Hi Dee, I thought of you when I heard Dr.OZ say that to Wendie...I know you are in the same boat. I find these shows to be kinda frustrating...I have a lot of respect for both Dr Oz and Oprah. But they are just missing it on the subject of quitting smoking. I just want to tell these people....." this doesn't have to be a struggle".I think people will fail if they don't change the way they think about smoking and what they get out of it. All we can do is to keep telling them. Congrats...Deb

I agree with you. I was totally dissapointed when Dr. Oz said that. I've been keeping up with the show (never missed one) and have decided to quit smoking--but when I heard what he said to her on the show, my heart literaly sank. It was like a slap in the face. I really do want...or should I say need to quit for myself and for my 8yr old son. We need positive feedback & I was surprised that Dr. Oz would say something like that. Congrats on being smoke free! I hope to get there soon...very soon.

I also was very disappointed (and shocked). I felt it was a very negative comment & do not see what possible good could come of it. Wendie CAN do it and ATTA GIRL, soda - you CAN TOO! I concentrate only on today. I wake up everyday & say "I am breathing free TODAY" I do not think, I can never, ever smoke. But today - I AM FREE.

What ever you do DON'T LET THAT STATEMENT STOP YOU FROM TRYING. I highly recommend Allen Carr's THE EASY WAY TO STOP SMOKING. I smoked for over 40 years, Tried Everything from, NRT to hypnotism, If some one had told me that I could read a book and go 7 days without smoking and feel as WONDERFUL as I do, I would have Laughed. Hear I am; LAUGHING at the world, feeling GREAT. " Debstar60" has been a big support for me, Thank- you Deb. Also "ucanquit", Eric's writings are along the same lines as the book. What ever method you choose, remember, we are not our husbands shadow....... WE CAN DO THIS...........Dee

Actually, The truth be told. I was disappointed in the first episode. I know I might ruffle some feathers here and let me say first that I think that obviously that Dr. Oz is a very intelligent man, BUT when it comes to quitting smoking. Nothing in that show was new or innovative.


It was the same old misconceptions that have been said time and again. Both by Dr. Oz and Dr. Sheidman. And you should be disappointed soda, what he said is wrong and innacurate.


I know of some people that have quit smoking much longer than me that have smoking spouses and when I quit smoking, for the first year and a half. I had 14 people constantly smoking around me at work. I'm not talking about in the same building. I'm talking about being next to me. We could smoke on the job in my warehouse then and everyone but a few people smoked. So for 8 to 10 hours a day 5 to 6 days a week, I had people smoking around me.


Also, the statement that it takes 5 to 6 times to quit is also innacurate and wrong. People can and do quit their very first time. I have also seen this time and again.


Remember the lady who got down to four cigarettes a day and couldn't quit? They told her it was because it is too hard to quit cold turkey. This is also wrong.


By smoking less and less, she was actually reinforcing the psychological addiction. Addiction isn't about doing less and less. It is about doing more and more. This poor lady was in chronic withdrawal. She was probably a lot more miserable smoking four cigarettes a day than she was as when she smoked her usual consumption. To quit smoking, you have to change how you see cigarettes and by her only smoking four a day, she was only reinforcing her desire for the cigarette. When people smoke, they usually don't pay attention to the cigarette. They're only trying to keep their nicotine serum up to a comfortable level. BUT when a person tries to cut down like this, they are obviously holding out to smoke a cigarette. So when they finally do smoke one. It becomes a reward. It becomes precious. By relieving a long overdue withdrawal, it creates more of an illusion that it brings pleasure when all it did was relieve the anxiety that just got more apparent because she was feeling from an overdue withdrawal. It is actually working against her.


I am tired of "Experts" telling us how impossible it is to quit smoking. It just keeps getting pounded into our heads and then of course it becomes hard. You can do this soda and don't let Dr. Oz discourage you. The man probably never smoked a cigarette in his life as with Dr. Sheidman. They have no idea if it is hard or not or impoosible or not.


There are more ex smokers in the U.S. than current smokers. Almost 50 million people are ex smokers. That is quite a few people isn't it, Why don't these "experts" tell us this? I don't understand. Why does my Fagerstrom nicotine dependence test tell me that my withdrawal symptoms are going to be handicapping? They were not and I am glad that I quit before I took that test otherwise I would have been scared to death.


My adivce to anyone wanting to quit. If you get information that only reinforces what you already think quitting is. Don't listen to it. It doesn't help and only reinforces the beliefs and fears that you already have. You have to remember that "experts" aren't to be relied on too much. If this was 1987. The medical industry and Surgeon General would be telling you right now that you suffer from no more than a nasty little habit, because that is what they believed back then. It wasn't until 1988 that the Surgeon General officially recognized it as an addiction.


