking, cold turkey.

I'd like to say it was easy. It was not. In fact, it was probably the hardest thing I ever did. I punched walls. I went to the gym. I didn't tell anyone, because I didn't want anyone to know I had failed.

After 3 days, the physical cravings were gone. The mental game continued for months, with rituals being the problem. Driving had always meant having a smoke. Coffee was better with a smoke. Beer was better with a smoke. EVERYTHING was better with a smoke, and to continue to do those things without the smoke was incredibly hard.

That was 30 years ago, now, and I've never had a single smoke since. Incredibly, I still crave cigarettes once in a while. I still dream about smoking occasionally, and wake up feeling guilty because I think I really smoked. It's just a wicked, awful, terrible addiction that is incredibly difficult to quit, supposedly harder than cocaine.

But, wow, is quitting worth it. Just the money alone that I've saved over the last 30 years probably bought at least one of my airplanes. And my health? I am 58 years old and have never -- not once -- missed a day of work.

Keep at it, young man. You will never do anything better for yourself.

Oh, and by the way: The people who think you can't be addicted at age 21 have clearly never been addicted to anything. I was hopelessly addicted to cigarettes by age 16.
 
Good! Better pay his respects! Yeah me too, discovered them in mid 1970 on a radio show however. Me and a Buddy got to meet Don Brewer in the late 70's, don't remember exactly when. Stand up guy, really nice, even when he was on top of the rock world and
Had all the leeway in the world if he wanted to be a jerk.

I saw GFR (without Mark Farner) a few years ago and Brewer is one of the best drummers I've ever seen. Amazing player.
 
Didn't read all these posts but quitting smoking is one of the most important things you can do for yourself.

For me, it was easy quitting. Staying quit was the hard part.

I smoked for 30 years.... on and off. I quit for a year one time, but if I ever gave in to that first craving (usually after a beer), that was like opening a flood gate. Next thing I knew, I was smoking more than before I had quit.

One thing that helped me quit the last time was going to an electronic cigarette. Those things are awful, I made myself smoke one of those instead of a real cigarette for a little while. After breaking the real cigarette habit, I broke the fake one easily, since I hated them. This last time I have been quite about 5 years and really don't think that I will ever go back. I feel so much better.

If you have gotten it down to one a day, you really probably aren't harming yourself enough to feel the effects that much right now. Don't be fooled, you will do harm.

Good luck and take care.
 
when I can go a whole day without THINKING about a ciggerette, I know it will be worth it

I quit 8 years ago cold turkey (after many failed attempts using nicotine gum and the patch and other crutches that didn't work). I still think about smoking all the time. My dad quit 30+ years ago and also still thinks about it all the time.

If it wasn't unhealthy and was free, I would start back in a flash.

Good luck. You got this.
 
I was quit for over 10 years from a 2.5 pack a day habit, and my first wife was diagnosed with Uterine cancer. I picked the habit back up like an old friend.. Met wife number 2, and struggled for the last 4 years to quit. Did the patches, and vaping has finally helped. Wife number 2 is long gone now, but i haven't had a paper cig in almost a week. You can do this
 
I was quit for over 10 years from a 2.5 pack a day habit, and my first wife was diagnosed with Uterine cancer. I picked the habit back up like an old friend.. Met wife number 2, and struggled for the last 4 years to quit. Did the patches, and vaping has finally helped. Wife number 2 is long gone now, but i haven't had a paper cig in almost a week. You can do this

That's just addiction "Lite" You need to kick it and forget it... Really gotta want to, though...
 
I must have quit a 100 times until I got good at it. offem now 23 years
 
Didn't read all these posts but quitting smoking is one of the most important things you can do for yourself.

For me, it was easy quitting. Staying quit was the hard part.

I smoked for 30 years.... on and off. I quit for a year one time, but if I ever gave in to that first craving (usually after a beer), that was like opening a flood gate. Next thing I knew, I was smoking more than before I had quit.

