I think I should give up smoking...need encouragement though...

My friends grandmother smoked for 40+ years, one day she wanted to give it up so if she felt the need to take a smoke she would eat a dum-dum lollipop instead, maybe you could try it.

 

I've never smoked myself, but my best friend did for a number of years. He feels better now than he did when he smoked, even though it was absolute hell for him to quit. Living in NYC, smoking is EXPENSIVE because of all the excise taxes that the state and the city put on cigarettes, so there is also the financial benefit (I know that you said you don't have money for more until Tuesday, you might have money right now if you didn't spend it on cigarettes - think of it that way!)

 

I have been smoking for 7 or 8 years. :/
That being said, all of what you said I relate to big time.

I was totally quit for about two months at the beginning of this year and I felt absolutely fantastic. I was less irritable, my body felt good, my breathing was easier, my allergies were less intense etc etc. It was awesome.

My problem with staying quit is that any strong or unusual stress makes me want to start to make myself feel better. Which doesn't actually work, but in my head it makes sense to me...Working on changing that idea in myself, but it's slow going. I'm trying again in a couple weeks. I have a tentative date set and I'm cutting back little by little to prepare.

You can totally do this. That's not to say that it doesn't absolutely suck at first, it sure does! But if you can power through the first week or two, things start getting immeasurably better and easier.

The lollipop idea is a good one, I've heard that before! But I don't really like hard candy so I find a water bottle with a really small opening or a straw and whenever I'm feeling like smoking, I distract myself with something or talk to someone for about fifteen minutes and also take small repeated sips of whatever I'm drinking. Makes me pee like a racehorse, but it fulfills the hand-to-mouth action well enough while I'm busy doing whatever it is I'm doing. Then, I'll forget that I was thinking about smoking a cigarette and I'm good for a while. Rinse and repeat.

Another thing I did quitting before that was really effective was not pretending like I felt good when I didn't. If I was getting headaches or really cranky because of cravings, I said to myself "Okay, yeah. I feel like shit. That's fine. But I'm not gonna wallow in it and it's not like it's forever" then I drank my water, found something to do to pass my free time and did it all over again.

Those two things combined were very effective for me, so both of them I'll be doing again when I quit (which will be near the end of July, I'm thinking). This time for good. I'm ready to feel better than I do now and not be slave to nicotine.


Anyway, best of luck with quitting, I really feel ya on this one.

 

I used tobacco for 20 or more years. I tried many times to quit. I finally did. I found a book called 21 days to freedom by the red cross very helpful It walks you through the symptoms, and keeps you from freaking out. You will freak out. I actually quit around a bunch of smokers. I never told them I was quitting. One problem is weight gain.
On the other hand, by friends husband just went into cemotherapy for lung cancer. Its serious shit! I ride a bike 20 miles a day now. No cemo for me, thanks!

 

take a jar and put your buts into it. Add some water.next time you wanna smoke smell that nasty jar first. If it doesn't turn your stomach your too far gone.

 

I quit a little more than 2 months ago. Most of the time if I don't think about it, I don't have cravings. I think you need to want to quit though. Quitting because you don't have anything to smoke seems like a good idea, but if you're not ready, you won't be successful. Mentally prepare yourself and say you don't need to smoke. And yes, when you have cravings try to find something to replace. Sugarless gum is a good option because it helps with the oral fixation and since it's sugarless, it's better for your mouth. Since I quit, I haven't experienced any symptoms with my asthma. In fact, I am terrible at forgetting to take my puffers, and I would remember before because I began to wheeze. I no longer have that problem and haven't taken my puffer since I quite smoking. Good luck!