Does Quitting Smoking "Cold Turkey" Work?

I was a cold turkey quitter as well, in 1982 so almost 26 years ago. I think I do better with that method just as I find it easier not to eat any biscuits, sweets etc rather than trying to cut down. Abstension I can do, moderation is impossible for me.

I know that other people find the opposite.

I quit cold turkey 5 years ago it worked for me although it was hard in the beginning

Tess

It is hard to quit smoking, it takes a lot of self effort and having a good support system. I heard with nicotine patches and support group you can have a good chance of quiting.

I smoked from the time when the Segeant in boot camp handed me a carton of smokes until about 8 years ago. It took a lot of effort and the right mind set for me to quit. I enrolled in a smoking cesation class, which it was my third attempt to quit. I told every one around me that I was quiting, and help me with this goal.

Some people just laughed and said that I should be able to quit at anytime, I would just have to put the cigarettes in the garbage. They had never smoked. It's a hard thing to quit, you are addicted to the nicotine and the habit of smoking.

I put the cigarettes down and went thru some with drawal, but just did good things and kept my hand and mind busy. I changed my life style also to match this desired out come.

It's just as bad as giving up alcohol or drugs.

Jerry

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I do my craft well,
But I do my art better

MY 2 cents!
Working in Respiratory Therapy I have seen the long term effects many many times...
I think in this 'day and age' smokers are definatly a minority....Something we have to do is remember this is an addiction...It has been known to be as difficult as coming off a herion addiction...

Smokers are looked upon as "smelly" "Gross" anything negative you can think of...If family members and friends of smokers would just give a bit of compassion to smokers, it will help them more, than to label them in a negative way...

I grew up in the 60's and 70's....When smokers were more the majority in society than the minority today...I think in the 60's MOST kids all went to school smelling like 'ashtrays' . My parents smoked, and there are 5 kids in my family. I remember going on trips in the car and all us fighting for window seats just so we could crack our windows and get a smell of fresh air...Thats just the way it was back then...
I think its great our society has moved in the direction it has as far as making some public places smoke free.
Now, I see parents 'stepping outside' of their homes to smoke...Thats great...I am hoping and praying that My grandson will have a generation of smoke free people...

I was on a visit to Iowa where I grew up 2 years ago...My Aunt and I was taking a walk in a park...(My Aunt is a smoker)...as we were walking throught the park....a woman behind us passed us...leaving her remark..."I want to get in front of you so I don't have to smell your cigarrette"...Furious at her comment my aunt basically went off on her saying this was an open air place and to keep her remarks to herself....This woman fired back with "Well I USE to smoke but am now a proud non smoker"....
I am not a smoker, but I was pissed........why did she even have to say that!!! I mean that was nothing but 'ammo' for my aunt...they went at it back and forth back and forth....I am sorry but I took my aunts side on this one....In my profession I have found that people who USE to smoke are the worst ones for critizing......Like she was going to 'by a miracle make my aunt quit smoking'???
My Aunt came from a generation where we didn't know the hazards of smoking.....look at the movies that were made in the 40's and 50's 60's......The movie stars all had cigarrettes in thier mouths...

Its like because they smoke are they 'no longer loveable'??? do they still not have feelings???

Yes, when I see young kids with a cigarrette hanging out of thier mouths today, my heart just cringes...They have no clue whats ahead of them...But ignorant people need to keep negative opinions to themselves...We need to find pro-active ways to help them...And there are many programs out there...
What works for one may not work for another....My Aunt tried Chantix....She had very vivid dreams...horrible dreams...This is a side effect of chantix that many people have...
Today smokers who are long term smokers know the risks now...BUT many are hooked...

I am not 'advocating' smoking by any means...I have seen people struggle for every single breath...I have 'coached' many people in breathing techniques, sitting at bedsides for many hours sometimes...
I am a person of compassion....
No one here has 'slammed' smokers...I just wanted to bring a different side to it...A side I have personally witnessed.....

Well......thats my 2 cents!

Terri

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Thanks Terri. I'm an ex-smoker myself. But I like to think I was polite about it. I sure didn't get it back! Isn't it amazing how many people in the last few years are all of a sudden "allergic"? I guess being rude is the only side effect of that one.

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~~~~Becky

~ ~ ~ "And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom."
~ ~ ~ Anais Ain

Striker,

I noticed that many respirator therapist are smokers, that is in my area not everywhere, but tobacco is a problem here in the Ohio Valley, a big one. This also goes along with obesity and type II diabetes. We seem to lead the country in some medical problems.

Jerry

__________________
I do my craft well,
But I do my art better