One thing that helped me quit the last time was going to an electronic cigarette. Those things are awful, I made myself smoke one of those instead of a real cigarette for a little while. After breaking the real cigarette habit, I broke the fake one easily, since I hated them. This last time I have been quite about 5 years and really don't think that I will ever go back. I feel so much better.

If you have gotten it down to one a day, you really probably aren't harming yourself enough to feel the effects that much right now. Don't be fooled, you will do harm.

Good luck and take care.

I don't hate the e-cigs, but I've also noticed that they're easier to put down and do without for long periods of time. I also know many other people who've had the same experience, including many who had no intentions of ever quitting vaping. It's why I think that there's something besides nicotine in paper cigarettes that's addictive or that somehow intensifies the addiction.

Rich
 
Doing alright Jim? Day 5 almost history. Don't cheat this weekend now.
 
Yeah! Day six is down and out, this is getting better and better all the time and i KNOW I've got it this time. Whenever I feel like smoking, i read my flight textbooks. if it's just the mouth asfixiation, I pop in a peppermint candy. Someone here recommended that to me. I'm feeling better and better every day too, I can tell how unhealthily it has been, based on how great I feel when I'm not craving. My energy is up, and so are my spirits. Hell yes!
 
I haven't read all these posts, but totally supportive of quitting. I quit over a decade ago by using peanuts to give myself something to do with my hands. Good luck.
 
Another one down, day 8 is here. Today was actually really tough, an old high school friend of mine had a falling out with his new Girlfriend, and she ran him over with a pickup truck and he died. But I'm not gonna dwell on it, and it's certainly not any reason to smoke.
 
Another one down, day 8 is here. Today was actually really tough, an old high school friend of mine had a falling out with his new Girlfriend, and she ran him over with a pickup truck and he died. But I'm not gonna dwell on it, and it's certainly not any reason to smoke.

It might be a reason for HER to smoke, but not you. Hang in there.
 
Another one down, day 8 is here....

The novelty of quitting should be wearing off about now. Just wake up everyday and say no. Concentrate. You will always want a smoke. If you can make it to 3 weeks,,,you got it whipped!!!
 
Another one down, day 8 is here. Today was actually really tough, an old high school friend of mine had a falling out with his new Girlfriend, and she ran him over with a pickup truck and he died. But I'm not gonna dwell on it, and it's certainly not any reason to smoke.

Wow that's terrible Jim. I understand the temptation, but don't do it. You have a week behind you already. Only you can do this man, but we're all supporting you and hoping to lick this nasty habit. Don't get down Jim, you can do this. Day 8 baby, the start of your second week!
 
Another one down, day 8 is here. Today was actually really tough, an old high school friend of mine had a falling out with his new Girlfriend, and she ran him over with a pickup truck and he died.

Geez... that's horrible news. But that's a call for you to pay respect to your friend, and not a call for anything else. (unless you were there, then you should call the 911 on the psychopath driver.)

Stay the course, Jim. You're doing extremely well! You are PIC of your own life. Let nothing take control of you except you.
 
I smoked from about 17 to 29, with 1-2 years off in that time (quit twice). I quit 10 years ago and don't miss it even a little bit. For me, quitting seemed impossible, but then one day I just decided to do it, and I did it. I just told myself, "this is not an option anymore." It was hard for a couple weeks and then not bad at all. Now it's like I never smoked. It's gotten a lot easier since I quit, because you can't smoke anywhere anymore, and almost no one still smokes. Also I hate to say this, but smoking is a strong indicator now of low socioeconomic status.
 