Eric I freed myself on 7/7/04

I too live with a smoker and he is not ready to quit anytime soon, but I was and I was not about to let his smoking stop me from doing what I wanted to do. I want to be a non-smoker and that is what I have set out to do. It has been 48 days, it has not been easy, some days are better then others but I believe that if this is something that I want bad enough I will do it. So to everyone that is living with a smoker don't let Dr. Oz's comments discourage you we can all do it. Linda

I was pretty surprised by that statement myself. I lived with a smoker for almost the first year of my quit, and the fact that I made it through craves with smokes in the house only made me stronger. He did smoke outside, but sometimes I'd go sit outside and chat with him while he smoked. A few of my best friends smoke and they are more of a coach to stay quit than some of my nonsmoking friends. I see how badly they want it for themselves. You will quit regardless of who you live with or are around when you realize you will never be able to enjoy smoking again. You might as well stay quit and stop putting yourself through it. Susie I've been Quit 638 days. $4,466.00 and 6 months, 15 days, 2 hours of your life saved

YEAH I HEARD WHEN HE SAID THAT I THINK THAT WAS ALITTLE HARSH. I FEEL SHE CAN DO IT AND NOW THAT HE HAS MADE THAT COMMENT I CAN NOT WAIT TO SEE HER IN ABOUT 6 MONTHS TO A YEAR AND FOR HER TO TELL HIM WHAT WAS IT THAT YOU SAID TO ME I WOULD FAIL WELL HERE I AM A YEAR LATER STILL SMOKE FREE AND THE HUBBY STILL A SMOKER. I WILL BE PULLING FOR HER. SHE IS MY NEW FOUND INSPERATION. SOMETIMES PEOPLE DO NOT THINK BEFORE THEY SPEAK AND THAT IS JUST WHAT HE DID

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Hi Soda, Just a few comments in reference to Eric and Holly330. First, good for you Eric. I am glad you are Breathing Free. Many people can quit cold turkey, especially men, and many cannot. People have different levels of coping mechanisms. And no Dr. Oz has never smoked. We asked him that question. I'm Day 24 of Breathing free and it does not bother me to be around other smokers. I have quit multiple times before with the longest being 2 years. I have 2 very good friends; one quit for 5 years and one for 10 years and Yes, they are smoking again. Yet my husband quit cold turkey 13 years ago and remains smoke free. What I lacked those other times was a plan and a support group, with the latter being the most important. I believe in my heart that Wendie will remain smoke free. What Dr. Oz said was harsh, but you Holly, are thinking like him. He "WANTS" Wendie to prove him wrong. If you remember the first show, you should remember him telling me that he would bypass my heart blockage because it was in the vessel called the widow maker. That is only part of what the public heard. At the taping, things are said and discussed that are not aired. And Eric, Whatever the statistics, whether right or wrong, there is one that is well documented. There are 45 million smokers. Other than a slight decrease in 2003, that figure has not changed since the 70's. Unbelievable!!! Especially since everything and everywhere seems to be antismoking. I support whole heartly anyone trying to quit. I try and think positive and be positive. Everyone is different and no way to quit is a wrong way. Just do what you have to do. Find good ,positive support, nothing negative and enjoy BREATHING FREE. Thanks deb

Hello All, I know I will probably get alot of flack from this post but that's okay. Speaking from a recovering perspective, Dr. Oz was right. Think about an alcoholic or addict (which we are) having a partner who drinks or uses drugs in their household it's cause for concern. From a recovery standpoint, it's a slippery slope to have someone in your household that smokes. In recovery, you don't put yourself in slippery situations if you want to remain in recovery. I believe that's what Dr. Oz was referring to when he spoke to Wendy. I hope this makes sense to someone? Dr. Oz wasn't trying to be mean but he is the Dr. afterall! We are addicts in an addiction and we have the fight of our life. I think we all needed a different perspective on it. Thanks!

Thank you finally someone that isn't being so sensitive. Yes it may have been a little harsh and a slap in the face but isn't that what we all really need to get us moving. No one is going to quit if he were to say that it's going to be easy and then have it turn out to be as hard as it really is. The truth hurts, I say bring on the pain, no more lying to ourselves lets all keep it real. With all my love and support

Hi Deb,

I just got done watching the Oprah episode again. I recorded it. I'm glad that you're breathing free also. And my rant was not juts about quitting cold turkey, BUT about all the "quit smoking experts" saying you cannot. Dr. Oz said it himself. Don't quit cold turkey. It is about quitting smarter, not harder. That is innacurate. Quitting cold turkey can be done by anyone if they follow the directions. Just like someone following the direction on the patch box.

