Smoking Cessation Clinic

CanadaSue · 11-16-2011, 10:47 PM

Today was the day - first appointment at the Smoking Cessation Program... which turns out to be a clinical study being conducted by the Center For Addiction & Mental Health. A successful inpatient program developed by the Ottawa Heart Institute is being studied for community use on a wider scale.

I sort of tried to sneak in - uh... no. Sneak doesn't cut it with these folks. I was LOUDLY welcomed by the receptionist, handed a clipboard with a smoking habits check sheet to fill in & waved to a room that was ... full of people, also filling in the same paperwork. Okay, that was encouraging - seemed to be all ages, all demographics.

I'd barely finished when my designated Nazi scooped me into her office. Extremely thorough appointment - over an hour. No guilt trips, no judgemental attitude - not a trace of that. In fact she di everything to make me feel as comfortable as possible to the point where I almost relaxed.

Long story short on that part of things - I have a history of anxiety & despression - the antismoking meds may not be something my doctor wants to go with, (appointment with him next Tuesday) & I'm not comfortable waiting that long. I know me. That gives me too much time to find & start believing lame excuses not to do this.

Instead, I came home loaded with a month's worth of nicotine patches - I'm to use the 21 mg. AND the 7 mg. together for the first month - at least. I told her I was hard core... no sense beating around the bush. I also have the nictotine gum & inhaler - whatever works best or suits what circumstance I find myself in.

We discussed triggers - is merely breathing considered a trigger? It is for me...LOL We talked about initial withdrawal symptoms, craving, the grief reaction she expects I'll go through, finding distractions, using delay tactics, how to break down time intervals to something managebale - you name it, if it was about quitting, it was discussed.

I am to spend the next couple of days finalizing my alternative activity lists & making sure I choose a good variety to cover what's appropriate for where/when I am. We talked about diet, exercise, making sure I drink lots of water, extra vitamins, using the help lines, her telling me I'd get lots of followup calls - both by Health Canada AND members of the study group. I have several phone numbers to use including a 24/7 real live person crisis line, a URL for a quitters' forum, pamphlets, a copy of my consent form...

I had to fill in a more detailed list of questions for the purpose of the study - 4 pages of them which included general health, addictions of all sorts, questions about anxiety & depression, support at home & socially... I'm study subject #19,329 so this appears to be a pretty comprehensive study. The 'acute phase' will cover a year, then follow up intervals will get longer.

The reading material is encouraging without being too chirpy. It acknowledges this isn't easy but has excellent suggestions for coping & how to deal with withdrawal symptoms & side effects. Potential weight gain of 5-15 pounds does NOT worry me at all...LOL

This weekend, I'm to eat well, sleep, rest but also get plenty of exercise so that I head to bed Sunday night physically prepared for a solid night's sleep from having exercised a bit & as mentally rested as possible.

Because Monday WILL be rough. Fighting the constant cravings you can experience the first few days can be very tiring I've been warned & at the same time, sleep might be tough to come by. Withdrawal, cravings, side effects; all temporary & they won't kill me.

I think I'm amost ready. By Sunday, I will be.

drummagick · 11-16-2011, 11:35 PM

Best of luck to you, Sue.

I am SO GLAD that is behind me.

Greta · 11-16-2011, 11:47 PM

Take it one day at a time...Good luck to you.

CanadaSue · 11-16-2011, 11:49 PM

I'm sort of snickering at myself right now as I alternate between: "You can do this!" & "OMG! I'm gonna diiiiiiiiiiiiiiie!"

I think the trick to not overwhelming myself is not thinking too far ahead. The idea of NOT smoking just seems too strange, too abnormal to contemplate. Getting through withdrawal & cravings AND behavioural changes... doesn't bear thinking about all at once... or at all...ROFL!

Best done one stage at a time, one day at a time - one minute at a time if need be. I was assured most cravings don't last more than 3-5 minutes & I can handle 3-5 minutes. Agreed. But what about the next craving that shows up a minute later? LOL I'll think of it as labour in reverse - massive discomfort that becomes less intense & less frequent as I progress.

I'll live but a few cats may lose some collective lives.

rb. · 11-16-2011, 11:52 PM

Good luck, Sue, you can do it. I'll be paying close attention to your comments. Think I'm going to try cold turkey again, once my courses are done in December.

Feather · 11-17-2011, 01:45 AM

I'll be watching her too. DH is on a waiting list to get his patches. This way I'l be prepared, well, kind of.

D. Gale · 11-17-2011, 11:11 AM

You can do it, Sue! You have made up your mind to quit and THAT is what will get you through it. Remember, the physical addiction is gone in 3 days. It's the habit of smoking and the mental addiction that is SO hard to break. You WILL get cravings beyond belief. It's so great that you have alternate activities and distractions -- that will help. But just remember -- when a craving hits, it's not the end of the world. You just have to get through those 10 or 15 minutes and it WILL subside. Use that 24-hour hotline and talk about it -- it will help until the craving goes away.

I hit my 20-year quitting anniversary this past August, and I did it cold turkey in the same year I got married and started a new job, with no patches or drugs or help other than moral support from my new husband and a few co-workers. The difference really is INTENTION --once you have made up your mind to do it and you're doing it for yourself (whatever your other reasons are), you can.

