Quitting Smoking the Old-Fashion Way: Cold Turkey

Greetings!

Well, today is the day I FINALLY quit smoking.  A friend/former co-worker had a heart attack from smoking, a petite female friend of mine had a heart attack from smoking, my dentist has been diagnosed with COPD from smoking, and a former co-worker/acquaintance (Brian Lephew) died at the age of 34 from a heart-related condition brought on by smoking.  How many more signs and clues do I need to see a trend going on here??

Thanks to my medications, I’m actually enjoying living again for the first time in years, and I do not want to do anything to shorten my time here on planet Earth.  So I’m going to quit smoking today simply by not smoking.  No patches, no pills, just discipline and willpower, as much as I can muster.

I am not on an anti-smoker crusade, but if you do smoke I do encourage to think about quitting.  The benefits of quitting outweigh the pleasure of smoking in the long run.

Please take great care of yourself and have a long life!

Best wishes,
Shannon

My Experiences with Chantix

No Smoking

After my father passed away in 2005, I took up the smoking habit out of depression.  I thought I could quit at any time, and did quit for a few short months using the “cold turkey” method.  However, I began smoking again early in 2006, after receiving more bad news.  This time quitting was not so easy.  And the occasional cigarette became more frequent until I was smoking close to a pack a day.

After many failed attempts, someone informed me of a medication called Chantix.  It is used to help people stop smoking.  It took me a while – and more failed attempts – before I decided to give it a try.

On Using Chantix

In my case, the results were amazing.  From the first minute dose I could tell a change.  Cigarettes would not give me a nicotine buzz anymore.  Three days later, cigarettes began to taste awful.  And the cravings disappeared.  I would no longer panic when the pack would run short.  By the fifth day, I had my one and only cigarette – my last one.

Over a month later, I am still going strong.  I still miss the actual ritual of smoking – opening up a fresh pack, lighting up, the social aspect of smoking with others – but I don’t miss smoking in and of itself.

Warnings

But would I recommend this medication to anyone?  Surprisingly, my answer would be “no.”  There have been substantial reports of people developing suicidal ideation while taking the drug.  In some news reports, there have been over 600 cases of attempted suicide while on Chantix.  So if you decide to start a Chantix program, you should be monitored by a doctor and stay alert to your thoughts and emotions.

Personal Side-Effects

The only major side-effect I have – and it’s a common one – is extremely vivid and complex dreams.  They aren’t necessarily nightmares, and a few have been rather entertaining.  (I will leave this for another post in the future.)  But the dreams can disrupt sleep and leave me feeling rather groggy in the morning.

Save Your Lungs and Your Wallet

If you smoke, I hope you can find the right program for you to quit.  Speaking from experience, quitting smoking has greatly improved my breathing and energy level, not to mention saved me money.  Chantix is one option to consider – one that has been beneficial to me.

If this post helps one person to quit smoking, then I have achieved my goal.  However you decide to quit, I wish you good luck and the strength to succeed.

If you have any questions about my experiences with Chantix, please feel free to contact me, and I will do my best to answer you.

UPDATE: Please read the sequel to this article here.