I smoked from about 17 to 29, with 1-2 years off in that time (quit twice). I quit 10 years ago and don't miss it even a little bit. For me, quitting seemed impossible, but then one day I just decided to do it, and I did it. I just told myself, "this is not an option anymore." It was hard for a couple weeks and then not bad at all. Now it's like I never smoked. It's gotten a lot easier since I quit, because you can't smoke anywhere anymore, and almost no one still smokes. Also I hate to say this, but smoking is a strong indicator now of low socioeconomic status.
You couldn't prove it by me, that's for sure. In the condo where I used to live back in Michigan, I was one of 3 people in the building (out of 16) who didn't smoke. Every day there was a group of people standing by the open building door, smoking up a storm (and yes, the smoke nearly always blew right into the hallway). Driving by down the driveway in the evening in summer, I used to see lots of people on their porches, hanging out and smoking. Even here in Vermont, I see people standing by the roadside all the time, holding a cigarette. Heck, I've even seen hikers smoking, if you can believe it.

Big Tobacco shouldn't be anywhere near going out of business...
 
How you doing Jim? Day 9 I believe. Hope you're still hanging in there. Don't give in man. You got this.
 
I haven't read all these posts, but totally supportive of quitting. I quit over a decade ago by using peanuts to give myself something to do with my hands. Good luck.

I took up sunflower seeds, or as I called it, "seeding." For me, the act of smoking was more addictive than the nicotine. Despite the fact that I smoked pretty heavily for almost 10 years, I didn't miss the nicotine and didn't really feel much in the way of physical effects or withdrawal. But I LOVED smoking - I loved holding cigarettes, lighting cigarettes, inhaling cigarettes, packing the pack of cigarettes... you get the picture. That was really hard for me to break. It was more of a mental hurdle for me than a physical one.

Be careful, @Jim Case ... there comes a point a few months after you quit that you start thinking, hey... it's been a long time and I'm obviously not addicted anymore, so I can have just one. Never justify the "just one." It's one of the slipperiest slippery slopes out there.

@azure - I can absolutely believe you see hikers smoking... that was one of my favorite things to do on a hike! ;)
 
I took up sunflower seeds, or as I called it, "seeding." For me, the act of smoking was more addictive than the nicotine. Despite the fact that I smoked pretty heavily for almost 10 years, I didn't miss the nicotine and didn't really feel much in the way of physical effects or withdrawal. But I LOVED smoking - I loved holding cigarettes, lighting cigarettes, inhaling cigarettes, packing the pack of cigarettes... you get the picture. That was really hard for me to break. It was more of a mental hurdle for me than a physical one.

Be careful, @Jim Case ... there comes a point a few months after you quit that you start thinking, hey... it's been a long time and I'm obviously not addicted anymore, so I can have just one. Never justify the "just one." It's one of the slipperiest slippery slopes out there.

@azure - I can absolutely believe you see hikers smoking... that was one of my favorite things to do on a hike! ;)
Thanks for the heads up
 
Day #9

Somebody In front of the store exhaled a huge cloud of smoke onto me as I left work yesterday. I was unhappy about it but only breathed in a little bit
 
Day #9

Somebody In front of the store exhaled a huge cloud of smoke onto me as I left work yesterday. I was unhappy about it but only breathed in a little bit

Now you're sounding like Bill Clinton! :D

Keep it going Jim, you're doing great!
 
I think of quitting in stages:

Stage one is eliminating the addiction: You are past that, your body is no longer addicted to nicotine. That's usually gone the first 48-72 hrs.

Stage two is breaking the habit: This will take a little longer and it may help to change your daily routine if you find yourself reaching for a cig at the same time everyday. Take up Yoga.. no ****. There is a huge trend now among athletes doing Yoga to strengthen their core. Robert Parish did and Larry Bird didn't.. Bird wishes he had and he thinks his back may have lasted much longer by keeping is back protected. Or play a game of darts... find your thing.

Stage three is the rest of your life: Never ever smoke a single puff again. That's the part where I struggled.
 
Turnig in. Day 9 is here, like people say, it's the activity of smoking that has been hard to get rid of. I find myself sucking on pens, and holding them in my fingers like a ciggerette. Gets a little easier every day though.
 
Good job, you've passed the hardest point now. The rest is 100% in your head.
Be very careful when you start thinking "I've been without a cigarette for 5 weeks, I can have one, what bad can one do".

Rest is all in your head. Remember that.
 
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