Arianwen · 11-17-2011, 12:49 PM

One day at a time. My mom used the Patch successfully - she counselled my ex-BF that if he had troublesome wild dreams to cut the patch in half. You might want to look into that.

Potemkin · 11-17-2011, 01:25 PM

I quit cold turkey a long time ago.

Mostly because I couldn't afford it.

There are a couple of things you didn't say they mentioned.

Stale cigarette funk. You don't notice it now but after you get stable and your lungs clear you will.

You will smell it on your clothes.

One day you will be walking outside for a long time, come in the house and wonder WTF? Cigarette funk.

You will clean your house and at some point down the road you will bring out some clothing, important document, etc. and you will smell it again.

If smoking is allowed in the Bingo Hall you may not be able to stand it.

You never really get rid of it so years down the road don't be surprised when it crops up. Even now, 30 years later when I am with something, and they fire up I still find myself breathing deep to drag in that first "hit".

However, it has been long enough now I can smoke cigars. Smoke one, not do another one for 2-3 months, sometimes longer.

D. Gale · 11-17-2011, 02:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Potemkin

If smoking is allowed in the Bingo Hall you may not be able to stand it.

This.

I almost got myself in trouble at my new job that summer because I was so anti-social. I absolutely could not go out to lunch, or go to a bar after work and hang out because of the triggers and cues to light up. You may have to chew a LOT of strong flavored gum (or Altoids?) to get through Bingo nights.

Maybe you could find a job at a garden center instead?

sandyd · 11-17-2011, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Even now, 30 years later when I am with something, and they fire up I still find myself breathing deep to drag in that first "hit".

My lungs actually feel like they close down now when I'm around smoke. I sometimes cough and gag and have to move away from the smoke.
It has totally lost it's memory of enjoyment for me.

I do miss the gum sometimes. A couple of times since I gave up smoking, I did buy gum while my life was super stressful.

occupant · 11-17-2011, 06:12 PM

Sue , if you quit and your SO does not, that will become a source of terrible contention between you two. I think it will be an ultimate fail unless SO agrees to smoke outside. Sounds like you are under traumatic stress now with SD troubles and SO family troubles, so please ask yourself, "Is this the proper time to quit smoking?" Its been over 3 years for me and I still struggle every day. I seriously don't think you should take on a crisis during a crisis. JMHO dear.

Ought Six · 11-17-2011, 06:19 PM

Well, they say that misery loves company, and you will have plenty of it.
---

http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/G...134030713.html

Great American Smokeout 2011 Wages War On Tobacco Use

The American Cancer Society has marked November 17 as the 36th Great American Smokeout to help current smokers kick the habit.
---

And you might rent this at the video store:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0066927/

rb. · 11-17-2011, 08:16 PM

Unless the bingo hall is on a reserve, I don't believe smoking is allowed in our province. You can't smoke anywhere indoors in Ontario, except on the rez, or in a private home. No bars, restaurants, nursing homes, prisons, etc. Been that way for many years. Hell, in my city, you can't smoke within 50' of a rec field, or municipal building, or entrances to malls, and many other workplaces.

driveshesaid · 11-17-2011, 08:31 PM

Ooooooooohhhhh, the grieving. I forgot about that. I d*mn near held a wake for my beloved ciggies.

And one day in the first week, I worked myself up into a complete rage over, " Why did I have to give up my ciggies? It's my life, and if I choose to kill myself, it's nobody's business but mine!" Total addictive, magic thinking. Went on like that for a couple hours, darned near got in the car and went to go get ciggies in an indignant snit that anyone would tell ME what to do.

Yeah, watch out for the mind games you can play on yourself.

Good luck, Hon.

drive

drummagick · 11-17-2011, 09:41 PM

I played those mind games plus invented some more. lol

I also remember being mad that I should have to give up my cigarettes. Mad at who? Who knows? But I was sure pissed off. lol

CanadaSue · 11-17-2011, 10:12 PM

Ugh - killer day...

SO is quitting as well.

Can't smoke in any public building here or within a certain number of feet/yards from them.

I expect I'll be very good at making up neat mind games.

Anger? Oh yeah - I'll pout, sulk, whine, rage, snivel...

I spent lots of time at work today going through my 'getting ready to quit' designated exercises. I had to list the benefits to me of smoking; what about it worked for me. You know - I couldn't honestly come up with any other than... 'relaxing' & metabolically, I know the opposite happens. Listing alternatives was way easier & I came up with a lot of things. Good, because I expect settling to any one activity for more than 15 minutes will be very hard at first.

I'll manage but I know withdrawal is going to suck. Then cravings are going to suck. Then the behavioural changes are gonna suck. One form of suckage at a time...

rb. · 11-17-2011, 10:20 PM

Yeah, it's relaxing. It's relaxing because it creates a state of anxiety 40 minutes or so after your last one. Amazing how we've come to view it, eh?

Something interesting happened to me tonight. DH and I hit the hot tub tonight, cuz it was so cold. I usually change afterwards, and come out for a smoke. I reeeeaaalllly needed a smoke. He wanted to watch Big Bang Theory before going to bed, and wouldn't wait for me. I gave in...sat down and watched it. Didn't once think about that smoke I neeeeeded so badly. Even with smoking outdoors, Sue, much of it is still just habit. Tonight gave me more confidence I may be able to do it soon.