Dual Addiction feedback needed

[CarolB]

Why oh why do I have such a tough time giving up these dang cigarettes? Since June I have tried 4 times to quit where I actually had a month and 3 weeks of utter peace/serenity as I gave nicotine up to God - or so I thought. I guess I'm at a place where I don't know if I want to give them up or do I stage. I've weighed the pro's and the con's but yet I keep lighting up - oh how confused, scared, angry, and perplexed about this whole nicotine addiction I am.

Do I want to quit smoking after 40 years? Yes (deep down I do)
Do I want to give it up? Using the day at a time method? YES
Do you need to have God's assistance? YES, I guess I do.
Well then, why don't I??
Why don't I cut myself some slack and just do it?

Sure would appreciate hearing from others who have been in these shoes and could help me with any kind of assistance you can give me.

By the way: I've tried the patch; nicotine gum; and lozenges. I can't use CHANTIX or WELLBUTRIN as I have no insurance and those drugs cost ALOT.
Hypnosis didn't work for me; and I've read the book, Allen Carr's "Easy Way to Stop Smoking".

:215: Carol

[snugsnug]

Hey carol, I just quit in March and believe me it was tough. I actually started quitting in Jan. I had to reduce to amount I smoked. I went from two packs a day to one and a half to twenty three to twenty to nineteen and so on. I was telling another addict about it and they said if I don't pick up I won't smoke, yea right, but I did quit, my life was actually unmanageable because of cigarettes. I feel so much better, I did gain some weight, but I am slowly loosing it. The desire to quit has to be greater than the desire to smoke.
Grace to you
sterling

[admin]

I quit in March also with a friend. I just up and quit. Now there were several times in my past that I quit and started back. I am taking this one day at a time. I was so very tired of waking up constantly at night from the coughing and hacking and also wheezing all of the time. It's so nice to be able to sleep through the night again. It's great that I can take a breath and not be wheezing. Praise God. To Him I give all the glory.

btw I do happen to chew alot more gum now. Oh well. That will be my next thing to work on. LOL I also didn't gain any extra weight after I quit. I do need to lose some weight but not any that I gained from having quit smoking. This weight I had before. I am also working on that - losing weight now. I also find I don't drink as much coffee as I did when I was smoking. I just had my teeth cleaned recently. Now they also stay looking nice.

[mellotripp]

Dearest Carol, it has been my experience that when ever I have tried to quit nicotine, I've pushed my emotion to the point of almost relapsing with drugs or alcohol. Nicotine is as big a killer as the other two but it does not sicken the soul as much as they do. There is no doubt in my mind that we will need God to do it, and when he is ready he will give us the strength to do so. Hang in there.

[Bruce T.]

... Wish I had more time to spend here, but I gotta roll another Bugler. Gotta feed that nicotine monkey.

-b "death wish" t.

[free2bunme]

hi carol,

i quit smoking in april, 5 months ago. i tried to quit several times before that in recovery, to no avail. i used the patch. the withdrawals were too intense without some sort of help. it was still a complete b*itch, but the patch made the cravings more manageable.

most importantly, i know that i could not have quit without GOD's help. i prayed for the willingness for a long time. Keep praying. It will happen when you are ready. God's timing is always perfect. I also know that I cannot stay quit without GOD's help. I ask God to keep me sober and cigarette free all the time. Last night, I had given myself permission to start smoking again ... because circumstances in my life are so crazy right now that the stress seems like too much to handle without the relief that nicotene will bring. Well, whaddya know ... I woke up with a terrible chest cold today. God is clever. I am grateful to be sick today, because that means I will not smoke today.

Thanks for letting me share.

[admin]

Me either ((((Frannie)))). I couldn't have done this without God. I prayed for a long time also. Several years ago I asked my sponsor what she did to stop smoking and she said she prayed and eventually she stopped smoking but it was in God's time not hers.

[Doll]

I quit smoking and drinking all at the same time.....then I relapsed back to both after 2 and half years. My last drink was 9 days ago, my last smoke, 10 minutes ago......one at the time, one day at the time for me.

[CarolB]

oh thank you thank you. I thought I was having a hard time with the giving up, but discovered that what you said "in God's time, not ours" is a relief to hear. So thank you again (and your sponsor too) for these encouraging words. Carol

[Bruce T.]

My dear family,

Why in the world do y'all put up with me?

I realize that my last post in this thread (#5) was terribly sarcastic and most unsupportive of anyone trying to shed that nicotine monkey. It's just where I'm at with this issue right now ... I've given up on my ability to quit, though (to be quite honest, only out of personal economic situation) have been able to cut way back.

I should join you all in your efforts. Cigarette smoking is offensive to others, makes me stink, makes my house stink, and is truly a form of slow motion suicide, usually ending with a lingering and excruciating death.

I apologize for my flippant "why die healthy" attitude. I by no means have the right to undermine anyone's efforts to improve his/her quality of life and health.

Please accept my most sincere apologies ... I've shot myself in the foot so many times that they both look like a collander.

All my respect,

Bruce "Size 13 in the mouth" T.