Quitting smoking in early recovery

[JigOvLife]

Hi folks,
I was wondering what advice you'd give on this matter,I'm only a month sober (this time) and I've jumped from 20 to 30 cigarettes a day (my caffeine intake,once negligible is through the roof).
I've heard it suggested as nicotine and alcohol both feed from each other. Has anyone tried both at the same time?

[historyteach]

Do you mean has anyone tried quitting both at the same time?
If so, yes.
Many people do.

My smoke cessation counselor said the statistics are clear that quitting both together has a higher success rate! Because they are bother behavioral changes that are needed, and because they do reinforce each other.

I wish you luck. You *can* do this.

Shalom!

[cess101]

Jigoflife, welcome to smoking cessation forum. I had a similar problem dis-associating smoking with a couple of things too, namely being around certain smokers in my life and drinking coffee. Easy enough to remember: ACE It! "ACE = Avoid, Cope, Escape."

Staying in contact with other quitters is so important, (but I'm sure you found that out quitting drinking). Anyway (point is), stick around the forum, okay? There will be people here to help you muddle through all of it. Plus, It's starting to get lively! There are a number of new quitters logging in almost every day now.

BTW (in case you're wondering), this forum at SR was recommended to me by another smoking cessation program/online forum; and I have maintained my quit now for 1 year and 9 months (+some days/weeks too). You might want to take a look at that site and check out the "Quit Wizard" they have to quit smoking (it's now at makingsmokinghistory dot org). Haha, I used to think of the quitting process like "following the yellow brick road....." and had the "Wiz" too (haha). Anyway, you can do this!

I hope I can offer some tips and help other quitters in some small way here. What reservations are there holding you back? Why do you enjoy smoking? Why do you want to quit smoking? Weigh out all the pro's and con's. Determine what triggers cravings? Classify triggers into 1 of 3 categories: Emotional, Physical, Situational/Social. Plan alternatives to smoking in every scenerio you can think of and then choose a method or combination of methods to quit smoking successful and set a Quit Date. (just several suggestions to help motivate in the right direction)

Congratulations and thanks for sharing your thoughts and contemplations about quitting here. Keep us posted. You never can tell when some comment you make helps another quitter out there.

cess101

[Grateful Heart]

I respectfully disagree with historyteach. Nicotine and alcohol both are such powerful addictions until I think it's best to tackle them one at a time. I heard you should quit the one that will kill you first, then quit the other one later. In my case the alcohol was killing me so that's the one I quit first. Grateful Heart. :-)

[historyteach]

Greatful Heart;

You're not disagreeing with me, friend!
It's the smoke cessation counselor who gave the statistics. This man is a substance abuse counselor and a social worker. He did a smoke cessation program in RI for the TryToStop program, born from the tobacco settlement money.

Anyway, it was he who said the statistics are clear that those who quit both together have a greater success rate. The reason is because both abstinance from drinking and smoke cessation are dependant upon behavioral changes, and because drinking and smoking reinforce each other. So, for both quits, we have to change what we're doing, especially when urges happen, and we need to get away from people, places and things that trigger those cravings.

Again, you can disagree. But, it's not with me. I'm giving you the information that the smoke cessation expert gave. He did the research, not I.

Shalom!

[thebossofme]

I disagree with neither historyteach nor Grateful Heart!

JigOfLife, my own experience — and that's all it is — was that I waited until I was a little longer sober (about 9 months) before extending my program to include quitting smoking. Without 'preparing to fail', I prioritised things to a certain extent, promising myself that if it all got too much for me I would light up a smoke before I'd pick up a drink. Thankfully, so far, I haven't had to do either. I certainly did find that the program I was working for alcohol was a huge help in staying away from cigarettes — one day at a time (...not to mention that just being sober was pretty much a prerequisite for me to have managed to quit smoking in the first place!)

So I would say that you should certainly consider going for the 'double', as long as you are feeling strong enough in your primary recovery from alcohol. Maybe a good idea would be to set yourself a quit date, a month or two from now (or six, or whatever you feel) — and look forward to it?

[jjaaam]

Well, for me the two are so intertwined that it made it diffcult to quit drinking and still smoke.

Drinking has a strange way of making cigarettes taste GREAT.

When I kept smoking I usually ended up drinking again.

Just my opinion...

[justanothrdrunk]

I haven't tried it (quitting smokes and booze/drugs at the same time).

But, the last time I was in treatment, the treatment center folks were big proponents of quitting smoking at the same time.

They claimed that the sucess rate was better when trying to quit smoking at the same time. I don't recall if that meant the quitting smoking sucess rate was better, or the quitting drinking part, or both.

Anyway, that's what I recall them saying.

[JigOvLife]

Thanks folks,forgot I'd asked this now I've started my countdown.
I believe I'm strong enough, wanna surf this clean wave before it becomes routine.
Drinking's the priority, if I drink I might not be back for ages, I'll become 'the other'.
But IF I have a cig then hopefully with the aid of these forums and you fine folk I'll get over the usual, 'My purities tarnished,Sod it', crap I go through when I light up.
Thank you all for your input

[doorknob]

Thank Doorknob I'm allergic to nicotine or I would probably have another addiction to kick, but here's a good link on the subject:

The Sober Alcoholic's Stop Smoking Support Page

[historyteach]

Awesome link, DK!!!
Thanks for bringing it here.

Shalom!

