<p>Nicotine is an addictive drug, for everyone who smokes. We know that. We also know that there are two gene variants that make it much, much more difficult to quit smoking, and another gene variant that makes it easier.</p>
<p>So saying that a certain method of quitting smoking is the one that is the most successful for the most quitters is not necessarily informative. Most ex-smokers are in the lucky group that has the good gene variant. Maybe cold turkey works for the good gene variant people, and doesn’t work at all for the bad gene variant people. Maybe badgering bad gene variant people with your method is just annoying and not helpful to them. Maybe the gum and patches work better than cold turkey, for the bad gene variant people.</p>
<p>I gained 5 lbs. every year from when I stopped smoking at 40. Lots of weight, although I stopped gaining (or losing, wouldn’t that be nice!) when I was 60–now 65. Still better than smoking I think, especially since I stopped gaining!</p>
<p>I was one of those people who needed help to quit. My hairdresser told me she got a prescription for a certain drug and she stopped. I asked my OBGYN (didn’t have a regular doctor) to write me the prescription - he wrote me a prescription for 6 months - I followed his instructions for taking the medicine which I did for 2 weeks and then never picked up another cigarette again and only took the medicine for an additional 2 weeks. My brother also followed my direction with prescription method. It really worked well for us without needing to stay medicated. But I think we were much more psychologically addicted than physically addicted.</p>
<p>We aren’t talking about small numbers here. More than half of the people who have ever smoked in the United States have successfully quit. We are probably talking about somewhere in the ball park of 50 million ex-smokers. The numbers are so large that I have to believe anyone can quit smoking. Those 50 million can’t all have the magic quitting gene. Heck, if I had a magic quitting gene, why did it take me 38 years and 416,100 cigarettes to quit? I tried to quit the first time in college.</p>
<p>As far as badgering smokers, I honestly don’t care that much. I know full well that nicotine junkies don’t want to hear it. No reason to sugar-coat it. They tune it out, no matter what, because it is threatening to their drug addiction. Same as when a spouse quits smoking, the other is threatened, and leaves cigarettes around to undermine the effort. I feel sorry for nicotine addicts. It’s a horrible way to live.</p>
<p>If someone believes that using the nicotine patch or nicotine gum is going to make quitting easier, then that’s what they should do. They can get it at any drug store or WalMart or Amazon and start tomorrow. I wish them the best of luck.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone for the encouragement as Pima and I work to get this addiction forever out of our lives. I will be the first to admit that the urge is still there sometimes. That anxious feeling in the back of my mind or thatbitchnI can’t really scratch. Especially when the pressures at work add up (I used to step away from my desk and go have a smoke break in the Courtyard of the Pentagon; now I just roam the halls form a few minutes, admiring the art work I really didn’t pay attention to before), or those other times when I would smoke “out of habit” (wake up, walk the dogs and have a smoke; drive to work and have a smoke, eat a meal and have a smoke, etc.)</p>
<p>For me, I known I won’t smoke again for two reasons: 1) My stubborn pride – my attitude has always been NOTHING is stronger than me., and 2) being my Mother’s 24/7 caregiver for the last few weeks of her life 16 months ago as she passed away from Cancer at the age of 75, knowing she smoked a pack a day from the time she was 15 until she was 55.</p>
<p>To me, this is something worth fighting for.</p>
<p>To me - there is no badge of honor for quitting cold turkey - there is a badge of honor for quitting, no matter how you do it. And not just smoking, any addiction whether it’s cigarettes, alcohol, food, narcotics - just making the decision and taking action to quit and following through. I don’t know if we are addictive personalities or if we are just weak in willpower (or maybe that’s the same thing), but conquering any addiction is something to be very proud of.</p>
<p>Bullet and Pima, congratulations and we are counting on your strong will to carry the day.</p>
<p>To whomever it was up thread who said “just smoke hookah”…right. That’s how one of mine got hooked at 18. By the end of the year she was smoking Camels. Fortunately she was able to quit that year…addiction pathways not as deep. </p>
<p>Yeah, the hookah comment was made by a young adult who isn’t as funny as she might think she is.</p>
<p>Yay, Bullet and Pima. It is NOT easy to quit, and I admire you.</p>
<p>I also agree with iDad that while the “kinder, gentler” approach might work for some, there is really only one way through the withdrawal and the pain- and it’s the direct, hard way.</p>
I’m pretty sure whoever made this (^) comment tries to find humor where there is none…</p>
<p>You’re absolutely correct, emerald. Hookah uses tobacco. It comes in various scents/flavors and the like. There are lots of hookah bars here in Tampa and in my hometown. It’s very popular not only in young adults but in various cultures.</p>
<p>But mind you, I didn’t say “Just smoke hookah and you won’t get addicted”…It’s still tobacco.</p>
<p>There are over 50 million people in the US who have given birth to babies, but that large number does not convince me that everyone can give birth to a baby. You, for example, are genetically ill-equipped for the task, interesteddad. Just as some people are genetically ill-equipped to quit smoking.</p>
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<p>Did you not pay attention when I said that about half of people in the US have the one of the bad gene variants, and half have the good variant? So maybe the half that quit were the half with the good gene variant.</p>
<p>Bullet, best of luck to you and Pima. Whatever works-- I hope you never smoke another cigarette.</p>
<p>Food would be a lot easier to manage if you could quit cold turkey. Food in general and some foods specifically do trigger the same dopamine pathways as addictive drugs, but you can’t stop eating food!</p>
<p>Having said that, some of the same tricks do work. I have found it best to just say no to sugar drinks and to junk food. I cannot seem to eat those in moderation. A little leads inevitably to a little more and ultimately to a lot. Short term goals also work in the same way that a commitment to not smoke for 24 hours is effective. “I’ll have that treat as soon as I lose the five pounds…” And, replacing the imagining of digging into a a bag of Doritos with the imagining of something else positive – like fitting into those skinny jeans. Replacing the feeling of “giving up something” with the feeling of gaining something rewarding.</p>
<p>I think smoking raises your blood sugar just as the things it used to be associated with : coffee & a doughnut.
Same for alcohol.
Eating more protein might help.
My husband also made himself flavored toothpicks but you can buy them as well.
Gives you something to do with your hands.</p>
(though to be fair, there are categories I have had to walk away from!)</p>![http://content.gallup.com/origin/gallupinc/GallupSpaces/Production/Cms/POLL/3ehwjtfcw027bml1rpu_og.png]Complete](http://content.gallup.com/origin/gallupinc/GallupSpaces/Production/Cms/POLL/3ehwjtfcw027bml1rpu_og.png%5DComplete){kind=link}
