Replacing cigarettes (social smoker w/ADHD)

asaViolet
asaViolet Posts: 6
in Motivation and Support
I smoke very little, but it's still a disgusting and dangerous habit and i want to stop. The reasons and times i smoke are very specific so i know that i can. I just haven't found a reasonable replacement behavior. TImes I have gone completely without smoking in the past, i have used food to meet some of those needs and that has to stop as well if i'm going to get my weight under control.

--I smoke when I'm under a lot of stress. Certain problems get me so upset i feel like i can't think and the cigarette gives me 10 minutes to slow my mind down. I've heard exercise and drinking water might help with this one.
--I also smoke when i feel really scattered (adult adhd). I only reach for the cigarette in this case if I can't afford to procrastinate any longer. I'm sorry to say but it does help me focus enough to start doing something. I'm not always able to take a walk but when i have tried this it doesn't give the same effect. Caffiene can help some but it comes with a crushing low at the end (plus a lot of calories).
--I smoke around other people who are smoking. I find i can't be around my friends who are smoking without having something to do with my hands.

I've considered using a nicotine gum or investing in an e-cig but from what i understand the nicotine itself is still a carcinogen so that can't be a long term fix.

If anyone has some tips for these scenarios or would like to share what's worked for them, i'd like to hear it.

Replies

  • belladonna786
    belladonna786 Posts: 1,165 Member
    I was a pack to a pack and a half a day smoker. In january I will be 1 year smoke free I used an e-cigarette, it was the only thing that actually worked. I tried so many times.
  • katetstefans
    katetstefans Posts: 9
    Hi there,

    So glad you brought this up! I used to be a pack of day smoker myself...for me, the only way to quite was cold turkey. Smoking, like overeating seems to be just a way of disassociating when life feels too much to handle, including emotions. I feel like because we live in a society that is addicted to happiness, anytime we deviate from that elated emotion, there is a type of shame attached to it as well. Like oh crap, I feel sort of gloomy, how do i get out of this as fast as possible. Enter disassociating behaviors (food and cigarettes). I wrote a post on this type of disassociation here: http://katestefans.com/hello-darkness-my-old-friend/ I hope that you find it helpful.

    Lots of love,
    Kate
  • asaViolet
    asaViolet Posts: 6
    Thanks guys.

    @belladonna - My mom has been struggling to quit for years and the e-cig was one of the most helpful strategies for her too.

    @katet - i think you have a good point. sometimes we try to put a band-aid on our distress and we miss the message that we
    would still be OK without that "fix". I think there is even a behavioral alternative contained your blog post- the right music can make a big difference in terms of stress and sometimes perspective.
  • gerripho
    gerripho Posts: 479 Member
    Book: Easy Way to Stop Smoking, by Allen Carr. Available on-line and in e-books. It has helped so many to become non-smokers. Notice the difference between saying you "quit" which is like having to give something up, and saying "become a non-smoker" which is like gaining something positive.

    I smoked a pack a day for over 40 years, read the book, extinguished my last, and have no urges, no pangs, no withdrawal symptoms. My everlasting thanks to another MFPer who directed me to this book.
  • Meg_78
    Meg_78 Posts: 998 Member
    When I quit (about 8-9 months ago) knew I didn't want to replace with any nicotine products. I had success quitting with champix, (I was a pack a day smoker) but as an extra I also had one of those E-ciggs for "emergencies". I got a nicotine free one and when I felt desperate for a smoke, that stupid thing did help quite a bit, I mean in reality, if feels nothing like a cigarette, cause it is much heavier, but the sense of inhaling a slightly smoky flavoured vapor into your mouth has a similar enough feel to smoking (when you are that desperate) in that you can actually feel the vapor, so you can enjoy the hand to mouth action while breaking the nicotine habit. So I do recommend them as a tool, but only if you get the nicotine free ones, otherwise you don't break the habit at all.

    I only used them for a month or 2, now they sit at the bottom of a draw, but I don't regret them at all.
  • Gailhewitt
    Gailhewitt Posts: 6
    i smoke about a half a pack a day, i am trying to quit. i also have adhd and i find that when i can't concentrate or get something done i smoke more. i also smoke more when i am around people who smoke a lot. i am thinking of going with the nicotene patches. good luck to you!!
  • Lisa_222
    Lisa_222 Posts: 301 Member
    Diet or quit smoking one at a time. Exercise . Hard to quit both together.

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