[fulminouscherub]

I knew when I stopped drinking I'd want to stop smoking, too. The conventional wisdom said wait a year. But the voice that told me that a drink would in no way improve my situation kept saying the same thing about smoking.

At 30 days sober I began to think more seriously about kicking nicotine. I began to doubt the conventional wisdom about waiting a year to quit and to feel more confident because of my success abstaining from alcohol.

When my eighth week of sobriety was approaching, I started planning. When day 56 arrived, I made sure I was out of tobacco and that my social calendar was clear for a couple days--I didn't want the necessity of being civil and sociable to provide an excuse for smoking. Days 3 and 4 included some social obligations, but not with smokers or activities I associated with smoking.

By day five the physical withdrawal was largely gone and my confidence was further boosted by picking up my 60-day chip.

It has now been 10 days nicotine-free. I occasionally feel cravings, but they are manageable. According to Allen Carr's The Easy Way to Stop Smoking, by the end of the third week, cravings will have become much reduced and things are much better from the point of view of the smoker.

According to another friend with years of nicotine-abstinence, the feeling of being stupid and irritable all the time fades after about six months--by this time the brain has rewired itself and become completely weaned from nicotine. This is the point when the quitter stops seeming like such an assh*le to his friends and family.

I'm happy I quit and am optimistic about staying the course. Far from jeopardizing my sobriety, my success so far at kicking nicotine has only increased my confidence. I recommend it.

[JigOvLife]

Cheers for that Fulminous cherub and well done on 10 days
I know I'm gonna become king of the belligerent a---holes when I quit.
Six mths of it eh?
Deep Joy

[comfortablynumb]

I actually quit SMOKING BEFORE I quit drinking by about 6 months.
When I quit smoking I hadn't really thought about quitting drinking...in fact my drinking INCREASED. I'm sure it was because I substituted. I also told myself that I gave up smoking and nothing else.
Over those 6 months, though, it became painfully clear that I needed to do both.

Once you make up your mind then it seems only logical that you put into motion, that which you have decided.

I've never looked back...I know that my motivation for quitting both was that it interfered with goals and who I think I am. I ran my first marathon a year after I quit smoking and 6 months sober.

I ran my second marathon in March. It's inconceivable to me that I could continue to smoke and run marathons.

I'm over 50, and only ran my first marathon at the tender age of 54.....my second at 56...so you see, anything is really possible once we make our minds up. I spent many days wondering if I could run a marathon........
and now I get to spend the rest of my life KNOWING I did...(TWICE)

Don't know if I want to run another; I'm still contemplating that...we'll see.
But certainly NOW that I have the two biggest obstacles cleared, anything is possible....

I quit cold turkey and it seems to be the best way for me
GOOD luck all you quitters....
success seems to be a matter of hanging on after others have let go...

[cess101]

Thanks. Your story is sure to give other quitters a boost of motivation. It made me think of something another quitter told me when I first was quitting, something like this.....

"Treat each day ofquitting like a marathon:
1. Start Strong - get off to a good start.
2. Pace yourself through the middle of the day; and,
3. Hang on like heck to the end of the finish line!"

You can do this!

Congratulations!

cess101

[HopeandPrayer]

I have tried to quit several times and haven't made it yet. I have tried the patch, gum and going cold turkey, none have worked yet. I have thought about trying Chantix but don't know what the side effects might be. I don't have the money for a perscription anyway so I am trying the step down process.

I find I smoke more when I am bored or on my computer, so I make sure the cigs are in the other room or somewhere not in arms reach. That way I don't chain smoke because I actually would have to get up to go get them. LOL So far that is working, I have cut down from 30 to 20/day over the last week. Hopefully by next week it will be 10/day and so on. I really can't afford to continue to smoke both health wise and financial since Iowa has one of hte highest sales tax on Cigs around. It costs between $5 and $6 a pack.

Good luck and if anyone has any other good ideas please let me know.
Barb :puppet

[Possum23]

Originally Posted by HopeandPrayer

I have thought about trying Chantix but don't know what the side effects might be. I don't have the money for a perscription anyway

In Iowa at the moment a 12 week Chantix course is........

FREE!

Call your local Community Health Center and ask about the "Smoking Cessation Program"

This deal was part of the reason they managed to pass the $1 pack tax last year. The State promised to give free treatment.

It is a very well kept secret, but ask around. I am on it. The doctors visits and drugs are totally free.

Try Chantix I am very pleased with it.

[HopeandPrayer]

I really appreciate this post, I will check into this tommorrow after work.

You are right it must be a big secret, I hadn't heard about it until now. Again thank you very much.
Barb

[Grateful Heart]

HopeandPrayer, I sure hope you can get the Chantix. It's what I used to quit and it helped me immensely. The craves and withdrawl symptoms will be much easier for you to handle. I tried quitting before with the patch, gum and cold turkey and none of those methods worked for me either. Keep us posted on your progress OK? Grateful Heart :-)

[steamvessel]

I think it depends on what you mean by the same time. I think within the first two months, this may be difficult. I definately wouldn't try to quit both on the same day. If you have a least 30 days sober, I'd say give it a shot. If you can't do it, smoke the cigarette before you drink. This is my philosophy. It just doesn't make sense to continue a horrible daily habit that is killing you if you have the desire to quit. You can achieve what your mind can concieve and believe, I really think this applies to addiction as well.