You mentioned that you quit for two years. You have two good friends that quit for 5 and 10 years and are now smoking. Your husband also quit cold turkey and is now 13 years smoke free.

One thing to point out to all four of you. The method of your quit does not dictate anything. The fact that your husband quit 13 years ago and is still not smoking has nothing to do with cold turkey, nor does you or your friends going back to smoking have anything to do with whatever method you chose.

The reason you and your friends went back to smoking wasn't because you were hopelessly addicted to nicotine. It was simply because you still believed in the cigarette. Nicotine is NOT addictve as long as you do not administer it. it is only your belief in the cigarette that keeps the addiction alive. It is only your belief that keeps the danger of relapse from happening.

What Dr. Oz said was not harse. IT WAS WRONG. I had 14 people smoke around me 8 to 10 hours a day all day, 5 to 6 days a week for the first year and a 1/2 of my quit. I did not smoke one cigarette. I know many fellow quitters, that have smoking spouses that have quit longer than I. How did they do it. With the same education I learned. So for him to say that she'll probably fail is wrong and negative.

Yes there are 45.5 million smokers in the U.S. There are 45.9 million ex smokers. What does dwelling on how many smokers in the U.S. help you to quit? Why wasn't it brought up that there are more ex smokers?

How does people telling you that it is hard to quit smoking help? I use to smoke between 40 to 50 cigarettes a day. I used to believe that quitting smoking was hard, if not impossible and looking back, I realize now why. Not only did I have my own past experiences when I didn't know anything about nicotine addiction, but I had all these so called "quit smoking experts" tell me that. People that never smoked telling me how I was supposed to feel or knew what I was going through.

And as you said, there is no wrong way. So why did Dr. Oz and the other two slam quitting cold turkey. Isn't that negative? Isn't telling people how hard it is to quit negative?

Look at my Fagerstrom Nicotine Dependence Test on here and you will see the B.S. Fear instilled into people.

People do not fail at quitting smoking because nicotine is so powerful. They fail because they still believe in the cigarette. I know, that is every reason I did and once I learned the truth, it is also the reason I never smoked again once I quit.


I am an ex smoker. I am on YOUR side.

If people really want to break the myths. Read Allen Carr's book and Joel Spitzer's PDF book.


Eric

I freed myself on 7/7/04

Eric, All I can is AMEN!!! I have been thinking about her post since I read it yesterday.People have got to realize the lies they have told themselves and have been told by the (experts). When I hear people say they quit for years or even months and started back because of nicotine addiction I just think...how sad. Or even when I hear them talking about the struggle,anxiety,panic,fear,cravings.all of it I just want to scream IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THAT WAY!!!! But I too once believed that lie. Nicointe is in no way as addictive as herion.... the reason people think this is soooo hard to do is because of not having the knowledge of the addiction and believing the cigarrte does all these things for them.I know I'm preaching to the chore...what else can I do?? I do agree with her that there are many ways to quit smoking..but why would you not just educate yourself instead of keeping yourself hooked on nicotine and other drugs?? Deb

Deb, Just wanted to comment on your posts.I agree with you that there are many ways to quit smoking.I just believe some are more affective than others. I too had a few quits over the years..not very long ones. Tried the patch,gum, Wellbutrin, will power, It wasn't until I changed the way I thought that I had success. Yes I read the book The Easy Way To Stop Smoking. I just believe that people will have a better chance of staying quit when they learn the truth about the addiction. When you say..DR Oz WANTS Wendie to prove him wrong...and I believe your right....but what that suggest is that she can do it with will power or determination.If will power was all it took to quit..everyone would quit.The true is ..it doesn't take any will power.I quit Jan 23 2007 after almost 30 years of smoking..had gotten up to a pack a day. I have had several very stressful things to happen in the past year...a lot more stressful that anything that ever caused me to start smoking before. I have had some thoughts of smoking since quitting..but it's just a passing thought.I know when you have experienced the (I'm going to lose my mind if I don't get a cigarrte) it may be hard to believe that you don't even think about smoking..but it is true. I was so excited about Oprah doing this show...but like many others I was very dissapointed in the information.When Oprah suggest that nicotin addiction is as hard to quit as herion...well...I just can't believe it.You see that is the kind of information smokers have always heard and that it is sooooo hard to quit.Please educate yourself...read Erics posts..he has some good ones...get one of the books.And your right we are all here to help and be helped.If I didn't believe in the message I'm trying to get out I wouldn't waste my time with it. Deb ( have you notices there are a lot of Debs on here??